Spain & Portugal: Land of Many Cultures
Group Leader's name: Robin Magruder
Requested return date: 5/26/2023
Highlight: Explore Granada’s medieval Albaicín neighborhood—a UNESCO World Heritage site—to experience how 700 years of Muslim rule influenced Spain’s language, culture and cuisine.
🔹 Curated experiences: Every program is intentionally designed to feature guided learning, cultural engagement, and independent exploration experiences to drive global competency development, denoted on each itinerary with a blue diamond. Learn more about these experiences.
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Day 1: Fly overnight to Spain
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Day 2: Barcelona
Meet your Field Director at the airport🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a walking tour of Las Ramblas, a pedestrian mall where you’ll find endless entertainment, restaurants, markets, monuments and shopping
Enjoy dinner in Barcelona
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Day 3: Barcelona
Take a guided tour of Barcelona
With your expert local guide you will see:
- La Sagrada FamÃlia, GaudÃ’s masterpiece cathedral that is over 130 years in the making
- From the top of Montjuïc, enjoy panoramic views of the harbor below
- Gothic Quarter, a memory of the Roman Empire, now lined with shops and restaurants
- Barcelona Cathedral, a Gothic Revival church known for its gargoyles and other mythical animals
Visit Park Güell, a vast public park designed by Antoni Gaudà that features colorful mosaics and remarkable architecture
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Day 4: Barcelona • Valencia
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Barcelona on your own
Travel to Valencia, a vibrant Spanish city situated on the banks of the Turia river
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Day 5: Valencia • Granada
Take a walking tour of Valencia, Spain’s third largest city on a walking tour with your Tour Director
Travel to Granada -
Day 6: Granada • Costa del Sol
🔹 Guided learning: Tour Granada with an expert local guide and take in its laid-back atmosphere, Islamic architecture, and the history and culture of this unique city
Visit the Alhambra, Granada’s crowning jewel widely recognized as the world’s premier example of Islamic architecture, and built as an all-in-one alcazaba (fortress), alcazar (palace) and small medina (city)
Enjoy dinner in Costa del Sol
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Day 7: Costa del Sol
Add this in-depth excursion
Córdoba
Take an excursion to the city of Córdoba, located in Andalusia. Córdoba is home to La Mezquita, a mosaic-filled mosque turned Catholic church. Wander the bright and charming streets of Córdoba and take in the flower-filled courtyards before returning to Costa del Sol.
Enjoy dinner in Costa del Sol
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Day 8: Costa del Sol • Seville
Travel to Seville, the city of bullfights, flamenco, and delicious food
🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit a local olive oil farm to learn about the history of olive oil and to try some for yourself
Take a guided tour of Seville
With your expert local guide you will see:
- MarÃa Luisa Park and admire the mosaics and fountains of Plaza de España
- Barrio de Santa Cruz, home to picturesque whitewashed houses, flower-filled patios, and tiled benches
Visit Seville Cathedral, the third-largest church in the world that took more than a century to build
Enjoy dinner in Seville
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Day 9: Seville • Madrid
Travel by the high speed, energy efficient AVE train to Madrid
Take a guided tour of Madrid
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Puerta del Sol, one of the city’s busiest squares
- Plaza Mayor, the center of old Madrid where you’ll learn about the grand square’s history of bullfights, royal weddings, and public executions
- Plaza de Oriente, the Royal Palace square, located across from the Royal Palace
Visit the Royal Palace and get a glimpse of regal Madrid, where you’ll wander the fabulous palace interior
Visit the Prado, Madrid's famed art museum where you can behold Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Goya’s paired canvases
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Day 10: Toledo • Madrid
Take an excursion to Toledo, the former Spanish capital where Muslims, Jews, and Christians peacefully coexisted for centuries
🔹 Guided learning: Tour Toledo with an expert local guide
Visit the Church of Santo Tomé, home to a famous El Greco painting
Visit a synagogue and explore the history of multiple religions that coexisted in Toledo
Visit the Toledo Cathedral, a spectacular example of Gothic architecture
Enjoy dinner in Madrid's Old Town, Puerta del Sol
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Day 11: Depart for home
-
Day 1: Fly overnight to Spain
-
Day 2: Barcelona
Meet your Field Director at the airport🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a walking tour of Las Ramblas, a pedestrian mall where you’ll find endless entertainment, restaurants, markets, monuments and shopping
Enjoy dinner in Barcelona
-
Day 3: Barcelona
Take a guided tour of Barcelona
With your expert local guide you will see:
- La Sagrada FamÃlia, GaudÃ’s masterpiece cathedral that is over 130 years in the making
- From the top of Montjuïc, enjoy panoramic views of the harbor below
- Gothic Quarter, a memory of the Roman Empire, now lined with shops and restaurants
- Barcelona Cathedral, a Gothic Revival church known for its gargoyles and other mythical animals
Visit Park Güell, a vast public park designed by Antoni Gaudà that features colorful mosaics and remarkable architecture
-
Day 4: Barcelona • Valencia
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Barcelona on your own
Travel to Valencia, a vibrant Spanish city situated on the banks of the Turia river
-
Day 5: Valencia • Granada
Take a walking tour of Valencia, Spain’s third largest city on a walking tour with your Tour Director
Travel to Granada -
Day 6: Granada • Costa del Sol
🔹 Guided learning: Tour Granada with an expert local guide and take in its laid-back atmosphere, Islamic architecture, and the history and culture of this unique city
Visit the Alhambra, Granada’s crowning jewel widely recognized as the world’s premier example of Islamic architecture, and built as an all-in-one alcazaba (fortress), alcazar (palace) and small medina (city)
Enjoy dinner in Costa del Sol
-
Day 7: Costa del Sol
Add this in-depth excursion
Córdoba
Take an excursion to the city of Córdoba, located in Andalusia. Córdoba is home to La Mezquita, a mosaic-filled mosque turned Catholic church. Wander the bright and charming streets of Córdoba and take in the flower-filled courtyards before returning to Costa del Sol.
Enjoy dinner in Costa del Sol
-
Day 8: Costa del Sol • Seville
Travel to Seville, the city of bullfights, flamenco, and delicious food
🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit a local olive oil farm to learn about the history of olive oil and to try some for yourself
Take a guided tour of Seville
With your expert local guide you will see:
- MarÃa Luisa Park and admire the mosaics and fountains of Plaza de España
- Barrio de Santa Cruz, home to picturesque whitewashed houses, flower-filled patios, and tiled benches
Visit Seville Cathedral, the third-largest church in the world that took more than a century to build
Enjoy dinner in Seville
-
Day 9: Seville • Madrid
Travel by the high speed, energy efficient AVE train to Madrid
Take a guided tour of Madrid
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Puerta del Sol, one of the city’s busiest squares
- Plaza Mayor, the center of old Madrid where you’ll learn about the grand square’s history of bullfights, royal weddings, and public executions
- Plaza de Oriente, the Royal Palace square, located across from the Royal Palace
Visit the Royal Palace and get a glimpse of regal Madrid, where you’ll wander the fabulous palace interior
Visit the Prado, Madrid's famed art museum where you can behold Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Goya’s paired canvases
-
Day 10: Toledo • Madrid
Take an excursion to Toledo, the former Spanish capital where Muslims, Jews, and Christians peacefully coexisted for centuries
🔹 Guided learning: Tour Toledo with an expert local guide
Visit the Church of Santo Tomé, home to a famous El Greco painting
Visit a synagogue and explore the history of multiple religions that coexisted in Toledo
Visit the Toledo Cathedral, a spectacular example of Gothic architecture
Enjoy dinner in Madrid's Old Town, Puerta del Sol
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Day 11: Depart for home
Your experience includes
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Round-trip airfare
Your price includes round-trip airfare for your whole group
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Accommodations
Safe, comfortable hotels with private bathrooms will be waiting for you at your destination.
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On-tour transportation
Land transportation
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Regional-style meals
Daily breakfasts and select local dinners are included in your program. Generally, we leave lunch up to you so your group has an opportunity to explore its own tastes.
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End-to-end support
Your team helps to secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides recruiting tools and helps establish your program's ongoing presence on campus.
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Full-time Tour Director
Your Tour Director is with your group 24/7, providing deep local insight while handling all program logistics.
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Expert Local Guides
Your expert Local Guides are natural historians, adding cultural insight and enhancing teaching moments wherever your curriculum takes you.
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Guided sightseeing
Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides who join your group for select experiences on tour.
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Entrances
Parque Guell, Alhambra, Royal Palace, Seville Cathedral, Prado, Toledo Cathedral, Church of Santo Tome, Synagogue; with extension: Roman Theater, Castelo de São Jorge, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos Museum
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Worldwide support, safety and security
EF has over 500 schools and offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. We provide 24-hour emergency support service along with a comprehensive $50 million liability policy that covers you and your institution while abroad.
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Flexible payment options
Give more students the opportunity to study abroad by offering them two different payment plan options, along with our TripFunder website to help fundraise for the program.
Building skills for a global world
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| Â 97% growth in the number of students who were confident navigating unfamiliar places post study abroad.1 | Â 93% of students who studied abroad and entered the workforce were employed within 6 months of graduation, compared to 49% who did not study abroad.2 | Â Students who studied abroad saw 100% greater improvement in GPA.3 |
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*Sources: 1: EF Study Abroad Program Impact 2018; 2: IES Abroad 2015; 3: Georgia Learning Outcomes of Students Studying Abroad Research Initiative 2010Â Â
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