Starts and ends
San Sebastian to Santiago De Compostela
Travel periods
All year round
Experience
Travel style
Experience Northern Spain in luxurious comfort
Tour Highlights:
- Tour of Bilbao's famous Guggenheim Museum
- Explore Cantabria's elegant capital city Santander
- Visit the Altamira Cave museum
- Delicious meals on board El Transcantábrico
- See the stunning Cathedral of Santiago De Compostela
Overview
Travel in style across Northern Spain on an 8-day luxury rail tour, setting off from San Sebastian and ending in the historic city of Santiago De Compostela. Witness the rich diversity of the northern landscapes, historic towns and dynamic cities, all while enjoying the comfort and elegance of El Transcantábrico’s luxury tourist train.
Inclusions
- Luxury coach trip from San Sebastian to Bilbao for boarding El Transcantábrico
- Welcome drink and snack
- A la carte and buffet breakfasts, lunch and dinner on board the train or in top restaurants
- Transport to and from tour experiences
- Entrance fees to: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, El Capricho villa in Comillas and Altamira Cave Museum
- Guided tours of beautiful locations such as Bilbao, Lake Enol, Gijon and Santiago De Compostela's old town
- Train transfers to/from the train station nearest to your origin and end trip within Spanish Territory
Itinerary
Reception at Hotel Costa Vasca in San Sebastian at 13:00 h. Tour and lunch, followed by luxury coach trip to Bilbao, where El Transcantábrico awaits us. On arrival, the crew will offer us a welcome drink. Trip to Carranza while enjoying our first dinner on board. Overnight stay in Carranza.
We will begin every day by enjoying our delicious à la carte and buffet breakfast. El Transcantábrico will bring us back to Bilbao to tour this dynamic city, which has managed to reinvent itself after the decline of its traditional heavy industry. The tour includes a visit to the famous Guggenheim Museum, the symbol of this new Bilbao. Return to the train to savour lunch while heading towards Santander. Tour of the elegant capital of Cantabria and free time to explore it at our leisure. Dinner and overnight stay in Santander.
After breakfast, our coach will take us to Potes, going through the impressive gorge called Desfiladero de la Hermida. After touring this charming Cantabrian town, we can enjoy a thermal circuit in La Hermida Spa. Lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit El Capricho, in Comillas, a marvellous, colourist 19th-century villa designed by Antonio Gaudí. Dinner and overnight stay on board the train in Cabezón de la Sal.
We begin the day by visiting the Altamira Neocave, a museum and faithful reproduction of the maximum exponent of rock art in the Upper Palaeolithic. Then onto the town of Santillana del Mar with its magnificently preserved medieval district. After lunch, we will enter the region of Asturias as far as Llanes. Dinner and overnight stay in Llanes.
After breakfast, coach trip to the heart of the Picos de Europa National Park. We will visit Lake Enol and then head towards the Covadonga Sanctuary, a holy site full of tradition and legend. We will then return to El Transcantábrico to have lunch on board while travelling to Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias. Tour, dinner, and overnight stay in Oviedo.
We will begin the day by touring Gijon, a city open to the Bay of Biscay and packed with cultural events. Lunch in Gijon before returning to El Transcantábrico. We will then travel along the Asturian coast as far as Luarca, known as the White Town of the Green Coast, where we will enjoy a guided tour of this charming seaside locality. Dinner and overnight stay on board the train in Luarca.
Trip to Ribadeo, a historic Galician town bordering the Principality of Asturias. We will then travel along the Lugo coast by coach as far as Las Catedrales Beach, one of the most spectacular in the world. We will then enjoy a panoramic tour of Ribadeo and have lunch. In the afternoon, we will travel by train to Viveiro, where, after a guided tour, we can enjoy some free time. Dinner and overnight stay on board the train in Viveiro.
While enjoying our last breakfast on board, we will travel to Ferrol, where our coach will be waiting to take us to Santiago de Compostela. Tour of the city’s old town, which has been the destination of pilgrims for a thousand years and features countless artistic gems, such as its magnificent cathedral. End of trip around 13:00 h after visiting, in the Parador de los Reyes Católicos.
