Day 1 | Sun, June 30
Day 1 | Sun, June 30
Arriving in Barcelona
After arrival at Barcelona's Airport–El Prat, make your way to our hotel, Catalonia Atenas Hotel. The Catalonia Atenas is located on Avinguda Meridiana close to carrer Aragó, one of the main thoroughfares that cuts across the city. Just a 15-minute walk to the Sagrada Familia, and the Clot metro and train station is five minutes by foot to take you to downtown Barcelona. (Metro passes will be provided on the first evening.)
Make sure to check out the incredible city views from the hotel's rooftop terrace, where there is also a pool and a solarium! Bring your suits!

After settling into our hotel, the group will meet for a welcome dinner at 7:15 pm at:
Agüelo Taberna, Carrer d'Avinyó, 37, Ciutat Vella, 08002

Sleep: Catalonia Atenas Hotel, Barcelona
Meals Included: Dinner
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Day 2 | Mon, July 1
Day 2 | Mon, July 1
Palau de la Música
Today, we begin our intercultural and musical dialogue with our friends at the Suzuki Music Institute (SUMI) of Barcelona, as well as Vilamusic Suzuki School.

After breakfast at the hotel we will be led on a guided tour of the Palau de la Música Catalana, followed by a live show. Built between 1905 and 1908, The Palau is an exuberant steel-framed structure full of light and space, decorated by the leading artists of the period. It has uniqueness, authenticity and beauty and is an unparalleled Modernista example of a public concert hall whose symbolic, artistic and historical value is universal.

1:00 - 6:00 PM: Rehearsal and performance with SUMI & Vilamusic in La Casa de las Punxes. (Light bites/snacks will be provided throughout the event.)

Sleep: Catalonia Atenas Hotel, Barcelona
Meals Included: Breakfast, Afternoon Snacks & Dinner
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Day 3 | Wed, July 2
Day 3 | Wed, July 2
A Day Filled with Visual Arts & Music
After breakfast at the hotel we will head out to begin a morning of exploring the beautiful city of Barcelona. We will be led on a guided tour of some of Gaudí's most famous works, including La Sagrada Familia and Parque Güell.
At the end of the tour, choose to stay in the city center or return to the hotel. Free time until 5 pm.

Late afternoon/evening rehearsal and performance with SUMI and Vilamusic at Civic Center Can Clariana. Dinner on your own.

Sleep: Catalonia Atenas Hotel, Barcelona
Meals Included: Breakfast
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Day 4 | Tues, July 3
Day 4 | Tues, July 3
Boqueria Market + Picasso
At 10 am we will head to La Boqueria Market for a walking tour. You'll have opportunities to snack along the way. The tour will end at 12:30 pm, at which time you can set off on your own.
At 2 pm we will meet at the Picasso Museum for a guided tour.

The rest of the day is free for whatever you choose!
Sleep: Catalonia Atenas Hotel, Barcelona
Meals Included: Breakfast
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Day 5 | Thur, July 4
Day 5 | Thur, July 4
Montserrat & Pere Pruna Performance
After breakfast, we will head out for a guided excursion of Montserrat: a spectacularly beautiful Benedictine monk mountain retreat northwest of Barcelona. Montserrat offers you some of the most spectacular mountain views of Catalunya.
We will have a guided visit of the Magic Mountain and the Abbey of Montserrat, as well as time for a picnic or walk through the National Park. Snack will be included.

In the late afternoon we will meet with the music schools again for a rehearsal and performance at Pere Pruna Civic Centre, a former convent and chapel that was recovered for the neighborhood and for the city with a cultural program specializing in contemporary art and music.

Sleep: Catalonia Atenas Hotel, Barcelona
Meals Included: Breakfast, Packed Lunch
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Day 6 | Fri, July 5
Day 6 | Fri, July 5
Barcelona > Girona > Tossa De Mar
After breakfast, we board our bus for a trip north to Tossa de Mar, stopping in Girona for about 2 hours on our way. Girona is a city in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, beside the River Onyar. It’s known for its medieval architecture, walled Old Quarter (Barri Vell) and the Roman remains of the Força Vella fortress. Landscaped gardens line the Passeig Arqueològic, a walkway following the Old Quarter’s medieval walls, which include watchtowers with sweeping views.

Afternoon check-in at the Hotel GHT Oasis Tossa & Spa, located on the Costa Brava, close to city center, the beach and the wall surrounding the old town and castle. The hotel has a garden terrace, a children's park, outdoor pools for adults and children, as well as a spa area. Feel free to spend the rest of the afternoon on the beach or perhaps renting kayaks. This evening you have dinner on your own.

Sleep: Hotel GHT Oasis Tossa & Spa
Meals Included: Breakfast
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Day 7 | Sat, July 6
Day 7 | Sat, July 6
Exploring Tossa de Mar
After breakfast at our hotel, we will set out on our glass-bottom boat trip to a nearby beach with visits to a couple bays and caves. (Snacks & water included.)
The remainder of the day is yours to do whatever you like! Dinner on your own.

Sleep: Hotel GHT Oasis Tossa & Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon Snack
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Day 8 | Sun, July 7
Day 8 | Sun, July 7
Farewell Catalonia!
After breakfast we will return to Barcelona.
Evening activities in Barcelona will include a Flamenco show and farewell dinner.

Sleep: Catalonia Atenas Hotel, Barcelona
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
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Day 9 | Mon, July 8
Day 9 | Mon, July 8
Departure Day | Barcelona >> Seattle
Today we bid Catalonia and Barcelona farewell and return to the airport for our flights back home...or wherever your adventures are continuing!
Meals Included: Breakfast
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Day 1 | Sun, June 30

Arriving in Barcelona

The food was amazing! Very healthy and I loved having a chef make us meals each day. The retreat center was serene and the massages were wonderful. I loved the herbalogy and the tinctures made on site. Where else could you have ripe mangos falling from trees?! Kat and Cila were the best! They took care of our every need. The yoga with Kat was superb. She modified each class according to the group's needs. Very restorative and an opportunity to go within while basking in paradise. The family constellations session lead by Cila was amazing. Very healing and an interesting concept. The excursions were great. We saw the rain forests, mountains, beaches and lots of animals. Ziplining was a once in a lifetime experience. The people that attended were lovely as well. Lots of great stories were told and lots of laughter. Overall, it was a great week. Thanks so much Kat and Cila! I thoroughly enjoyed this experience! Carol Huie

By carol h for Finding Pura Vida: Costa Rica Wellness Retreat on Apr 30, 2025

Beautiful retreat center with incredible food and a totally welcoming atmosphere. Be forewarned of many stairs to different levels of the facility. Good variety of outings and more quiet moments at the retreat center itself. Excellent yoga sessions. Good health and well being services such as health counseling, and massage. I found Costa Rica to b hot and humid, but could be comfortable with shade, room fans, and a swimming pool. My retreat was coordinated through Cultural Journeys and held at Amatierra.

By Elena B for Finding Pura Vida: Costa Rica Wellness Retreat on Apr 28, 2025

The experience in Tikal where we actually visited the ruins was wonderful. However, the experience working with Cross Cultural Journeys (who organized this trip) was very frustrating. Logistics and communication were challenging - we had to ask for a detailed itinerary (e.g. times, dates, names, transit info, contact info, etc.). Additionally, we were told upon payment that we would have individual rooms only to find out later that we we sharing rooms (at the same cost...). I would recommend people organize this kind of trip themselves in the future.

By Joshua K for UW Foster School of Business | Tikal Extension on Apr 06, 2025

Joshua, thank you for your constructive feedback. While we are so happy you enjoyed the visit itself, we sincerely apologize for the communication challenges leading up to the trip. We learned a valuable lesson that sending emails and updates through our travel portal sometimes prevents valuable information from being seen. We have emailed you directly so please feel free to reply so we can discuss your concerns further.

By Cross Cultural Journeys on Apr 10, 2025

I enjoyed this trip very much. It was very well organized with timely communication and updates. The hotels were very clean and the meals provided offered great variety & were delicious.

By Catherine A for Momentum Music School on Jul 17, 2024

We loved our trip! Our tour guide Kat was amazing, she was so personable and on top of everything (and special bonus, she offered yoga on the beach at sunrise - one of my trip highlights). We also loved the Spanish tour guides! I would definitely use Kat and Cross Cultural Journeys for future travel plans!

By Rachel B for Momentum Music School on Jul 17, 2024

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