Payment of bespoke trip to Spain | 6th – 15th of April 2023 | 4 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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6th of April: flight from the US to Barcelona, transfer to your hotel and day at leisure to recover from your flight
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11:55am: upon arrival of your flight to Barcelona airport (Delta 168), collect your luggage and walk to the arrivals hall. Your personal driver will be waiting for you there holding a sign saying “Jenn, Kevin, Cullen and Rayland – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in Barcelona.
1:30pm (estimated): arrival to your hotel in Barcelona and rest of the day at leisure to recover from your journey.
Overnight in Barcelona: 1 classic and 1 deluxe room (interconnected) with breakfast included at hotel Casa Mimosa (4*). Hotel with two pools.
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7th of April: panoramic bike tour of Barcelona city in the morning and evening tapas tour of the old town
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10am: meet your personal local host at your hotel and start your Barcelona bike tour from there (your bicycles will be delivered directly to your hotel). This tour will take you to see the areas outside the medieval quarters, which are ideal to pedal through, before your discovery journey of the old town in the evening. These areas are very representative of how Barcelona has grown over the centuries until becoming the vibrant and elegant Mediterranean capital it is today.
From your hotel, you will pedal first along Paseo de San Juan. This is a section of the city built in the eighteen hundreds when the nearby military citadel was demolished in order to accommodate Barcelona’s growing population. Paseo de San Juan treasures some of the lesser known modernist gems of Barcelona as well as some of the most important gardens and fountains in the city.
At the end of Paseo de San Juan, you will reach the Arc de Triompf, which was the main entrance to the World Exhibition that the city held in 1888. The Arc also leads to the main park of the city: park of la Ciudadela, dating from the 19th century. Your ride through the park will show you its most important spots, meaningful sculptures and hundred-old trees.
Then it will be time to reach the Villa Olímpica neighborhood and the Olympic port. This part of the tour will allow you to learn about the transformations that the city went through to get ready for the Olympic Games of 1992. Then, to top up your tour you will cycle along the Mediterranean Sea, enjoying the openness, vibrancy and beauty of Barcelona’s waterfront and urban beaches.
1pm: your tour will finish near the old city port, where your bikes will be collected. Then enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure before your evening food tour of the city.
6:45pm: meet your personal foodie host at your hotel and take a short taxi ride to Barcelona old town to start a private tapas tour of this part of the city. This will allow you to deepen into the local dynamics and to get to know more about the character of Barcelona.
Understanding how Spain works when it comes to celebrating food can be one of the most revealing experiences of the culture of the city. The Spanish love their excellent food and they like to make a celebration out of every meal, together with family and friends. Food, conversation, wine, laughter and a magical common feeling of thankfulness combine in perfect harmony around Spanish tables to make meals memorable.
Tapas play a key role in the wide variety of options that the country has to offer gastronomy-wise. They are small portions of food that people usually have as an appetizer before a meal. However, especially when eating out, a meal can consist of several different tapas and this is exactly what this tour is about.
Your local Spanish foodie host will take you on a tapas journey through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars of the city, during which you’ll be able to taste a selection of 6 – 9 different local tapas dishes, combined with the corresponding drinks. Along the tour, you’ll be explained about the hectic social life that citizens of Barcelona have and how most of it takes place around food in tapas bars.
Barcelona can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing a place to eat so this tour will allow you to relax and to enjoy the magnificent culinary scene of the city, while you also learn about its particular character and identity, together with your local host.
9:30pm: end of your tapas tour and short taxi ride back to your hotel.
9:45pm: arrival to your hotel and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: 1 classic and 1 deluxe room (interconnected) with breakfast included at hotel Casa Mimosa (4*). Hotel with two pools.
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8th of April: morning tour of two architecture Gems by Gaudí: a park and a temple. Parc Güell and Sagrada Familia. Rest of the day at leisure
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Your morning tour today will have a special focus on the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí: the Church of la Sagrada familia and Parc Güell. Two great examples (one religious and one park) representative of the talent of this master architect.
9:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred by taxi to Parc Güell.
9:55am: upon arrival, you will be taken on a private walking tour of the park aimed at understanding the extent to which Gaudi was able to expand his creativity and versatility. Promoted by the local businessman Eusebi Güell, the park was originally devised as an exclusive garden for the well-to-do local families who wanted to get away from the busy city life and be closer to nature. Güell gave Gaudí free rein to design the site, in such a way that the architect was able to experiment with new construction techniques and incorporate references to Classical mythology, the history of Catalonia and the Christian religion and this is what your tour will uncover for you.
11:15am: after your tour of Parc Güell, take a taxi with your guide to the church of La Sagrada Familia.
11:35am: arrival to la Sagrada Familia and private tour of the site. After your initial discovery of Catalan Modernist architecture and the work of Gaudí at Park Güell, you will have the right context to enjoy the magnificence of this temple and to understand the visionary that Gaudí was, by taking a private tour of both the inside and the outside of the building with your personal local host. The church of la Sagrada familia is the most ambitious and complex project of Gaudí as it incorporates all the structural innovations he had developed during his career. Also, the temple contains a fascinating symbolism revealing the in-depth knowledge of Christian liturgy that Gaudí acquired after several decades of intense study.
1pm: after your visit to la Sagrada familia, you may want to take a taxi with your guide back to your hotel or be given recommendations to have lunch at your own leisure.
Overnight in Barcelona: 1 classic and 1 deluxe room (interconnected) with breakfast included at hotel Casa Mimosa (4*). Hotel with two pools.
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9th of April: morning flight from Barcelona to Granada. Lunch at leisure in Granada. Afternoon tour of the Alhambra and transfer to Ronda.
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8:30am: meet your personal driver at your hotel in Barcelona and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Barcelona airport.
9am: arrival to Barcelona airport on time to take your flight (Vueling airlines VY 2012) to Granada.
10:35am: departure of your flight from Barcelona to Granada.
12:10pm: upon arrival of your flight to Granada airport, collect your luggage, walk to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Jenn, Kevin, Cullen and Rayland – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Granada old town.
1:10pm (estimated): upon arrival to Granada old town, enjoy some free time in the city to have lunch at leisure (recommendations will be given).
3pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred to the top of the hill of la Sabika, where the Alhambra is located.
3:15pm: upon arrival to the Alhambra, meet your personal local guide and be taken on a private walking tour of this palatial city which is the most exquisite example of 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.
6:15pm: after your tour of the Alhambra, your guide will leave you in the hands of your driver and you will be transferred to your accommodation in Ronda.
8:15pm: arrival to your hotel in Ronda and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Ronda. Own arrangements.
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10th of April: morning at leisure in Ronda and afternoon hike in the Genal Valley followed by a visit to a local winery including dinner there
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Morning: enjoy your morning at leisure strolling around Ronda old town, enjoying its beautiful viewpoints and having lunch in its vibrant squares (recommendations will be given).
4pm: meet your personal nature guide at your accommodation in Ronda and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the village of Benadalid, in the heart of the valley of the Genal river, a magical unspoilt reserve south of Ronda
4:30pm: arrival to the village of Benadalid to start an easy 5km guided hike towards the village of Benalauría. You will first be explained about the Berber origins of Benadalid, which still keeps its Moorish castle. Later you will take the old paths that the cork workers used to use in the past to transport the cork that they would harvest every 9 years and that are actually still in use today. You will cross a vast extension of Mediterranean forest filled with old olive trees, chestnut trees, holm oaks and cork oaks while you are explained about the many species of flora that you will see and how they have been used by the people of the area throughout the centuries.
6:15pm: upon arrival to Benalauría, you will visit the winery of a small local winemaker. There you will learn how the Genal Valley had a thriving wine industry until a devastating pest arrived in the late 19th century. Slowly, more than 100 years later, this wine scene is having a comeback and this winemaker is one of the pioneers in the recovery. At the winery you will enjoy a tasting of his red and white wines (grape juice for the kids) as well as a local pairing dinner cooked on site there. This will be the icing on the cake for your exploration journey in the Genal Valley.
8:30pm: end of dinner and private transfer from Benalauría back to Ronda.
9:15pm: arrival to your accommodation in Ronda and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Ronda. Own arrangements.
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11th of April: day trip from Ronda to the sierras of Cádiz for a 22km bike ride through rural Andalusia followed by lunch and a tour of the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera, finishing in Seville
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9:30am: be met by your personal local host and a dedicated driver at your accommodation in Ronda and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to the start of a selected cycling route in the sierras of Cadiz.
The stunning Southwestern Spanish countryside offers a landscape of rolling hills, whitewashed villages and small rivers which is delightful to explore by bicycle and this is what this day trip will take you to enjoy.
10:15am: upon arrival to the start of the cycling route, be given your bikes and helmets to start a picturesque 22km cycling route, going slightly downhill along a former railway. Your personal host (an experienced local touring cyclist) will accompany you along the journey to show you the way and to provide you with water and some small bites for the adventure. You will cross farms, tunnels, bridges, rocky ridges and olive groves for approximately 2 or 2,5 hours before arriving at your destination, where you will drop off your bikes and meet your driver again.
12:30pm: end of the cycle, bike drop-off and private transfer to the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera.
1:30pm: arrival to Arcos de la Frontera and lunch in a selected local restaurant in the village.
3pm: after lunch, enjoy a private walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its Hispanic – Muslim urban planning and traditional constructions, on its Christian monumental buildings, on its traditions and on its breath-taking viewpoints. Understanding of what life on the frontier between the Christian Kingdom of Castilla and the Muslim Kingdom of Granada was like in the 14th and 15th centuries.
4pm: end of your tour and private transfer to Seville.
5:20pm: arrival to your accommodation in Seville and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville. 2 adjoining deluxe premium rooms with breakfast included at hotel Casa 1800 (4*). Hotel with pool.
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12th of April: morning panoramic bike tour of Seville followed by a private tour of the Royal Moorish palace (Alcazar) and evening flamenco performance in the quarter of Triana
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10:15am: be met by your personal local host at your hotel in Seville and start a short walk that will take you through the winding streets of the Jewish quarter to collect your bikes and helmets for your family bike tour of the city.
Once equipped with your bikes and helmets, start a private bike tour of Seville aimed at getting a wide perspective of its architecture, size, history, character and green areas too.
The iconic Guadalquivir river has shaped a very flat landscape in South West Spain that is ideal to explore by bike. The city of Seville is in the heart of this SouthWestern area and it features more than 160km of cycle lanes. This allows cyclists to pedal through its history, beauty, character and charm in a safe and pleasant way.
You will start your adventure by cycling along the city walls, understanding at the same time the system of gates that the city featured in the Muslim times. Then you will cycle along the river to learn about the thriving port that Seville once had when the city held the monopoly of all trade with the New World.
After this, it will be time to explore the beautiful park of María Luisa, taking stops to enjoy the beauty of its many colorful constructions dating from the 1920s, being Plaza de España the most iconic, significant and beautiful one.
Finally, you will make your way back to the old town along the most beautiful avenue of the city, which is lined up with buildings designed by architects from different countries for the city’s 1929 Iberian-American exhibition.
12:30pm: back at Seville old town, you will drop off your bikes to start a private talking tour of its most impressive and unique World Heritage Site: the Alcazar or Moorish palace. This will be the icing on the cake to your discovery journey of the city.
The Alcazar is a massive complex of palaces erected in different periods and of breath-taking gardens of different styles. It 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 from the 16th until the 20th centuries.
2:30pm: after your visit to the Alcazar you may want to be escorted back to your hotel or be given recommendations for lunch at leisure.
7:15pm: be ready at a selected flamenco venue in the quarter of Triana (directions will be given), then approach the ticket office and collect your tickets (which will be booked for you under your names) for the performance that starts at 7:30pm.
7:30pm: start of the flamenco performance.
8:30pm: after your flamenco performance, enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.
Overnight in Seville. 2 adjoining deluxe premium rooms with breakfast included at hotel Casa 1800 (4*). Hotel with pool.
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13th of April: Cooking lesson with a local lady and lunch in her cooking studio. Rest of the day at leisure.
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11:30am: meet your personal cooking instructor at your accommodation and be escorted to her cooking studio.
Upon arrival, you will be offered something to drink and then your culinary experience will start with some explanations about the origin and quality of some selected produce and with tastings too!. Then it will be time to cook a selection of regional recipes that will make an excellent and comprehensive lunch that you will be able to enjoy in the cooking studio of your host. Finally and after a sweet indulgence, your culinary experience will finish leaving you with a happy belly and a happy soul!
Every trip to Spain should include at least one meal cooked by a caring and knowledgeable Spanish host in a house. Spanish home food is the best that can be found in the country, so a homemade Spanish feast is a must on every trip to Spain for any food lover. Besides, learning how to cook some Spanish recipes will allow you to travel back to Spain from your own kitchen whenever you like! All this and more is what you will get to experience and learn during this tour.
2:30pm: after your food experience with your local host, enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville. 2 adjoining deluxe premium rooms with breakfast included at hotel Casa 1800 (4*). Hotel with pool.
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14th of April: day trip from Seville to Córdoba to see the Great Mosque Cathedral and have lunch in the city. Afternoon high-speed train to Madrid
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9am: be met by your personal driver at your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Córdoba.
10:45am: upon arrival to Córdoba, be met by your personal local host to go on a 2h discovery journey of the historical centre of the city (your driver stays in the van with your luggage).
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 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.
12:45pm: end of your private walking tour of Córdoba and free time for lunch at leisure in the city. Your guide will point you in the right direction for lunch and will give you instructions on how to reconnect with your driver after lunch.
2:30pm: reconnect with your private driver and be transferred to Córdoba train station.
2:45pm: arrive at Córdoba train station on time to catch your high-speed train to Madrid.
3pm: departure of your high-speed train from Córdoba train station to Madrid train station.
4:55pm: upon arrival of your train to Madrid train station, walk to the arrivals hall. Your personal driver will be waiting for you there holding a sign saying “Jenn, Kevin, Cullen and Rayland – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in Madrid.
5:25pm (estimated): arrival to your hotel in Madrid and rest of the day at leisure in the city.
Overnight in Madrid. 1 superior double room with balcony and 1 deluxe double room interconnected through a common private hallway and with breakfast included at Hotel only you Boutique (4*)
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15th of April: departure from Madrid and end of trip
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8:15am: be met by your personal driver at your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Madrid airport.
8:45am: arrival to Madrid airport on time to take your flight at 10:45am (flight Delta 127).
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Pricing
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The cost of this bespoke tour program for a private group of 4 people is 15695 Euros
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This price includes
– 7 nights’ accommodation with breakfast included as per mentioned above.
– All private transportation services mentioned above (except for the short taxi rides in Barcelona on the 8th of April) in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver.
– Taxi rides throughout your walking tour in Barcelona on the 8th of April.
– All private tours and experiences mentioned above with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive family-oriented guide.
– All entrance tickets and admissions during your private tours.
– A tapas dinner in Barcelona on the 7th of April through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars in the old town including a selection of 6 – 9 dishes to share, up to 4 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water) and a sweet local treat to finish.
– Bike and helmet rental for your private bike tour of Barcelona.
– Airline tickets to travel from Barcelona to Granada on the 9th of April. Direct flight with Vueling Airlines (a subsidiary or Iberia Airlines) including one checked-in piece of luggage per person (25kg max), one cabin bag (max 10kg and 55x40x20cm) per person and one handbag (40x20x30cm) per person.
– A private pairing dinner in a small local winery in the Genal Valley including a starter, a main course and a dessert per person, all paired with wines from the winery (grape juice for the kids).
– Bike and helmet rental for your bike ride through the Sierras of Cadiz.
– Water, nuts and fruits for your bike ride through the Sierras of Cadiz.
– Lunch in the village of Arcos de la Frontera on the 11th of April including a selection of 2 starters to share, one main course per person, one dessert per person and up to 2 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water).
– Bike and helmet rental for your bike ride in Seville.
– Admission to a selected flamenco performance in the quarter of Triana on the 12th of April.
– Private cooking lesson with a local chef in her cooking studio followed by lunch there (a suggested menu will be sent to you in advance for you to approve).
– High-speed train tickets to travel from Córdoba to Madrid on the 14th of April.
– Petrol and parkings.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat during your free time.
– All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Your international flights.
– Your accommodation in Ronda.
– Any meals not mentioned right above.
– Anything else not mentioned right above.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this trip at this price, we require a 30% deposit of the grand total no later than the 18th of October 2022 at 11:59pm (Madrid time) via credit/debit card. The final 70% must be paid no later than 30 days prior to the start of the trip. If you wish to confirm at a later stage, we will need to re-quote the trip.
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Grand total of this trip: 15695 Euros
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30% deposit needed no later than the 18th of October 2022 at 11:59pm (Madrid time) to confirm the trip: 4708,5 Euros
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Final 70% needed no later than 30 days prior to the start of the trip: 10986,5 Euros
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel this tour more than 30 days prior to scheduled departure, we will charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel this tour between 30 and 10 days prior to scheduled departure, we will charge 50% of the full cost of the tour and we will refund the remaining 50%.
– If you cancel this tour between 9 and 3 days prior to scheduled departure ,we will charge 75% of the full cost of the trip and we will refund the remaining 25%.
– If you cancel this tour 2 days or less prior to scheduled departure, we will charge 100% of the full cost of the trip.
(*) If Spain’s borders closed due to a national or global emergency and you were not able to enter the country to take this trip, we will give you a full refund.
(**) Genuine Andalusia strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance for any international trip. Most of our US guests buy their travel insurance via Medjet.
