Spanish Food, Wine & Architecture

Food & Wine Trails’ two-night pre-cruise Barcelona package offers guests the opportunity to experience and taste the Spanish Food, Wine & Architecture of Barcelona. This package includes two nights at the four-star Hotel Colon, conveniently located in front of the city’s Cathedral and just a few steps away from Las Ramblas. Some say the best way to really get to know the culture of a place is to eat and drink your way through it. From the time you arrive until when you are dropped off at the pier that is exactly what you’ll do.

Truly a city for all the senses, Barcelona has a reputation for daring experimentation with art, design, cuisine, and more recently, in the wines flowing from neighboring wine-growing regions like Penedés and Priorat.The city is saturated with art; the influences of Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and architect Antoni Gaudí can be seen throughout the city. The city’s culinary reputation and critical acclaim can be validated by the fact that Barcelona is home to an incredible twenty-five Michelin-starred restaurants. For these reasons and more, Barcelona is one of the world’s best cities for a food and wine lover.

Day 1 – Independent Arrival in Barcelona [D]

Highlight: Walking Tapas Tour

Guests will arrive in Barcelona independently and transfer from the airport on their own to the hotel.

No other hotel in Barcelona offers what the Colon does: an unbeatable location that allows a great number of its rooms to enjoy a direct view of the Cathedral of Barcelona. The Plaza is a hive of activity during the day and typically quiet at night. The Colon is at the center of the Gothic district, the city’s oldest and most historical district, where you will find fine dining, as well as some of the city’s main attractions, museums and monuments.

After settling into your room, you will join your fellow group members in the hotel lobby before the evening’s tapas walking tour. Your knowledgeable, English-speaking guide will spend the next two and a half hours introducing the local cuisine that welcomes the new, while celebrating the old―tapas!

It has been said that Spain owes much of its status as a mecca of progressive cuisine to these small plate dishes; Spaniards will try anything once – as long as it’s small! At each stop along your route there will be a glass of wine and one of the famous small plates waiting. The tour ends back at the Hotel Colón, where you can retire for the night or continue along with your newfound friends.

Day 2 │ Penedés Wine Region and Parés Baltà [B, L]

Highlight: Vineyard Jeep Tour, Wine Tasting and Lunch

Buffet breakfast is included this morning in the hotel restaurant.

You will meet your guide in the hotel lobby and depart for the Penedés wine region.

The 200-year old Parés Baltà winery is an estate that Food & Wine Tails is excited to share with you. Three generations have overseen the vineyards and winemaking operations, always respecting tradition but also bringing new and fresh ideas to the winery.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate describes Parés Baltà as having “serious aspirations” in their efforts for “producing world-class wines.” An organic winery, Parés Baltà grows 18 different grape varietals (12 red and 6 white) and produces 25 different types of wine.

Upon arrival you will be greeted by a family member with a glass of the region’s famous Cava and then transported in one of their four-wheel drive vehicles for a brief tour of their spacious estate that includes a mountain ridge and a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean Sea. You will also enjoy a tour of their barrel room and a cava cellar followed by a leisurely multi-course Catalan lunch paired with their Cava and still wines.

Day 3 │ Barcelona City Tour / Embarkation [B]

Highlight: La Sagrada Familia

Buffet breakfast is included this morning in the hotel restaurant.

You will check out of the hotel and meet the group in the lobby with your luggage for an early departure.

Our four-hour city tour of Barcelona will take you to one of the city’s most celebrated attractions, Gaudí’s famous unfinished cathedral, Sagrada Familia.

Sagrada Familia is one of Gaudí's most impressive works. This enormous church is a summary of everything that Gaudí designed. The architectural style of Sagrada Familia has been called "warped Gothic," and it's easy to see why. The rippling contours of the stone façade make it look as though Sagrada Familia is melting in the sun, while the towers are topped with brightly-colored mosaics which look like bowls of fruit.

When Sagrada Familia is complete, the church will have a total of 18 towers, each dedicated to a different religious figure, and each one hollow, allowing the placement of various types of bells which will sound with the choir.

After a scenic drive around the city, your tour ends as you arrive at the pier where you will board the ship in time for lunch and the beginning of your journey...

Registration Form

Download Optional Pre-Cruise Program Registration Form

Per Person Price: $1,050 per person Single Supplement: $234

Includes: Two (2) nights hotel accommodations in a Standard category room, two (2) buffet breakfasts, a tapas walking tour, winery tour and tasting, a half-day city tour, all entrance and tour fees, English-speaking guide, transportation on deluxe AC motorcoach, bottled water on the motorcoach, hotel porterage upon check-out, transfer to ship, and all local taxes (with the exception of the hotel city tax which is required to be paid in person and is currently 1.25€ per person per night).

Not Included: Transportation to the hotel, gratuities for the drivers and guides, hotel upgrades and/or additional hotel nights, hotel city tax, and all items of a personal nature.

Activity Level: There will be walking on uneven surfaces to negotiate throughout the tour. Tour not suggested for wheelchairs or people with mobility issues due to extended walking.

Note: Times and providers are subject to change.

Travel Insurance: F&WT highly encourages protecting your travel investment in case of an emergency requiring you to cancel your trip. Your F&WT’s Travel Consultant can assist you with procuring the appropriate coverage. Please make sure to read the cancellation policy on the registration form outlining our cancellation policy.