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Burgos, Spain

Burgos in northern Spain is the country’s original heartland, initially known as Castilla la Vieja – the old part of the kingdom of Castile. The city of Burgos, founded in 884, became the capital of Castile in the 11th century, when Castile was united with León. This beautiful city served as an important commercial centre and capital of the unified kingdoms of Castile and Leon for five centuries. It also forms part of the ancient pilgrim route, the Camino de Santiago (Road to Santiago, or Way of St James). Burgos lies about 245 kilometres north of Madrid by road and about 160 kilometres south of Bilbao. On our Small Group Tour of Spain & Portugal, Burgos is the overnight stop on Day 6, with a guided walking tour and a visit inside the cathedral the next morning.

Small Group Tour

Small Group Tour of Spain & Portugal

24-Day Tour · Barcelona to Granada · Small group, up to 16 travellers, solo travellers welcome

On Day 6 we travel from Bilbao and the Guggenheim to Burgos, much of the way running parallel to the Camino de Santiago. On Day 7 a local guide leads a walking tour of the city’s highlights, including entry to the cathedral, before we continue to Madrid.

View the Tour

A walking tour of Burgos will let you experience the city’s significance in the Middle Ages, with its Gothic style architecture and monuments. The Burgos Cathedral, constructed for more than three centuries from 1221 to 1567, is hailed as a comprehensive example of the evolution of Gothic architecture, leading to its being listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The architectural elements of the cathedral reflect influences from Germany, France and the Low Countries in its elegant Gothic exterior. The cathedral at Burgos contains the tomb of the romantic hero of the Reconquista, El Cid, and that of his wife, Doña Jimena.

Burgos Cathedral, Spain

Another important Gothic landmark is the 15th-century Cartuja de Miraflores (Miraflores Charterhouse), once a hunting lodge of Henry III of Castile. His son John II gave it to the Carthusian order, and it was rebuilt with the help of Spain’s top architects, sculptors and painters.

Cartuja de Miraflores, Burgos, Spain. Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

You can even stay in a 16^th-century monastery now turned into a hotel. The Palacio de Burgos is in the city centre and a good base for a walking tour of the city. You can also take a scenic ride and explore Castilla y Leon’s wine region, the Ribera del Duero, and sit down with a glass of full-bodied red wine.

A tour of Burgos is often done together with nearby destinations, such as the La Rioja region (Ribera del Duero’s sister region), the Basque Country, which reaches into the western Pyrenees, and Bilbao with its famous Guggenheim museum designed by architect Frank Gehry. There is plenty of accommodation to choose from, especially for solo travellers and groups aiming to walk the Camino. Some hotels also offer luggage transfers for those following the pilgrimage route. Have your fill of Rioja wines and unique Castilian cuisine, as well as a dose of fascinating Spanish history as you walk the land and visit its monuments.

Seeing Burgos on our Spain and Portugal tour

Burgos comes in the northern stretch of our 24-day Small Group Tour of Spain & Portugal, which follows a Spain and Portugal itinerary from Barcelona to Granada. On Day 5 we tour Pamplona on the way to Bilbao. On Day 6, after the Guggenheim, we travel on to Burgos and arrive at our hotel in time for dinner. On Day 7 a local guide leads a walking tour of the city’s highlights, including entry to the cathedral, before we continue to Madrid. Groups are small, up to 16 travellers, with an Odyssey Program Leader, and the tour is rated Level 2 (Moderate). Our Barcelona to Granada itinerary follows the whole journey stop by stop.