Payment of bespoke trip to Southern Spain | 17th of February – 5th of March 2025 | 2 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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17th of February: arrival to Madrid airport, transfer to Madrid train station and high-speed train to Córdoba. Rest of the day at leisure in Córdoba to recover from the journey
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12:15pm: upon arrival of your flight to Madrid airport (DL9485), collect your luggage, walk to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Duke and Carol – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Madrid train station. We will leave enough margin between the estimated arrival time of your flight and the departure time of your train in case there’s a flight delay.
Anyway, we will also be monitoring your flight and on top of things in case we need to postpone your train tickets due to a flight delay.
2:35pm: departure of your high-speed train from Madrid to Córdoba (1st class seats).
4:24pm: upon arrival of your train to Córdoba train station, collect your luggage, walk to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Duke and Carol – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in Córdoba.
4:55pm: arrival to your hotel in Córdoba and end of services for the day. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in Córdoba in your free time and also of places to eat. We will also book tables for you if you like.
Overnight in Córdoba: superior double room with breakfast included at Hotel el Balcón de Córdoba (4*)
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18th of February: Córdoba old town discovery journey: history, architecture and artisans
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9:30am: meet your personal local host at your hotel to start your walking tour of the historic center of the city, which will have a special focus on its history, architecture and artisans.
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.
After this exposure to the history and architecture of the city you will be taken to visit a selected local artisan specialized in probably the most iconic and historic local craft: Cordován and Guadamecí.
During your visit you will be explained about the origin of these leather crafts, which date from the middle ages, to later learn how the Cordován and Guadamecí pieces are designed, made and finished. You will also learn about the market segments that demand these creations from Córdoba and for what purposes.
1:45pm: after your discovery journey of the city and its artisans, be escorted back to your hotel or be given recommendations of places to go for lunch at leisure.
Overnight in Córdoba: superior double room with breakfast included at Hotel el Balcón de Córdoba (4*)
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19th of February: half-day trip to the UNESCO archaeological site of Medina – Azahara and horse show in Córdoba in the evening
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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 the archaeological site of Medina Azahara.
9:25am: upon arrival to Medina-Azahara, meet your personal local host and start a private walking tour of the site to understand the massive palatial complex that it once was, the different parts it featured, their functions, the relationships between the people who inhabited it, its defensive system, the political role it played during the caliphate of Córdoba and the reasons that led to its decay and abandonment.
12:30pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to Cordoba.
1pm: arrival to Córdoba and free time until the evening horse show at the Caballerizas reales de Córdoba.
6:45pm: be ready at the Caballerizas Reales de Córdoba for the horse show that will start at 7pm. We will have tickets booked for you.
7pm: start of the horse show.
8pm: end of the horse show.
Overnight in Córdoba: superior double room with breakfast included at Hotel el Balcón de Córdoba (4*)
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20th of February: from Córdoba to Seville with visits along the way to the Roman archaeological sites of Carmona (Necrópolis) and city of Itálica
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9am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to the archaeological site of Carmona to later visit the also Roman archaeological site of Itálica.
Located only 40km away from each other on the way from Córdoba to Seville, the archaeological sites of Carmona and Itálica make a fabulous combo day trip and are a must for travelers willing to learn about Hispania: the Roman territory that Spain once was.
10:20am: upon arrival to the necropolis of Carmona, meet your personal local guide and start a private tour of this vast site, which features several extremely monumental Roman tombs as well as other types of funerary chambers. Your visit to the tombs and the corresponding interpretation you will be offered will uncover fascinating aspects about the level of economic, cultural and spiritual development that the city of Carmona enjoyed during Roman times.
11:20am: After your tour of the Necropolis of Carmona, you will be driven to the archaeological site of Itálica.
12pm: upon arrival to Itálica, start your private tour of the site, which was built in 216 B.C. as a fortified military settlement to later become a prestigious city with impressive constructions such as a theater, an amphitheater, Roman baths and several grand residences. The tour will allow you to recreate the splendor of a city that saw the birth of emperor Trajan in the 1st century A.D. and arguably of Hadrian too. Amazing mosaics in a surprising state of conservation, streets with their original paving, an urban planning of perfect square blocks and the breath-taking space where gladiators would fight each other in front of more than 20000 people will make you understand the level of refinement and development of a key city in Roman Hispania 20 centuries ago.
1:30pm: after your tour of Itálica, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to your hotel in Seville.
2pm: arrival to your hotel in Seville and end of services for the day. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in Seville in your free time and also of places to eat. We will also book tables for you if you like.
Overnight in Seville: deluxe double room with breakfast included at Hotel Casa del Poeta (4*)
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21st of February: Seville Alcazar, Cathedral and Jewish quarter walking tour in the morning and flamenco and tapas tour in the evening
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10am: be met by your personal local host at your hotel in Seville to start a private walking tour that will take you to visit its impressive World Heritages Sites: the Alcazar or Moorish palace, the Cathedral with its Giralda tower and the medieval Jewish quarter.
You will start your discovery journey by visiting the Alcazar, which is a massive complex of palaces erected in different periods and of breath-taking gardens of different styles. The Alcazar has stunning historical constructions featuring a very particular crossover between Hispanic-Muslim and Christian architecture styles, called Mudejar. This style became very fashionable in Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries amongst the Christian nobility and it reached its maximum 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 was 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, which is a perfectly preserved Hispanic-Muslim minaret from the period when a Mosque occupied the grounds where the Cathedral stands today.
To finish the tour 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: end of your tour and rest of the afternoon at leisure before your evening flamenco and tapas tour.
6:30pm: meet your personal local host by the reception desk of your hotel to start a guided walk towards the flamenco quarter of Triana. This introductory walk is aimed at learning how flamenco music emerged from South West Spain as a result of a slow fusion of the ancient multicultural musical heritage of Southern Spain with the original gypsy rhythms and musical roots. 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: 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, some of which you know very well!
10:30pm: after your tapas adventure, be escorted back to your hotel, maybe stopping along the way for a sweet local treat.
11pm: arrival to your hotel and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: deluxe double room with breakfast included at Hotel Casa del Poeta (4*)
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22nd of February: day trip to the Natural park of Aracena for an immersion into the production and enjoyment of the most iconic Spanish delicacy: Iberian Ham
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9am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation in Seville and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the natural park of Aracena, home of the best Iberian Ham in the world.
Along the way, you will be given some explanations about the geography, landscape, economy, culture, agriculture and farming of the sierras de Huelva, located between Seville and the South of Portugal.
10:30am: upon arrival to the natural park of Aracena, visit a private extension of dehesa forest with an expert, to learn about the habitat where free range, acorn-fed, Iberian pigs live and about the animals themselves. Dehesa is a unique type of ecosystem ideal to raise Iberian pigs for the production of top-quality Iberian ham. During your visit you will discover the particularities of this ecosystem and about its connection to the breeding of Iberian pigs.
11:30am: after your visit to the dehesa and with all the knowledge acquired there, be transferred to the facilities where the Iberian ham of this farm is cured.
11:45am: upon arrival to the curing cellars, you will be taken on a private tour aimed at learning about the very specific artisanal treatments and particular humidity and temperature conditions to cure Iberian pig meats. This will be followed by a guided tasting of iberian ham paired with local wines. This will make a great end to your discovery journey of the most iconic food from SouthWest Spain.
1pm: after your visit to the iberian ham farm, be transferred to the whitewashed village of Aracena for lunch.
1:30pm: arrival to Aracena and lunch in a selected local restaurant.
3pm: after lunch, you may want to take a stroll around Aracena to enjoy its picturesque streets and traditional architecture.
4pm: end of your visit to Aracena and private transfer back to Seville.
5:15pm: arrival to Seville and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: deluxe double room with breakfast included at Hotel Casa del Poeta (4*)
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23rd of February: Mudéjar architecture masterpieces (religious and civil) of Seville followed by a tapas lunch
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9:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation to discover today some lesser known quarters of Seville old town, located in its northern section and that stand out for their impressive examples of mudejar architecture (buildings erected in Hispanic – Muslim style during Christian times) both civil and religious.
During your exploration journey, you will visit two hand-picked mudéjar buildings representative of the culture, history, architecture and personality of the city.
One of them will be a convent where 21 nuns live in complete isolation fully committed to working and praying. There you will learn how the Christian architecture style that came pushing from Northern Europe (Gothic) during the times of the Christian conquest didn’t really set in Southern Spain but merged with the deeply rooted Hispanic-Muslim style of architecture and decorative arts from the region, creating a unique mix called Gothic-Mudéjar.
At the convent, you will also be able to interact with the nuns while you learn about their lifestyle, the history and architecture of the building where they live and about the many pieces of art of remarkable beauty they have there.
The next stop will be the palace of a local aristocratic family, where you will be able to understand how the Southern Spanish nobility, after the Christian conquest of Southern Spain, regarded Hispanic Muslim architecture and decorative arts as a symbol of status, refinement and grandeur, thus commissioning Hispanic – Muslim artisans to build and decorate their houses in collaboration with other talented artisans who brought other fashionable styles from other parts of the world such as Renaissance, which originally emerged from Italy.
After this, you will be taken to enjoy not only the atmosphere but also the great gastronomy of these areas of the city. This will be in a selected tapas bar, where you will be taken to for lunch to deepen into the local gastronomy, before being escorted back to your hotel, maybe stopping along the way for a local sweet treat.
2:30pm: end of your tour back at your accommodation.
Overnight in Seville: deluxe double room with breakfast included at Hotel Casa del Poeta (4*)
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24th of February: morning artisans tour of Seville. Embroidery, Gilding, Ceramics and Tiles
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9:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be taken to visit privately, three selected workshops specialized in three different local crafts: embroidery, gilding and ceramics and tiles.
Your first stop will be an embroidery workshop in the heart of the medieval town. There you will be introduced to the owner and master embroiderer to later be explained about different ancient embroidery techniques and how they are used today in Seville both in traditional works and in the latest and finest fashion designs.
Then you will be taken to the workshop of a master gilder and carpenter. There you will be explained all about the gold-leaf techniques that have been used and are still used in Seville mostly in religious art. During this visit, you will understand the labor of love that gilding is and how it requires to prepare the wood first with very specific artisanal techniques before applying layers and layers of gold leaf to it.
You will also learn about the different decorative arts that are applied to gilded elements using a wide range of ancient techniques that result in impressive final results.
Finally you will be taken to a ceramics and tiles workshop. There you will be explained the different tile-making techniques and designs that have been used in Seville since Moorish times until today and how this has evolved towards more modern designs that still use the same raw materials and techniques to adapt to the modern trends and present demands.
1:30pm: end of the tour back at your accommodation and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: deluxe double room with breakfast included at Hotel Casa del Poeta (4*)
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25th of February: day trip to the national park of Doñana (birdwatching)
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7am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation in Seville and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to the northern boundary of the national park of Doñana.
8am: upon arrival be left in the hands of your birdwatching expert to go on a 5 hour bird-watching tour through the national park in a 4×4 vehicle. You will be given professional binoculars and together with your nature expert you will explore different ecosystems of the park. From pine forests to marshes, meadows and cork-oak forests. The marshes tend to flood in the winter and flocks of birds fly over the vast extensions of water. The light will be ideal especially towards sunrise when the fauna will become the most active.
Regarding birds, It is an interesting time of year because it usually offers the opportunity to observe most of the wintering species and at the same time provides the first chances to see some of the breeding species back from Africa.
Towards the end of the tour you will be given a tour of the peculiar hamlet of El Rocío, famous for its shrine, unique architecture, majority of horses registered in town over people and for a massive pilgrimage that congregates dozens of thousands of people during Pentecost every year.
1pm: end of the tour in El Rocío and free time for a bite at leisure before returning back to Seville (we will give you recommendations).
2:15pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to Seville.
3:15pm: arrival to Seville and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: deluxe double room with breakfast included at Hotel Casa del Poeta (4*)
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26th of February: Market tour and cooking lesson with your own personal cooking instructor followed by lunch with her 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: deluxe double room with breakfast included at Hotel Casa del Poeta (4*)
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27th of February: from Seville to Granada via Antequera to tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the dolmens of Antequera (Iberian pre-history)
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10am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Dolmens of Antequera.
11:50am: 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.
1:20pm: end of your private tour of the UNESCO sites of the dolmens and private transfer to Antequera old town for lunch at leisure.
3pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred to your hotel in Granada.
4:15pm: arrival to your hotel in Granada and rest of the day at leisure. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in the city during your free time and also of places to eat. We will also book tables for you if you wish.
Overnight in Granada: deluxe premium room with terrace and Alhambra views with breakfast included at Hotel Casa 1800 Granada (3*)
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28th of February: introductory tour of Granada: quarters of el Realejo, Albayzin and Sacromonte
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10am: meet your personal local host by the reception desk of your hotel to go on a walking tour of the city that will allow you first to discover, learn about the history and architecture and experience the beauty of the three most iconic quarters of the city: El Realejo, el Albayzin and el Sacromonte.
This introduction to the city of Granada will also help to set the historic context for your tour to the Alhambra and el Generalife the next day.
You will start with the quarter of El Realejo. This part of Granada was once home to the Sephardic community that lived in the city from the 8th century until 1492. Your tour of El Realejo will take you to the spot where the main synagogue was while you are explained about the origins of this Hispanic-Jewish settlement and about the events that happened in this part of the town during the centuries when it was inhabited by Jewish people. Along your tour you will also learn about important members of the Sephardic community of Granada and about their contribution to subjects such as medicine, poetry, philosophy and translation in medieval Spain.
From el Realejo, you will move on towards the 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 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.
From El Albayzin, you will continue on towards the quarter of el Sacromonte. This hilltop quarter is probably the most unique in Granada. Perched on a hillside offering the most beautiful views of the Alhambra and with a very particular residential architecture of cave houses, el Sacromonte also has some very interesting inhabitants. This tour offers a visit to this magical area of the city aimed not only at enjoying its rustic beauty but also at learning about the arrival of the first gypsy communities to Granada and about the impact that this had in the origins and evolution of flamenco music and dance in Granada.
Finally from el Sacromonte, you will be escorted back to your accommodation by taxi.
1:30pm: arrival to your accommodation and end of services for the day. Then enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure.
Overnight in Granada: deluxe premium room with terrace and Alhambra views with breakfast included at Hotel Casa 1800 Granada (3*)
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1st of March: half day tour of the Alhambra: Gardens with a landscape designer and palaces with an architect
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9am: be met by your personal Alhambra architecture expert and be transferred by taxi to the top of the hill of la Sabika, where the Alhambra and El Generalife are located.
9:15am: upon arrival to the hill of la Sabika start your private walking tour of the Alhambra. This tour will allow you to enjoy the exquisite refinement of the most splendorous construction that the Muslims built in Spain. The Alhambra was a palatial town, formed by different parts, all of which you will get to discover with your personal architect in order to understand how they were all built, how they all worked together, the role that each of them had and the different people who inhabited them.
11:45am: after your tour of the Alhambra your architecture expert will leave you in the hands of a landscape planner who will take you to the Generalife or summer palace of the Nasrid Sultans, where they would go to get away from the hustle of life in the Alhambra. The Generalife is a magical place designed for relaxation and contemplation and its gardens, architecture and views are simply spectacular. During this part of the tour you will focus on a different aspect of the Alhambra, gaining a much deeper understanding of this majestic complex.
1:30pm: end of your private tour of the Alhambra and el Generalife and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Granada: deluxe premium room with terrace and Alhambra views with breakfast included at Hotel Casa 1800 Granada (3*)
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2nd of March: from Granada to Toledo via the UNESCO world heritage cities of Ubeda and Baeza and with a visit to a premium olive oil manufacturer near Baeza (best olive oil in Spain)
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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 the UNESCO city of Baeza.
10:40am: upon arrival to Baeza, be met by your personal local host to start a private walking tour of its historic center.
Declared a historic-artistic site, Baeza has also an incredible Renaissance legacy, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, where the carved stone contrasts with the whitewashed farmhouses.
Your journey will start by visiting the old Market Square and today’s heart of the city. The Market Square is the symbol of the evolution of the city through the centuries and will allow you to understand its Islamic and Renaissance roots. Later, you will enter the Old town through its main gate, a 12th century Islamic arch transformed into a stunning Renaissance construction for the visit of Emperor Charles V.
Once inside the city walls, you will find a maze of cobblestoned alleys, churches and palaces in an impeccable state of conservation. There you will visit the cathedral, an eclectic combination of Islamic, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles to later get to the Mirador del Guadalquivir, a breathtaking spot overlooking the Valley of Guadalquivir river. From there, you will get to see an endless ocean of olive trees. It will be then when your guide will explain to you why this region in Northeast Andalusia is the main producer of olive oil in the world.
Finally, to top up your tour, you will be taken to the old Seminary of Baeza, the evocative palace of Jabalquinto and the Old University. This will make a delightful visit to top up your history and architecture exploration of NorthEast Andalusia before proceeding to learn about and taste its most iconic delicacy (extra virgin olive oil) in an award-winning mill.
12:20pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred to a selected olive oil mill just outside Baeza.
12:30pm: arrival to the mill and private tour with one of the in-house olive oil experts and aimed at learning about its production, properties, quality and enjoyment. At the end of the tour, you will enjoy a tasting of different types of olive oil. This will give you an appreciation of how different olives are used for the production of different oils with unique aromas and tastes and why each of them is suited to different culinary purposes.
2pm: after your olive oil tour and tasting, reconnect with your driver and be taken to Baeza old town for lunch.
2:15pm: arrival to Baeza and free time for lunch at leisure. We will give you restaurant recommendations and will book a table for you if you wish.
3:30pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred to the nearby town of Úbeda.
3:50pm: upon arrival to Úbeda, reconnect with your personal local guide to take a private walking tour of the old town, aimed at discovering its splendid monumental legacy made up of palaces, noble mansions and majestic temples.
Úbeda is a unique example of the arrival of Renaissance trends in Spain in the 16th century and its monumental old town section has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Your tour will allow you to understand why this town in Northeast Andalusia became one of the most prosperous in the Christian kingdom of Castilla in the 16th century while you are taken to visit the interiors of its most exquisite temple: the Chapel of El Salvador, which is considered one of the best examples of funerary architecture in Europe. Then in the surroundings of the chapel, you will be taken to see and learn about some of the best Renaissance constructions in Úbeda.
Your tour will also take you to visit a gallery / workshop with local pottery made by a famous local potter / ceramicist.
5:20pm: end of your private walking tour and private transfer from Úbeda to your hotel in Toledo.
8:10pm: arrival to your hotel in Toledo and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Toledo: premium double room with Alcazar views and breakfast included at hotel Aúrea Toledo (4*)
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3rd of March: Toledo discovery journey (I). Church of San Román, Mosque of el Cristo de la Luz and Cathedral
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10am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation Toledo to go on an introductory private tour of the city with a special focus on its medieval history, from its origins and maximum splendor under the Hispanic-Muslim rule until the Christian conquest of the city.
Your tour will take you first to see some remarkable evidence of the presence of the Hispanic-Muslim culture in the city in the former Mosque of el Cristo de la Luz.
You will then visit the former church of San Román which is the most exquisite example of the interaction between the three great Mediterranean cultures that took place in Toledo. This is especially present in the architecture and iconographic program of the church which features some impressive frescoes from the Middle ages.
Finally, to top up your tour you will visit the Cathedral of Toledo, which is one of the most important ones ever erected in Spain.
1:30pm: end of your tour and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Toledo: premium double room with Alcazar views and breakfast included at hotel Aúrea Toledo (4*)
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4th of March: Toledo discovery journey (II). Synagogues of el Tránsito and Santa María la Blanca and damasquinado artisans
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10am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation to start a private walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its Jewish history, from its origins and maximum splendor under the Hispanic-Muslim rule until the Christian conquest of the city.
Along your tour you will visit the synagogues of Santa María la Blanca and of El Tránsito, which are extraordinary examples of the Jewish-Sephardic heritage of the city.
To finish you will visit a former Hispanic-Muslim palace (taller del Moro) in order to discover the similarities between the Moorish architecture of Toledo and Andalucía and to understand the important Hispanic-Muslim city that Toledo was along with Cordoba, Granada and Seville in the middle ages.
1pm: after your history and architecture journey, you will be taken to visit a workshop of the most iconic local craft: damasquinado. Damasquinado is an ancient craft brought to Toledo by Muslims but that has its roots in the Greek, Egyptian, Roman and even old Asian civilizations. At the workshop you will learn how Damasquinados are crafted following very specific techniques until achieving exquisite finishings.
1:45pm: end of your tour and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Toledo: premium double room with Alcazar views and breakfast included at hotel Aúrea Toledo (4*)
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5th of March: from Toledo to Madrid airport and end of trip
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7am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred to Madrid airport in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle.
8am: arrival to Madrid airport on time to take your flights back to the US (DL0109) and end of trip.
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Pricing
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TThe cost of this bespoke trip for a private party of 2 pax is 17890 Euros
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This price includes
– 16 nights’ accommodation with breakfast included as per mentioned above.
– All private tours and travel experiences mentioned above, led by a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide with a great command of the English language.
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a personal driver.
– High – speed train tickets (1st class seats) for your journey from Madrid to Córdoba on the 17th of February.
– All entrance tickets for all your guided tours.
– Entrance ticket for the horse show at the Reales Caballerizas de Córdoba (self-guided activity).
– Private visit to a Cordovan and Guadamecí workshop (local leather crafts of Hispanic-Muslim origin) in Cordoba old town.
– Admission to a selected flamenco show in the quarter of Triana (Seville) with 4 artists onstage (2 dancers, 1 guitarist and 1 singer).
– A tapas and wines dinner in the quarter of Triana including a selection of 6 – 9 local tapas dishes to share, up to 3 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water) and a sweet local treat to finish.
– A private visit to a selected pig farm in the natural park of Aracena with its own curing cellars followed by a tasting of Iberian Ham and other cured meats, paired with local wines from Huelva.
– Lunch in a selected local restaurant in the town of Aracena including a selection of 2 starters to share, 1 main course per person, 1 dessert per person and up to 3 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water).
– A tapas lunch in Seville old town during your Mudéjar Seville tour including a selection of 5 – 8 tapas dishes to share, up to 2 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water) and a sweet local treat to finish.
– Private visits to selected workshops of embroidery, gilding, ceramics and tiles in Seville.
– Private 4 x 4 tour through the restricted areas of the national park of Doñana with your own personal nature expert including the corresponding bird watching equipment.
– Market tour and cooking lesson with your own personal cooking instructor including tastings of selected local produce prior to your cooking lesson and lunch after the corresponding preparations including 3 starters, 1 main course, 1 desert and drinks.
– Taxi ride to get from your hotel to the Alhambra with your own personal architect for your tour of the palaces of the Alhambra.
– Private visit to a selected olive oil manufacturer outside Baeza with the corresponding tastings there.
– Private visit to a workshop of Damasquinados in Toledo (ancient metal craft brought to Spain from the East by Muslims in the Middle Ages).
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat in each of the places you will visit.
– 24h Guardian Angel service throughout your trip for any emergencies you many have.
– All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Your international flights
– 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 we require a 20% deposit of the grand total no later than the 21st of June 2024 via credit/debit card. The remaining 80% must be paid via the same method no later than the week of January the 6th.
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Grand total of this trip: 17890 Euros
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20% deposit needed no later than the 21st of June 2024 via credit/debit card to confirm the trip: 3578 Euros
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Final 80% needed no later than the week of January the 6th to pay it in full: 14312 Euros
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your tour trip more than 45 days prior to its scheduled start: we’ll charge the 20% deposit only.
– If you cancel your trip between 45 and 31 days prior to its scheduled start: we’ll charge 30% of the full cost of the trip and we’ll refund the remaining 70%.
– If you cancel your trip between 30 and 21 days prior to its scheduled start: we’ll charge 50% of the full cost of the trip and we’ll refund the remaining 50%.
– If you cancel your trip between 20 and 11 days prior to its scheduled start: we’ll charge 60% of the full cost of the trip and we’ll refund the remaining 40%.
– If you cancel your trip between 10 and 4 days prior to its scheduled start: we’ll charge 70% of the full cost of the trip and we’ll refund the remaining 30%.
– If you cancel your trip 3 days or less prior to its scheduled start: we’ll charge 100% of the full cost of the trip.
(*) Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds. This applies to the group size and to the duration, services, activities and tours included in the trip.
(**) Genuine Andalusia strongly recommends buying travel insurance for any international trip. Most of our US guests buy their travel insurance from MedJet.
