2026 School Without Walls Spain Cultural Journey
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Day 6
Today we packed our bags on the bus and walked to the old center of Bilbao. Here we had a fun scavenger hunt in the market, and explored the shops around. We then took the bus to Zarautz beach where we had lunch and enjoyed the gorgeous beach. After the first beach, we headed to San Sebastián where we dropped our bags and headed to yet another beach to relax.
After the beach we refreshed at the hotel and took the public bus downtown, where we had dinners and went shopping.
Day 5
Today we said goodbye to Madrid as we headed off to Bilbao, stopping at the beautiful town of Burgos. Here we visited the magnificent Cathedral and had lunch at many different quaint spots. We happened to come across a procession that was happening!
After Burgos, we continued to Bilbao, where we dropped our bags at the hotel and walked to the Guggenheim Museum, which was full of fascinating contemporary art pieces. After the museum, we went to Zurekin and ate pintxos, a typical dish of this northern Spanish region.
Day 4
Today we dropped off our luggage at the new hotel and headed to the amusement park in Madrid. All the students had an awesome time! Some students left for the Bad Bunny concert, and the rest enjoyed a night in at the new luxurious hotel. Some visited the hotel restaurant and some ordered room service.
Day 3
Today we took the bus to Segovia. We arrived at Segovia’s most iconic monument: the Aqueduct. From there we walked through the old town to the Alcazar. What was interesting about this castle is that it inspired the Disney castle, and it is where Queen Isabella I lived (who funded Christopher Columbus’s journey). After the castle, everyone explored the town for a delicious lunch. Then we took the bus to La Granja, the palace of Philip the 5th, the king. It was adorned with so much art!
The bus took us back to Madrid, and we refreshed for dinner all together at ARROX, where we had delicious paella.
Day 2
Today we had our first field trip! We took the metro to get to the train that takes us to Toledo. We had a wonderful tour of the city, where we encountered synagogues, mosques, and cathedrals.
After the tour, our wonderful guides gave us suggestions for delicious local food, and we had plenty of time to explore the streets within the city walls. After heading back to Madrid, we explored the center of the capital, visiting shops and having dinner out.
At the end of the day, we returned to the hotel to rest for our next adventure tomorrow.
Day 1
After a rather uneventful overnight flight, the students of this wonderful trip, most of whom got little to no sleep, disembarked the aircraft, excited (and also slightly hesitant, given everyone’s lack of energy) for a day of exploring Madrid.
Following a quick bus ride from the airport to our hotel, in which we were introduced to our tour guides and basic information regarding the trip, we all dropped off our suitcases and explored the blocks around the hotel – the goal for many was to find a pastry for breakfast, and especially some coffee. Then, we took Madrid’s metro system (which was similar and different from DC’s metro system in numerous surprising ways) to the world-famous Museo del Prado, which we toured with our small groups for a little more than an hour.
We saw many famous paintings, such as “Las Meninas” by Diego Velázquez, and amazing artworks that don’t have as much recognition, like Claude Lorrain’s “The Embarkation of Saint Paula”. We then walked to a meet-up point where groups later split up to eat lunch. After a nice, long lunch break, each group walked from where they ate to meet up at Retiro Park, where students could take a much-needed break and relax for around an hour. During this time, some decided to play volleyball, while others just lay down on the grass and rested.
Afterwards, everyone took the metro back to the hotel, where students entered their rooms for the first time, unpacked, and got ready for dinner.
– Shaan