Payment of bespoke program of private tours | 20th – 30th of April 2025 | 4 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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20th of April: arrival to Madrid and high-speed train to Málaga. Then transfer to your beach resort in Estepona and rest of the day at leisure
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7:55am: upon arrival of your flight to Madrid airport, collect your luggage and walk to the arrivals hall. Your personal driver will be waiting for you there holding a sign saying “Diane, Lynn, Kerri and Doug – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Madrid Atocha train station.
9:30am (estimated): upon arrival to Madrid train station, enjoy some free time for a bite before boarding your high-speed train to Málaga.
11:35am: departure of your high-speed train from Madrid to Málaga (1st class seats).
2:23pm: upon arrival of your train to Málaga train station, collect your luggage and walk to the arrivals hall. Your personal driver will be waiting for you there holding a sign saying “Diane, Lynn, Kerri and Doug – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to your hotel in Estepona.
3:40pm (estimated): arrival to your hotel in Estepona and rest of the day at leisure to recover from your trip.
Overnight in Estepona: Marriott Playa Andaluza (under own arrangements)
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21st of April: culture, art and gastronomy day trip from Estepona to the cosmopolitan city of Málaga
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9am: meet your personal driver at your hotel in Estepona and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Málaga old town.
10am: upon arrival to Málaga old town, be left in the hands of your personal local host to start your discovery journey of the city.
You will start your private walking tour by learning first about the origins and evolution of the city. This first part of the tour will take you to see the oldest (and most impressive) landmarks in the city: the Roman theater and the Moorish fortress: the so-called Alcazaba. This will allow you to travel back in time in order to understand the important settlement that the city was both in the Roman and in the Hispanic-Muslim periods as well as its evolution until the present times. The Alcazaba is a fantastic sample of Hispanic-Muslim architecture that also offers beautiful views of the city due to its location on top of a hill.
After this first part of the tour, you will be taken on a private relaxed tour of the Picasso Museum of Málaga. There you will learn about the life and work of the most iconic local artist through some of the most representative paintings that the museum collection has.
1pm: your introduction to the history and architecture of Málaga will surely make you feel like gaining an understanding of the present culture and personality of the city and you will enjoy this during a tapas and wines journey through the old town. You will experience this genuinely Spanish approach to enjoying a meal by visiting two different tapas bars, where you will taste a selection of local dishes and wines.
3pm: after your tapas tour, reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to your hotel in Estepona.
4pm: arrival to Estepona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Estepona: Marriott Playa Andaluza (under own arrangements)
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22nd of April: day at leisure in Estepona
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All day: spend your day at leisure in Estepona
Overnight in Estepona: Marriott Playa Andaluza (under own arrangements)
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23rd of April: day trip from Estepona to the whitewashed clifftop town of Ronda for a small hike there, a tour of the old town and a private visit to a vineyard, to learn about the local wine production and to enjoy a homemade pairing lunch there
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9am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver to the start of a short yet scenic hike just outside Ronda.
10:10am: upon arrival to the surroundings of Ronda, be met by your personal local guide to start the hike. To really capture the best of Ronda it is important to see it from both the top and bottom of the cliffs it is perched on. This walk starts descending to the foot of them, revealing an endless array of viewpoints along the way. From the bottom of the escarpment, you can gaze up at the buildings perched precariously on the edge and admire the Guadalevín River which erupts from the Tajo Gorge in an impressive series of cascading waterfalls. From here, the Puente Nuevo bridge is revealed as an astonishing piece of architecture. The rest of the hike will take you through the fertile valleys that surround Ronda while you see some old watermills, vineyards and local farms.
Then you will climb up to the top of the medieval part of town, where you will start a private walking tour with a special focus on its history and architecture. 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. Along the tour you will also 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.
1:10pm: after your tour of Ronda, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to a selected winery just outside town for lunch.
1:25pm: upon arrival to the winery, you will be welcomed by a member of the family who owns it. Then you will be explained why Ronda has become such an interesting wine region in the international wine scene in spite of its small size. With a common approach to wine making, based on quality and not on quantity, the winemakers from Ronda have formed a solid team that is achieving great recognition and prizes worldwide. The winery you will visit was a pioneer in this wine scene and it is a local reference.
Then you will visit its vineyards to later be explained about the aging process of the different wines that the family makes, which are produced with different grapes from different areas, that have adapted extremely well to the soil and climate conditions of Ronda. Later enjoy a homemade pairing lunch there including 3 courses and 1 dessert, all paired with their wines.
3:45pm: end of your experience at the winery and private transfer to your accommodation in Estepona.
5pm: arrival to your hotel in Estepona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Estepona: Marriott Playa Andaluza (under own arrangements)
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24th of April: day trip from Estepona to the Sherry capital of Jerez de la Frontera for an immersion into the world of Sherry wines including a homemade lunch in a private vineyard
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8:30am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the sherry capital of Jerez de la Frontera.
10:15am: upon arrival to Jerez, be met by your personal sherry host and together, be taken to a selected sherry bodega in the old town.
10:30am: arrival to the sherry bodega and private visit with the owner aimed at learning about the making and ageing of the different types of sherry. This will be followed by the corresponding tastings and by some basic notions about the local art of pairing food and sherry.
12pm: after your visit to the Sherry bodega in Jerez old town, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to a selected sherry vineyard in the country.
12:30pm: upon arrival to the vineyard, be introduced to the owner and together with him and your local host, take a private walking tour aimed at learning some basic notions about sherry viticulture and also at understanding the particularities of the soil, of the grapes, of the climate and of the vines that make sherry so unique.
1:10pm: after your introduction to sherry viticulture, enjoy a tasting of the sherries that the owner makes in the vineyard only for him and his family. This will be accompanied by a selection of appetizers.
2:15pm: then and surely hungry, you will be called for a homemade country lunch cooked on site in the vineyard by the owner’s wife and including a selection of starters, mains and desserts that you will be able to pair with sherries of the owner if you like. This will make an excellent opportunity to immerse yourselves into the wine scene of Jerez.
4pm: end of lunch and farewell sherry cocktail before being transferred to your accommodation in Sancti Petri.
4:30pm: private transfer from the vineyard to your accommodation in Estepona.
6:15pm: arrival to your accommodation in Estepona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Estepona: Marriott Playa Andaluza (under own arrangements)
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25th of April (Diane and Lynn): day trip from Estepona to the valley of the Genal River for a hike there and an immersion into the life of one of its rural villages, finishing with lunch in the house of a local chef
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9am: meet your personal nature guide at your accommodation in Estepona 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 North West of your hotel.
10:05am: 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.
12pm: upon arrival to Benalauría, you will have an immersion into its present culture and lifestyle through visits to some selected local spots and meeting the local community along the way.
Your first stop will take you to the old local mill (not in use anymore), where you will understand how the local chestnut wood and stone allowed for the construction of very robust houses and local infrastructures until the late 20th century. The old mill is in an excellent state of conservation and the local population has donated several old artifacts to create a little exhibition space representing its roots and ancient industries.
Your second stop will take you to a private home where a local family makes and bakes their own bread in a wood oven. There you will be introduced to them to later make your own bread with them in a fun and interactive way that will allow you to meet and learn about the local community.
Your third stop will take you to the house of a local chef, who uses ingredients from the surrounding plots and farms. There you will enjoy a homemade lunch that will be the icing on the cake to your discovery journey of the Genal Valley.
4pm: end of lunch and private transfer from Benalauría back to Estepona.
5:10pm: arrival to your accommodation in Estepona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Estepona: Marriott Playa Andaluza (under own arrangements)
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25th of April (Kerri and Doug): day trip from Estepona to hike el Caminito del Rey and to have lunch in the village of el Chorro
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8:30am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to the start of the approach route that leads to the scenic hike of El Caminito del Rey.
10am: upon arrival to the start of the approach route, meet your personal nature guide for the day and start your nature adventure from there.
10:30am: once at the control point of the hike, be given your helmets and start El Caminito del Rey. El caminito del rey is a walkway with some sections pinned along the steep walls of a stunning gorge, offering amazing views of the surrounding nature. Early Spring is simply gorgeous in Southern Spain and this hike will allow you to enjoy its beautiful nature through a fun adventure.
1:30pm: at the end of the hike, reconnect with your personal driver, and be transferred to a selected local restaurant in the village of el Chorro.
1:40pm: arrival to the restaurant and lunch.
3:10pm: after lunch, reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to your hotel in Estepona.
4:40pm: arrival to your hotel in Estepona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Estepona: Marriott Playa Andaluza (under own arrangements)
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26th of April: day trip from Estepona to the Alhambra and el Generalife
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8am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation in Estepona and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver to the top of the hill of la Sabika in Granada, where the Alhambra and el Generalife are located.
10am: upon arrival to the Alhambra, meet your personal Alhambra expert and 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.
2pm: end of your tour of the Alhambra and free time in the city of Granada for lunch at leisure and to keep exploring the city at your own pace before returning to Estepona.
4:30pm: reconnect with your driver at a previously agreed meeting point and be transferred back to your hotel in Estepona.
6:45pm: arrival to your hotel in Estepona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Estepona: Marriott Playa Andaluza (under own arrangements)
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27th of April: morning transfer from Estepona to Seville and private walking tour of Seville World Heritage Sites in the early afternoon and evening flamenco and tapas tasting tour through the quarter of Triana (Doug and Lynn only do the tapas part of the evening tour).
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9am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation in Estepona and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to your hotel in Seville.
11:30am: arrival to your hotel in Seville and free time to check-in, freshen up and have a bite before your tours of the city.
1pm: be met by your personal local guide at your hotel to start a private walking tour that will take you to visit its most impressive World Heritages Sites: the Alcazar and the Cathedral with its Giralda tower.
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 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.
4pm: after your tour, you may want to be escorted back to your hotel or be given some orientation to enjoy the rest of the afternoon in the city at leisure before your evening tour.
6:30pm (Kerri and Diane only): meet your personal local host by the reception desk of your hotel to start a guided walk towards the flamenco quarter of Triana. Along this walk you will be explained about the origins of flamenco music in South West Spain and also about its evolution throughout the centuries. This will set the context for (and enhance your appreciation and enjoyment of) the flamenco performance in a small and intimate venue that will follow, with 4 people on stage (one singer, one guitarist and two dancers).
7:30pm: start of the flamenco performance.
8:30pm (everybody): after your flamenco performance, enjoy a tapas tasting tour through the quarter of Triana. Along the journey, your host will take you to 2 – 3 selected tapas bars where the locals like to gather with family and friends and where you will taste a selection of 6 – 9 local dishes to share and up to 3 drinks per person (wine, beer, refreshments, water). This will give you a very good overview of SouthWestern Spanish gastronomy and wines before deepening into both during the following days of your trip.
10:30pm: after your tapas adventure, be escorted back to your hotel stopping along the way for a sweet local treat.
11pm: arrival to your hotel and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: (under own arrangements)
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28th of April: market tour and cooking lesson with a personal cooking instructor followed by lunch in her cooking studio
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9:30am: be met by your personal cooking instructor at your accommodation. Then, together with her, you will be taken to a local market to buy all the necessary fresh ingredients for lunch.
Along your shopping route, your personal local host will provide you with some important explanations about the origins and quality of different produce. This will allow you to understand how the Spanish like to carefully select the ingredients they use for their dishes. Then, walk (or take a taxi) to her cooking studio.
Upon arrival, you will be offered something to drink and then your culinary experience will continue with some further explanations about the origin and quality of some selected produce, this time through tastings. 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 dining area of the cooking studio. Finally and after a sweet treat, 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. 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: end of lunch and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville: (under own arrangements)
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29th of April: day trip from Seville to Córdoba to tour the old town and the Great Mosque Cathedral. Diane and Lynn take the high-speed train from Córdoba to Madrid after lunch and Kerri and Doug are driven back to Seville
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9am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the city of Córdoba.
10:45am: upon arrival to the city of Córdoba, meet your personal local host to start a private 3h walking tour of the historic 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 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 and the Chapel of Saint Bartholomew 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 tour at the impressive Roman Bridge of the city and free time for lunch at leisure before your return to Seville. We will give you recommendations of places to eat in Córdoba and we will book a table for you if you wish.
3:45pm: reconnect with your driver at a previously agreed meeting point and be transferred back to your accommodation in Seville with a stopover at Córdoba train station to drop Diane and Lynn off so they can take their high – speed train to Madrid at 4:38pm.
4:38pm (Diane and Lynn only): departure of your high – speed train from Córdoba to Madrid (1st class seats).
5:30pm (Kerri and Doug only): arrival to your hotel in Seville and end of services for the day.
6:37pm (Diane and Lynn only): upon arrival of your train to Madrid train station, collect your luggage and walk to the arrivals hall. Your personal driver will be waiting for you there holding a sign saying “Diane and Lynn – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in Madrid.
7:15pm (Diane and Lynn only): arrival to your hotel in Madrid and end of services for the day. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in Madrid in your free time and also of places to eat. We will also book tables for you if you wish.
Overnight in Seville (Kerri and Doug only): (under own arrangements)
Overnight in Madrid (Diane and Lynn only): (under own arrangements)
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30th of April: departure from Madrid for Diane and Lynn
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8am (Diane and Lynn): meet your personal driver at your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Madrid airport.
8:30am (Diane and Lynn): arrival to Madrid airport on time to take your flight back to the US at 11:35am.
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Pricing
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The cost of this bespoke trip is 14452 Euros in total
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This price includes
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a personal driver.
– All private tours and experiences mentioned above led by a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide with a great command of the English language.
– All entrance tickets and admissions for all your guided tours.
High-speed train tickets (4 in total) to travel from Madrid to Málaga on the 20th of April.
– A tapas and wines lunch for 4 pax on the 21st of April through 2 selected tapas bars of Málaga old town and including a selection of 6 – 9 local dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water).
– A private visit to a selected sherry bodega with the corresponding tastings for 4 pax on the 24th of April.
– A private visit to a selected sherry vineyard with its own aging facilities for 4 pax on the 24th of April including a sherry tasting there and a homemade country lunch with starters, mains, desserts and sherry.
– A homemade lunch in the house of a local chef in the Genal Valley for 2 pax (Diane and Lynn) on the 25th of April including 2 starters, 1 main course, 1 dessert and wine.
– A private visit to a selected winery in the surroundings of Ronda on the 23rd of April for 4 pax including a selection of 4 wines and 4 dishes to pair.
– Admission to a selected flamenco performance for 2 pax (Diane and Kerri) on the 27th of April in a small and intimate venue with 4 artists onstage (2 dancers, 1 singer and 1 guitarist).
– A tapas and wines dinner for 4 pax on the 27th of April through 2 – 3 tapas bars of the quarter of Triana in Seville including a selection of 6 – 9 local dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water) and a sweet local treat to finish.
– A market tour and cooking lesson for 4 pax on the 28th of April including tastings of selected local produce prior to the cooking lesson and lunch in the cooking studio of your cooking instructor including 2 starters, 1 main course, 1 dessert and wine.
– 2 High-speed train tickets (1st class seats) for Diane and Lynn to travel from Córdoba to Madrid on the 29th of April.
– 24h Guardian Angel support throughout your trip for any emergencies you may have.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat in each of the places you will visit.
– All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Accommodation.
– Your international flights.
– Any meals not mentioned right above (Kerri and Doug will be taken to a local restaurant for lunch after their hike in el Caminito del Rey and they can pay locally there). Also, we will give you recommendations for lunch in Córdoba during your day trip to the city but the cost of lunch is not included.
– Anything else not mentioned in the section “this price includes”.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this bespoke trip we need a 20% deposit of the grand total no later than the 10th of September 2024 via credit/debit card. The final 80% must be processed via the same method no later than 45 days prior to the start of the trip.
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Grand total of this bespoke trip: 14452 Euros
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20% needed no later than the 10th of September 2024 via credit/debit card to confirm the trip: 2890,4
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Payment 1 (Diane and Lynn): 1489,6 Euros
Payment 2 (Kerri and Doug): 1400,8 Euros
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Final 80% needed no later than 45 days prior to the start of the trip: 11561,6 Euros
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Payment 3 (Diane and Lynn): 5958,4 Euros
Payment 4 (Kerri and Doug): 5603,2 Euros
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Cancellation policy
– If you all cancel your trip more than 45 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge the 20% deposit only.
– If you all cancel your trip between 45 and 31 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 40% of the full cost of the trip and we will refund the remaining 60%.
– If you all cancel your trip between 30 and 16 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 60% of the full cost of the trip and we will refund the remaining 40%
– If you all cancel your trip between 15 and 8 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 80% of the full cost of the trip and we will refund the remaining 20%.
– If you all cancel your trip 7 days or less prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 100% of the full cost of the trip.
(*) Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds or price reductions over the grand total of the trip. This partial cancellation policy applies to the group size and to the duration, activities and services included in the trip.
(**) Genuine Andalusia strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance for any international trip.
(***) If Spain closes its borders due to a national or global emergency and you are not able to enter the country because of this specific closure, we will give you a full refund.
