Graduation Trip in Northern Spain
Take a whirlwind graduation trip through just a few of Spain's highlights: the fast-paced capital city, the epicurean Basque Country, and finally the cultural epicenter of Barcelona.
There’s something familiar about Spain that draws visitors, who maybe remember a few phrases of high school Spanish or harbor a vague curiosity of bullfighting or siestas. But it’s the staggering diversity—of cultures, languages, cuisines, and landscapes—that keeps travelers coming back again and again. Every barrio and pueblo offers something unique, and the Spain you thought you knew is suddenly full of surprises.
May 16–19, 2024: Madrid (3 nights)
May 19–20, 2024: Bilbao (1 night)
May 20–23, 2024: San Sebastián (3 nights)
May 23–26, 2024: Barcelona (3 nights)
Fall is one of the best times of year to be in Spain, with comfortable temperatures for walking around and exploring after the heat of summer. Nights can get a little chilly by the coast, but a light jacket is usually enough.
U.S. passport holders can enter Spain without any special visa when traveling for tourism. Make sure your passports are valid for at least three months after your trip.
We have put together this Destination Guide for you, full of unique insights and ways to get excited before you travel, such as:
- Spotify playlists
- Dishes to try
- Helpful phrases
- Packing guide
- Tipping guides
- And more!
The appeal of Spain’s capital city is how laidback it is. Visitors don’t come for the big-name attractions, but for the local lifestyle. Wander labyrinthine streets through colorful neighborhoods, stumbling in and out of tapas bars along the way. Meals are served late and last for hours since the locals would never rush good food, wine, and company. Of course, there are some sights you can’t miss, including a glitzy royal palace and cherished art museums.
Meet your driver upon exiting baggage claim for a private transfer to your hotel in the city center.
Driver: will be provided
Contact: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
We've requested early check-in for your arrival so you can freshen up upon arrival and start your day in Madrid.
Early check-in is dependent on availability.
Enjoy a credit on food and beverages at any of the Madrid Edition restaurants or bars as a special perk for using Scenset to plan your trip!
Get introduced to the city in the best way possible: through its food. Take a guided tour with your local expert, getting to know the different neighborhoods of Madrid and eating some traditional madrileño snacks along the way.
Pick-Up Time: Early evening
Pick-Up Location: Hotel Lobby
End Time: Late evening
Guide: will be provided
Contact: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
Here are some great spots for getting a bite in Madrid, from casual tapas bars to finer diner restaurants. If you'd like a reservation at any of them, just send a message in the chat.
- Bodegas La Ardosa: This classic Madrileño tavern dates back to 1892, and it’s the ideal place for sitting, chatting, and drinking while getting a dose of Spanish history. Definitely try the tortilla de patatas and the artichokes!
- Casa Dani: One of the most famous stalls at Madrid’s Mercado de la Paz is Casa Dani, a spot that serves up generous portions of croquetas, oxtail, and their famous tortilla de patata.
- Juana la Loca: Juana La Loca is a stylish, popular restaurant with glass cases sitting on the bar filled with tapas and pintxos.
- Saddle: The dishes, like the garlic-topped Mediterranean red prawns, Caspian pearl caviar with blinis and crème fraîche, spider crab marinated in sherry, and aged beef shank always deliver, and you’ll probably be talking about every course on this tasting menu back home.
- Charrua: The speciality here is the parrilla, meaning grilled pieces of meat. Enjoy some of the best steak filets you can find in the Spanish capital at this elegant restaurant.
Why we love it for you: The nondescript cement facade of the Madrid Edition offers no clues as to what’s inside, and as you’re ushered through the front door all you see is a white spiral staircase. You’re always left eagerly awaiting what’s to come, and the results never disappoint. It has mastered the niche of urban luxury, where classy decor of white tones and mahogany mesh with the tropical colors of the awarded Peruvian restaurant. The real treat is the rooftop infinity pool, which is unparalleled in Madrid’s center.
Madrid EDITION
Loft Room with 2 Queen Beds
- Breakfast included
Explore the Spanish capital on bike, visiting iconic parts of the city such as Retiro Park, the Royal Palace, the Gran Via, and the Paseo del Prado. Your local expert guide will be able to share all about Madrid's long history on this active tour through the capital's streets.
Pick-Up Time: Late morning
Pick-Up Location: Hotel lobby
End Time: Early afternoon
Guide: will be provided
Contact: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
It is hard to find a better restaurant than Santerra for La Mancha cuisine in the Spanish capital, where the self-styled “cocina de monte bajo” (which literally means “scrubland cuisine”) is shown due respect and transformed into a gourmet experience.
Reservation: Evening
Reserved Indepedently
Madrid EDITION
Loft Room with 2 Queen Beds
- Breakfast included
For your one day in Madrid, here are some recommendations of what to see and eat!
- Plaza Mayor is the historic center of Madrid with over four centuries of history.
- Right next to Plaza Mayor is Mercado San Miguel. It's Madrid's most iconic market and a great place to grab a snack (it's a little touristy, but still worth seeing while you're there!).
- Walk over to Parque de Retiro, Madrid's "Central Park," for a lovely stroll through the gardens.
- For a more authentic market experience, try Mercado de la Paz. There are many great stalls to eat in there, but seek out Casa Dani for one of the most famous tortilla españolas in the capital!
- If you want to check out museums, the Prado and Reina Sofia are within walking distance of each other. The Prado is known for its classic Spanish artists, and the Reina Sofia for more contemporary artists.
Acclaimed chef Dabiz Muñoz, named best chef in the world and creator of the restaurant DiverXO, offers his menu at another location called StreetXO. StreetXO is Dabiz's way of centralizing street food influenced by different parts of the world. It is the most informal, sassy and innovative notion in its cuisine, where excess is the essence of the restaurant.
StreetXO does not accept reservations. The cocktail bar opens at midday for lunch and the kitchen opens at 1 p.m. We recommend arriving around midday to request a table.
The chef of DStage believes in getting the most out of his produce and champions a constantly evolving cuisine. Through his set menus, he proposes a fun culinary journey around the world, fusing all kinds of ingredients and creating incredible optical illusions to remind us that things are not always what they seem.
Reservation: Evening
Reserved Independently
Madrid EDITION
Loft Room with 2 Queen Beds
- Breakfast included
Don’t be fooled by its size, because the Basque Country punches well above its weight. Forested mountains arrive all the way to the coast where they drop into dreamy beaches, while cities like San Sebastián and Bilbao are cultural powerhouses. But above all, the Basque Country is a destination for gastronomy. The sheer number of Michelin-star restaurants is blinding, but a glass of fizzy txakoli wine and a sampling of pintxos from the local bar are just as gratifying.
You'll be picked up from your hotel this morning in a private transfer to Madrid Airport.
Driver Contact: A driver will be provided | +34 674235799
Pick Up Time: In the morning
Booked By Scenset
Online check-in is available 48 hours before your departure. Check in at the Air Europa website or at the check-in counter when you drop off your luggage.
Confirmation Code: will be provided
Flight Number: will be provided
Meet your driver upon arrival at Bilbao station for a private transfer to your hotel in the city center.
Contact: will be provided
Number: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
Start your tour by diving into Bilbao's fascinating history, with an in-depth look into Basque culture and how it's evolved within Spain. The last stop of the tour is the renowned Guggenheim Museum, with your entry tickets included.
Your guide and driver will meet you upon check-in at your hotel to start your tour right away.
Guide: will be provided
Number: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
The Basque language, known locally as Euskera, is unique not just in Spain but globally, as it has no known roots to any other language. Linguists don't know where its scenset is.
Try speaking a few simple words of Basque to impress the locals.
- Hello: Kaixo (kai-sho)
- Goodbye: Agur
- Thank you: Eskerrik asko
- Happy birthday!: Zorionak!
- La Ribera: This is one of the biggest markets in Bilbao, and the restaurant inside is a destination in itself. They use meat, produce, and fish from the market itself, so you know everything is as fresh as possible.
- Bar El Globo: This pintxos bar is one of the most iconic in Bilbao, filled throughout the afternoon and evening with locals. Options abound, but look for the broiled snowcrab (txangurro gratinado).
- Baste: Another pintxos bar that is an obligatory stop during your time bar hopping around the center, especially for stuffed mussels (mejillones tigres).
Why we love it for you: It's hard to get tired of looking at the Guggenheim, so take in the view from your bedroom window at Grand Hotel Domine. The hotel's very hip design stands up next to Frank Gehry's masterpiece, and the comfortable rooms are a perfect place to relax after a day of trekking around the city after pintxos.
Gran Hotel Domine
2x Smart Inner View
- Breakfast included
In Spanish it's called San Sebastián, but in the local Basque langauge, it's Donostia. Today head to Spain's prettiest city.
You'll be picked up this morning for a full day exploring the most beautiful parts of the Basque Country. Your luggage will be kept in the car, and you'll be dropped off in San Sebastian at the end.
Pick-Up Time: Late morning
Pick-Up Location: Hotel lobby
Contact: will be provided
Number: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
The name San Juan de Gaztelugatxe isn't easy to pronounce, but many people today know it as Dragonstone, the fictional Game of Thrones scenset filmed here. This full-day tour includes several stops in some of Basque Country's most beautiful spots, including the fishing village of Bermeo, the Urdabai estuary, and the historical town of Gernika.
Contact: will be provided
Number: will be provided
Booked By Scenset
Make a pitstop in the charming town of Getaria, chosen among New York Times' 46 places to go in 2013, on your way to San Sebastian. Getaria is one of just three villages that make up the Txakoli wine area, but its history extends far back in time before Txacoli was ever produced.
Enjoy the fantastic grilled fish at Kaia-Kaipe. The seafood and delicious fish is fresh from the boats anchored in the harbor.
Lunch is included at the stop.
Booked by Scenset
Enjoy dinner tonight at one of the best Italian trattorias you can find outside of Italy: Da Filippo. It's traditional Italian dishes with a haute cuisine twist.
Reservation: In the evening.
Da Filippo is a 12-minute walk from your hotel.
Here are some great places to eat at in San Sebastián, from pintxo bars to restaurants.
This list focuses on non-pintxo bars, since you'll be taking a pintxos tour during your trip.
- Txepetxa: This small traditional pintxos bar found in the Old Town may look a little rough and ready, but it’s particularly famous for one thing: anchovies.
- Saltxipi: Saltxipi is housed in a picturesque villa lying just outside the Gros neighborhood on the edge of San Sebastian. One of the best restaurants in San Sebastian for fine dining without a Michelin star, they specialize in spider crab.
- Topa: There's a long shared history between Basque Country and Latin America, and Topa explores those shared roots through its fusion menu.
- Zelai Txiki: The star item is the suckling pig, which has to be pre-ordered with your reservation, although even the simple charcuterie boards are mindblowing.
Why we love it for you: The Belle Epoque design of Villa Favorita should be its most arresting feature, but even that detail is upstaged by the picturesque views of La Concha Bay from your bedroom windows. On the beach and just a short walk away from San Sebastian’s old town, the location truly couldn’t get any better. And in a city that’s known for the quantity of Michelin-starred restaurants, the nearest one is right in your hotel lobby.
Villa Favorita
Junior Suite with Two Twin Beds
- Breakfast included
San Sebastian is the food destination of Spain, and nothing is more vasco than pintxos. These are the Basque versions of tapas, meaning bigger and better. Take a tour with your local guide walking through the streets of the Casco Antiguo neighborhood, trying specialties like mussels, truffled Spanish tortilla, or grilled chuleton steak.
Pick-Up Time: Around midday
Pick-Up Location: Hotel lobby
End Time: Early afternoon
Contact: will be provided
Number: will be provided
Booked By Scenset
With your hotel right on the beach, head down to the sand for some time to hang out in the sand and in the water.
Recommended by Scenset
The best way to experience the water is to be on it: so head out this evening around sunset on your private boat, feeling the sea breeze on your faces. Enjoy a glass of local txakoli during your ride and be prepared to fall head over heels with San Sebastian.
Pick-Up Time: Evening
Contact: will be provided
Number: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
Villa Favorita
Junior Suite with Two Twin Beds
- Breakfast included
Take a hike along the coast to Pasaia, the neighboring town of San Sebastian. It's a hike through the trees with the bright blue Atlantic Ocean always at your side. Once you get to Pasaia, you'll take a small boat into this small fishing town that's full of character.
Please ask your San Sebastian guide for their recommendations on the best routes to take—there are different options depending on how long you want to hike.
Recommended by Scenset—nothing has been booked.
Txulotxo restaurant is located in Pasaia in the former stables of a palace just a few meters from the jetty. The highlights here are its cuisine and the stupendous views of the bay from the main dining room, from where you can watch the constant comings and goings of pleasure boats and trawlers. Enjoy turbot, hake, baby squid and seafood that could not be fresher!
The restaurant seems quaint, but it's earned a Bib Gourmand rating from the Michelin Guide!
Reservation: Afternoon.
Your reservation is under a name will be provided.
Your recommended hike today ends in Pasaia, which is where Txulotxo is located.
After lunch, we recommend you call a taxi from the restaurant for the short ride back to your hotel.
Booked Independently
In terms of technical excellence and personality, Amelia is constantly striving to be different, to win over diners and be the benchmark restaurant of the La Concha Bay. It's no wonder this innovate eatery has earned two Michelin stars.
A restaurant is in your hotel, so simply walk downstairs when it's reservation time!
Reservation: Evening
Reserved by Scenset
Cancellations or modifications are free of charge up to 7 days before the day of your booking—any cancellation or modification after this time or no-show on the day of booking will be subject to a fee per person.
Villa Favorita
Junior Suite with Two Twin Beds
- Breakfast included
It’s clear from the moment you step foot in Barcelona that it’s unlike any other Spanish city. The boulevards are wider, the architecture is quirkier, and, if you have an ear for languages, you may hear that the locals are speaking Catalan, not Spanish. Gaudi’s masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, is just one of his architectural gems scattered about the city. With something to offer art enthusiasts, adventurous foodies, and beach loungers, it’s no wonder that Barcelona is one of Europe’s top destinations.
You'll take a private transfer from your hotel to the airport for your short flight to Barcelona.
Driver Contact: will be provided.
Contact: will be provided
Number: will be provided
Booked By Scenset
You're already checked in for your flight to Barcelona.
Confirmation Code: will be provided
Flight Number: will be provided
Seats: will be provided
Find your boarding passes here.
You'll be picked up from the airport by your driver for a private transfer to your hotel. Your driver will be waiting for you as you exit baggage claim holding a sign with your name on it.
Driver: will be provided
Contact: will be provided
Booked By Scenset
Gaudi left his mark all over Barcelona, so visit some of his most iconic works around the city. Today you'll see his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, which you'll see from inside and out. This incredible architectural feat is still being built after over a century of construction.
Pick-Up Time: Afternoon
Guide: will be provided
Contact: will be provided
Booked By Scenset
One of Spain’s finest tapas restaurants since 1989, Cal Pep was once listed as high as No.31 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Enjoy Mediterranean cuisine from razor clams and cuttlefish to foie gras sausage. The oozing Spanish tortilla is regularly cited as the best in Barcelona.
Reservation: Evening
Reserved Independently
Cal Pep is a short taxi ride or a 20-minute walk from your hotel.
There's no shortage of great food in Barcelona, and some of the best meals are the bar you stumble into by surprise. Here's a list of some top places to eat. Please let us know if you'd like reservations.
- Can Ramonet: Paella is perhaps the quintessential Spanish dish, and the best place to eat it is near the coast. Head to Barceloneta neighborhood near the water and try one of their famous paellas (remember in Spain, paella is traditionally lunch food, not dinner!).
- Solomillo: Indulge all your darkest carnivorous desires at this meat-lovers’ paradise, where the name of the restaurant is the same as your order (solomillo means “sirloin steak”). This is the best steak in Barcelona and the menu is customizable to your liking.
- Berbena: Few tourists have heard of Berbena. Inside, there daily batches of home-baked bread that smell like your grandma’s kitchen, comfort food like hearty beef with wine stew and gooey slices of Spanish omelet, platters of locally sourced cheese and charcuteries.
- Bocanariz: Visit this unassuming wine bar which has a selection of hundreds of bottles, from Cataluña, around Spain, and the world. Paired with some small bites to snack on, it's the perfect Spanish bar experience.
- La Pepita: A more casual eatery with a fun vibe and delicious menu to accompany it. It's always filled with locals, a good sign for any place to eat.
Why we love it for you: Members of a bygone cotton guild—who once occupied this very building—would be honored that the Cotton House hotel pays homage to their humble roots. In addition to the name, there’s an in-house atelier and decorative touches that blend its storied past with an avant-garde present. In fact, the long-ago textile workers would surely be just as impressed by the tropical-themed patio, chic cocktail bar, and rooftop pool overlooking the city.
Cotton House
Egyptian Room with Twin Beds
- Breakfast included
This morning, head to Park Güell, another one of Gaudi's creations which is like a wonderland fantasy but in real life. This park is full of fantastical elements and truly not like any other.
Pick-Up Time: Morning
Guide: will be provided
Contact: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
Meet with a professional chef and enter the world of Spanish cuisine. You'll start with a visit to the local market to pick out in-season ingredients. Then, head into the kitchen to whip up your meal and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Start Time: Afternoon
Guide: will be provided
Contact: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
Cotton House
Egyptian Room
- Breakfast included
Enjoy your final full day in Spain at leisure, exploring the city at your own pace. If you'd like an organized activity with a local guide or a day trip outside of Barcelona, let us know and we can add in additional experiences.
As your trip gets closer, we'll recommend some local spots to visit in Barcelona on your last day at your own pace.
La Pepita: A more casual eatery with a fun vibe and delicious menu to accompany it. It's always filled with locals, a good sign for any place to eat.
Reservation: Evening
Reserved by Scenset
La Pepita is a 17-minute walk from your hotel.
Cotton House
Egyptian Room
- Breakfast included
You've had an unforgettable honeymoon visiting (and eating!) some of the best in Spain, but now it's time to depart. Thankfully in Spain we don't say adios but rather hasta luego, or until next time.
You'll be picked up by your driver for the ride to Barcelona Airport for your flight home.
Driver: An individual
Contact: will be provided
Booked by Scenset
