Zaragoza · Oct 8 – 16, 2027
FIESTAS DEL PILAR
Autumn on the Ebro — the flower offering, the basilica, and Zaragoza’s week of fiesta.
DATES
Oct 8 – 16, 2027
DURATION
9 days · 8 nights
GROUP SIZE
8–12 guests
BASE
Hotel Palafox
Overview
Zaragoza during Fiestas del Pilar
Autumn on the Ebro — the flower offering, the basilica, and Zaragoza’s week of fiesta.
The Fiestas del Pilar fill Zaragoza each October around the feast of the Virgen del Pilar on October 12, when hundreds of thousands of people in Aragonese dress bring flowers to the Plaza del Pilar. The week also brings concerts, jota, the tapas lanes of El Tubo, and the Feria del Pilar at the city’s historic plaza de toros — attendance optional.
About the corrida. Bullfights are part of these festivals and attending one is always optional. If you choose to go, we’ll explain what you are watching before and after; if you’d rather not, we’ll plan something else for that afternoon.
Spanish architecture
The Zaragoza you walk through
These journeys are also about the buildings that hold the fiesta: palaces, plazas, cathedrals and the façades of the rings, walked in the course of the week. The photographs below are of the real places.
Culinary experiences
At the table
Each city has its own table — the bars and kitchens people here actually use. In Andalucía, lunch with a ranch family is part of the week.
Trip highlights
What you’ll experience
- Eight nights in Zaragoza during the Fiestas del Pilar
- The Ofrenda de Flores on October 12 in the Plaza del Pilar
- The Basílica del Pilar on the banks of the Ebro
- Tapas in El Tubo and the city’s evening streets
- Optional: an afternoon at the Feria del Pilar with expert context
- Small group of 8–12 guests
Planned highlights — final inclusions subject to supplier confirmation.
Day by day
Preview the itinerary
Rendezvous: Hotel Palafox, Zaragoza · 4:00 pm, Oct 8 (Zaragoza is about 1 h 20 min from Madrid and 1 h 30 min from Barcelona by high-speed train) · Farewell: Zaragoza · after breakfast, Oct 16
DAY 1
Arrive in Zaragoza
Meet your hosts at Hotel Palafox at 4 pm, then a welcome dinner as the city gets ready for the fiestas. Hotel: Hotel Palafox (or similar). D
DAY 2
The pregón
The fiestas open with the pregón from the town hall balcony on the Plaza del Pilar, followed by the first night of fireworks. B · D
DAY 3
The Pilar, La Seo and the Aljafería
The Basílica del Pilar, the cathedral of La Seo and the Moorish Aljafería palace with a licensed guide. Tapas in El Tubo. B · L
DAY 4
Goya country
To Fuendetodos, Goya’s birthplace, about 45 minutes away, for the house where he was born and his engravings — including the Tauromaquia. Optional: the afternoon’s corrida of the Feria del Pilar. B · L
DAY 5
The Ofrenda de Flores — October 12
The great day: from early morning, hundreds of thousands of people in regional dress bring flowers to the Virgen del Pilar. Optional corrida in the afternoon. B · D
DAY 6
Ofrenda de Frutos and the Rosario de Cristal
The Ofrenda de Frutos in the morning and, after dark, the Rosario de Cristal — a procession of illuminated glass lanterns. B
DAY 7
Cariñena wine country
A winery visit and long lunch in Cariñena, about 45 minutes south of the city. B · L
DAY 8
Zaragoza at leisure
A free day for the fiestas, the Ebro and the city’s museums, then a farewell dinner. B · D
DAY 9
Departure
Breakfast and farewells. Transfers to Zaragoza Delicias station can be arranged. B
What’s included
Included
- 8 nights at Hotel Palafox, Zaragoza (or similar)
- Daily breakfast, plus the lunches and dinners shown in the itinerary, including welcome and farewell dinners with wine
- Private ground transport for all included touring and day trips
- English-speaking Toro Travel hosts throughout, and licensed local guides at monuments and museums
- Festival access as listed — reserved viewing where available, entries, and private ranch visits
Not included
- International flights and travel to the meeting point
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended — see booking terms)
- Corrida tickets (optional; we can book them for you at cost)
- Gratuities for local guides and drivers, drinks outside included meals, and personal expenses
Final inclusions and pricing are subject to supplier confirmation.
When you’re ready, dates and reservations for Fiestas del Pilar are on a separate page.
Gallery