Payment of bespoke tour program for Andalusia and Madrid. 5th – 14th of September 2022. 4pax
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Description and schedule of services
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5th of September. Private walking tour of Málaga including the Alcazaba, the Picasso Museum and the Cathedral.
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9:30am: meet your personal art and history expert at your hotel in Málaga to start a private walking tour of the city that will take you to visit its Hispanic-Muslim fortress (Alcazaba), the Picasso Museum and the Cathedral.
Your tour will start with an introduction about the origins and evolution of the city of Málaga while you are taken by your guide to visit first its main Hispanic-Muslim landmark: the so-called Alcazaba. This will allow you to travel back in time in order to understand the important settlement the city was in the Hispanic-Muslim period, the main elements of Hispanic-Muslim defensive architecture and the evolution of the city after the Christian conquest until the present times.
After learning about the Hispanic-Muslim past of Málaga, you will be taken to visit its majestic Cathedral. There you will enjoy taking a seat for a little while to enjoy the explanations of your host about the construction and history of this temple. Also, you will be surprised to hear about the connection between this cathedral and the US independence.
Then you will continue on with a private tour of the Picasso Museum. There and led by your local host, you will learn about the life and work of this iconic local artist through some of the most representative paintings that the museum collection has.
1pm: after your introduction to Málaga, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Málaga (own arrangements).
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6th of September. Transfer from Málaga to Granada vía Ronda to tour the town and enjoy a private visit to a selected local winery.
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9am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Ronda old town.
10:20am: upon arrival to Ronda old town, meet your private guide to take a walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its Hispanic-Muslim origins and on the transformations that it experienced (architecture, urban planning, social composition and overall character) with the Christian Conquest in 1485 and in the following centuries until its main landmark (the impressive New Bridge) was built.
After the Christian conquest of Ronda in 1485, many wealthy military orders settled down in the city in order to defend its strategic location near the straits of Gibraltar and very well connected to the main Southern Spanish cities. These new inhabitants erected many noble residences and funded the construction of impressive religious constructions too.
Later, in the 18th century Ronda experienced a time of maximum splendor and its main modern landmark was built: the majestic New Bridge, which crosses over a 100m-deep gorge. This bridge then connected the medieval areas with the quarters that started to emerge on the other side of the gorge in the 18th and following centuries, creating the compact whitewashed town that Ronda is today.
Ronda also has stunning nature in its surroundings and your tour will take you to the best viewpoints so that you understand why this Andalusian gem attracted so many Romantic Travellers in the 19th century.
1:20pm: end of your tour walking tour and free time for lunch at leisure. Recommendations of places to eat will be given and a table will be booked for you if you wish.
3pm: after lunch, reconnect with your private driver and be transferred to a selected local winery in the surroundings of Ronda.
3:15pm: upon arrival to the winery, start a private tour aimed at understanding the very particular local wine scene, where winemakers share a common approach to winemaking based on quality vs quantity. Ronda has proved to be an excellent area for the cultivation of very many different grapes from different parts of the world and this is allowing for the production of excellent wines, often organic and biodynamic, that you will get to taste at the end of your private tour.
5pm: end of your private tour of the winery and private transfer to your hotel in Granada.
7:20pm: arrival to your hotel in Granada and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Granada (own arrangements).
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7th of September. The Alhambra and el Generalife.
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9:30am: be met by your personal local host at your hotel and be transferred by taxi to the top of the hill of la Sabika, where the Alhambra and el Generalife are located.
9:45am: upon arrival to the Alhambra, be taken on a private walking tour of this palatial city which is the most exquisite example of the Hispanic-Muslim architecture. The Alhambra was the city where the Hispanic-Muslim sultans used to live with their army, their court and some selected artisans. Because of this, it has several parts, all of which you will get to visit during your tour, while you understand the role that each of them had. Later you will visit the summer palace or Generalife. This is the place where the sultans would go to escape from the hustle and bustle of the Alhambra. It was a place designed for relaxation and contemplation and because of this, it has the most beautiful gardens and some of the nicest views that the city of Granada has to offer.
1:15pm: end of your tour of the Alhambra and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Granada (own arrangements).
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8th of September. From Granada to Seville and introductory walking tour of Seville World Heritage Sites
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9am: be met by your personal driver by the reception desk of your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to your hotel in Seville.
12pm: arrival to your hotel in Seville and free time to check-in and to have lunch before your afternoon tour of the city. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in your free time and of places to eat too. Tables will be booked for you if you wish.
2pm: be met by your personal local guide at your hotel to start a private walking tour that will take you to visit its impressive World Heritages Sites: the Alcazar, the Cathedral with its Giralda tower and the Jewish quarter.
You will start your discovery journey by visiting the Alcazar, which is a massive complex of palaces erected in different periods and of breath-taking gardens of different styles. The Alcazar has stunning historical constructions featuring a very particular crossover between Hispanic-Muslim and Christian architecture styles, called Mudejar. This style became very fashionable in Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries amongst the Christian nobility and it reached its maximum splendour in Seville. Another essential part of the Alcazar is the famous house of Trade, which once hosted the offices from where all the commerce with the new world was managed. After enjoying these inner areas, you will be taken to the gardens, which are an exquisite sample of European gardening dating from the 17th until the 20th centuries.
Then you will be taken to visit the Cathedral, which is the largest gothic temple in the World and where Christopher Columbus is buried. The Cathedral of Seville was built on a vast extension of land where previously a Mosque had been erected. An important part of the Mosque was preserved and it is now a part of the Cathedral. This makes it a unique construction featuring styles as diverse as Hispanic-Muslim, Gothic, Renaissance, Neoclassical and Baroque. A most important part of the Cathedral is its bell tower known as la Giralda. During your tour you will be taken to the top in order to enjoy the wonderful views of Seville that one can admire from there.
To finish the tour you will visit the quarter of Santa Cruz, with its countless quaint corners, narrow streets, cosy squares, houses of traditional Southern Spanish architecture and Moorish urban planning. It is in this quarter where an important part of the Jewish Sephardic community of Seville lived in the medieval times and you will learn about what life in the quarter was like then and how it has evolved until becoming what it is today.
5:30pm: end of your tour and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville (own arrangements).
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9th of September. Day trip from Seville to Jerez to learn about its iconic wines (Sherries), Andalusian horses and to have a traditional Southern Spanish lunch in a selected restaurant.
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9am: be met by your personal local host and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver to the city of Jerez, famous for its iconic Sherry wines and Andalusian horses. Along the way you will be explained about the geography, culture, customs, gastronomy and lifestyle of Southernmost continental Spain.
10:15am: upon arrival to Jerez, enjoy a private visit of a selected Sherry bodega, aimed at learning about the ageing process of the different types of Sherry. This will be followed by the corresponding tastings and by some basic notions about the art of pairing food and sherry, which you will put into practice later on during the day.
11:45am: private transfer from the Sherry bodega to the Royal School of Equestrian Art.
11:55am: upon arrival to the Royal School of Equestrian Art, be escorted to your seats in the performing venue (1st or 2nd row) to get ready for the show “How the Andalusian horses dance”. The show is a great exhibition of Southern Spanish country riding, dressage and horse carriage driving, accompanied by a long piece of Classical Music composed especially for it.
1:30pm: after the show, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to a selected local restaurant in the city.
1:50pm: upon arrival to the restaurant, enjoy a traditional Southern Spanish lunch paired with sherries in order to understand how Sherry can combine in perfect harmony with different local dishes.
3:30pm: after lunch, be transferred back to your accommodation in Seville.
4:45pm: arrival to your accommodation in Seville and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville (own arrangements).
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10th of September. Day trip from Seville to Córdoba
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9am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Córdoba.
10:30am: upon arrival to Córdoba, meet your personal local host to go on a 3,5h discovery journey of the historical center of the city.
A UNESCO site since 1994, Córdoba is an inspirational city, which during the Middle Ages, saw a peaceful interaction between the three great Mediterranean cultures. Jews, Muslims and Christians coexisted then in the city turning it into a unique intellectual hub that gave birth to very renowned philosophers, poets, scientists and doctors. This also resulted in the construction of unique buildings of remarkable historical significance.
During your private walking tour, you’ll learn about the period of maximum intellectual splendour of the city and you will see beautiful examples of architecture and urban planning that will allow you to recreate all the grandeur of this era, which has the Great Mosque – Cathedral, the synagogue and the Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs as its most representative constructions.
The Great Mosque-Cathedral is probably the most thought-provoking building in Spain and your personal local host will uncover all its beauty and complexity for you. You will understand its origins, its different enlargements and the role that the building has played in the culture and social fabric of the city throughout the centuries.
The synagogue will allow you to understand the very important Jewish – Sephardic community that Córdoba once had and how much it embraced Hispanic-Muslim decorative arts in its places of devotion.
The Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs will be your last stop. This is a fortification treasuring Roman and Visigothic remains that became an important royal residence in the Hispanic-Muslim and Christian times. Your tour of this landmark will be a journey through the history of the city and also through probably the most beautiful gardens that one can find in Córdoba.
2pm: end of your tour at free time for lunch at leisure.
4pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to your hotel in Seville.
5:30pm: arrival to your hotel in Seville and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville (own arrangements).
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11th of September. Day at leisure in Seville.
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All day: enjoy a free day in the Andalusian capital following our recommendations.
Overnight in Seville (own arrangements).
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12th of September. High-speed train from Seville to Madrid and day at leisure in Madrid.
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9:45am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Seville train station.
10:05am: arrival to Seville train station on time to catch your high-speed train to Madrid at 10am.
10:43am: departure of your high-speed train to Madrid (1st class seats).
1:16pm: upon arrival to Madrid train station, meet your personal driver and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to your hotel in Madrid. Your personal driver will be waiting for you there holding a sign saying “Richard, Nancy, Ron and Merri – Genuine Andalusia”
1:45pm: arrival to your hotel in Madrid and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Madrid (own arrangements).
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13th of September. Day at leisure in Madrid.
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All day: enjoy a free day in the Spanish capital following our recommendations.
Overnight in Madrid (own arrangements).
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14th of September. Day trip to Toledo from Madrid.
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9am: meet your personal driver at your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Toledo old town.
10am: upon arrival to Toledo, be left in the hands of your personal local host to start a private walking tour of the city with a special focus on its Jewish history, from its origins and maximum splendor under the Hispanic-Muslim rule until the Christian conquest of the city. Along your tour you will visit the synagogues of Santa María la Blanca and of el Tránsito, which are extraordinary examples of the Jewish-Sephardic heritage of the city.
Your tour will also take you to see some remarkable evidences of the presence of the Hispanic-Muslim culture in the city, such as the former Mosque of el Cristo de la Luz.
You will then visit the former church of San Román which is the most exquisite example of the interaction between the three great Mediterranean cultures that took place in Toledo. This is especially present in the architecture and iconographic program of the church which features some impressive frescoes from the Middle ages.
2pm: end of your private walking tour of Toledo and free time for lunch at leisure before your return to Madrid. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in your free time and of places to eat too. Tables will be booked for you if you wish.
5pm: private transfer in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver from Toledo back to your hotel in Madrid stopping along the way at mirador del valle for excellent panoramic views of the city.
6:15pm: arrival to your hotel in Madrid and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Madrid (own arrangements).
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Pricing
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The price of this bespoke tour program for a private group of 4 people is 3054 Euros per couple.
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This price includes
– All private tours and experiences mentioned above with a personal local host from Genuine Andalusia (a fully licensed, personable, knowledgeable, flexible and interactive guide).
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a professional, uniformed driver.
– All entrance tickets and admissions during the private tours mentioned above (1st or 2nd row tickets for the Royal School of Equestrian Art in Jerez).
Tastings during the private visit to the winery in Ronda and during the private visit to the Sherry Bodega in Jerez.
– Lunch in a local restaurant in Jerez including a selection of 3 starters to share and 1 main course per person as well as up to 2 different sherries per person.
– High-speed train tickets (1st class) to travel from Seville to Madrid on the 12th of September.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat (and booking of tables if you like) in each of the places where you will stay.
– Petrol, parkings and tolls and all expenses of your drivers and of your guides.
– All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Accommodation.
– Flights.
– Any taxis you may need/want to take during your trip.
– Any meals not mentioned right above.
– Anything else not mentioned right above.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this tour program at this price we require a 30% deposit of the grand total no later than the 15th of February 2022 via credit/debit car as well as a photo / scan of each of your passports. The final 70% must be paid via the same method no later than 30 days prior to the start of the tour program.
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Grand total of this bespoke tour program: 3054 Euros per couple.
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30% deposit needed per couple no later than the 15th of February to confirm the tour program: 916,2 Euros.
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Final 70% needed per couple no later than 30 days prior to the start of the tour program: 2137,8 Euros.
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your tour program more than 30 days prior to scheduled departure, we’ll charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel your tour program between 30 and 7 days prior to scheduled departure, we’ll charge 50% of the full cost of the tour program.
– If you cancel your tour program between 6 and 3 days prior to scheduled departure, we’ll charge 75% of the full cost of the tour program.
– If you cancel your tour program between 2 days or less prior to scheduled departure, we’ll charge 100% of the full cost of the tour program.
(*) If the travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic didn’t allow for this tour program to happen, we’d give you a full refund. Please note that the travel restrictions we would take as official would be the ones imposed by the corresponding government/s on the general vaccinated traveler coming to Spain from the US and not your specific personal circumstances.
(**) Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds.
