France and Spain: Paris, Provence, Barcelona and the Basque Country

1. Day 1: Arrive in Paris

   Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to your hotel in central Paris

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Welcome dinner
   • Stay in Paris
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). A driver meets you in arrivals for the drive into the city, about 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic, and the rest of the day is yours until the evening. Plan to land by about 3 pm (confirmed with your final itinerary) to settle in before the evening briefing. Your See Sight Tours guide meets the group at the hotel to run through the twelve days: the train days, the early entries and how luggage moves. Then we walk to the Seine and follow the quays as the light goes, past the Pont Royal with the Musée d'Orsay lit on the far bank, where we return on day 3. Dinner is a welcome meal together at a neighbourhood bistro, the first chance to meet over a proper French table.

   Included

   • Pick-up at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Evening walk along the Seine quays
   • Welcome dinner at a Paris bistro

   Free time: Free until the 6 pm briefing

   

2. Day 2: The Louvre at opening, Montmartre in the afternoon

   The Louvre and the Tuileries, then Montmartre

   • By train
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Paris
   Day 2 details

   We walk to the Louvre for a 9 am timed entry, the quietest hour of the museum's day. Your guide takes you to the pieces most people come for, the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo, before the galleries fill, then leaves time to find your own corner of the collection. We come out through the Tuileries garden and sit down to lunch at a bistro near the Palais-Royal. After lunch we take the metro up to Montmartre and walk its lanes from the bottom of the hill: the Place des Abbesses, the windmills of the Moulin de la Galette, the small Clos Montmartre vineyard and the Place du Tertre with its painters. We finish at the Sacré-Cœur, where the steps look out over the whole city in the late afternoon light. The evening is free.

   Included

   • The Louvre on a 9 am timed entry with your guide
   • Walk through the Tuileries garden
   • Sit-down lunch near the Palais-Royal
   • Montmartre walk: Abbesses, the Moulin de la Galette, the Clos Montmartre vineyard, the Place du Tertre and the Sacré-Cœur

   Easier option: Take the Montmartre funicular up from the foot of the Sacré-Cœur instead of walking the lanes uphill.

   More active option: Climb the Sacré-Cœur dome for the highest view in Montmartre (ticket on site).

   Free time: Evening free

   Activity: About 10 km on foot including the museum, with a steady climb in Montmartre.

3. Day 3: The Musée d'Orsay and the Seine to the Trocadéro

   The Musée d'Orsay, along the Seine to the Palais Galliera gardens and the Trocadéro

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Paris
   Day 3 details

   The Musée d'Orsay opens at 9:30 am and we are at the door for it. The former Beaux-Arts railway station holds the world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting, and the fifth-floor galleries, with Monet, Renoir, Degas and Van Gogh, are calmest in the first hour. Look out through the great clock face towards the Louvre and the Sacré-Cœur, where you stood yesterday. We then walk west along the Left Bank, cross at the Pont de l'Alma and climb into the quiet garden of the Palais Galliera, the city's fashion museum, before reaching the terraces of the Trocadéro for the classic view across the river to the Eiffel Tower. That is where the guided morning ends. The afternoon and evening are yours: a Seine boat, the Eiffel Tower, the Marais or a long lunch.

   Included

   • The Musée d'Orsay at 9:30 am opening with your guide
   • Walk along the Seine to the Pont de l'Alma
   • The Palais Galliera garden
   • The Trocadéro terraces and the view of the Eiffel Tower

   Optional experiences

   • Eiffel Tower summit (timed ticket, booked through your guide)
   • Seine boat cruise from the Pont de l'Alma

   Easier option: Take a taxi or the metro from the Musée d'Orsay to the Trocadéro and skip the riverside walk.

   More active option: Walk up the Eiffel Tower stairs to the second floor in the afternoon (ticket on site).

   Free time: Afternoon and evening free

   Activity: About 6 km of flat walking after the museum.

   

4. Day 4: TGV to Avignon

   Paris Gare de Lyon to Avignon TGV by high-speed train, then into the walled old town

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Avignon
   Day 4 details

   Our van takes the bags to the Gare de Lyon after breakfast and we board a direct TGV south, about 2 hours 40 minutes through Burgundy and down the Rhône valley, watching the roofs turn from slate to terracotta. The van meets us at Avignon TGV station and runs us into the walled old town in about fifteen minutes, where we stay three nights. Lunch is at a bistro near Les Halles d'Avignon, the covered market with its green wall of plants. In the afternoon your guide walks the group around the old town to get your bearings: along the Rue de la République, through the garden of the Square Agricol Perdiguier with its ruined Gothic arches, to the Place de l'Horloge, and up to the ramparts that still ring the city. The evening is free for a first Provençal dinner on a terrace.

   Included

   • TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon to Avignon TGV, second class reserved seats
   • Van transfers at both stations with your luggage
   • Sit-down lunch near Les Halles d'Avignon
   • Orientation walk of Avignon's old town and ramparts

   Free time: Evening free

   

5. Day 5: The Palais des Papes and Châteauneuf-du-Pape

   Avignon's Palais des Papes and Pont Saint-Bénézet, then Châteauneuf-du-Pape and back

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Avignon
   Day 5 details

   We are at the Palais des Papes when it opens, before the tour groups arrive. For most of the 14th century the popes lived here rather than in Rome, and this is one of the largest Gothic palaces in Europe; the palace, the cathedral and the bridge are listed together by UNESCO as the historic centre of Avignon. Walk the great halls, the papal chambers with their painted walls and the roof terrace, then climb to the Rocher des Doms garden for the view over the Rhône. From there it is a short walk down to the Pont Saint-Bénézet, the half bridge of the song, which stops mid-river. After lunch in the old town our van drives about 30 minutes north to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the village the popes planted with vines, for a tasting at a family estate among vineyards covered in large round stones. We are back in Avignon by late afternoon.

   Included

   • The Palais des Papes at opening with your guide
   • The Rocher des Doms garden
   • The Pont Saint-Bénézet
   • Sit-down lunch in Avignon
   • Wine tasting at a family estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape

   Easier option: Skip the tasting and stay in Avignon for a free afternoon, with time for the Collection Lambert or the Musée Calvet.

   More active option: Walk the ruined castle hill above Châteauneuf-du-Pape for the view across the vineyards to Mont Ventoux.

   Free time: Evening free

   Activity: About 3 hours on foot in the morning, with stairs inside the palace.

6. Day 6: The Pont du Gard and Roman Nîmes

   Avignon to the Pont du Gard, then Nîmes, and back to Avignon

   • Drive about 2 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Avignon
   Day 6 details

   We leave Avignon early so the Pont du Gard, about half an hour away, is still quiet when we walk down to the river. The three tiers of this 1st-century Roman aqueduct bridge stand nearly 50 metres above the Gardon and have been on the UNESCO list since 1985. Walk across, look back from the riverbank and see the museum if you like. Another half hour takes us to Nîmes. The Arena, built in the late 1st century, is one of the best preserved Roman amphitheatres anywhere, and the Maison Carrée, a temple with its columns intact, was added to the UNESCO list in 2023. Lunch is a sit-down meal in the old town. In the afternoon we walk through the 18th-century Jardins de la Fontaine and up Mont Cavalier to the Roman Tour Magne before driving back to Avignon.

   Included

   • The Pont du Gard site early in the morning
   • The Arena of Nîmes
   • The Maison Carrée
   • Sit-down lunch in Nîmes
   • The Jardins de la Fontaine and the Tour Magne

   Optional experiences

   • Kayak on the Gardon under the Pont du Gard in the warmer months (priced on site)

   Easier option: Stay in the Jardins de la Fontaine while the group climbs Mont Cavalier, or return to Avignon after lunch with the van.

   More active option: Climb the spiral stair inside the Tour Magne for the view over Nîmes.

   Free time: Evening free in Avignon

   Activity: About 6 to 8 km on foot with a short steep climb up Mont Cavalier.

   

7. Day 7: By train to Barcelona

   Avignon to Barcelona Sants by train, then the Gothic Quarter

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Barcelona
   Day 7 details

   After breakfast the van takes us and the bags to Avignon TGV station for the train to Barcelona. The direct Renfe high-speed service takes about four hours, but it runs about once a day and not on every date; when it does not suit our date, we change once at Montpellier or Perpignan, which adds an hour or two. We confirm the train and its times with your final itinerary. The line runs past Nîmes, Montpellier and the lagoons of the Languedoc, then crosses the Pyrenees into Catalonia. Lunch is a picnic on board that your guide picks up from an Avignon bakery and deli in the morning: bread, cheese, charcuterie and fruit. Our van meets the train at Barcelona Sants and takes us to the hotel, where we stay three nights. In the late afternoon your guide walks the group through the Gothic Quarter, the medieval core of the city, past the cathedral, the Plaça del Rei and the old Jewish quarter, and down to the Born. Dinner tonight is your own choice.

   Included

   • Train from Avignon TGV to Barcelona Sants, direct where it runs or with one change, reserved seats
   • Van transfers at both stations with your luggage
   • Picnic lunch on board
   • Gothic Quarter walk with your guide

   Free time: Evening free

   Activity: About 4 hours seated on the direct train, or 5 to 6 hours with one change. The exact train and times come with your final itinerary.

8. Day 8: The Sagrada Família and the Passeig de Gràcia

   The Sagrada Família, then the Passeig de Gràcia

   • By train
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Barcelona
   Day 8 details

   We take the first entry slot of the day at the Sagrada Família, with a local guide, while the low morning sun lights the stained glass on the east side of the nave. Antoni Gaudí worked on the basilica for over forty years until his death in 1926, and building still goes on. Your guide explains how the forest of columns carries the vaults and how the Nativity and Passion facades tell the story in stone. From there we walk to the Passeig de Gràcia for the Modernista houses along it: Casa Batlló, with its bone-shaped balconies, and Casa Milà, La Pedrera, with its rippling stone front. Lunch is a sit-down meal in the Eixample, the 19th-century grid of the new city. The afternoon is free: the Picasso Museum, the beach at Barceloneta, or a slow coffee in a square.

   Included

   • The Sagrada Família on the first slot of the day with a local guide
   • Walk along the Passeig de Gràcia: Casa Batlló and Casa Milà from outside
   • Sit-down lunch in the Eixample

   Optional experiences

   • Casa Batlló or Casa Milà interior (timed ticket, booked through your guide)
   • Picasso Museum

   Free time: Afternoon and evening free

   Activity: About 5 km on foot in the morning.

9. Day 9: Park Güell, Gràcia and a tapas evening

   Park Güell, the Gràcia quarter, then La Boqueria and the Born

   • Breakfast and dinner
   • Stay in Barcelona
   Day 9 details

   Park Güell runs on timed tickets and we take an early one, before the heat and the crowds, for the Monumental Zone: the mosaic dragon on the stairs, the hall of columns, and the long curving bench on the terrace with the city and the sea below. We walk down through Gràcia, a village swallowed by Barcelona that still keeps its small squares and local shops, and stop for coffee in the Plaça del Sol. The rest of the day is yours, with lunch where you like. In the evening we meet again at La Boqueria market off the Rambla and walk into the Born, past the Gothic church of Santa Maria del Mar, for a tapas dinner together: pa amb tomàquet, croquetes, grilled vegetables and fish, with a glass of cava or vermouth.

   Included

   • Park Güell Monumental Zone on an early timed entry
   • Walk through the Gràcia quarter
   • La Boqueria market and Santa Maria del Mar
   • Tapas dinner in the Born

   Optional experiences

   • Montjuïc by cable car
   • Palau de la Música Catalana guided visit

   Easier option: Our van drops you at the upper entrance of Park Güell, so you walk down rather than up.

   More active option: Walk on from Park Güell up to the Bunkers del Carmel viewpoint for the widest view over Barcelona.

   Free time: Middle of the day free

   Activity: Park Güell is on a steep hillside, with slopes and steps.

10. Day 10: A free morning in Barcelona, then the train to San Sebastián

    Barcelona Sants to San Sebastián by train, via Zaragoza and Pamplona

    • Drive about 30 min
    • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
    • Stay in San Sebastián
    Day 10 details

    Today is the longest travel day, and we do it by train rather than on a coach for about 570 km of road. The morning is free in Barcelona while the hotel holds the bags. The direct Renfe train to San Sebastián runs about once a day and takes about six and a half hours; published departure times vary, so we confirm the exact time at booking. If it is not running on our date, the plan is to fly Barcelona to Bilbao, about 1 hour 10 minutes, and drive about 100 km to San Sebastián. Our van takes the bags to Barcelona Sants, and lunch is a picnic from a Barcelona deli, eaten on board. The line crosses the dry Ebro valley to Zaragoza, then climbs through Navarre past Pamplona into the green Basque hills. The van meets us in San Sebastián and we check in for two nights. If we arrive in time, your guide walks the group into the Parte Vieja for a pintxos dinner: small plates on the bar, a glass of txakoli, and on to the next bar. On a late arrival, dinner is at a bar near the hotel.

    Included

    • Train from Barcelona Sants to San Sebastián, reserved seats (or the flight to Bilbao and the drive, if the train is not running on our date)
    • Van transfers at both ends with your luggage
    • Picnic lunch on board
    • Pintxos dinner in the Parte Vieja with your guide

    Free time: Morning free in Barcelona

    Activity: About 6.5 hours seated on the direct train. The time is confirmed at booking; if the train is not running, we fly to Bilbao and drive about 1 hour 15 minutes.

11. Day 11: San Sebastián: the market, Monte Urgull and the bay

    La Bretxa market, the Parte Vieja and Monte Urgull, then a free afternoon

    • Breakfast and dinner
    • Stay in San Sebastián
    Day 11 details

    We start at La Bretxa market as the stalls fill with Cantabrian anchovies, hake, peppers and sheep's cheese, and your guide explains how a city of under 200,000 people became a byword for eating well. From the old town we take the paths up Monte Urgull, past the old fortifications to the castle and the statue of Christ at the top, with views over La Concha on one side and the open Bay of Biscay on the other. The afternoon is free for the beach, the Aquarium, the San Telmo Museum or the Zurriola surfers in Gros. In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner together, at a cider house in the hills when it is the txotx season (roughly January to April) or at a Basque grill in town the rest of the year.

    Included

    • La Bretxa market with your guide
    • Walk up Monte Urgull to the castle
    • Farewell dinner at a cider house or a Basque grill

    Optional experiences

    • Basque cooking class
    • San Telmo Museum

    Easier option: Ride the funicular up Monte Igueldo at the other end of the bay for the same view without the climb.

    More active option: Walk the cliff path from the Paseo Nuevo round Monte Urgull before the climb.

    Free time: Afternoon free

    Activity: About 6 km on foot with a steady 30 to 40 minute climb up Monte Urgull.

12. Day 12: The Guggenheim and home from Bilbao

    San Sebastián to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, then Bilbao Airport

    • Drive about 1.5 h
    • Breakfast
    Day 12 details

    After breakfast our van drives about an hour and a quarter west along the motorway to Bilbao. We walk into the Guggenheim Museum when it opens at 10 am. Frank Gehry's titanium-clad building, opened in 1997, is as much the reason to come as the collection: walk around the outside past Jeff Koons' flower-covered Puppy and Louise Bourgeois' giant spider Maman, then go in for Richard Serra's huge steel spirals in the long ground-floor gallery. On a Monday outside summer, when the museum is usually closed, we walk the riverside and the Casco Viejo instead. Around 1 pm the van takes you to Bilbao Airport (BIO), about 20 minutes away, and your guide sees you to check-in. Book a flight leaving after about 3:30 pm; for an earlier flight we drive you straight to the airport.

    Included

    • Drive from San Sebastián to Bilbao
    • The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao at opening
    • Drop-off at Bilbao Airport (BIO)

    Activity: Book a flight from Bilbao leaving after about 3:30 pm to see the Guggenheim.

Wildlife and weather: Spring and autumn bring mild days of about 15 to 25 °C. July and August are hot in Avignon and Barcelona and crowded everywhere. The Basque coast is greener and wetter, so pack a light rain jacket in any month.

• Paris3 nights
• Avignon3 nights
• Barcelona3 nights
• San Sebastián2 nights