Explore landmarks in and around Barcelona, including UNESCO World Heritage sites designed by the legendary architect Antoni Gaudí, and enjoy a walking tour of medieval Girona that lends more insight into the Catalonia region.
Note: Due to the amount of walking, this program is not recommended for guests with mobility restrictions.
DAY 1
Upon arriving at the Barcelona International Airport, you will be met in the Arrivals Hall which is outside the luggage claim area. Please look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo.
You will then be transferred to the NH Gran Calderon Hotel Barcelona or a similar hotel, where you will spend the evening. Meals will be on your own today.
Your hotel is located in the Eixample district of Barcelona, just a 10-minute walk to Las Ramblas. Passeig de Gràcia, the city’s nicest shopping street, is easily reached on foot. Emblematic buildings and sights such as Casa Batlló, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), La Sagrada Familia and the Picasso museum are also nearby if you wish to visit them.
Note: Single guests will transfer in a sedan and couples in a van. Sedans hold 2 pieces of luggage plus 2 carry-on size bags. Vans hold 4 pieces of luggage plus 2-3 carry-on size bags. If you have more luggage than is permissible, a larger vehicle may be required for an additional cost. Please advise your booking agent at least 21 days before sailing if a larger vehicle is required.
DAY 2
After breakfast at your hotel, you will meet the guide and begin touring the city. You will pass the Columbus monument and the waterfront on the way to Sagrada Familia, the extraordinary still-unfinished church that famed architect Antoni Gaudí worked on until his death in 1926. The guide will explain the history of the church and its lengthy ongoing construction during your outside visit.
Continuing on, you will begin walking through the Gothic Quarter, passing landmarks such as the La Seu Cathedral and city hall. A more sweeping view of Barcelona awaits you upon reaching Mount Juic hill, where you may pause for photos. You will then visit Spanish Village, an open-air museum with replicas of characteristic houses from several regions of Spain. As you meander the grounds, you may observe artists such as glassblowers demonstrating their talents.
A tapas-style lunch follows, after which you will return to your hotel. The remainder of the day will be at your leisure with dinner on your own.
DAY 3
After breakfast at your hotel, you will settle in for a direct transfer to Girona, accompanied by a guide. Northern Catalonia’s largest city, Girona is full of museums, galleries and Gothic churches, strung around a tangle of cobbled lanes and medieval walls. Reflections of modernist mansions shimmer in the river that divides the historic center from the commercial center.
During a comprehensive walking tour of the city center, you will enjoy an inside visit of the 12th-century Arab baths and see the remains of Girona’s historical Jewish community. During free time that follows, you might savor lunch on your own before transferring back to Barcelona, where the remainder of the evening will be at your leisure with dinner on your own.
Day 4
Following breakfast at the hotel and check out, you will travel to Colonia Güell, another one of Gaudí’s unfinished works. Like La Sagrada Familia, this church is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Businessman Eusebio Güell commissioned Gaudí to build it for his textile factory workers in the village of Santa Coloma de Cervelló. The church is particularly noteworthy because the famed architect introduced advanced technology on it that he finetuned in later projects.
In time, you will travel to Cavas Freixenet in the heart of the Penedès region, a region well-known in Roman times for producing quality wines. There, you will tour the cellars, learn about the production of its sparkling cava wine and enjoy a lunch of local specialties.
Afterwards, you will return to Barcelona for embarkation.
Land Program Details Step by Step
•The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.
•Itineraries with up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.
•The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
•Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered no-shows and their hotel space will be released.
Extra Nights
•If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until Day 2 of the program.
•If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.
•If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.
DAY 1
Arrive at the Barcelona International Airport and private transfer to the NH Gran Calderon Hotel Barcelona for a 3:00 pm check in. Although rooms may be available before then, this cannot be guaranteed. Should you have an early arrival, you may wish to book an extra night so your room is ready upon your arrival.
Meals will be on your own and the evening will be at your leisure. You will spend the evening at the NH Gran Calderon Hotel Barcelona or a similar hotel.
Meet and Greet and transfers
•Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.
•Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.
•Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.
•If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.
DAY 2
AM Breakfast at your hotel
9:00am Meet your guide, panoramic drive to Sagrada Familia and outside visit
10:30am Drive to Gothic Quarter and walking tour
12:30pm Panoramic drive to Mont Juic and walking tour
1:30pm Lunch at a local restaurant
3:00pm Return to your hotel
Remainder of the day at leisure, dinner on your own
Overnight at the NH Calderon or similar hotel
DAY 3
AM Breakfast at the hotel
9:00am Begin transfer to Girona
10:30am Walking tour of Girona
12:30pm Free time for lunch and further exploration
3:30pm Return to Barcelona
Remainder of the day at leisure, dinner on your own
Overnight at the NH Calderon or similar hotel
DAY 4
AM Breakfast at the hotel and check out
9:45am Meet your guide in the lobby
10:00am Visit Colonia Güell
11:00am Drive to Freixenet Cellars
11:45am Visit the cellars and enjoy lunch
2:15pm Drive toward Barcelona
3:15pm Arrive at the Barcelona pier for embarkation
Weather
Average monthly temperatures in Barcelona:
April – 17C or 63F
May – 23C or 73F
June – 25C or 77F
July – 29C or 84F
August – 30C or 86F
September – 26C or 78F
October – 24C or 75F
November – 14C or57F
What to Bring
Dress is casual throughout the program. Bring comfortable clothes including a warm waterproof jacket for cooler months and in case of rain, waterproof walking shoes, a hat, sun protection, umbrella and camera.
Currency
Euro
USD are not accepted
Electricity
220 volts. Bring a travel adaptor if you have electrical devices, as converters aren’t typically available at the hotels.
Documents and Visa Requirements
A valid passport is required.
Hotel
NH Collection Barcelona Gran Hotel Calderón
Rambla de Catalunya, 26, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Phone: +34 933 01 00 00
Program includes:
•3 nights at the NH Collection Barcelona Gran Hotel Calderón – premium room (or similar hotel) with buffet breakfast daily including juice, tea or coffee and water
•Lunches on Days 2,3 and 4 to include water and 1 glass wine, beer or a soft drink
•Touring and entrances per the itinerary
•Luggage handling at the hotel for up to 2 suitcases per person
•VAT and city taxes
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program does not include:
•Meals and beverages not mentioned in the program
•Gratuities to drivers and guides or at restaurants
•Hotel incidentals including room service and mini bar
Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change.
Land Programs must be purchased no later than 60 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 60 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered no-shows and their hotel space will be released. Arrangements for accommodations and transfers will be at the expense of guests.
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, gravel and natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation.
