Join us for our custom Travel Past 50 Tour to the northern region of Spain, visiting the three provinces of Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia. Roughly following the Northern Way of the Camino de Santiago, we'll start in the Cantabrian capital of Santander, famous for its cuisine. In Asturias, we'll discover the Picos de Europa mountain range, lakes, fishing villages and cider. We finish in the famous pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela and with a side trip to the wine region of Rias Baixas.

This TP50 Tour of Northern Spain offers some of Spain's most spectacular scenery in one of its least touristed areas.

Highlights of this 13-day, 12 night itinerary include:

* Sampling the world-famous cuisine of Santander

* Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Altamira Caves and Museum

* Fishing villages and medieval coastal towers

* Light hiking around Covadonga Lake

* Unique Asturian and Galician ciders, cheeses, and seafood

* Oviedo and Kingdom of Asturias monuments (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)

* Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and Old Town – another UNESCO World Heritage Site

* Wine tour of the Rias Baixas, known for its bright white Albarińo wines

These March 2024 dates will allow us to enjoy a shoulder tourist season, competitive prices, and agreeable weather. 

• Accompanied by Kris and Tom, with benefit of their life-long travel experience
• Small group tours (maximum 12 guests)
• Custom-created itineraries combining cultural experiences with local cuisine and active tour options
• Sufficient unscheduled time
• Additional local expert guides as appropriate
• Local secrets not usually on tourist itineraries
• Comfortable travel, luxury touches, and affordable rates
• Kris and Tom’s helpful travel tips, shared with the group via  personal communications in advance of the trip: getting ready to travel,  what to pack, recommended reading, and how to enjoy to the max
• In all, we've spent more than four years of our lives in Spain, and we both speak fluent Spanish. We've led two previous tours to Spain, in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023

Our goal is to introduce our tour guests to new destinations and new insights, offering everyone the opportunity to enjoy independent travel and free time along with the pleasure of meeting new people in our select small group. Join us!

See what our previous guests say about Travel Past 50 Tours on our TP50 Tour Page.

The specifics of the tour itinerary are subject to change, though It's unlikely there will be any substantive changes.

Important: do not make any travel reservations that cannot be cancelled or changed until we confirm that we have met the minimum number of travelers and that the trip is a “go.”

Most North American flights to Spain depart late afternoon or evening.  So plan to depart a day earlier than your arrival in Santander.     

If you'd like to extend your time in either Santander or Santiago, let us know and we'd be happy to recommend hotels and attractions or day trips from the city.

We use Allianz Travel's annual policy, but you can find their single trip travel insurance plans here. Note, you must have travel insurance that covers medical expenses for this tour. It doesn't have to be Allianz.

We will stay in comfortable and convenient 4-star hotels. All rooms have a private bathroom. There are a maximum of eight single rooms available.

Activity level for this tour is light to moderate. We'll be doing a good amount of walking in the cities we'll be visiting, and in some cases there will be two to three hours of slow walking and standing in the attractions. To be comfortable on this tour, you should be able to walk for a mile or more – or at least half an hour – without problem, and stand for extended periods of time. Also, be aware that often the walking will be up and down hills. Cobblestone streets and stairs are not uncommon. Don't worry though. We'll make frequent stops for refreshments.

The tour itself is not very strenuous, but please note that it can involve the following: somewhat long days, walking tours on uneven pavement, being outside in potentially cold temperatures, a  couple of long journeys, early morning wake-ups, and other similar scenarios.

A $1500 deposit per person due before November 6, 2024 (or before October 6, 2024 for Early Bird purchasers). Refundable for 10 days, should your plans change for any reason. After that, the deposit becomes non-refundable.

The balance payment is due 65 days before the tour start date (December 31, 2023.)

Cancellations between 60 and 89 days prior to the tour start date will receive a 50 percent refund of the balance amount; cancellations within 59 days of the tour start date will be non-refundable.

Here's all the fine print. Please note these terms and conditions may vary depending on the specific tour destinations and timing.

For more general information about Travel Past 50 Tours, including up-to-date COVID policies, visit our introductory Tour Page.