Honeymoon in Spain
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 neighborhood and town offers something unique, and the Spain you thought you knew is suddenly full of surprises.
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.
Sep 25 – 28, 2023: San Sebastián (3 nights)
Sep 28 – 29, 2023: Bilbao (1 night)
Sep 29 – Oct 2, 2023: 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.
These guidelines are for reference only. Scenset holds no responsibility for travel restrictions. Travelers are responsible for ensuring the right documentation to travel.
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!
Welcome to Madrid! Assuming your flight arrived on time, take a quick detour into the city center to enjoy lunch and some quick sightseeing.
Grab a taxi to the city center of Madrid. Taxis from the airport into the city center have a fixed fare, payable by cash or credit card.
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.
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 greeted upon arrival at Bilbao airport and taken in your private transfer to your hotel in San Sebastián.
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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.
In Spanish it's called San Sebastián, but in the local Basque language, it's Donostia. Enjoy your day at leisure, taking in the sights and some excellent food.
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.
Start Time: Evening
Meeting Location: Hotel Lobby
Guide: 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
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.
Villa Favorita
Junior Suite La Favorita
- Breakfast included
Take a hike along the coast to Pasaia, the neighboring town of San Sebastian. It's an easy stroll 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.
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: In the afternoon.
Your recommended hike today ends in Pasaia, which is where Txulotxo is located.
After lunch, you can hike back to San Sebastián if you're feeling up to it! Otherwise, grab a taxi from town for the short drive back to your hotel.
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 innovative eatery has earned two Michelin stars.
Reservation: Evening
A restaurant is in your hotel, so simply walk downstairs when it's reservation time!
Any cancelations within seven days will incur a fee per person.
Villa Favorita
Junior Suite La Favorita
- Breakfast included
You'll be picked up from your hotel for a private transfer to Bilbao, with various stops along the way in charming villages or natural wonders for a full-day adventure.
Pick-Up Time: Morning
Booked By scenset
Unless you’re a teetotaller, you won’t be able to avoid the young, fresh, fruity green wines of Txakoli whilst in San Sebastian, so why not see where and how it is produced. Visit a family-run winery in this, the smallest D.O. wine producing region in Spain, just 20 miles from San Sebastian. Produced in the breathtakingly beautiful Basque coast, the winemakers of Txakoli have to fight the elements (salty, sea air, chilly temperatures, Atlantic winds) to make these zippy white wines that supply all of the bars in San Sebastian. Txakoli wines are a genuine Basque product.
Booked by scenset
Overlooking the cliffs of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, enjoy a delicious traditional lunch in the restaurant Eneperi.
Enjoy this complimentary lunch as a special honeymoon perk for traveling with 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.
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- 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.
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.
We recommend making a morning visit to the Guggenheim Museum, located right across from your hotel and the cultural star that put Bilbao on the map.
Recommended by scenset—nothing has been booked.
You'll take a private transfer from your hotel to the airport for your short flight to Barcelona.
Pick-Up Time: Afternoon
Pick-Up Location: Hotel lobby
Booked By scenset
Get your boarding passes for your flight to Barcelona by checking in at Vueling. Use the scenset/destination airport plus your booking code.
Booking Code: NWZWKR
Check in by clicking 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
La Pepita is 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: In the evening.
La Pepita is just a 15-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: In a city as cool as Barcelona, the Almanac Hotel injects that avant-garde vibe into every detail of the property. The art deco design harmonizes with Barcelona architecture, tapas are served on a painter’s palette in homage to Dalí, and the rooftop pool with views of the Sagrada Familia is the indisputable crown jewel. Centrally located, most of Barcelona’s landmarks are just a casual stroll away.
Walk through the medieval streets of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter or Barri Gotic. Here you'll discover over 2,000 years of history, seeing Ancient Roman Walls, the original cathedral, and more. Afterward, stop at the only museum dedicated to Picasso that was founded during his lifetime, located in a scenic medieval palace.
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
Enjoy a delicious and homemade lunch at Ca L'Andreu, serving up traditional Catalan and Mediterranean cuisine. Everything on the menu is great, but this space was specifically chosen for you to try amazing paella in Spain!
Reservation: In the afternoon.
Your guide will drop you off at the restaurant at the end of the tour in time for your reservation.
Almanac Barcelona
Almanac King Room
- Breakfast included
Gaudi left his mark all over Barcelona, so visit some of his most iconic works around the city. Begin with his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, which you'll see from inside and out. Afterward, head to Park Güell, which is like a wonderland fantasy but in real life.
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
The cuisine at Atempo, based around a single tasting menu designed by a celebrity chef, showcases contemporary cooking and techniques that aim to highlight the strong flavours extracted from high-quality ingredients and highly consistent combinations. The interplay between the kitchen and the service in the dining room is particularly impressive, with the finishing touches to many of Atempo’s dishes added in front of guests.
Reservation: Evening
Late cancelations or no-shows incur a fee per person.
Almanac Barcelona
Almanac King 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 goodbye 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.
Pick-Up Time: Around midday
Driver: A driver
Contact: will be provided
Booked by scenset