If you don’t want an average trip, don’t plan it like the average person

Leave the planning in our hands, it’s what we do best.

“We would recommend Marina in a heartbeat to anyone that wants to have an authentic experience.” Dilu, UK

Your itinerary as unique as you are

A seafood dish served in the Borda Vella restaurant

Customised to your needs

Goodbye to standardised itineraries and trip templates.

We craft your entire trip — from the destinations, to accommodations, and unique experiences — completely for you.

A person chilling in the mountains after a bike ride

Validated by you

Your itinerary is finished when you are 100% satisfied with the result.

We’ll present you a first draft and have a call with you, so you can ask us any question you like, fine tune your itinerary, and polish all the details.

A woman visiting the Casa Vicens in Barcelona

Available everywhere

We’ll send you the final itinerary in a PDF that you’ll be able to download and bring with you during your holidays.

All you need is a phone. And wherever it goes, your itinerary will follow.

People chilling in the Costa Brava

Curated by locals

We were born and raised in Catalonia and currently live in Andorra.

We provide you with insights and tips directly from the source, and show you a side of our country that few get to see.

Views of the Vall del Riu

Away from the touristy eye

We’re sick of social media pointing travellers to the same “secret” spots.

Your trip will only include places we love and trust, not the ones that shape the mass travel market, or are overhyped.

Your holidays shouldn’t feel like work

Did you know that 43% of people waste more time researching their vacation than they actually spend on their vacation?

If you plan a trip on your own, on average…

  1. You’ll spend 40 hours researching, with dozens of tabs open on your browser.
    • You’ll use Google Translate and will still have to decipher what a “hooded ox” (bou capllaçat) means.
      • One or two meals during your trip will go wrong.
        • You’ll miss on places you don’t know.
          • You’ll think that paella is a typical Catalan dish.
            • You won’t find the name of a place you wanted to visit because you can’t remember where you saw it or you can’t find the document where you saved it.
              • You’ll need a massage to ease the stress of planning. 

              If you plan a trip with us, on average…

              1. You’ll spend 40 hours doing things you love and daydreaming about your adventure, while we handle the process of meticulously coordinating all the details.

              Having your dream trip planned with us is a breeze

              Unexpected Catalonia’s trip design service focuses on every aspect of planning your bespoke trip for an authentic travel experience. From start to finish, and everything in between.

              Icon of two people chatting

              Step 1: Discovery

              Explain us your dream trip so we can get to know what you’re looking for and see if we’re a good fit. We’ll then confirm if we’re able to help you and send you the final price.

              Icon of a map with a route

              Step 2: Design

              We’ll email you a link to book your slot for a 60-min call on our calendar and a questionnaire. On the day of the call, we’ll present you the itinerary we’ve designed.

              Icon of a guide

              Step 3: Review

              We make any adjustments to the itinerary (if needed) based on your feedback and, once you’re happy with the result, we send the final plan in PDF to you.

              Hear what other travellers say

              I’ll always remember the trip to Barcelona having Marina and Marc as my guide. They planned my 2 days there so wisely that I could see most of the significant spots of the city, which were all a sight of wonders: the Sagrada Família, the Gaudí park, Montjuïc…

              They also let me experience the local vibes, visiting a square where the young locals often hang out. I enjoyed our walk to the beach as I could have a close look at the neighborhoods, the local stores and bought a chorizo sandwich to enjoy after dipping in the sea. In between visiting the places were times for trying lots of delicious local food.

              Overall the experience felt so complete yet wanting to return for more. I can’t wait to have another trip planned by Marina and Marc.

              Han, Vietnam

              My friends and I had a blast in Barcelona thanks to Marina’s amazing travel tips and planning.

              The best thing is that we saw the city through the eyes of a local: we saw gorgeous places and took part to events that we would have never discovered otherwise. The cherry on the top: the most amazing food in cosy local restaurants far away from the touristy eye!

              We would recommend Marina in a heartbeat to anyone that wants to have an authentic experience!

              Dilu, UK

              FAQ

              What is included in the Trip Design?

              The design of an itinerary completely tailored to your requirements.

              The itinerary includes the following:

              – Restaurant recommendations for breakfast (if it’s not included with the accommodation), lunch, and dinner

              – Fabulous accommodation options

              – Experiences and activities explicitly selected for you

              What is NOT included in the trip design?

              Our Trip Design service does not include any booking services. We are not acting as travel agents; therefore, we won’t make any bookings on your behalf. However, we will definitely provide you with links to all the accommodations, tours and services we recommend.

              We also don’t provide assistance in researching flights or travel to Catalonia or information about visa requirements.

              What if the itinerary is not 100% what I expected?

              Suppose you feel like the itinerary has not hit the spot after one round of revisions. We will then accommodate a second round of edits – we might also jump on another Google Meet call to iron out the details.

              How far in advance do we need to plan?

              We usually require about 1 month lead time or more, depending on where you’re going, when, and for how long.

              Consider that some accommodations and experiences get booked 6-12 months in advance, especially over peak travel periods. So the sooner we start planning, the better!

              If you’re planning last-minute, don’t hesitate to reach out. Even if we cannot assist, we’ll happily point you in the right direction.

              Can I contact you after receiving the final itinerary?

              After receiving the final itinerary, you can email us further practical questions about your trip. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

              Can I contact you during my trip?
              Please note that we are not available for assistance during your trip or in case of emergencies. If you contact us during your trip to ask quick questions about your route or recommendations, we aim to get to you as quickly as possible, but we cannot guarantee we will be able to provide short-notice advice.
              Is every trip plan really personalised?

              100%! We take the time to get to know you, your personal tastes and your unique requirements, so each itinerary is one-of-a-kind.

              We also consider who you’re travelling with, your food preferences, your favourite things to do and see when you’re on holiday, and more to build your perfect trip.

              Who will design my trip?

              Your itinerary will be modelled by me, Marina, one of Unexpected Catalonia’s founders and the person that brings you our Travel Guides and Unexpected Getaways.

              I was born and have lived most of my life in Catalonia and Andorra, and I love nothing better than finding unique and exciting experiences in these countries.

              I want to help you explore Catalonia and Andorra as you live here, immersing in the local culture, staying in intimate hideaways, and savouring each moment of your trip.

              How prescriptive will my itinerary be?

              Nobody enjoys being told what to do, especially on holiday. So please consider your trip plan a tightly edited menu of options allowing you the freedom to mix and match.

              Our recommendations are limited enough not to overwhelm you and generous enough to leave room for personal choice and the odd spontaneous flight of fancy.

              Trip Design Investment

              The Trip Design service’s cost depends on how many days we need to plan for. The investment starts at 390 € for a weekend plan.

              If you have special requests (ex. a number of people higher than 6 or a trip longer than 20 days), please drop us an email.

              Ready for your next adventure?

              Get in touch to start planning your holidays.

              Hey,

              This is Marina, co-founder of Unexpected Catalonia.

              On average, people do a ~2-week trip per year. They save all year to spend some time doing what they like, with the people they love, wherever they want.

              At the same time, countless hours are wasted trying to find the right info, deciding where to eat, or planning the itineraries.

              We created Unexpected Catalonia for people who want to enjoy a trip of a lifetime without wasting a single minute in a less-than-great place, boring plan or dull meal.

              This Trip Design is a curated service to help you plan a unique and personalised trip to Catalonia or Andorra, with the confidence that you’re guided by a local and won’t make a bad choice.

              I can’t wait to plan your itinerary and, if in the meantime you need more info, feel free to join our newsletter, check our blog, or get interactive our map.

              Happy travels,

              Marina