Description and schedule of services:
8th of April: arrival to Andalusia, culture and gastronomy tour of Málaga and transfer to Señorío de Nevada:
1pm: upon arrival of your train to Málaga train station, be met by your personal local host and a dedicated driver at the arrivals hall. Your personal local host will be holding a sign with your names on it. Then be transferred to Málaga old town for an introductory tapas tour of the city.
1:25pm: arrival to Málaga old town and tapas and wines lunch through 1 or 2 selected local bars. During your journey you will taste a selection of 5 tapas and 3 wines per person and you will understand the vibrant foodie hub that Málaga is becoming.
3:10pm: after your culinary introduction to Málaga, take a guided leisurely stroll through the old town. During your walk, you will learn about the origins and evolution of the city by seeing a bit of the oldest landmarks in Málaga which are its Roman theatre and its moorish fortress: the so-called Alcazaba, which has a convenient elevator for people to get to its top part. This will allow you to travel back in time in order to understand the important settlement the city was both in the Roman and in the Hispanic-Muslim periods and its evolution until the present times. After this you will be taken to the Picasso Museum, where you will take a relaxed tour aimed at enjoying some highlights of the collection.
6pm: end of your tour and private transfer to your hotel in the mountains of Granada.
7:30pm: arrival to your hotel and end of services for the day.
Overnight at Señorío de Nevada (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
9th of April: the Alhambra.
7:15am: private transfer from your accommodation to the Alhambra.
7:45am: arrival to the Alhambra and tour of the site at 8am (neither booked nor managed through Genuine Andalusia).
11am: end of your Alhambra tour and free time for lunch in Granada (recommendations will be given).
2:30pm: private transfer from Granada (pickup point is Plaza Mariana de Pineda or the Alhambra car park. Please note that traffic in Granada city is restricted and only residents, taxis and cars associated to a hotel reservation can drive through the old town) back to your accommodation.
3pm: arrival to your accommodation and end of services for the day.
Overnight at Señorío de Nevada (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
10th of April: moscatel wines and Easter cooking lesson
9:30am: be met by your personal driver at your accommodation near Granada and be transferred to the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama natural park. Along the way, pick up your personal local host for the day who is a local to the area. Once with him, be explained about the wine scene of the area, which is famous for its moscatel grapes, used for the production of both dry and sweet wines.
11am: upon arrival to the natural park, you will be taken on a private visit of a selected small winery in the quaint village of Cómpeta. There you will do a tasting of all the range of moscatel wines that are produced there: dry, semi-sweet and sweet).
12pm: end of the visit to the winery and private transfer to the village of Vélez Málaga for a private cooking lesson focused on Easter recipes.
12:45pm: upon arrival To Vélez – Málaga, meet your cooking instructor and together with her and your personal local host, start cooking a series of local recipes, some of which are typical of Easter. You will taste a regional specialty called ajobacalao, and learn how to prepare a Spanish omelette and some Easter sweets such as buñuelos and torrijas. After cooking you will enjoy lunch with your personal local host including 2 glasses of wine per person.
3:30pm: after your cooking lesson and lunch, take a small tour of Vélez Málaga aimed at discovering its main view points from where you will be explained the history of the town and some general and curious facts about its present personality too.
4:30pm: be transferred from Vélez – Málaga back to your accommodation.
5:30pm: arrival to your accommodation and end of services for the day.
Overnight at Señorío de Nevada (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
11th of April: transfer to Ronda and tour of Ronda:
9:30am: jprivate transfer from Señorío de Nevada to your hotel in Ronda.
12:15pm: arrival to Ronda and free time to check-in and to have lunch before your introductory walking tour of the city.
3pm: met your personal local host at your hotel to start a leisurely guided walk of Ronda old town aimed at understanding the Hispanic-Muslim origins of the city and the transformations that the town suffered in 1485 when it was conquered by the Christians. It was then when many wealthy military orders settled down in Ronda in order to defend its strategical 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, some of which you may want to visit during your tour. In the 18th century Ronda experienced a time of maximum splendour and its main landmarks were built: the bullring (the oldest in Spain) and the majestic New Bridge both of which you may want visit during your tour.
Ronda has also stunning nature in its surroundings and your tour will take you to the best view points so that you understand why this whitewashed gem attracted so many romantic travelers in the 19th century.
6pm: end of the tour.
Overnight at hotel Catalonia Ronda (not booked through Genuine Andalusia).
12th of April: The wine scene of Ronda:
9:45am: meet your personal local host and a dedicated driver at your accommodation to go on a discovery journey of the local wine scene of Ronda. During your discovery journey, you will learn how Ronda has a fascinating and emerging wine scene in which all the winemakers follow a common approach based on quality vs. quantity. You will also understand the wide variety of national and international grapes that have adapted extremely well to the local climate resulting in excellent wines being produced in the area. Your tour will take you to visit two hand-picked wineries representative of the values of the local wine scene. You will have a comprehensive tasting in each of them. In both wineries, the tastings will be accompanied by some morning and early afternoon bites. Then, after touring the wineries you will be taken to a selected local restaurant for lunch.
3:15pm: end of your food and wine journey back at your hotel.
Overnight at hotel Catalonia Ronda (not booked through Genuine Andalusia).
13th of April: from Ronda to Jerez visiting artisanal food producers and the village of Arcos de la Frontera:
9am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to a selected olive mill in the natural park of Grazalema.
10am: upon arrival to the mill, be welcome by the owner and be explained about the traditional methods he uses to make different types of olive oil, with the olives from the surrounding groves. This will be followed by the corresponding tastings.
11:15am: end of the visit to the olive mill and private transfer to the farm of a shepherd who is also a cheese maker.
11:45am: arrival to the farm, meeting with the shepherd and explanations about what being a 360º artisanal cheese producer in the middle of a natural park is. From raising the goats, to milking them, to making different types of cheese, to sell them to direct consumers only. Tasting of different types of cheese in the farm.
12:30pm: end of the cheese tasting and private transfer to the stunning whitewashed village of Arcos de la Frontera for lunch.
1:05pm: arrival to Arcos de la Frontera and small walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its history (shaped by its location right on a former frontier between two kingdoms: one Christian and one Muslim), on its combination of grand historical constructions and houses of traditional architecture, on its traditions and on its gorgeous views of the surrounding valleys.
2pm: lunch in a selected local restaurant.
3:30pm: end of lunch and private transfer to Jerez.
4:10pm: arrival to Jerez and end of services for the day.
Overnight at hotel Casa Palacio María Luisa (not booked through Genuine Andalusia).
14th of April: Spanish purebred horses and flamenco:
10:45am: make your own way on foot or by taxi to the Royal School of Equestrian Art.
11am: upon arrival to the Royal School of Equestrian Art, be met by a personal local host and be shown around the premises before the show. You will visit the training grounds, the saddlery, the gardens, the stables and horse carriage museum.
12pm: horse show (presidential seats) starts with performances of country riding, of dressage and of horse carriage driving. During the interlude of the show, be taken privately to the backstage to see the performing horses, the riders and the tack room.
1:45pm: end of the horse show and free time until the evening (recommendations will be given).
9:30pm: make your own way on foot or by taxi to a selected flamenco venue in Jerez.
9:45pm: upon arrival to the venue, be welcome by a member of their staff and accommodated in your seats before the performance.
10pm: traditional flamenco show with 4 people on stage (2 dancers, 1 singer and 1 guitarist).
11pm: end of the flamenco show back and make your own way back to your hotel on foot or by taxi.
Overnight at hotel Casa Palacio María Luisa (not booked through Genuine Andalusia).
15th of April: Sherry at its best:
9:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and take a leisurely walk of Jerez old town aimed at understanding the Hispanic-Muslim origins of the city and the transformations that it experienced (architecture, urban planning, social composition and overall character) in the 13th century after the Christian conquest and later in the 18th and 19th centuries when Sherry became probably the most fashionable drink in the world. Your may also want to visit the local market in order to understand not only the essential proximity services it is for the local community but also the important role it plays in the social fabric of the city.
11am: end of your introductory walking tour in a selected sherry bodega in Jerez old town and private visit to learn about the ageing process of the different types of sherries. This will be followed by the corresponding tastings of old sherries.
12:30pm: end of the visit to the bodega and private transfer to a selected vineyard outside Jerez.
12:45pm: arrival to the vineyard, meeting with the owner and explanations about the grapes, the vines, the soil and the climate that make sherry so unique. This will be followed in the private family bodega of the owner where he makes and ages sherry only for him and his family and where you will do the corresponding tastings of his artisanal single-vineyard sherries. The tasting will be accompanied by a selection of tapas.
2:15pm: homemade lunch in the vineyard house of the owner which overlooks the rolling hills of the sherry triangle including starters, mains and desserts and paired with the sherries of the owner.
3:45pm: end of lunch and farewell sherry cocktail.
4:15pm: private transfer back to your accommodation in Jerez.
4:30pm: arrival to your accommodation and end of services for the day.
Overnight at hotel Casa Palacio María Luisa (not booked through Genuine Andalusia).
16th of April: from Jerez to Lisbon via Seville:
8am: private transfer from your hotel in Jerez to Seville with your personal driver.
9:15am: upon arrival to Seville, meet your personal local host and start a leisurely walk of its most exotic World Heritage Site: the Alcázar. The Alcazar of Seville is a massive complex of palaces erected in different periods by different monarchs and it features a fascinating combination of Hispanic Muslim and Christian architecture styles called Mudéjar that is unique to Spain. There you may want to see the iconic House of Trade, which was the institution that managed all trade with the new world when Seville held the monopoly of this industry. Another highlight of the Alcazar are its exquisite gardens where you many want to spend some time too. After visiting the Alcázar, you will take a short walk to visit the Cathedral of Seville, which is the largest gothic temple in the world and where Christopher Columbus is buried. The Cathedral of Seville was erected on the grounds where a former Mosque was and it keeps some beautiful remains of it as well as stunning sections of gothic, renaissance, baroque and neoclassical style. Then, after touring the cathedral, you may want to see a little bit of the quarter of Santa Cruz which keeps its original Hispanic-Muslim urban planning and traditional architecture to a very large extent.
12:15pm: after your tour, enjoy some free time for a quick bite (recommendations will be given).
12:45pm: private transfer from Seville to Seville airport.
1:15pm: arrival to Seville airport and end of services.
Price of this bespoke program of tours for a private group of 4 people: 6980 Euros.
This price includes:
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated uniformed driver.
– All private tours mentioned above (Málaga, Ronda old town, moscatel wine tour and cooking lesson, day trip from Ronda to Jerez visiting artisanal food producers and the village of Arcos de la Frontera, wine scene of Ronda, Gibraltar, Sherry tour in Jerez, Seville) except for your Alhambra tour, with a personal local host from Genuine Andalusia.
– All entrance tickets, admissions and tastings during these tours except for your Alhambra tickets.
– A tapas lunch in Málaga with a selection of 5 tapas and 3 wines per person.
– Lunch after your cooking lesson with your culinary creations, including 2 glasses of wine per person.
– Tickets to see the horse show in the Royal School of Equestrian Art (presidential seats) including a private tour of the school before the show and private access to the backstage during the interlude of the show.
– Tickets for a selected flamenco performance in Jerez old town.
– A homemade lunch in a selected vineyard in Jerez including starters, mains, desserts, sherry, water and sherry cocktails.
– Petrol, parkings, tolls and all expenses of your drivers and of your guides.
– Recommendations of places to eat in each of the cities you will stay.
This price excludes:
– Alhambra tickets.
– Tour of the Alhambra.
– Any meals not mentioned right above.
– Accommodation.
– Flights.
– Anything else not mentioned right above.
Confirmation and payments:
In order to confirm this bespoke tour program you paid a 60% of the grand total via credit/debit card on the 27th of February 2020. The final 40% must be paid via the same method no later than 30 days prior to the start of the tour program.
Grand total of this bespoke tour program: 6980 Euros.
Amount already paid: 4188 Euros.
Final 40% needed to fully pay the tour program (no later than 30 days prior to its start): 2792 Euros.
Cancellation policy:
If you cancelled this tour program more than 30 days prior to scheduled departure, we’d charge 30% of the grand total of the tour program.
If you cancelled this tour program between 30 and 24 days prior to scheduled departure, we’d charge 50% of the grand total of the tour program.
If you cancelled this tour program between 23 and 16 days prior to scheduled departure, we’d charge 75% of the grand total of the tour program.
If you cancelled this tour program between 15 days or less prior to scheduled departure, we’d charge 100% of the grand total of the tour program.
