THE BEST OF THE MED in 11 days
This tour weaves together three counties, five cultures, four languages and some of the best scenery along the Mediterranean coast. You’ll begin with two action-packed days in Barcelona. Then, head to France to experience medieval castles, Roman ruins and jet-setting adventures along the French Riviera. Cap off your tour with three relaxing days on the beautiful Italian Riviera.
Your Adventure Starts Here!
| PRICE FROM | DATES | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 -sold out | 2025 -sold out | |
| $3939 + air | May 5-15, 2026 |  |
| $3939 + air | Jun 16-26, 2026 | |
| $3939 + air | Oct 13-23, 2026 | |
Barcelona – 2 nights
Carcassone – 1 night
Arles – 1 night
Luberon – 2 nights
Nice – 1 night
Italian Riveria – 3 nights
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Single Room Additional Cost ~$890
ITINERARY
DAY 1: Welcome to Spain – Barcelona is the proud and longing-to-be-independent capital of Catalonia. Join your Exploring Europe guide at 3:00 p.m. for tour greetings and a stroll down Las Ramblas, the most festive street in town. Then, we will visit La Boqueria, Barcelona’s famous market, and enjoy a stroll through the Barri Gòtic, learning of Rome’s influence in the city’s history. We’ll finish at Barcelona’s massive gothic-era Cathedral. We will end our day with dinner together. Sleep for 2 nights in Barcelona. Walking: moderate. Dinner.
DAY 2: Art and Culture –Today, we will tour Antoni Gaudí’s modernista architecture, La Sagrada Familia, and walk along the Avenue of Discord. Then you’ll have the remainder of the day all to yourself to explore on your own. Walking: moderate.
DAY 3: Vive la France – This morning, travel along coastal Spain and France. La Cité of Carcassonne is Europe’s largest medieval fortified city. After a walking tour around the historic old town, we’ll set you loose to wander the cobbled lanes, cute cafés, and rocky ramparts. Sleep 1 night in Carcassonne. Driving or train for 4 hours. Walking: moderate.
DAY 4: Arles – Enjoy a walking tour lacing together this town’s impressive history. The well-preserved Roman arena is second only to Rome’s famous Colosseum. Woven into the town’s medieval lanes, you’ll find an ancient theatre and forum. You’ll also learn about Vincent van Gogh who lived and painted scenes from this town in the 1890s. Enjoy the remainder of your day with a stroll along the river and a walk through Arles’ quaint cobbled streets and squares. Walking: moderate. Sleep in Arles for 1 night.
DAY 5: The Pont du Gard & Provence – Visit to the Pond du Gard, a well-preserved Roman-era aqueduct. It once carried fresh water to one of Rome’s largest outpost cities. This is quite possibly the ancient world’s best-preserved technological and architectural structure. Later, we will settle into our hotel in the Luberon area and have dinner together. Sleep for 2 nights in the Luberon area. Driving: 4 hours. Walking: moderate. Dinner.
DAY 6: Provencal Hill Towns – Experience small hill towns, sweeping vistas, and Provencal outdoor markets. Driving: 2 hours. Walking: moderate.
DAY 7: The Riviera and Nice – Today, we’ll dip down to the coastal Riviera, finally arriving in Nice for an orientation walk and dinner. Sleep 1 night in Nice. Driving: 5 hours. Walking: moderate. Dinner.
DAY 8: Nice and Italy – Enjoy some free time this morning in Nice. Take a stroll along the seaside promenade and wander through the Old City. Later, we’ll hop on a train bound for the Italian Riviera, where you will arrive in time for an Italian seafood dinner. Sleep 3 nights on the Italian Riviera. Train: 3 hours. Walking: light. Dinner.
DAY 9: Enjoy the Italian Riviera – You’ll have the day to explore the Cinque Terre on your own. Your guide will be available to help you plan hikes and schedule activities. Traveling to and from the “five villages” in the region is easy by train, boat, or foot. The National Park is loaded with scenic trails providing endless opportunities to get out and explore the outdoors. You may wish to stake your claim on one of the many beaches to catch some sun. Each village has its own character, decor, and ambiance, as well as plenty of shopping and dining options. Walking: your choice.
DAY 10: Enjoy the Italian Riviera – Take another day to enjoy the Italian Riviera. This evening we will meet for a grand farewell dinner to share tour memories. Dinner.
DAY 11: Your tour ends today after breakfast – Trains run hourly to Pisa’s central train station and the airport. Your guide can assist with directions and suggestions to get you on your way. Buon viaggio, bon voyage e buen vieja!
Itinerary specifics are subject to change.
INCLUSIONS
Transportation is provided by coach, train, or minibus from your Barcelona hotel to your Cinque Terre hotel.
10 nights’ accommodation in centrally located hotels, guesthouses, and B&Bs. All rooms have private en-suite baths.
All tips and gratuities to guides, drivers, restaurant, and hotel staff.
Strictly Small Group with 6-18 travelers.
All breakfasts and five of your dinners or lunches.
Traditional dining experiences at some of David’s personal favorite restaurants. Eating well is a priority, and you’ll enjoy fine regional fare featuring the best each locale has to offer.
Water is included with all group meals. Sodas, wine, beer, and other drinks are your responsibility.
All tours and admissions at no extra cost: Guided walking tour in Barcelona; Visit Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia; Walking tour of medieval Carcassonne; Walking tour of historic Arles; entrance to the Roman Amphitheatre in Arles; Entrance to visit the Pont du Gard; Nice orientation walk; Cinque Terre village orientation and more!
A Cinque Terre train and trail pass for the duration of your stay.
A full-time Exploring Europe guide and local experts dedicated to bringing to life the art, history, and culture of the tour destinations.
David’s tour handouts are delivered electronically and detail each day’s historical and cultural experiences.
Free luggage tags and David’s custom-designed drawstring backpacks.
Our Unconditional Tour Price Guarantee, once locked in, will never change.
$50 Tour Alumni discount for each David McGuffin tour you’ve taken prior to this travel year.
EXCLUSIONS
Comprehensive Trip insurance. We strongly recommend comprehensive insurance for tour.
Fee for passports.
Beer, wine, spirits, and soda during the tour.
Laundry, phone, internet, and personal items
Extras and optional activities.
Anything not mentioned in the itinerary.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
CANCELLATION POLICY
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:
Deposits- Deposits for tours are fully refundable for 30 days from your initial application and deposit date, unless otherwise noted. If you book a tour less than 90 days before its departure date, full payment is due immediately, and the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after seven days. After these dates, deposits are not refundable and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation.
Payments- Tour payments are due in full 90 days before your tour departure date. If you find you must cancel between 90-0 days before your tour departure, please contact us immediately. We will work with you to transfer your payments to another tour departing within 18 months. We strongly recommend that everyone purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers tour cancellations, emergency medical, and other unexpected events.
Cancellations will be effective when the written notification is received at David McGuffin›s Exploring Europe by mail, e-mail, or fax.
SIGN UP BY EMAIL OR POST
If you do not want to sign up online:
You may download a tour application and send it to us with payment.
-OR-
You may return it by:
- FAX 1-800-570-1351
- Email – info@davidmcguffin.com
- email – take a photo of the form with your smartphone and attach it to an email
- TXT – take a photo with your smartphone and TXT to 904-612-8149
KEY TO WALKING & ACTIVITY
Walking and Physical Activity: We have planned this trip to provide maximum tour experiences. The basic nature of Europe does require some degree of physical activity to get out and see the sights, especially in the big cities. To help you plan, we’ve included a daily projection of physical activity. Here is the key for our walking activity ratings:
Light – Walking done on level surfaces with some hills and elevation gains. Two miles or less of required walking during the day.
Moderate – Walking done on paved and gravel paths and cobbled city sidewalks. To enjoy the full tour experience, some uphill and downhill walking is expected, as is standing while viewing sights or museums. Four to six miles of walking per day.
Strenuous – Walking done on rugged and rocky paths and city-cobbled sidewalks. There will be steps and stairs. Up to three hours standing in museums or experience sites. Up to eight miles of walking per day.
Your Choice – No matter what your walking ability, we will help you find alternative ways to enjoy and experience all Europe has to offer. To get the most out of our tours, you should be able to operate at the light level every day with spurts of moderate and strenuous.
PRE-TOUR RESOURCES
Now that you’ve decided to join this tour, we are sure you’ll have some questions. Don’t worry. We are here to help you through each aspect of your tour from start to finish.
DAVID’S 60 SECONDS DESTINATION VIDEOS
Join David as he shares impromptu moments from his travels in Spain, France, and Italy. Watching these short 60-second segments are a great way to experience David’s travel style and adventures. Watch David’s Explore Italy, Explore Spain, and Explore France.
DAVID’S TRAVEL TALK TUESDAY ALMOST-WEEKLY BROADCAST AND VIDEO SERIES BLOG.
Every week, when David is not traveling in Europe, he presents a LIVE broadcast on Zoom and Facebook. Check it out on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.
Each Travel Talk Tuesday session is recorded. Watch them here.
DAVID’S BLOG ARTICLES
David and his team have answered many travel-related questions, and they are all tucked away on his blog. But, no need to go there. Just type in a keyword in the search box at the top or bottom of this page (it’s the gray rectangle with a small magnifying glass icon), and you will get results for your query.
PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL OR GIVE US A CALL.
We are happy to answer your travel questions and give advice and suggestions. tours@davidmcguffin.com or 800-570-1351.
Testimonials & Reviews of our Tours
My wife and I had travelled with David in Italy twice before doing the Budapest and Croatia Land and Sea tour in September/October 2024. This tour was so much fun because it included a mix of famous destinations (like Budapest and Dubrovnik) with less well known places. For example, if we had tried to explore Croatia independently, we would never have found the historical grain boat ride on the Kupa River. The ride was relaxing, our hosts were entertaining and hospitable, and the meat and cheese boards (served with Croatian wine) were excellent.
Spending a week on land followed by a week traveling by boat offered a pleasant variety to the trip. Also, the people of Croatia are warm and welcoming. Dinner in the countryside with David's Croatian friends was unforgettable!
David, love you man, your the best. Can't wait for the next one.
We left Thanksgiving day for what has become our annual Christmas Markets Tour Vacation with David and Charlotte and a group of friends we have met through out our many trips with EE.
We flew into Munich a couple of days early to get adjusted to the time difference, we love this city and all it has to offer from the beer gardens to the fabulous markets set up throughout the city. Transportation is a breeze using the subway.
We traveled by train to Nurnberg to visit the oldest and most famous Christmas Market, enjoying a tradition german group dinner before heading to Prague. On our way to Prague in our van we stoped at a couple of local markets and had lunch. Once in Prague we were greeted with great weather for our walking tour of the old historic town. Dinner was delicious with authentic pub food in the Jakubsky Obvod area. The next day we walked along the Vltava river bridge after visiting the ST Vitus Cathedral, The Royal Palace an ST George Basilica while the sunshine was a perfect picture day. Now on to my favorite time of our tour VIENNA AUSTRIA! This was by far my favorite place to visit. The autobahn, the city full of beautiful people, Cathedrals, Hofburg Palace, Imperial Apartments, Royal Treasury, Christmas Markets (the food and champagne to die for) cafes, shopping (I bought beautiful fabric to have curtains made) & the restaurants etc....Vienna, I will see you again. Long Live SISI
Final stop was in Budapest and the majestic Danube River. Our night time cruise down the river with its glowing city lights illuminating the Parliament Building is a must see when you visit. Saffron risotto with squid was my favorite meal we had while there too. Thank you David! They have a huge Christmas Market too with different homemade crafts and ornaments to bring home.
My advice is bring a nylon duffle to put all your goodies in to bring back home or you can purchase an extra suitcase like I did, not kidding.
I alway say this but it's true, if you can't have fun with David and Charlotte you're not trying, they are a blast!
My best friend and I just returned from the Best of Greece + Santorini tour in October 2024. First, it was the perfect time to go--much less crowed and we had perfect weather! Charlotte, our guide, was so kind and fun to travel with. We loved all the historical sites (and the site licensed guides were all phenomenal! We learned so much and they told great stories), and all the beaches/towns we went to were gorgeous. Delphi was unbelievable, I never would have thought to go to Nafplio on my own but it was a gem, and Hydra was adorable. The catamaran trip at the end in Santorini had to be postponed one day due to winds but when we went the next day, it was an unforgettable experience. From the local places for dinners to cute hotels, we wouldn't have wanted to travel any other way!
Best of Italy 15 days for our 50th wedding anniversary ! Our first McGuffin tour. More to plan next trip. ! We were well taken care of and teamed up with 5 folks from the Denver area, Great small group.
Our guide Ilaria was excellent, well organized and detailed. Great personality and took extra good care of us by avoiding the tourist traps, selecting great restaurants off the beaten path.
Rome was overwhelming and breathtaking, hard to comprehend the history, we were glad to get out of the city and tour the smaller towns.
The hotels were first class and close enough to transportation but off the beaten path. Group dining was fun and educational as Ilaria explained the local cuisine and customs.
The wow moment was the Vatican and Basilica and seeing The David. So much to take in.
David's tour information prepared us well and by the time we departed we felt confident and well informed. We also had many daily PDF downloads to brief us on the days activities.
It was a lot of walking but we came home in great shape, exhausted but in a good way. Did not get to hear a lot of music which we wanted , there were opportunities on our free days but i did not plan ahead well for that,. We did find a couple of laundries which helped.
All in all we would go again in a heartbeat ! The preparation, the planning, guides, hotels, were well worth the cost and a trip of a lifetime. Booking and finding the flights was a bit challenging but we minimized our hops and traveled well with Delta. Security lines and checkpoints were numerous and lengthy at times.
One night we were booked into a penthouse suite in the LIDO ! overlooking Venice ! Many thanks for a wonderful trip and making new friends along the way. Thank you David,. ! Germany is next !
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