A Taste of Iberia
Cultural highlight: Whether it’s referred to as “marmelada” in Portuguese or “marmelo” in Galician dialect, dulce de membrillo or quince fruit paste is an iconic Iberian ingredient to seek out, sample and take home.
🔹 Curated experiences: Every program is intentionally designed to feature guided learning, cultural engagement, and independent exploration experiences to drive global competency development, denoted on each itinerary with a blue diamond. Learn more about these experiences.
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Day 1: Fly overnight to Portugal
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Day 2: Porto
Meet your Field Director at the airportTake a walking tour of Porto, a coastal city known for its famous Port wine, with your Field Director
Enjoy dinner in Porto
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Day 3: Porto
🔹 Guided learning: Tour Porto with an expert local guide
Visit Torre dos Clérigos, a cathedral located in the center of Porto and one of its most recognizable symbols
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend time exploring Porto on your own
Add this in-depth excursion:
Douro River Cruise & Wine Cellar
Take a cruise on the Douro River, roughly translating to River of Gold—and you'll see why when the light catches the river at just the right angle. After your cruise, visit a wine cellar to learn about the process of wine making and what makes these varieties from Porto so special.
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Day 4: Porto • Santiago de Compostela
Travel via Horreos de Combarro to Santiago de Compostela
🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a boat excursion to a mussel farm and learn about one of the region's most popular ingredients
Take a walking tour of Horreos de Combarro with your Field Director and discover a center of culinary history, both past and present
Tonight, enjoy a traditional Galician dinner, which is known for it’s fresh seafood, octopus, and hearty stews
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Day 5: Santiago de Compostela
Take an excursion to Finisterre, or "the end of the world," at one of the most western points on the Iberian Peninsula
With a local guide, visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the last stop on the 30-day Way of St. James pilgrimage route still taken by adventurous hikers
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Day 6: Santiago de Compostela • Oviedo
Take a walking tour of Oviedo with your Field Director
Visit the Oviedo Cathedral, a great example of hybrid architectural styles dating back to 781 AD
Tonight, enjoy Asturian cuisine with Cachopo: deep fried veal cutlets topped with ham, cheese, and vegetables
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Day 7: Oviedo • Bilbao
Travel to Bilbao
🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit a local cheese farm in Cantabria and learn what makes the northern region of Spain's cheese unique
Enjoy lunch at a local sidreria, or ciderhouse, where food is accompanied with cider self-served straight from the barrel it was brewed in
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Day 8: Bilbao
Take an excursion to San Sebastian, a lively city located along the coastline boasting renowned restaurants and pintxo bars serving regional specialties
Free time in San Sebastián
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Day 9: Bilbao
🔹 Guided learning: Tour Bilbao, one of the largest cities in northern Spain, with an expert local guide
Spend time exploring the Guggenheim Museum of modern and contemporary art
Enjoy free time in BilbaoParticipate in a Pintxos cooking class, the Basque version of Spanish tapas served on skewers, and enjoy it for dinner
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Day 10: Depart for home
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Day 1: Fly overnight to Portugal
-
Day 2: Porto
Meet your Field Director at the airportTake a walking tour of Porto, a coastal city known for its famous Port wine, with your Field Director
Enjoy dinner in Porto
-
Day 3: Porto
🔹 Guided learning: Tour Porto with an expert local guide
Visit Torre dos Clérigos, a cathedral located in the center of Porto and one of its most recognizable symbols
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend time exploring Porto on your own
Add this in-depth excursion:
Douro River Cruise & Wine Cellar
Take a cruise on the Douro River, roughly translating to River of Gold—and you'll see why when the light catches the river at just the right angle. After your cruise, visit a wine cellar to learn about the process of wine making and what makes these varieties from Porto so special.
-
Day 4: Porto • Santiago de Compostela
Travel via Horreos de Combarro to Santiago de Compostela
🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a boat excursion to a mussel farm and learn about one of the region's most popular ingredients
Take a walking tour of Horreos de Combarro with your Field Director and discover a center of culinary history, both past and present
Tonight, enjoy a traditional Galician dinner, which is known for it’s fresh seafood, octopus, and hearty stews
-
Day 5: Santiago de Compostela
Take an excursion to Finisterre, or "the end of the world," at one of the most western points on the Iberian Peninsula
With a local guide, visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the last stop on the 30-day Way of St. James pilgrimage route still taken by adventurous hikers
-
Day 6: Santiago de Compostela • Oviedo
Take a walking tour of Oviedo with your Field Director
Visit the Oviedo Cathedral, a great example of hybrid architectural styles dating back to 781 AD
Tonight, enjoy Asturian cuisine with Cachopo: deep fried veal cutlets topped with ham, cheese, and vegetables
-
Day 7: Oviedo • Bilbao
Travel to Bilbao
🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit a local cheese farm in Cantabria and learn what makes the northern region of Spain's cheese unique
Enjoy lunch at a local sidreria, or ciderhouse, where food is accompanied with cider self-served straight from the barrel it was brewed in
-
Day 8: Bilbao
Take an excursion to San Sebastian, a lively city located along the coastline boasting renowned restaurants and pintxo bars serving regional specialties
Free time in San Sebastián
-
Day 9: Bilbao
🔹 Guided learning: Tour Bilbao, one of the largest cities in northern Spain, with an expert local guide
Spend time exploring the Guggenheim Museum of modern and contemporary art
Enjoy free time in BilbaoParticipate in a Pintxos cooking class, the Basque version of Spanish tapas served on skewers, and enjoy it for dinner
-
Day 10: Depart for home
Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness
What's Included
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Round-trip airfare and transportation
Buses, trains, cruise ships, ferries and subways—covered. We take care of getting you around so you can enjoy the ride.
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Accommodations
Safe, comfortable hotels with private bathrooms will be waiting for you at your destination.
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Regional-style meals
Traditional breakfasts and dinners bring local flavors to life as part of your tour experience. Lunches are left up to you to discover favorite dishes of your own.
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End-to-end Support
Your team helps to secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides recruiting tools and helps establish your program's ongoing presence on campus.
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Full-time Field Director
Your expert Field Director is with your group 24/7, providing deep local insight while handling all program logistics.
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Expert Local Guides
Your expert local guides are natural historians, adding cultural insight and enhancing teaching moments wherever your curriculum takes you.
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Guided sightseeing
Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides who join your group for select experiences on tour
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Worldwide support, safety and security
EF has over 500 schools and offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. We provide 24-hour emergency support service along with a comprehensive $15 million liability policy that covers you and your institution while abroad.
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Flexible Payment Options
Give more students the opportunity to study abroad by offering them two different payment plan options, along with our TripFunder website to help fundraise for the program.
