Barcelona | Pamplona | Madrid  

Spain Singles Tour

Highlighting: Running of the Bulls

July 2 - July 11, 2011  - $3,399*

The Only Place You'll Want to Be... On a Balcony in Pamplona
 Treat yourself to an unforgettable experience, view the Running of the Bulls from a Balcony located in the Heart of the Action.

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Spain Running of the Bulls Singles Vacation Itinerary

Day 1: July 2 - Depart from Hometown

Depart from home town on flight to Barcelona, Spain. Rembember you are flying home from Madrid. (Airfare on own - Best Single Travel will be glad to assist).

Day 2: July 3 - Barcelona, Spain 

Today you will land at the Barcelona airport and be transfered to our hotel. After check-in you will recieve a 2 day Hop On Hop Off pass. The double-decker open-top bus is the most convenient way to discover the museums and attractive sights of this exciting city. You can get on and off as many times as you wish at any of the 44 stops. A brief explanation at each stop will be given by a guide who is travelling on board. You will also be provided with a guide book.

We will meet for an optional dinner at 7:00 p.m.

Day 3: July 4 - Barcelona

Discover the exuberance and beauty of Barcelona on our morning private guided tour of this exquisite Catalan city. Enjoy an overview of the main highlights of the old city centre and see some hidden spots that reveal the origins of Barcelona. In the afternoon continue to see the sights of the city with your Hop On Hop Off pass or shop in the numerous stores in and around the city centre.

Tonight enjoy our Welcome Dinner - Not only you are eating... you are being taught how to cook it by a local chef as well as learning about Spanish history and culture at the same time!

Day 4: July 5 - Barcelona to Pamplona 

After an early breakfast we start our jouney to Pamplona by way of Barbastro. Admire the beautiful views as we travel to this interesting region.  We will visit a wine bodega (in the Somontano Wine Region) and enjoy some wine tasting.  Then have lunch before we continue on to Pamplona.

We will arrive in Pamplona early in the evening and check-in to our balcony apartments that overlook the bull run.  Start having fun and enjoy the San Fermin  festival.

Day 5: July 6 - Pamplona - Opening Ceremonies

On July 6th 10,000 people pour into Plaza Consistorial for the Opening Ceremony. The opening of the fiesta is marked by setting off the pyrotechnic chupinazo. The rocket is launched at 12:00 noon from a city hall balcony with thousands of people celebrating the act in the city hall square and other locations in Pamplona.

There will be activities all day but the party starts tonight at 11:00 p.m. with the firework display, and it's quite an impressive one too. The crowd then heads to Plaza Castillo and the surrounding streets, with live music, discos and street musicians inspiring the inebriated party-goers to move their feet. Bear in mind the fact that the partying won't stop until 8am, so pace yourself!

Day 6: July 7 - Running of Bulls & Bull Fight - Pamplona

It's 2:00 a.m. and everyone from seven to hundred will be out on the streets. If you don't think you can stay up all night, head back to the hotel and get some sleep just remember we will have to be at our balcony before the streets close.

Streets close at 7:00am, so be prepared for an early morning. You can watch the cops rough up the drunkards, the street sweepers prepare for the run, the mayor do the traditional walk-through, and the mass of white and red clad runners charge down the street with the bulls all from your balcony spot.

The Pamplona Bull Run is an event that people tell their grandchildren about. Considered by some to be the definitive rite of manhood, the Bull Run sees hundreds of intrepid locals and visitors risking their lives to outpace galloping, frenzied bulls as they hurtle along an 800-metre stretch of Pamplona's streets towards the bullring.

A rocket goes off at the moment the bulls are let out into the street. A second rocket goes off to let everyone know that all the bulls are now in the street. Once the bulls have gone past the run has finished for you. When you hear a third rocket go off it is to let you know that all the bulls have arrived inside the ring and a fourth and final rocket is sent off when all the bulls have been safely led into their pens. Between that first rocket and final rocket only a couple of minutes will normally have gone by - but what a couple of minutes!

At 9:30 a.m. thousands of people accompany a replica of the statue of Saint Fermin along the streets in the old part of Pamplona. San Fermin is accompanied by dancers and street entertainers, such as the Gigantes (giant-sized figures who represent the King and Queen of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America) and the Cabezudos (the Bigheads).

Let's get some rest before the bullfights begin at 6:30 p.m. The bullfighting is in the city's bullring, with the bulls that ran that morning.

At 11:00 p.m. the partying starts again - What a full day and half of adventure and fun! 

Day 7: July 8 - Pamplona to Madrid 

Sleep late this morning and have breakfast before boarding our train to Madrid. Enjoy a leisurely ride and a beautiful courtryside as we speed towards our next destination. Our Madrid guide will meet us at the train station and immediately begin our city tour.

Once an Arabian Fortress, this city is now a thriving cultural centre bursting with monuments, galleries and museums. Highlights will include a photo stop at the Basilica San Francisco El Gran and a view of Plaza Espana. 

Over dinner (optional) at a local restaurant we will discuss our tour plans for the next day.

Day 8: July 9 - Madrid

Today the group will explore Madrid with our Madrid Cards. We have access to the entire cultural offer in and around Madrid. Free entry to more than 4 of the major museums, As many journeys as we wish on the Madrid Visión hop on-hop off tour bus. With the Madrid Card we receive a guide with information on the museums and establishments associated with the program, as well as a city map. (B)

Just a few of your choices...

	Madrid Vision is the open-top double-deckers sightseeing buses, with maximum comfort and visibility. With three different routes you will see, Modern Madrid, Monumental Madrid and Historic Madrid. All the routes are inter-connected.
	The Prado Museum, considered to be one of the world´s best art galleries, houses famous masterpieces of paintings, with the outstanding presence of Velázquez, Goya, Titian and Rubens, amongst others.
	The Reina Sofía National Museum, located in an 18th century building, houses the most important collection of contemporary art in the Spanish State.
	Villahermosa Palace houses the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, considered to be the top 20th century private collection. Durero, Titian, Goya, Degas, Renoir, Kandinsky or Rothko are some of the highlights included in this tour of Western art.
	Royal Palace of Madrid - Philip V commissioned Sacchetti, an Italian architect, one of Juvarra's followers, with its construction. Its armoury is considered to be one of the most important in the world. The gardens stretch down towards the river.
	A World Heritage Site, the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial was the political centre of Philip II. The Royal Palace, a monks monastery, a magnificent library, a large basilica with cenotaphs of the king and his father, Charles I. Most kings of Spain are buried in the Kings' Pantheon.
	The Royal Palace of Aranjuez, 18th century, is surrounded by magnificent gardens, The Farmer's House, an 18th century mansion, is located in the Prince's garden. The Boat museum has vessels that were used to sail the Tagus river.
	The Benedictine Abbey of the Sacred Cross Valley of the Fallen's granite cross rises up in the middle of a pine forest on the Cuelgamuros crag. It was built as a mausoleum in the years following the civil war.
	The CABLE RAILWAY is a modern and ecological form of transport, enjoy an exciting journey, 40 metres up, observing the most emblematic monuments and buildings and the most incredible view of the capital.
	Faunia, Madrid's nature theme park, enjoy the 140,000 m2 complex where some of the world's most incredible ecosystems have been faithfully recreated. Faunia also boasts the largest polar ecosystem in Europe.

Day 9 - July 10 - Madrid - Toledo - Madrid

After breakfast we drive to Toledo, one of the oldest cities in Europe, to see it's most important monuments. Enjoy our half day visit to Toledo, a city of great artistic beauty. It was once the capital of the country and is now one of the oldest cities in Europe. During a walking tour of the city centre, we visit the city's most famous monuments such as St Tome Church, Santa Maria la Blanca Synanogue, the Victorio Macho Museum and San Juan de Los Reyes Church.

Let's celebrate our final night in Spain with a Flamenco Show and dinner. 

Day 10 - July 11 - Madrid to Home  

After a final breakfast we have to say adios to all our new single travel friends as we are transfered to the airport and our flights home.