-Day 1 Start tour
Day 2 Bonjour Paris
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Day 3 Paris landmarks
Paris guided sightseeing tour Details: Notre-Dame Cathedral
View the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Work began in 1163 on a spot that had been a holy shrine since Roman times. Over the centuries, the cathedral has been the scene of some of France's most momentous occasions, including the coronation of Napoleon.
Details: Louvre visit
The world's largest art museum, the Louvre is housed in a Medieval fortress-turned-castle so grand it's worth a tour itself. You walk through the 71-foot glass pyramid designed by I.M. Pei and added in 1989, and step into another world--one with carved ceilings, deep-set windows, and so many architectural details you could spend a week just admiring the rooms. The Mona Lisa is here, as well as the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory (the headless statue, circa 200 BC, discovered at Samothrace). The Louvre has seven different departments of paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and antiquities. Don't miss the Egyptian collection, complete with creepy sarcophagi, or the collection of Greek ceramics, one of the largest in the world. (Please note the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays.)
Details: Eiffel Tower ascent
Line up to climb to the top floor of this iconic landmark for a spectacular birds-eye view of the glittering City of Light.
Day 4 Paris--Provence
Travel to Avignon on the TGV (one of Europe’s fastest train)
Details: Versailles guided excursion
The ultimate palace, Versailles was built by Louis XIII, and housed the royal family and its groveling court from 1682, when the Sun King moved in, to the French Revolution. Everything in Versailles is worth a look, from the 250-foot-long Hall of Mirrors, with themed salons- "war" and "peace" -on either side, to Marie Antoinette's faux country hamlet. When being a queen became too much to bear, she would pretend to be a commoner, tending her sheep and wearing peasant clothes. (Please note Versailles is closed on Mondays.)
Details: LEAP Seize the Château!
A lively role-play puts you in the shoes of the monarchy, clergy, nobility, bourgeoisie, or peasantry to explore the issues underlying the French Revolution.
Day 5 Provence
Nîmes tour director-led sightseeingVisit Nîmes amphitheatre, Maison Carrée visit
Details: Pont du Gard visit
A true masterpiece of ancient architecture, the Pont du Gard aqueduct is one of the most beautiful Roman constructions in the region. Discover more about this startling monument as you follow the course of its history through the ages.
Details: LEAP En Garde!
Which is mightier - the pen or the sword? You decide! Learn basic calligraphy and fencing moves to gain new insight into old-world traditions.
Day 6 Provence--Barcelona
Details: Travel to Barcelona via Carcassonne
The perfect turrets and ramparts of this medieval citadel look as if they might have been drawn by a story book illustrator. Your Tour Director will take you through this preserved city, where you can see the portcullis and drawbridge, restored houses and watchtowers. From the battlements you can see over green plains and hills all the way to the Pyrenees. The oldest sections of the wall were built by the Romans in the 1st century, but most of Carcassonne's current character is from the 13th century-when doing battle meant raining stones and hot oil down on your enemies.
Details: Carcassonne visit
Venture to the medieval walled town of Carcassonne, famous for its medieval citadel and imposing watchtowers.
Day 7 Barcelona landmarks
Barcelona guided sightseeing tour
Details: Park Güell visit
Spend time in Parc Güell, part of the UN ESCO World Heritage Site, 'Works of Antoni Gaudi'. Designed primarily by Gaudí, particularly interesting areas of the park include a mosaic pagoda, a lizard fountain spitting water, an undulating bench decorated with ceramic fragments, and an array of unique Doric columns, which are hollow and serve as part of Gaudí's drainage system.
Details: Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia visit
This breathtaking church, said to be the master-work of architect Antoni Gaudí, has been under construction since 1882 and is not expected to be completed until 2026! Despite its unfinished state, the church has 18 spindle-shaped towers that soar above the church itself, making for a striking addition to Barcelona’s skyline and more than worth the visit.
Day 8 Barcelona--Madrid
AVE train to Madrid
Madrid guided sightseeing tour Details: Prado guided visit with Whisper headsets
Visit the Museo del Prado, home of works by Spain's great masters, including Francisco Goya, Diego Velázquez, and El Greco.
Details: Plaza de España
The Plaza de España is a popular place to gather in Central Madrid. It features a large monument to Miguel de Cervante, author of Don Quixote.
Details: Royal Palace
View the Palacio Real, a huge palace begun in 1738 on the site of the Madrid Alcázar, which burned to the ground in 1734. Although the palace is no longer home to the royal family, it is still full of art treasures and antiques, including Tiepolo ceilings and paintings by Goya.
Day 9 Madrid
Details: LEAP Spanish Civil War
Nationalist? Republican? Argue ideology in a revolutionary role-play that delves into the causes of the Spanish Civil War!
Details: Reina Sofia Museum visit
Officially recognized as Spain’s National Museum of 20th Century Art, The Sofia—as it is more commonly known—is home to an impressive collection from Spain’s two greatest 20th century masters. Hosting works of both Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí, it’s no wonder that The Sofia has risen to such a prominent place in the world of art. Certainly the most famous piece in the museum is Picasso’s Guernica, but in addition to this wonderful masterpiece, you’ll also find a vast library, archive, bookstore and restaurant.
Details: LEAP Cocina Española!
Create and enjoy some of Spain's most popular and iconic dishes and discover firsthand what makes these dishes enduring classics of Spanish cuisine.
Day 10 End tour
-Day 10 Start extension to Madrid
Day 11 End tour
Tour Includes:
- Round-trip airfare and other transportation described in the itinerary
- Centrally located three- and four-star hotels
- Plentiful daily breakfast to start the day energized and ready to go
- Appetizing, culturally representative, three-course dinner daily
- Full time, multilingual, WorldStrides tour director who is LEAP-trained in experiential education
- Local guide at sites and on city tours as described in the itinerary
- LEAP! Learning through Exploration and Active Participation; trademarked immersive approach of learning by doing
- Entrances and transportation to sites and activities described in your itinerary
- Local guide and local bus driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
- 24/7 On Tour Emergency Support
- Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
- Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, any required passport or visa fees, optional excursions, or recommended Tips for the Tour Director or multi-day Bus Drivers. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid tips, or other individual/group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.
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