Day 1: Depart from the USA
Flight
Depart from the USA on an overnight flight to Madrid.
Overnight
In flight.
Itinerary
Day 2: Madrid
Morning
Arrive in Madrid and make your own way to the accommodation. Meet your TLAC group leader in the lobby of the hotel for check in. Transit passes will be distributed.
Remainder of the day
Free day to rest after arrival.
Overnight
Madrid.
Day 3: Madrid: Walking tour of the city
Morning
Walking tour that traces Madrid’s transformation from an imperial capital into a modern European financial powerhouse. Students begin in Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol. Moving down Gran Vía, the group can see the 20th-century urban engineering and Art Deco corporate architecture. The tour concludes at Paseo del Prado and the Bank of Spain, examining how historic institutional spaces have been repurposed to anchor contemporary corporate governance and economic regulation.
Noon
Lunch break.
Afternoon
Free time.
Evening
Welcome dinner at Casa Alberto to discover the traditional Spanish dishes.
Overnight
Madrid.
Day 4: Madrid: IE University and Bolsa de Madrid
Morning
Visit to the IE University-IE Tower, it is a private University that formed as an outgrowth of IE Business School originally founded as the Instituto de Empresa. Here students will attend a lecture on differences between the Eurozone Economy and the US Economy.
Noon
Lunch break.
Afternoon
Guided visit to Bolsa de Madrid (Madrid Stock Exchange). Its benchmark index, the Madrid Stock Exchange General Index (IGBM), includes all shares listed on markets managed by the Exchange and serves as a measure of overall market performance. The Exchange also calculates other key indices, including the IBEX 35, which tracks the 35 most liquid companies in the Spanish market.
Overnight
Madrid.
Day 5: Madrid: Prado Museum and Cuatro Torres Business Area
Morning
Guided tour of the Prado Museum (Museo Nacional del Prado). The Museo Nacional del Prado has performed the important task of conserving, exhibiting and enriching a set of collections and works of art which, due to their close ties with Spanish history, are recognized as one of the most valuable compendiums of artistic expression known to humanity.
Noon
Lunch break.
Afternoon
Visit to the Cuatro Torres Business Area. The four skyscrapers in this area constitute a business complex built on the grounds of the old Real Madrid sports complex. The four towers are the Torre Moeve, the PWC Tower, Torre Cristal and Torre Emperador Castellana. Next to them, a fifth building, Caleido, was inaugurated in 2021.
Overnight
Madrid.
Day 6: Madrid to Barcelona
Morning
Check out the accommodation.
Depart by train from Madrid to Barcelona.
Noon
Lunch break.
Afternoon
Free time.
Overnight
Barcelona.
Day 7: Barcelona: ESADE Business School and 22@Barcelona
Morning
Visit to the ESADE Business School in Barcelona where students will have a lecture on communication for business. ESADE is a private educational institution and it runs two schools of the University, ESADE Business School and ESADE Law School, as well as a language centre, the ESADE Executive Language Center.
Noon
Lunch break.
Afternoon
Guided walking tour of the 22@Barcelona district. It is a pioneering urban, economic and social renovation and innovation project that now has the highest concentration of tech companies. Formerly known as the “Catalan Manchester,” the district is an area of striking contrasts, where ultra-modern buildings stand alongside old factories refurbished for new uses.
Evening
Paella cooking class to discover the most famous dish of all Spain.
Overnight
Barcelona.
Day 8: Barcelona: Sagrada Familia and Park Güell
Morning
Guided tour of the Sagrada Familia, where students will explore the architectural detail and vision of Antoni Gaudí. Now the tallest church in the world, the basilica was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI on 7 November 2010. After becoming chief architect, Gaudí transformed the project by blending Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. He dedicated the rest of his life to the basilica and is buried in its crypt; when he died in 1926, less than a quarter of the project had been completed.
Noon
Lunch break.
Afternoon
Visit to Park Güell, a park and garden complex featuring distinctive architectural elements. Commissioned by Catalan industrialist and art patron Eusebi Güell during Barcelona’s late 19th- and early 20th-century expansion, the park was designed by Antoni Gaudí, a leading figure of Catalan modernism. In 1984, UNESCO designated Park Güell a World Heritage Site as part of the “Works of Antoni Gaudí,” recognizing its blend of Arts and Crafts, Symbolist, Expressionist, and Rationalist influences and its impact on 20thcentury Modernism.
Overnight
Barcelona.
Day 9: Barcelona: Mercat de la Boqueria
Morning
Visit to Mercat de la Boqueria, the most famous market in Barcelona. Located just off La Rambla, this bustling market is a paradise for food lovers. Out of all the markets in Barcelona, Mercado de la Boquería stands out as the most popular option for locals and visitors alike. From seafood to tropical fruit juices, everything here bursts with color and life. Considered the best European food market, a popular spot in Mercat de la Boqueria is El Quim de la Boqueria, serving traditional tapas, seafood and wine.
Noon
Lunch break.
Afternoon
Flamenco show in theater city hall.
Evening
Farewell dinner at Restaurant Can Culleretes to discover the traditional Catalan cuisine.
Overnight
Barcelona.
Day 10: Barcelona: Free day
Students depart individually from Barcelona. Must checkout of accommodations by 10am.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- Global Finance & Corporate Governance
- Comparative Eurozone & US Economic Systems
- Business Communication & Corporate Strategy
- Urban Innovation & Technology Ecosystems
- Real-World Exposure to Financial Markets & Institutions
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation District Development
- Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Business & Society
Support for Faculty
Support for Faculty
At The Learning Abroad Co., we collaborate with faculty to design custom programs that align with their academic vision. We provide comprehensive support in curriculum development, logistics and resources for promoting and recruiting students for these unique global learning experiences.
- Online faculty-led program website for consultation by faculty and students pre- and during the trip
- Expertise from the local team who developed the program proposal
- Collaborative planning for a unique and customized program
- Feedback forms for continuous evaluation
- Pre-departure webinar
Contact Information
We would be delighted to work with you to facilitate a rich experience for your group in Spain. If you would like to discuss any of the details in this proposal please do not hesitate to contact us.
