What if I want to extend my trip?

Common extensions include Portugal's Douro Valley (3–4 nights), the Basque-French coast around Biarritz (2 nights), or Madrid at the start of the trip. We'll build the extension seamlessly into your existing itinerary and pricing.

When is the best time to visit northern Spain?

May through October offers the best weather, with June and September being ideal — warm but not hot, with long daylight hours. Northern Spain has a milder, greener climate than the south, with some rain possible year-round (this is what makes it so beautiful). July and August are peak season along the coast.

How far in advance should I book?

For peak season (June–September), we recommend booking 3–6 months ahead to secure first-choice hotels, especially in San Sebastián where top properties fill quickly. Off-season trips can often be arranged with shorter notice.

What affects the price?

The starting price is based on double occupancy in our default 4–5★ hotels during shoulder season. Prices vary with travel dates (peak summer and festival periods cost more), hotel upgrades, group size, and optional add-ons. Single supplements are available. We'll provide an exact quote once we know your dates and preferences.

What is your cancellation policy?

A 20% deposit secures your booking. The balance is due 60 days before departure. Cancellations made more than 60 days out receive a full deposit refund. Between 30–60 days, 50% of the deposit is refunded. Within 30 days, the deposit is non-refundable. We strongly recommend travel insurance to cover unexpected changes.

Layers are essential — northern Spain is cooler and more changeable than the Mediterranean coast. A light waterproof jacket is invaluable. Comfortable walking shoes with good grip handle cobblestones and optional mountain paths. We'll send a detailed packing guide with your travel booklet.

12-Day Private Package Journey

North of Spain

Barcelona, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Oviedo & Santiago

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided

From €5,490 per person 12 days / 11 nights

View Itinerary

Tour Overview

12 days across Spain.

From the modernista avenues of Barcelona to the misty green hills of Galicia, this twelve-day private journey traces Spain's dramatic northern coast — a world away from the Mediterranean south. This is the Spain of emerald valleys and granite cliffs, of Michelin-starred pintxos bars and centuries-old cider houses, of Gehry's titanium curves rising above a Basque river and a medieval cathedral that has drawn pilgrims for a thousand years. Every day is shaped around you — your pace, your palate, your curiosity — with hand-picked hotels, expert local guides, and the kind of unhurried moments that reveal a country most visitors never see.

Trip Quick Look

Duration: 12 Days / 11 Nights
Destinations: Barcelona, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Oviedo, Santiago de Compostela
Group Size: 2–8 guests (private)
Dates: Year-round, flexible
Tour Type: Private Package
Accommodation: 4–5★ centrally located hotels
Meals: Daily breakfast
Transport: Trains & private vehicles

From €5,490 per person, based on double occupancy

Activity Level

Moderate

This tour involves 2–4 hours of walking on most days, with some coastal paths and uneven old-town streets. Comfortable walking shoes are essential. The private vehicle format means distances between cities are handled in comfort, and days can always be adjusted for those who prefer a gentler pace.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1

Arrival in Barcelona

Where the Mediterranean sets the stage.

Your private driver meets you at Barcelona–El Prat Airport and delivers you to your hotel in the heart of the city — the kind of seamless arrival that sets the tone for everything ahead. After check-in, the afternoon is entirely yours: stroll down La Rambla as the flower sellers arrange their stalls, duck into the labyrinthine streets of the Gothic Quarter for a cortado, or simply sit at a terrace café and let the rhythm of Barcelona wash over you. We'll share our curated list of favourite neighbourhood restaurants to get your evening started.

Private airport transfer to central Barcelona
Curated restaurant recommendations for your first evening

4–5★ centrally located hotel, Barcelona

Day 2

Barcelona & Gaudí Highlights

Where architecture becomes a fever dream.

Morning begins with the building that defines this city: a private, skip-the-line visit to the Sagrada Familia with an architectural historian who unpacks Gaudí's obsessive genius in a way that makes the forest of columns and kaleidoscopic light feel even more extraordinary. From there, your guide leads you through the mosaic wonderland of Park Güell, perched above the city with views that stretch to the sea. The return route follows the elegant Passeig de Gràcia, pausing at Casa Batlló and La Pedrera — two buildings that look like they're breathing. The afternoon is free to explore Barcelona's tapas bars, beaches, or the Picasso Museum at your own pace.

Skip-the-line Sagrada Familia with architectural historian
Park Güell panoramic visit
Passeig de Gràcia: Casa Batlló & La Pedrera

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Barcelona

Day 3

Gothic Quarter & Historic Barcelona

Two thousand years of secrets, written in stone.

This morning your guide takes you deep into the medieval labyrinth of the Gothic Quarter, where Roman walls lie beneath medieval churches and every narrow turning opens onto a hidden square. You'll visit Barcelona Cathedral with its cloister of thirteen white geese, trace the atmospheric lanes where Picasso once walked, and emerge into the fashionable Born district to stand before the soaring nave of Santa Maria del Mar — the people's cathedral, built by dockworkers and fishermen. After the tour, enjoy a coffee at an outdoor terrace on La Rambla before the afternoon is yours to explore freely.

Private walking tour of the Gothic Quarter
Barcelona Cathedral and its cloister
Santa Maria del Mar in the Born district
La Rambla at leisure

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Barcelona

Day 4

Barcelona to Bilbao

Leaving the Mediterranean behind for the green north.

A leisurely Barcelona morning — perhaps a final coffee on Passeig de Gràcia, or a last browse through the Boqueria market. Late morning, your private driver transfers you to the station for the scenic train north to Bilbao. The landscape transforms as you cross into the Basque Country — the hills grow softer, the green grows deeper, and the air takes on the salt-tinged freshness of the Atlantic. Arrive in Bilbao by mid-afternoon and check into your hotel along the Nervión River. The rest of the day is yours: the pintxos bars of the Casco Viejo are calling, and we'll share our favourite spots.

Scenic train through the Spanish countryside to Bilbao
Private station transfers in Barcelona and Bilbao
Afternoon arrival in Bilbao's riverside setting

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Bilbao

Day 5

Bilbao: Guggenheim, Old Town & Pintxos

Where titanium curves meet medieval stone.

This is the day that redefines what you thought you knew about northern Spain. Morning begins with a private guided visit to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao — not just the Frank Gehry building itself, which still takes your breath away two decades on, but the world-class collection inside, from Richard Serra's massive steel sculptures to the ever-changing exhibitions. Your guide is an architecture specialist who understands both the engineering marvel and the cultural statement the building represents. After the Guggenheim, a walking tour through the Casco Viejo — Bilbao's seven-street medieval heart — where the atmosphere shifts to something older and more intimate: iron balconies hung with laundry, family-run shops, and pintxos bars where the counter displays are edible works of art. The afternoon is free to explore further or simply settle into a favourite bar.

Private Guggenheim Museum tour with architecture specialist
Walking tour of the Casco Viejo (Old Town)
Pintxos bars in the medieval streets

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Bilbao

Day 6

Bilbao to San Sebastián & Bay of Biscay Sailing

The Basque coast, bend by beautiful bend.

Your driver collects you after breakfast for the scenic drive east along the coast — one of the most beautiful stretches of road in all of Spain. The route winds through fishing villages perched above jade-green coves, past hillsides of Atlantic vineyards, with the Cantabrian Sea appearing and disappearing at every turn. Arrive in San Sebastián by early afternoon and check into your hotel overlooking La Concha, the city's famous shell-shaped bay. In the evening, step aboard for a sailing cruise across the Bay of Biscay — Basque cuisine and refreshments as the sun sets over the harbour, with the coastline and city landmarks framed by the golden light.

Scenic Basque coastal drive via fishing villages
Afternoon arrival overlooking La Concha bay
Bay of Biscay sunset sailing cruise

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, San Sebastián

Day 7

San Sebastián: Culture, Coast & Culinary Capital

Spain's culinary capital, bar by bar.

A day devoted to the city that has more Michelin stars per capita than almost anywhere on earth. The morning is yours to explore: walk the promenade to the Peine del Viento sculptures where the Atlantic crashes against Chillida's iron combs, visit the neo-Gothic cathedral, or climb Monte Urgull for panoramic views over the bay. In the afternoon, a guided pintxos tour through the Parte Vieja with a local food writer who knows every bartender by name. You'll move from bar to bar sampling the best of Basque gastronomy — anchovy tempura here, slow-cooked pig's ear there, idiazábal cheese with membrillo — each stop paired with a txakoli or a Rioja. The evening is yours, and after this afternoon, you'll know exactly where to go.

Peine del Viento sculptures at the coast's edge
Neo-Gothic Cathedral and Santa Maria del Coro Basilica
Guided pintxos tour with a local food writer
Monte Urgull panoramic views over La Concha bay

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, San Sebastián

Day 8

San Sebastián to Oviedo

Into Asturias — cider country, mountain country.

One last morning in San Sebastián — use it for a final pintxo at your favourite bar, a walk along Zurriola Beach, or a coffee on La Concha's promenade. Late morning, your driver collects you for the westward drive through the Basque and Cantabrian countryside — a landscape of green hills tumbling into the sea, limestone cliffs, and fishing villages where the rhythm of life is still set by the tides. The drive passes through picturesque European scenery at every turn. Arrive in Oviedo by mid-afternoon, a city of unexpected elegance and understated charm. After check-in, the rest of the day is yours to explore at leisure.

Scenic drive through Basque and Cantabrian countryside
Arrival in Oviedo's elegant historic centre

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Oviedo

Day 9

Oviedo: Pre-Romanesque Treasures & Cider Country

Green Spain at its most genuine.

A full day devoted to Oviedo and its surroundings. Morning begins with a walking tour of the historic centre: the ninth-century Church of San Julián de los Prados — pre-Romanesque architecture that predates anything comparable in Europe — the Church of Santa María del Naranco on its hillside perch, and the lively Mercado del Fontán marketplace, where you should try the local carbayones pastry. The afternoon takes you into the surrounding countryside — the Picos de Europa foothills or the dramatic Asturian coast with its hidden beaches and the colourful fishing village of Cudillero tumbling down to its tiny harbour. In the evening, experience the Asturian sidra tradition at a traditional cider house — your guide explains the escanciado pouring technique as the fabada and local cheese arrive.

Pre-Romanesque churches — San Julián de los Prados and Santa María del Naranco
Mercado del Fontán and local carbayones pastry
Coastal fishing village of Cudillero
Traditional Asturian cider house evening

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Oviedo

Day 10

Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela

The pilgrim's destination, and yours.

The final leg of the journey carries you west into Galicia — a land of stone hórreos, eucalyptus forests, Celtic crosses, and Atlantic mists. Your driver takes a scenic route with stops along the way: the charming Asturian fishing village of Cudillero if you missed it yesterday, and the walled city of Lugo, where Roman walls — the best preserved in all of Spain — encircle the old town. Arrive in Santiago de Compostela by mid-afternoon and check into your hotel in the old town, steps from the great cathedral. The evening is free to explore the atmospheric stone streets and find a restaurant where the Galician seafood is as fresh as it gets.

Scenic drive through coastal Asturias into green Galicia
Stop in Cudillero fishing village
Stop in Lugo — Roman walls and old town
Evening arrival in Santiago de Compostela

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Santiago de Compostela

Day 11

Santiago de Compostela: Cathedral & Old Town

A thousand years of pilgrimage, and the city that inspired it.

A private guided tour takes you through the Praza do Obradoiro — one of the most magnificent squares in Europe — into the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela itself, the final destination of the Camino de Santiago and the reputed burial site of the apostle Saint James. Your guide brings the cathedral's layered history to life: the Pórtico de la Gloria, the silver botafumeiro that swings across the nave on feast days, and the centuries of pilgrims who have worn smooth grooves into the stone. After the cathedral, walk the atmospheric rúas of the old town — granite arcades, lively market squares, and the sound of Galician bagpipes drifting from a stone archway. The Mercado de Abastos, where fishmongers display the morning's Atlantic catch, is worth a detour. The rest of the day is yours to explore at leisure.

Private guided tour of Santiago Cathedral
Praza do Obradoiro — one of Europe's great squares
Medieval old town walking exploration
Mercado de Abastos — Galicia's freshest seafood

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Santiago de Compostela

Day 12

Departure

Buen Camino — until the north calls you back.

A final Galician morning — the granite streets still cool and quiet, the smell of wood smoke and fresh bread drifting from a bakery near the cathedral. If your flight allows, there's time for a last walk through the old town or a coffee in one of the stone-walled cafés that line the Rúa do Franco. Your private driver transfers you to Santiago de Compostela Airport in plenty of time for your flight. Your travel specialist remains on call until you're home — and we'll follow up a few days later to hear which northern corner of Spain captured your heart.

Optional final morning in Santiago's old town
Private airport transfer

Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

Barcelona

3 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Eixample / Gothic Quarter

Walking distance to Gaudí landmarks and the Gothic Quarter

Bilbao

2 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Abando / Ensanche

Riverside location, steps from the Guggenheim and Casco Viejo

San Sebastián

2 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Centro / La Concha

Overlooking the bay, walking distance to Parte Vieja

Oviedo

2 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Casco Antiguo

Historic centre, steps from the cathedral and cider houses

Santiago de Compostela

2 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Zona Monumental

Old town, steps from the cathedral and Praza do Obradoiro

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

11 nights in 4–5★ centrally located hotels (double occupancy)
Daily breakfast at each hotel
Airport meet & greet on arrival
Private airport transfers in Barcelona and Santiago de Compostela
Train ticket Barcelona–Bilbao
All inter-city transfers in air-conditioned private vehicles
Private station transfers at all cities
Private expert guides in every city (historians, food writers, architecture specialists)
Skip-the-line Sagrada Familia and Park Güell visit
Private Guggenheim Museum tour with architecture guide
Guided pintxos tour in San Sebastián
Bay of Biscay sailing cruise
Private Santiago Cathedral tour
24/7 travel specialist support throughout your trip
All entrance fees and museum tickets
Hamilton & Chase digital travel booklet with restaurant & tip recommendations

Not Included

International flights to Barcelona / from Santiago de Compostela
Travel insurance (required — we can arrange coverage on request)
Lunches and dinners
Personal expenses (shopping, additional drinks, spa treatments)
Gratuities for guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)
City tax (collected directly by hotels, typically €1–3 per person per night)

Good to Know

This itinerary is a starting point — every detail can be adjusted to suit your preferences, pace, and interests.
Northern Spain is best explored by a mix of train and private vehicle. The scenic coastal and mountain roads between cities are part of the experience. Your driver handles all the driving so you can enjoy the views.
Hotels are confirmed at booking based on your travel dates. Upgrades and alternatives are always available.
All guides and experiences are arranged exclusively for your party — never shared with other groups.
Comfortable walking shoes are essential. Old towns feature cobblestones, and optional mountain excursions require sturdy footwear.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Basque cooking class

Learn to prepare pintxos and traditional Basque dishes with a local chef in San Sebastián

From €130 pp

Surf lesson in Zarautz or Mundaka

Ride the Atlantic swells on Spain's legendary Basque surf coast

From €85 pp

Picos de Europa guided mountain hike

Half-day trek through the limestone peaks with a certified mountain guide

From €110 pp

Asturian cider house tour & tasting

Visit a traditional cider press, learn the escanciado pouring technique, and taste straight from the barrel

From €75 pp

Rioja wine region day trip

Full-day excursion from Bilbao to La Rioja — two winery visits, barrel tastings, and vineyard lunch

From €195 pp

Galician seafood market experience

Shop the Mercado de Abastos in Santiago and have your purchases cooked at a neighbouring restaurant

From €90 pp

A Coruña & Costa da Morte excursion

Full-day drive to the wild Atlantic coast — Roman lighthouse, dramatic cliffs, and seafood by the harbour

From €160 pp

Professional photo session

1-hour portrait session at iconic locations with a local photographer

From €350

"We thought we knew Spain, but the north was a revelation — the food in San Sebastián, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the cider houses of Oviedo. Hamilton & Chase made every day feel effortless and every stop feel like a discovery. We're already planning to go back."

Claire & Daniel R.

Toronto, ON · North of Spain, October 2025

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

Can I change the hotels?

Absolutely. The hotels listed are our default selections for this route, chosen for location, character, and consistency. If you have a specific property in mind — perhaps a parador (historic state-run hotel) in Santiago — we'll adjust the itinerary and pricing accordingly.

Is this trip suitable for children?

Yes. The north of Spain is wonderful for families — the beaches, the mountains, and the informal pintxos culture all work well with children. We'll adjust the pacing, swap in family-friendly guides, and add activities that keep younger travellers engaged.

Private Package Journey

North of Spain

12 days / 11 nights

From €5,490

per person

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+1 646-466-6841 explore@hamiltonandchase.com

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On-trip support is 24/7.

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