Day 1: Madrid
This afternoon we enjoy a half-day tour of Spain’s impressive capital, Madrid, including a visit to the Real Palace. This evening we enjoy a welcome dinner with the rest of the group in a traditional Spanish restaurant. (D)
Overnight: Hotel Quatro Puerta del Sol or similar
Day 2: Madrid – Toledo – Madrid
Today we head south out of Madrid to Toledo, the former capital of Spain before the south of the country was reconquered from the Moors. Toledo is brimming with hundreds of years of history and is still known locally as the “Imperial City”. We see the magnificent Cathedral as well as the Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca, the Jewish Quarter and the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes. This afternoon we return to Madrid where the remainder of the day is at leisure. (B)
Overnight: Hotel Quatro Puerta del Sol or similar
Day 3: Madrid – Valdepeñas – Cordoba
We bid farewell to Madrid this morning and travel south across the vast plains of Central Spain and the La Mancha region, famous for its fairytale castles, delicious wines and, of course, Don Quixote. This region produces some of Spain’s finest cheese, Manchego. We stop in Valdepeñas where we visit a local bodega to sample wines and tapas before we continue to the beautiful city of Cordoba, where we stop for the night. (B)
Overnight: Hotel Casa de la Juderia or similar
Day 4: Cordoba – Seville
This morning we enjoy our first taste of the rich North African architectural heritage left in Andalusia with a walking tour of Cordoba. We visit the Mezquita, or Mosque, of Cordoba. This UNESCO World Heritage building was originally born as the Christian Visigothic Church of St. Vincent in around 600 AD, but was converted into a Mosque by the Moorish conquerors between 784 and 987 AD. Today, the Mezquita has been reconverted into a Christian place of worship and is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Cordoba. This afternoon we travel to Seville, our base for the next three nights. Here we will enjoy a tapas cooking class and learn how to make the perfect sangria. (B)
Overnight: Hotel Casa de la Juderia or similar
Day 5: Seville
This morning enjoy a walking tour of this fascinating and vibrant Spanish city. Highlights include Seville’s impressive Cathedral and the Alcazar, a Royal Palace that was originally built as a Moorish fort. This afternoon you have some free time to explore Seville at your own pace before preparing for an unforgettable Andalusian dinner and flamenco show. (B,D)
Overnight: Hotel Casa de la Juderia or similar
Day 6: Seville – Jerez de la Frontera – Cadiz – Seville
Our first visit today is to Jerez de la Frontera, a city whose roots date back to Roman times and, which is now most famous for being the hub of sherry wine production in the area. After lunch we continue to Cadiz, the oldest continually inhabited city on the Iberian Peninsula. Cadiz has an impressive Old Town and was the departure point for many of Christopher Columbus’s expeditions to the New World. (B)
Overnight: Hotel Casa de la Juderia or similar
Day 7: Seville – Ronda
This morning we bid farewell to Seville and drive south-west into the towering mountains that overlook the southern Spanish Coast. We arrive in Ronda, a beautiful town perched on the edge of a deep canyon cut out by the River Guadalevín. Ronda is most famous for the three bridges that span this canyon, one of which dates back to Roman times. There will be time for us to enjoy this pretty city at leisure this afternoon. (B)
Overnight: Hotel Catalonia Reina Victoria or similar
Day 8: Ronda – Granada
This morning we head further west to the unforgettable city of Granada. Granada was the last stronghold of the Moorish Empire in southern Spain until it finally fell to the Catholic Kings in 1492. Surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the imposing Sierra Nevada, it is said that the last Nasrid ruler of Granada, Boabdil, loved his city so much that he wept as he fled back to North Africa. This afternoon our guide will introduce us to this fascinating city which we can then enjoy at our leisure. (B)
Overnight: Hotel Casa del Capitel Nazari or similar
Day 9: Granada
This morning we visit the magnificent Alhambra, a breath-taking Moorish palace and fortress perched on top of a steep hill adjacent to the city centre. A true tribute to the beauty of North African architecture in Andalusia, the Alhambra is a huge network of beautiful rooms, patios and gardens, which enjoy fantastic views out over the mountains above and down onto the city below. We will have the afternoon at leisure before we prepare for a farewell dinner in one of the city’s top restaurants. (B, D)
Overnight: Hotel Casa del Capitel Nazari or similar
Day 10: Granada – Frigiliana – Malaga
Leaving Granada behind we travel towards the Mediterranean coast. We will stop en route in the beautiful village of Frigiliana, a tangle of narrow cobbled streets lined by whitewashed houses, typical of this mountainous region of Spain. Afterwards we wind our way down to the coastal city of Malaga, where our tour ends. (B)
Tour departs 1400hrs from:
Quatro Puerta del Sol
Calle de Sevilla, 4, 28014
Madrid, Spain
Tour returns at approximately 1600hrs to:
Hotel Petit Palace Plaza Malaga
C/Nicasio Calle 3, (Calle Larios Corner)
Málaga, Spain
Spanish Inspiration
