Itinerary : El Transcantabrico from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela
1st Day: San Sebastian – Bilbao – Carranza
We will welcome you on the first day at 13:00 hours at the Hotel Costa Vasca in San Sebastian to start our route in the Transcantabrico for 8 wonderful days. Then we will get to know the main attractions of San Sebastian with a guided tour. At lunchtime, we will have an exquisite lunch in a downtown restaurant.
After lunch we will get on a luxury bus to depart for Bilbao, where El Transcantábrico is waiting for us. Upon arrival, the crew will welcome us with a welcome drink and later we will be accommodated in our luxurious and comfortable suite.
Travelers on the train! This will be the warning before we start rolling towards Carranza. On the way, we will have the first dinner on board and then we will be able to enjoy the night entertainment programme in one of its lounges wagons. The train will be parked at night at Carranza station so that we can rest.
2nd Day: Carranza – Bilbao – Santander
We will start the morning with a full à la carte breakfast and buffet before heading for Bilbao and delve into its wonderful corners. During the visit we will be able to see inside the famous Guggenheim Museum, with the entrance included.
At the end of the Bilbao tour we will return to the train to start the march towards the next destination, Santander. On the way, lunch will be served on board. Already in the destination, we will take a tour of the elegant capital of Cantabria and then we will have free to walk freely around the city. After dinner, if you wish you can visit the Gran Casino de Santander, with ticket included. We’ll have a night in Santander.
3rd Day: Santander – Potes – Cabezon de la Sal
We will have breakfast on board and travel in the Transcantabrico to the town of Unquera. Then we will take our luxury coach to Potes, a picturesque village in Cantabria, crossing the impressive Gorge de la Hermida. After the visit of this place, we can enjoy a thermal circuit in the Balneario de la Hermida.
After lunch we will go to Comillas to visit the mansion of El Capricho, the 19th century work of the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. We will continue bound for Cabezón de la Sal, where we will have dinner and spend the night.
4th Day: Cabezon de la Sal – Santillana del Mar – Llanes
Our fourth day of tour in the Transcantábrico, we will travel back in time to medieval times while we stroll through the town of Santillana del Mar, which conserves magnificently an important medieval historic centre. Later we will approach the Cave of Altamira, the highest exponent of the cave art of the Upper Paleolithic. After lunch, we will return to the train to enter Asturian lands to Llanes. Dinner and night in Llanes.
5th Day: Llanes – Oviedo
We will enjoy an excellent breakfast on board. With the bus we will reach the heart of the Picos de Europa National Park. We will visit Lake Enol, and then we will head to the Sanctuary of Covadonga, a sacred place full of tradition and legend. We will return to the Transcantábrico for lunch in its elegant restaurant wagon on the way to Oviedo, capital of the Principality of Asturias. We will visit the most relevant of the city and have free time to explore without the guide. We will have dinner and overnight in Oviedo.
6th Day: Oviedo – Gijon -Luarca
The first stop of the day will be in the coastal village of Gijon, on the shores of the Cantabrian Sea. We will visit and have lunch in the city.
Then we will continue our journey along the Asturian coast aboard El Transcantábrico until we reach Luarca, where we will enjoy a guided tour in this charming seaside town. We’ll have dinner and overnight in Luarca.
7th Day: Luarca – Ribadeo – Viveiro
Our tour in the Trascantábrico will take us to Galician lands to visit the historic town of Ribadeo, bordering the Principality of Asturias. We will continue on board our bus along the coast of Lugo until we reach the impressive Playa de Las Catedrales, one of the most spectacular in the world. Then, we will make a panoramic visit of Ribadeo and eat in a restaurant in the area. In the afternoon we will return the train to head to Viveiro and explore the town with the guide and then freely. Dinner and night in Viveiro.
8th Day: Viveiro – Santiago de Compostela
On the last day of the route of El Transcantábrico, we will have breakfast while we go to Ferrol, in A Coruña, where the bus will be waiting for us to approach Santiago de Compostela. We will visit the historic center of this city, home to pilgrims for a thousand years, which treasures countless artistic jewels such as its magnificent cathedral. After the visit, we will head to the Parador de los Reyes Católicos around 13:00 hours, ending this wonderful tour of the North of Spain.
Rates below are per person in US$