Spain: Land of Many Cultures
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 airportTake 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
Travel to Valencia, a vibrant Spanish city situated on the banks of the Turia river
Take a walking tour of Valencia, Spain’s third largest city on a walking tour with your Field Director
Take a cooking class and make paella, a traditional rice dish with seafood, meat, vegetables, and saffron
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Day 5: Valencia • Alicante
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Valencia on your own
Travel to Alicante
Take a walking tour of Alicante, a vibrant beachside city
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Day 6: Alicante • Granada
Enjoy free time exploring Alicante on your own
Travel to Granada
Enjoy dinner in Granada
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Day 7: Granada
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)
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Granada on your own
Add this in-depth excursion:
Granada flamenco evening
This evening, enjoy a performance of traditional music and dancing known as flamenco. Talented performers present a program of folkloric music traditions that have roots in southern Spain, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Enjoy dinner in Granada
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Day 8: Granada • Seville
🔹 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 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: Madrid
Visit the Royal Palace and get a glimpse of regal Madrid, where you’ll wander the fabulous palace interior
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Madrid on your own
Enjoy dinner in Madrid's Old Town, Puerta del Sol
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Day 11: Depart for home
Add more days
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Day 11: Madrid • Toledo
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
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Day 12: Madrid
Visit the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home to Real Madrid
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Madrid on your own
Enjoy dinner in Madrid's Old Town, Puerta del Sol
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Day 13: Depart for home
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Day 1: Fly overnight to Spain
-
Day 2: Barcelona
Meet your Field Director at the airportTake 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
Travel to Valencia, a vibrant Spanish city situated on the banks of the Turia river
Take a walking tour of Valencia, Spain’s third largest city on a walking tour with your Field Director
Take a cooking class and make paella, a traditional rice dish with seafood, meat, vegetables, and saffron
-
Day 5: Valencia • Alicante
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Valencia on your own
Travel to Alicante
Take a walking tour of Alicante, a vibrant beachside city
-
Day 6: Alicante • Granada
Enjoy free time exploring Alicante on your own
Travel to Granada
Enjoy dinner in Granada
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Day 7: Granada
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)
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Granada on your own
Add this in-depth excursion:
Granada flamenco evening
This evening, enjoy a performance of traditional music and dancing known as flamenco. Talented performers present a program of folkloric music traditions that have roots in southern Spain, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Enjoy dinner in Granada
-
Day 8: Granada • Seville
🔹 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 Prado, Madrid's famed art museum where you can behold Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Goya’s paired canvases
-
Day 10: Madrid
Visit the Royal Palace and get a glimpse of regal Madrid, where you’ll wander the fabulous palace interior
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Madrid on your own
Enjoy dinner in Madrid's Old Town, Puerta del Sol
-
Day 11: Depart for home
Add more days
-
Day 11: Madrid • Toledo
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
-
Day 12: Madrid
Visit the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home to Real Madrid
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Madrid on your own
Enjoy dinner in Madrid's Old Town, Puerta del Sol
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Day 13: Depart for home
Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness
What's Included
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Transportation
Various modes of transport are tailored to your program. While some transfers are included, others may come at additional cost.
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Accommodations
Safe, comfortable lodging will be waiting for you at your destination.
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Select meals
Enjoy a combination of included meals and the freedom to explore local cuisine on your own.
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End-to-end support
Your dedicated EF team helps secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides enrollment tools, and helps establish your program’s ongoing presence on campus.
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EF Global Learning Toolkit
We offer various tools to help educators facilitate student growth abroad and on campus, including academically enriched travel programs, industry engagement opportunities, global learning resources, and a Global Competencies Assessment tool.
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Guided exploration
Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides: natural historians who provide cultural insights to enhance learning moments throughout the program.
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Field Visits
Experience academics in action during engaging visits with relevant organizations, thought leaders, and partners.
