$2,839.00
Fight arrives Madrid Airport. Flights are under your own arrangement: American Airlines fly indirect New Orleans to Madrid in around 11 to 12 hours. Proceed through security, collect your luggage and meet your driverin Arrivals. Depart by private transfer to your accommodation.
Please note flights & accommodations are under your own arrangement, Insider's Travel will be happy to provide recommendations and assistance with making reservations. Airport transfers are included.
The cooking classes will take place near to Plaza de la Encarnación, a short walk from Madrid’s Royal Palace
Day 1. Sunday, October 1, 2023
Arrivals & Welcome Tapas Tour
A delightful cultural and culinary journey through both Madrid and the rest of Spain. You will visit authentic restaurants favoured by the locals (or, Madrileños) where you could try cecina from Castile & León or Mozarabic dishes from Andalucia such as cazón en adobo. Learn about the history & cultural significance of various tapas & paired Spanish wines. Tapas bar hopping is a very social affair and this will be lovely way to get to know each other, the city and its food (all food & drink included)
Day 2. Monday, October 2
Olive Oil Tasting & Tapas
We will gather in the morning for a private cooking class with Gabriela Llamas, a well-known chef and food writer in her beautiful studio around the corner from the Royal Palace.
We will start the day with a special olive oil tasting with an expert Olive Oil Sommelier. Olive Oil is a huge part of Spanish culture and cuisine, with a long 3000-year history. The Spanish use it in absolutely everything, from morning till night, so we start this first day learning when to use which oils.
In this cooking class, we will prepare a selection of classic tapas dishes taking influence from regions across Spain. For example Coca, a traditional Mallorcan vegetable pie; Chistorra, the great Navarre sausage originating in this province (Navarra), it is a fresh, reddish or deep red sausage; and Gildaswhich tells the story of Basque pintxo. Other dishes you may make include potato omelette, Shrimp al ajillo, Marinated cecina, Stuffed piquillo peppers with cheese, and Matrimony tapa.
The class will end in the afternoon as we gather together at the table to enjoy the tapas lunch with a selection of wines, cheese and accompaniments, such as quince paste & apricot jam (all food and drink included.)
The remaining part of the day and evening is yours for exploring. Insider's Travel can arrange a wonderful selection of optional activities for free time in the city, ranging from visiting some of Madrid’s most famous museums, such as the Prado, or to small specialist galleries and palaces, or for shopping and artisan tours.
Day 3. Tuesday, October 3
Market Tour & Paella
The day starts early as we head to market! Gabriela will accompany you on a visit to a local Spanish fresh food market where you will pick out key ingredients for the day and learn a little about how markets such as this are used in modern day Spanish culture.
Tuesday's cooking class focus is Paella, a dish known internationally for its link to Spain, but there are a wide variety of Paella dishes which together tell the story of this dish. Originating from Valencia, Paella is a piece of Mediterranean heritage: a well-balanced combination of Spanish, Roman, and Arab cultures. The traditional paella is made with round-grain rice, bajoqueta and tavella (varieties of green beans), rabbit, chicken, sometimes duck, and garrofó (a variety of lima or butter bean). Or if preferred, we can make a fish paella. With Valencia being on the coast it is no surprise that seafood crept into the traditional receipt over the generations. Alternatively, if feeling a little more adventurous, we could choose to make Paella Negra where squid ink, octopus, mussels, and clams make up this exquisite dish
While the Paella bubbles away, we can also make either Hake in a Green sauce or Chicken Pepitoria (in a saffron almond sauce) which is thought to be of Arab origin and is today a classic Spanish dish from the Valldolid province. Flourless chocolate cake will round out the meal.
The class will end in the afternoon as we gather together for lunch eating paella and other dishes prepared during the class along with a selection of wines (all food and drink included.)
We will enjoy a guided visit to the Prado Museum: spend this afternoon on a highlights tour of the Prado focusing on Velázquez, Titian and Goya. The evening is yours to explore on your own.
Day 4. Wednesday, October 4
Ribera del Duero Wines
We will depart together at 10am with our expert wine guide - transport included - for an exploration of Madrid's beautiful wine region. We begin this morning at an internationally awarded winery for a full tour and tasting direct from the barrel. This will be particularly special tasting their high-end wines. Here we will stay for a traditional lunch with the owner dining on milk-fed lamb. (all food & drink included)
In the afternoon, we will travel back in time the winery to a true pioneer in Spanish winemaking and one of the founders of the Ribera del Duero appellation created in 1982. We will enjoy a private tour through the magnificent, 16th century underground tunnels, used as a cellar to age these excellent wines exclusively made with the tempranillo grape variety. The vineyards around the winery and town, over 32 hectares, are also owned by the family. After your visit, you will taste 4 of the winery's top wines.
We will arrive back in Madrid at 7:30pm and the evening is free and yours for exploring.
Day 5. Thursday, October 5
Cocido Madrileño & Farewell Evening
Our final morning cooking class with Gabriela, we will make Cocido Madrileño:a rich, fragrant stew especially identified with Spain’s capital city, Madrid. The nationally celebrated meal dates back to at least the Middle Ages and makes thorough use of the bounty of the vast agricultural plateau that surrounds this city. Gabriela says ‘Every country has its own pot-au-feu, a big pot where you put everything in and let it boil; Cocido is Spain’s pot-au-feu’. The dish is derived from adafina, the long-cooking dish of chickpeas, garlic, meats, and seasoned stock prepared by Spain’s Sephardic Jews. In addition, we will cook veal/fish in a salt crust and for dessert Santiago Almond cake with fruit and sorbet
At the end of the cooking class, we will gather around the table and enjoy our last lunch together, delighting in your own hearty stews and wine to accompany (all food and drink included)
The afternoon allows for a bit of free time, then we will gather for our final meal and night of Flamenco. An evening meal of tapas in Mercado San Miguel (eat as much or as little as you wish, all food and drink included) where you will be joined by our Flamenco expert who will tell you the roots, rhythms, & secrets behind the art of flamenco. Farewell show of traditional Flamenco: enjoy a truly moving & passionate performance with two guitarists, two singers & four dancers. Olé!
Day 6. Friday, October 6
Departures
Meet your driver in front of your accommodation and depart by private transfer to Madrid airport. Transportation to the airport is included. End of Tour.
Price: $2,839 USD per person
Price Includes:
Price EXCLUDES:
How to Book
All booking details and payment are handled through Insider's Travel. Read more about Booking Information Here and View the Booking Form Here. All inquiries are handled by Carly directly on +44(0)7711071665 or by email carly@insiderstravel.io
For bookings please see the Booking Form and select the ‘Book Now’ link where you will be directed to the Insider’s Travel Booking Form and Terms & Conditions. On receipt of the form, Carly will be in touch with you directly providing an invoice for your 20% deposit. The remaining balance will be requested 8 weeks prior to departure. Your place is confirmed on the tour on receipt of both the submitted booking form and payment of the deposit. Carly will provide you with a receipt and booking confirmation.
Payment
Payments are accepted by bank transfer.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Tour Numbers
Tours are subject to a minimum number of participants. While we endeavour to run all tours, if the tour cannot go ahead due to insufficient numbers, or due to other factors beyond our control, then your deposit will be refunded. Please see our booking form for our full terms and conditions. In order to inform all participants and suppliers in plenty of time, we ask that all bookings for the tour be made by the 15th May 2023. Please note that while we are able to refund your tour deposit should the tour not be possible to run, it will not be possible to refund for any flights you have already booked.
