When planning our first trip to Spain, we debated whether to travel independently or join a guided tour.

While we normally enjoy planning our own trips, we liked the idea of visiting multiple cities without worrying about hotels, transportation, attraction tickets, or the logistics of moving around the country.

Ultimately, we chose the Highlights of Spain tour with Insight Vacations, a 9-day itinerary that included Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Seville, and Madrid.

After experiencing the tour firsthand, here’s our honest review, including what we loved, what we didn’t, our thoughts on the optional excursions, what it was like traveling with celiac disease, and whether we’d do it again.

Highlights of Spain Tour Overview

Our itinerary included:

• Barcelona (2 nights)
• Valencia (1 night)
• Granada (1 night)
• Seville (2 nights)
• Madrid (2 nights)

Major attractions included:

• Sagrada Família
• Alhambra
• Seville Cathedral
• Córdoba’s Mezquita
• Prado Museum

The tour included hotels, transportation, local guides, some meals, optional excursions, and a dedicated Travel Director.

For first-time visitors to Spain, it provided an excellent overview of some of the country’s most famous destinations.

Why We Chose Insight Vacations

One of the reasons we selected Insight Vacations was its reputation for offering a more premium experience than some traditional coach tour companies.

Smaller Group Size

The Highlights of Spain itinerary is limited to a maximum of 38 guests.

While still a coach tour, the smaller group size helped the experience feel less crowded and made logistics smoother throughout the trip.

More Comfortable Coaches

One feature Insight Vacations highlights is its customized coaches.

The seats were noticeably larger than standard motorcoach seating, and the additional legroom became especially appreciated during longer travel days between cities.

Stress-Free Travel

Perhaps the biggest benefit was simply not having to think about logistics.

Hotels, transportation, attraction tickets, luggage handling, and city-to-city travel were all arranged for us.

Rather than dealing with train schedules or rental cars, we could focus on enjoying Spain.

Our Day-by-Day Experience

Day 1: Welcome to Barcelona

After arriving in Barcelona and meeting our fellow travelers, we attended the included welcome dinner at La Pau.

It was a nice opportunity to get to know the group and begin settling into the rhythm of the tour.

That evening, we checked into Labtwentytwo Barcelona, a Marriott property that would ultimately become our favorite hotel on the tour.

Day 2: Montserrat, Sagrada Família, and Exploring Barcelona

Because our scheduled entry time for Sagrada Família wasn’t until 12:30 PM, we decided to book the optional Montserrat & The Black Madonna excursion.

We left the hotel around 7:45 AM and made the roughly one-hour journey into the mountains.

The drive itself was beautiful as Barcelona gave way to the Catalan countryside before the unique rock formations of Montserrat came into view.

Once there, we visited the monastery and saw the famous Black Madonna.

Even if you’re not particularly religious, the scenery alone makes this excursion worth considering. The views were spectacular and completely different from anything else we experienced during the trip.

After returning to Barcelona, we met up with the group for our included visit to Sagrada Família.

If there was one attraction that completely lived up to the hype, this was it.

Before the trip, we intentionally avoided looking at photos of the interior because we didn’t want to spoil the experience.

That decision absolutely paid off.

While the exterior is impressive, nothing prepared us for what it felt like to step inside.

The towering columns resemble giant trees stretching toward the ceiling, while sunlight pours through the stained-glass windows, filling the basilica with constantly changing shades of blue, green, orange, and red.

It was one of those rare travel experiences where reality exceeded expectations.

Following our visit, the group had free time for lunch before returning to the hotel by coach.

Instead of taking the bus back, we decided to stay in the city.

After lunch, we visited Casa Batlló, another of Gaudí’s masterpieces. Seeing both Sagrada Família and Casa Batlló on the same day gave us an even greater appreciation for Gaudí’s influence on Barcelona.

That evening, we skipped the Barcelona Evening with Montjuïc optional excursion and continued exploring the city on our own.

Day 3: Along the Coast to Valencia

Day 3 took us from Barcelona to Valencia along Spain’s Mediterranean coast.

One of the stops along the way was Peñíscola, a picturesque seaside town known for its castle overlooking the Mediterranean.

Our stop was fairly brief, lasting only about 50 minutes.

Rather than trying to see everything, we made a beeline for a dedicated gluten free restaurant and enjoyed a quick lunch before returning to the coach.

After arriving in Valencia, we stopped near the impressive City of Arts and Sciences. Even from the outside, the futuristic architecture was impressive and completely different from the historic cities we’d visited so far.

From there, we walked through Valencia’s Old Town to one of the tour’s included experiences: a paella demonstration and dinner.

Since Valencia is considered the birthplace of paella, this was something we had been looking forward to from the beginning of the trip.

Watching the chef prepare the dish was interesting, but eating it was even better.

The paella was excellent and ended up being one of our favorite included meals of the tour.

For Julia, it was also the safest included meal of the trip, thanks to a staff that was knowledgeable about celiac disease and took dietary restrictions seriously.

That evening, we checked into Barceló Valencia, which featured a great rooftop bar and an excellent location near the City of Arts and Sciences.

Day 4: Granada and the Alhambra

Day 4 brought us to Granada and the attraction we were most excited about before the trip: the Alhambra.

The Alhambra completely lived up to expectations.

The intricate carvings, courtyards, gardens, fountains, and mountain views made it one of the most impressive places we visited anywhere in Spain.

We also enjoyed exploring the Generalife Gardens, whose fountains and landscaping provided a peaceful contrast to the palace itself.

If Sagrada Família was one of the highlights of the trip, the Alhambra was right there with it.

That evening we stayed at Gran Hotel Luna de Granada, our only one-night hotel stay of the tour.

Day 5: Granada to Seville

The morning was free before our journey to Seville.

Many travelers chose the Albaicín excursion, but we decided to explore independently before boarding the coach.

That evening, many members of the group participated in the optional Andalusian Evening excursion.

We chose a different path.

Before dinner, we visited Plaza de España, which immediately became one of our favorite places in Seville.

The massive semi-circular building, colorful tilework, bridges, and canals created one of the most beautiful public spaces we saw anywhere in Spain.

For dinner, we headed to Mano de Santo, a dedicated gluten free Mexican restaurant.

It ended up being one of our favorite meals of the entire trip.

We checked into Catalonia Giralda, which would serve as our home for the next two nights.

Day 6: Seville, the Alcázar, and Flamenco

Day 6 was one of our favorite days of the tour.

We started with the optional Alcázar & Plaza América excursion.

Of all the optional experiences we booked, this was probably our favorite.

The Alcázar was stunning and complemented our visit to the Alhambra earlier in the week.

Afterward, we visited Seville Cathedral, including the tomb of Christopher Columbus.

During our free time, we returned to Plaza de España and rented one of the rowboats available in the canal.

Seeing the plaza from the water was a lot of fun.

We also visited Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, Seville’s famous bullring.

At around 5:00 PM, we rejoined the group for one of the tour’s included flamenco experiences.

The evening started with a flamenco class where we learned some of the basic steps ourselves.

Julia picked it up surprisingly well.

I did not.

Thankfully, the professionals took over after that.

Watching the actual performance gave us a completely new appreciation for the skill, passion, and precision involved in flamenco.

By the end of our stay, Seville had become one of our favorite cities in Spain.

Day 7: Córdoba, Madrid by Night, and Churros

Day 7 began with a stop in Córdoba.

Before the trip, Córdoba wasn’t high on our radar. That quickly changed once we visited the Mezquita.

The endless rows of red-and-white arches created one of the most unique spaces we saw anywhere in Spain.

After some free time in Córdoba, we continued to Madrid.

Upon arrival, we checked into Rafaelhoteles Atocha, where we would spend our final two nights in Spain.

That evening, we joined the Madrid by Night with Dinner optional excursion.

The dinner itself was enjoyable, but what made the evening memorable was the entertainment.

Throughout the meal, the waiters and waitresses periodically broke into opera performances, creating a fun and unexpected atmosphere.

After dinner, we headed to 1902 Chocolatería to finally try gluten free churros.

They absolutely lived up to the hype.

In fact, we ended up ordering a second round because we still had chocolate left over after finishing the first order.

Day 8: Exploring Madrid on Our Own

Many travelers chose the optional Toledo excursion, which departed around 8:30 AM.

We decided to spend the day in Madrid instead.

Our morning started with a walk through Parque de El Retiro, followed by a guided Viator tour of the Royal Palace of Madrid.

The Royal Palace ended up being one of our favorite attractions in Madrid.

Because we chose this option, we missed the included visit to the Prado Museum, but we were perfectly happy with that tradeoff.

The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring Madrid at our own pace.

That evening, the tour hosted its farewell dinner.

After checking reviews on Find Me Gluten Free, we didn’t feel comfortable with the restaurant’s track record for travelers with celiac disease.

Instead, we opted for one final dinner at a dedicated gluten free restaurant.

For us, it was the right decision.

Day 9: Returning to Barcelona

While the tour officially ended in Madrid, our Spain adventure wasn’t quite over.

Instead of heading to the airport the next morning, we decided to take Spain’s high-speed train back to Barcelona and extend our trip a little longer.

Looking back, this was one of the best decisions we made.

Barcelona had been one of our favorite cities on the itinerary, and having extra time there allowed us to revisit places we enjoyed and explore at a slower pace.

By the time we finally headed home, we had visited five cities, experienced some of Spain’s most iconic attractions, eaten incredible food, and already started talking about a return trip.

Our Experience Traveling Gluten Free on the Tour

One question we had before booking was how easy it would be to manage celiac disease on a guided tour.

The good news is that Spain itself was incredible for gluten free travel.

The harder part was actually the included meals.

While Insight Vacations noted Julia’s dietary requirements, most included meals took place at traditional restaurants rather than dedicated gluten free establishments.

Unfortunately, Julia ended up feeling sick after most of the included dinners.

The major exception was the paella dinner in Valencia, where the staff did an excellent job accommodating celiac disease.

Breakfasts were another challenge.

Breakfast was included every morning at the hotels but was generally buffet-style. Because of cross contamination concerns, Julia rarely felt comfortable eating from the buffet.

Instead, we frequently stocked up at gluten free bakeries whenever we had the opportunity.

Some of our favorite gluten free experiences included:

• My Fucking Restaurant (Barcelona)
• Ardemos (Barcelona)
• Barete BCN (Barcelona)
• Okashi (Madrid)
• Mano de Santo (Seville)
• Grosso Napoletano (Seville)
• 1902 Chocolatería (Madrid)

Because of this, we often found ourselves looking forward to our independent meals more than the included meals.

We also chose to skip the farewell dinner in Madrid after reading reviews on Find Me Gluten Free and opted for a dedicated gluten free restaurant instead.

If you’re traveling with celiac disease, check out our:

• Gluten Free Spain Travel Guide
• Gluten Free Barcelona Guide
• Gluten Free Madrid Guide
• Gluten Free Seville Guide

Our Thoughts on the Hotels

One of the reasons we chose Insight Vacations was its reputation for offering a more upscale experience.

The transportation and organization largely met that expectation. The hotels, however, were more mixed.

Our favorite hotel was Labtwentytwo Barcelona, a Marriott property that felt modern, comfortable, and noticeably more upscale than the other hotels on the tour.

Barceló Valencia was another solid property, especially thanks to its rooftop bar and location near the City of Arts and Sciences.

Gran Hotel Luna de Granada worked well for our one-night stay, though we didn’t spend enough time there to form a strong opinion.

Our least favorite hotel was Catalonia Giralda in Seville. While the location was convenient and made exploring the city easy, the hotel itself didn’t feel as premium as we expected.

The biggest disappointment was Madrid. Originally, our departure was scheduled to stay at Canopy by Hilton Madrid Castellana, but due to Formula 1 events we were reassigned to Rafaelhoteles Atocha. The hotel was perfectly fine, but it felt older and there was significant construction in the surrounding area during our stay.

One thing future travelers should know is that hotel substitutions can happen. Three of the five hotels we stayed in differed from those listed on our original itinerary when we booked the tour.

Ultimately, the premium feel of Insight Vacations came more from the smaller group size, comfortable coaches, included experiences, and smooth logistics than from the hotels themselves.

Would We Travel with Insight Vacations Again?

Yes.

While the hotels didn’t consistently meet the premium expectations that initially attracted us to Insight Vacations, the overall experience was excellent.

The itinerary was well designed, the coach was comfortable, the logistics were seamless, and the smaller group size helped the trip feel more personal.

Most importantly, the tour introduced us to destinations we genuinely fell in love with.

Final Verdict: Is the Highlights of Spain Tour Worth It?

For us, yes, but with a few caveats.

The Highlights of Spain tour provided an excellent introduction to Spain and allowed us to visit multiple cities without worrying about transportation, attraction tickets, luggage handling, or logistics.

The itinerary itself was fantastic. Attractions like Sagrada Família, the Alhambra, the Alcázar, and the Mezquita were unforgettable, and the tour gave us a chance to experience several very different regions of Spain in a relatively short amount of time.

We also appreciated the smaller group size, comfortable coaches, and overall organization that Insight Vacations is known for.

That said, the experience wasn’t perfect.

The hotels were more inconsistent than we expected, particularly given Insight’s reputation for providing a more upscale experience. Several of the hotels on our departure were different from those listed on our original itinerary, and not all of the substitutions felt like upgrades.

Traveling with celiac disease also presented some challenges. While Spain itself turned out to be one of the most gluten free friendly countries we’ve ever visited, most of the included meals and hotel breakfast buffets weren’t ideal from a cross-contamination perspective. In fact, some of our best meals came during our independent time rather than as part of the tour.

Even so, we genuinely enjoyed the experience.

In fact, we enjoyed Spain so much that instead of flying home from Madrid, we took the high-speed train back to Barcelona and extended our trip for a few more days.

That’s probably the strongest endorsement we can give.

If you’re looking for a well-organized introduction to Spain and don’t mind a faster-paced itinerary, we think Highlights of Spain is a solid tour. For travelers with celiac disease, we’d simply recommend doing some additional research beforehand and taking advantage of the free time to seek out Spain’s excellent dedicated gluten free restaurants.