Payment of bespoke trip to Southern Spain | 2nd – 7th of November | 4 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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2nd of November: arrival to the port of Tarifa from Tangiers and private transfer to Granada via Ronda
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11am: upon arrival of your ferry to the port of Tarifa, disembark, go through passport control and meet your personal driver at the arrivals hall of the terminal building. He will be holding a sign saying “Dick and Gigi – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Ronda.
2pm (estimated): upon arrival to Ronda, enjoy some free time for a light lunch at leisure before your introductory tour of the city. We will give you recommendations of places to eat in Ronda.
3pm: after your free time in Ronda, meet your personal local host at a previously agreed meeting point and enjoy a private guided tour of the old town with a special focus on its history, most representative landmarks, viewpoints and picturesque locations.
This private walking tour of Ronda old town will give you an excellent overview of the Hispanic-Muslim origins of the city and of the transformations that it started to experience in 1485 when it was conquered by Christians. It was then when many wealthy military orders settled down in Ronda 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. In the 18th century Ronda experienced a time of maximum splendor and its main landmark was built: the majestic New Bridge, which you will visit during your tour.
Ronda also has stunning nature in its surroundings and your tour will take you to the best viewpoints. This will allow you to understand why this whitewashed gem attracted so many romantic travelers in the 19th century during their Grand Tour and the impact that their written, drawn and painted portraits of Andalusia had in the international perception of Spain in the following decades until today.
5pm: after your tour of Ronda, your guide will leave you in the hands of your private driver and then you will be transferred to Plaza Mariana de Pineda, near your accommodation in Granada. This is the nearest spot where your driver can get to given the traffic restrictions in Granada old town. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see during your free time in Granada and also of places to eat.
7:15pm: arrival to Plaza Mariana de Pineda in Granada and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Granada: Calle Recogidas 18, 6a planta Izquierda, Granada (own arrangements).
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3rd of November: Late morning walking tour of Granada old town and of the quarter of el Albayzin
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10am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation to go on a 3h walking tour of Granada old town that will allow you to discover, learn about the history and architecture and experience the beauty of two different quarters of the city.
These are two key areas in the history of the city that also stand out for their beauty and authenticity.
You will start visiting the first quarters that developed in Granada after the Christian conquest of the city in 1492. It is in these areas where the Cathedral of Granada was erected and in one of its chapels, the so-called Royal Chapel, you will visit the tombs of the monarchs that were responsible for the conquest of the city (Isabel of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragón). Their tombs are an exquisite sample of Spanish renaissance sculpture.
Near this chapel, you will also visit the palace of la Madraza: a unique building that originally was a medieval Quran School and that later was used as a noble residence. During your visit, you will see beautiful evidence of its original use and of the one that followed.
Later, you will be taken to the iconic quarter of el Albayzín, located on top of a hill and overlooking the Alhambra. El Albayzín was the part of Granada where regular people would live: people whose social scheme inside the walls of the palatial areas of the Alhambra was rather unclear.
The quarter of Albayzín is a UNESCO site and it treasures some of the most beautiful corners and views of the Alhambra that the city of Granada has to offer. Your local host will share the most special ones with you, while you are explained about the architecture and infrastructures that the quarter had in the medieval times and of which you will see beautifully preserved evidence.
This introduction to the city of Granada will set the historical context for your tour to the Alhambra and el Generalife the next day.
1pm: after your tour, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Granada: Calle Recogidas 18, 6a planta Izquierda, Granada (own arrangements).
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4th of November: the Alhambra and el Generalife
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9:30am: be met by your personal local host at your accommodation and walk together to Plaza Mariana de Pineda. Then be transferred from there in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver to 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.
1pm: after your tour of the Alhambra, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Granada: Calle Recogidas 18, 6a planta Izquierda, Granada (own arrangements).
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5th of November: from Granada to Seville via Antequera
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10am: meet your personal driver at Plaza Mariana de Pineda near your accommodation in Granada and be transferred to Avda de la Palmera 1, esquina c Periodista Eduardo Molina Fajardo, Granada 18014.
10:25am: upon arrival to Avda de la Palmera 1, esquina c Periodista Eduardo Molina Fajardo, Granada 18014, your driver stays in the minivan with your luggage.
11:30am: departure from Avda de la Palmera 1, esquina c Periodista Eduardo Molina Fajardo, Granada 18014 to the UNESCO site of the Dolmens of Antequera.
12:30pm: upon arrival to the UNESCO site of the Dolmens of Antequera, meet your personal local expert to start a tour of the site, which treasures some of the best preserved and most important megalithic monuments in Europe.
It is the number, size, weight and volume of the stone blocks transported and assembled in the basin of Antequera, using rudimentary technology, and the architectural characteristics of the monuments formed by these megaliths, what makes the Antequera Dolmens one of the most important engineering and architectural works of European Prehistory. Antequera Dolmens Site provides an exceptional insight into the funerary and ritual practices of a highly organized prehistoric society of the Neolithic and Bronze Age in the Iberian Peninsula.
2pm: end of your private tour of the UNESCO sites of the dolmens and private transfer to Antequera old town for lunch at leisure.
2:05pm: arrival to Antequera old town and lunch at leisure there. We will give you recommendations of places to eat an informal lunch.
3:30pm: after lunch, enjoy some time at leisure in Antequera to explore the old town. We will give you recommendations.
4:15pm: reconnect with your driver at a previously agreed meeting point and be transferred to your hotel in Seville.
6pm: arrival to your hotel in Seville and rest of the day at leisure. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in Seville during your free time and we will also book a table for you if you wish.
Overnight in Seville: Hotel Tayko (own arrangements)
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6th of November: private walking tour of Seville UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the morning and evening tapas tasting tour
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10am: be met by your personal local guide at your accommodation in Seville to start a private walking tour that will take you to the most impressive World Heritages Sites of the city (the Alcazar and the Cathedral with its Giralda tower) and to the quarter of Santa Cruz.
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 splendor 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 landscaping from the 16th 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 you will visit the quarter of Santa Cruz, with its countless quaint corners, narrow streets, cozy 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.
1:30pm: after your tour, enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure before your evening flamenco and tapas tour.
7:30pm: meet your personal foodie host at your hotel to start a tapas tasting tour through Seville old town.
Understanding how Spain works when it comes to celebrating food can be one of the most revealing experiences of the culture of the country. 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 meet you at your hotel to 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. Along the tour, you’ll be explained about the hectic social life that Sevillanos have and how most of it takes place around food in tapas bars.
The Andalusian capital 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.
10:30pm: end of your tapas tour back at your hotel.
Overnight in Seville: Hotel Tayko (own arrangements)
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7th of November: from Seville to Madrid via Cordoba to tour the city and have lunch there
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9am: be met by your personal driver at your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Córdoba.
10:45am: upon arrival to Córdoba, be met by your personal local host to go on a 3h discovery journey of the historical center 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 splendor 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, the Chapel of Saint Bartholomew 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.
In the Chapel of Saint Bartholomew you will be explained about the transformations that the Jewish quarter of Córdoba suffered after the pogrom of 1391 and how it was repopulated with Christians, who were also very heavily influenced by Hispanic-Muslim decorative arts.
1:45pm: end of your private walking tour of Córdoba at the impressive Roman bridge 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.
3:40pm: reconnect with your private driver and be transferred to Córdoba train station.
4pm: arrive at Córdoba train station on time to catch your high-speed train to Madrid.
4:27pm: departure of your high-speed train from Córdoba train station to Madrid train station.
6:25pm: upon arrival of your train to Madrid train station, walk to the arrivals hall. Your private driver will be waiting for you there holding a sign saying “Dick and Gigi – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel near Madrid airport.
7pm (estimated): arrival to your hotel near Madrid airport and end of services.
Overnight in Madrid: Hotel Hilton Madrid airport (own arrangements)
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Pricing
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The cost of this bespoke trip for a private group of 4 people is 1105 Euros per person
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This price includes
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver.
– All private tours mentioned above with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide.
– All entrance tickets and admissions for all your guided tours.
– A tapas dinner in Seville through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars of the city and including a selection of 6 – 9 local dishes to share and up to 3 drinks per person (refreshments, alcohol-free beer, alcohol-free wine or water).
– High-speed train tickets (1st class seats) to travel from Madrid to Córdoba on the 7th of November.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat during your free time.
– Petrol and parkings.
– 24h Guardian Angel service throughout the tour program.
– All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Your ferry tickets to get to Tarifa from Morocco.
– Any international flights.
– Accommodation.
– Any taxis needed to get to / from Plaza Mariana de Pineda to your accommodation in Granada.
– Any meals not mentioned right above.
– Anything else not mentioned right above.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this bespoke tour program at this price we require a 30% deposit of the grand total via credit/debit card no later than the 17th of May 2023 at 11:59pm (Madrid time) as well as a photo / scan of each of your passports. The final 70% must be paid via the same method no later than 20 days prior to the start of the tour program.
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Grand total of this bespoke trip: 4420 Euros
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30% deposit needed no later than the 17th of May 2023: 1326 Euros
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Final 70% needed no later than 20 days prior to the start of the trip: 3094 Euros
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your tour program more than 20 days prior to its scheduled start we will charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel your tour program between 20 and 7 days prior to its scheduled start we will charge 50% of the cull cost of the tour program and we will refund the remaining 50%.
– If you cancel your tour program between 6 and 3 days prior to its scheduled start we will charge 75% of the cull cost of the tour program and we will refund the remaining 25%.
– If you cancel your tour program between 2 days or less prior to its scheduled start we will charge 100% of the full cost of the tour program.
(*) Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds. This applies to the group size and to the duration / activities of the tour program.
(**) Genuine Andalusia strongly recommends buying travel insurance for any international trip. Most of our US guests buy their travel insurance via MedJet.
(***) If Spain’s borders close due to a national or global emergency and you are not able to enter the country to take this trip, we will give you a full refund.
