Highlights of Spain

Upon your arrival into Madrid’s airport, you’ll be met by our driver for a private transfer to your accommodation in the city. After settling in and getting refreshed, enjoy a private walking tour along the Art Walk. It’s known for its remarkable beauty and art that’s jam-packed into just two-thirds of a mile, featuring Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Reina Sofia Museum, picturesque Retiro Park with its fabulous glass palace, and, the famous Prado Museum, where the tour ends. At this point you can chose to either visit the museum or transfer back to your hotel.

A full day tour to the historic city of Toledo with an expert guide. Meet at your hotel and embark on a 70km excursion west of the Spanish capital to imperial Toledo. The city is one of Europe’s oldest towns and known as ‘the City of Three Cultures,’ showcases genuine Spanish architecture spanning Arab, Gothic, Mudejar, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. Highlights include the famous Cathedral, Church of St. Tome with El Greco’s masterpiece, the Synagogue of Santa Mari­a la Blanca (Europe’s oldest synagogue building), and the Museum of Victorio Macho, home to the Royal Foundation of Toledo. Explore the Isabelline-style Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes and other renowned sites.

It’s time to travel to your next destination: Seville. You’ll take a private transfer to the Madrid Atocha train station, embarking on the AVE high-speed train to the so-called “Pearl of Andalusia.” Our driver will welcome you there for the ride to your hotel where you’ll have time to settle in, rest and refresh before joining a special evening tapas and flamenco experience. Your guide will bring you to family-run taverns where you can sample tapas alongside local wines while you learn about the history of flamenco through today. Next, you’ll experience a real flamenco show followed by more tapas and wine tasting.

This morning, our guide will bring you on a private walking tour of Seville that includes the Royal Alcazar and Seville Cathedral. Explore the cobbled streets of the Old Jewish Quarter, walled and a separate section of the city during medieval times. Discover the world’s largest cathedral of its kind, the UNESCO-listed Cathedral of Seville with its gothic- and Moorish-style architecture. Then head to the incredible, more than 1,000-year-old Alcazar, dating back to Moorish times as the oldest still in use royal residence in Europe, with highlights like hand-painted tiles, lovely inner patios, carved wooden doors, and ceilings, and colorful gardens.

Embark on a captivating day tour from Seville by private car to immerse yourself in the wonders of Córdoba. While the magnificent mosque-cathedral alone justifies a visit, this enchanting city offers much more. As the capital of Islamic Spain and once the largest and most cultured city in Western Europe, Córdoba reveals its rich history and sophistication. Beyond the bustling tourist hub surrounding the mosque-cathedral, explore the labyrinthine of medieval streets to discover the true essence of the city. Explore golden-stone buildings and verdant interior patios, occasionally stumbling upon picturesque hidden plazas. Entrance to the mosque-cathedral is included.

Transfer to Granada today, about a four-hour’s drive away via Ronda, one of the most beautiful and oldest cities in Spain with remains of prehistoric settlements that date back to the Neolithic Age. Just viewing it is sure to take your breath away. Once in Granada, after checking into your hotel you’ll have the rest of the day to relax here at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We recommend delving into the city’s famous tapas culture, with the delicious small plates meant to be shared, typically free with a drink order. They’re an integral part of the dining and social scene.

Explore the most popular attraction in Granada, the Alhambra, on a private guided tour. The internationally renowned site sits on a hill overlooking the city and is made up of a complex of palaces and gardens that were built under the Nazari Dynasty, primarily over the 13th and 14th centuries. These are the only royal residences from an Islamic dynasty that still stand today as they have since the Middle Ages. Your tour will be led by an Islamic art expert who will explain it all in-depth, including the symbols and secrets, philosophical concepts, and mathematical achievements that reflect the entire civilization.

A private transfer will bring you to Granada’s airport to catch your flight to Barcelona. Once there, you’ll be welcomed by our driver for transfer to your hotel. Get settled in and then discover the city’s historic center on a private walking tour. You’ll wander through the Gothic Quarter, famous for its centuries-old historic sites, including Roman ruins and the 13th-century Barcelona Cathedral. Witness the 15th-century Church of Santa Maria del Pi with its 177-foot-high bell tower, walk one of the most famous streets in the city, La Ramblas, enjoy the atmosphere in Plaza Real (Royal Square), and browse the lively Boqueria Market.

Today is free for you to enjoy Barcelona at your pace. Alternatively you may want to arrange a private tour to enjoy the architectural highlights of Gaudi

The work of Antoni Gaudi can be seen throughout Barcelona, a city famous for its architecture. This morning you’ll take a private guided tour of the highlights which include skip-the-line tickets. Discover Parc Guell, commissioned by Eusebi Güell who wanted to create a stylish park for Barcelona aristocracy, featuring many colorful Gaudi works with Gaudi’s House now a museum. You’ll visit Sagrada Familia Cathedral, a stunning masterpiece fusing gothic- and art nouveau-styles in unprecedented ways, along with Casa Mila (Mila House), an iconic work of civic architecture with its functional and constructional innovations, along with unique decorative and ornamental details.

Pick up from your hotel for a wonderful full-day excursion from Barcelona to the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat via the cable car which offers some of the best views in Catalunya. The monastery dates back to the 11th century, and highlights include the Sanctuary and its mighty basilica. After a tour, you will continue to a local winery to enjoy a tour of the vineyards and tasting, followed by a 3-course lunch. Return to the hotel late afternoon.

After 11 days spent discovering many of the top highlights in Spain, your trip comes to an end this morning. You’ll be met at your accommodation for a private transfer to the airport in Barcelona to catch your flight home or extend your travels elsewhere. If you need ideas, our travel experts are always happy to help.