Payment of bespoke trip to Spain | 19th – 27th of August 2022 | 3 pax
–
Description and schedule of services
–
19th of August: flight from the US to Barcelona, transfer to your hotel and day at leisure to recover from your flight.
–
5pm: upon arrival of your flight to Barcelona airport, collect your luggage and walk to the arrivals hall. Your personal driver will be waiting for you there holding a sign saying “Yaffa Grace – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in Barcelona.
6:15pm (estimated): arrival to your hotel in Barcelona and rest of the day at leisure to recover from your journey.
Overnight in Barcelona: Hotel Ohla (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
20th of August: morning discovery tour of Barcelona’s unique architecture and evening food tour of the old town
–
Your morning tour today will have a special focus on the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí: the Church of la Sagrada familia and Parc Güell. Two great examples (one religious and one park) representative of the talent of this master architect.
9:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred by taxi to Parc Güell.
9:55am: upon arrival, you will be taken on a private walking tour of the park aimed at understanding the extent to which Gaudi was able to expand his creativity and versatility. Promoted by the local businessman Eusebi Güell, the park was originally devised as an exclusive garden for the well-to-do local families who wanted to get away from the busy city life and be closer to nature. Güell gave Gaudí free rein to design the site, in such a way that the architect was able to experiment with new construction techniques and incorporate references to Classical mythology, the history of Catalonia and the Christian religion and this is what your tour will uncover for you.
11:15am: after your tour of Parc Güell, take a taxi with your guide to the church of La Sagrada Familia.
11:35am: arrival to la Sagrada Familia and private tour of the site. After your initial discovery of Catalan Modernist architecture and the work of Gaudí at Park Güell, you will have the right context to enjoy the magnificence of this temple and to understand the visionary that Gaudí was, by taking a private tour of both the inside and the outside of the building with your personal local host. The church of la Sagrada familia is the most ambitious and complex project of Gaudí as it incorporates all the structural innovations he had developed during his career. Also, the temple contains a fascinating symbolism revealing the in-depth knowledge of Christian liturgy that Gaudí acquired after several decades of intense study.
1:15pm: after your visit to la Sagrada familia, you may want to take a taxi with your guide back to your hotel or be given recommendations to have lunch at your own leisure before your evening food tour of Barcelona old town.
7:45pm: meet your personal foodie host at your accommodation and take a short walk to Barcelona old town to start a private tapas tour of this part of the city. This will allow you to deepen into the local dynamics and to get to know more about the character of Barcelona.
Understanding how Spain works when it comes to celebrating food can be one of the most revealing experiences of the culture of the city. The Spanish love their excellent food and they like to make a celebration out of every meal, together with family and friends. Food, conversation, wine, laughter and a magical common feeling of thankfulness combine in perfect harmony around Spanish tables to make meals memorable.
Tapas play a key role in the wide variety of options that the country has to offer gastronomy-wise. They are small portions of food that people usually have as an appetizer before a meal. However, especially when eating out, a meal can consist of several different tapas and this is exactly what this tour is about.
Your local Spanish foodie host will take you on a tapas journey through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars of the city, during which you’ll be able to taste a selection of 6 – 9 different local tapas dishes, combined with the corresponding drinks. Along the tour, you’ll be explained about the hectic social life that citizens of Barcelona have and how most of it takes place around food in tapas bars.
Barcelona can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing a place to eat so this tour will allow you to relax and to enjoy the magnificent culinary scene of the city, while you also learn about its particular character and identity, together with your local host.
10:30pm: end of your tapas tour and short walk back to your hotel.
10:45pm: arrival to your hotel and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: Hotel Ohla (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
21st of August: flight from Barcelona to Seville and introductory flamenco and tapas evening tour of Seville old town
–
9am: meet your personal driver at your hotel in Barcelona and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Barcelona airport.
9:40am: arrival to Barcelona airport on time to take your flight (Vueling airlines VY 2214) to Seville.
11:40am: departure of your flight from Barcelona to Seville.
1:20pm: upon arrival of your flight to Seville airport, collect your luggage, walk to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Yaffa Grace – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in Seville.
2:30pm (estimated): arrival to your hotel in Seville and free time to check-in, have lunch and freshen up before your introductory flamenco and tapas walking tour of the city.
6pm: meet your personal local host by the reception desk of your hotel to start a guided walk towards a selected flamenco venue in Seville old town. This introductory walk is aimed at learning about the origins of flamenco music in South West Spain as a result of a slow fusion of the ancient multicultural musical heritage of Southern Spain with original gypsy rhythms and musical roots and also about its evolution throughout the centuries in Seville. 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).
7pm: start of the flamenco performance.
8pm: after your flamenco performance, enjoy a tapas tasting tour through Seville old town. Your tour will take you to 2 – 3 selected tapas bars where 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 make an excellent opportunity to learn about Southern Spanish gastronomy and also about the dynamics of tapas bars in Southern Spain. It will also allow you to appreciate the diversity of Spanish gastronomy after your food tour of Barcelona the previous evening.
10pm: after your musical and culinary Southern Spanish adventure, be escorted back to your hotel stopping along the way for a sweet local treat.
10:30pm: arrival to your hotel and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: hotel Casa de la Plata (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
22nd of August: walking tour of Seville’s impressive Moorish palace followed by a cooking lesson with a local lady in her cooking studio and lunch there.
–
9:30am: be met by your personal local guide at your hotel to start a private walking tour that will take you through the winding streets of Seville’s Jewish quarter to the most impressive World Heritage Site of the city: the Alcazar or Royal Moorish Palace. Along the way, you will be given an introduction about the history, architecture and urban planning of this section of the city, before entering the Alcazar.
The Alcazar is a massive complex of palaces erected in different periods and of breath-taking gardens of different styles. It has stunning historical constructions featuring a very particular crossover between Hispanic-Muslim and Christian architecture styles, called Mudejar. This style became very fashionable in Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries amongst the Christian nobility and it reached its maximum splendour in Seville. Another essential part of the Alcazar is the famous house of Trade, which once hosted the offices from where all the commerce with the new world was managed. After enjoying these inner areas, you will be taken to the gardens which are an exquisite sample of European gardening from the 16th until the 20th centuries.
12pm: after your visit to the Alcazar and the Jewish quarter, you will be escorted by your local guide to the cooking studio of a local chef.
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 (at least!) 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 cooking lesson.
Upon arrival at the studio of your cooking instructor, you will be offered something to drink and then your culinary experience will start with some explanations about the origin and quality of some selected produce accompanied by some 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 all together. Finally and after a sweet indulgence, your culinary experience will finish leaving you with a happy belly and a happy soul!
3pm: after your cooking lesson, be picked up from the cooking studio by a private driver and be transferred to your hotel in Ronda stopping briefly along the way in Seville to collect your luggage, which the reception staff will have stored for you in their locker room.
Overnight in Ronda: hotel Catalonia Ronda (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
23rd of August: morning walking tour of Ronda old town and evening trip from Ronda to the Genal Valley for a small hike and an immersion into the life of one of its rural villages, including a homemade lunch there and a wine tasting.
–
10:30am: meet your personal local guide at your accommodation to start a private walking tour of Ronda 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, which turned it into a big bourgeois town in rural Andalusia.
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.
1pm: end of your tour and rest of the day at leisure before your evening trip.
5pm: meet your personal nature guide at your accommodation in Ronda and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the village of Benadalid, in the heart of the valley of the Genal river, a magical unspoilt reserve south of Ronda.
5:30pm: arrival to the village of Benadalid to start an easy 5km guided hike towards the village of Benalauría. You will first be explained about the Berber origins of Benadalid, which still keeps its Moorish castle. Later you will take the old paths that the cork workers used to use in the past to transport the cork that they would harvest every 9 years and that are actually still in use today. You will cross a vast extension of Mediterranean forest filled with old olive trees, chestnut trees, holm oaks and cork oaks while you are explained about the many species of flora that you will see and how they have been used by the people of the area throughout the centuries.
7:15pm: 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 winery of a small local winemaker. There you will learn how the Genal Valley had a thriving wine industry until a devastating pest arrived in the late 19th century. Slowly, more than 100 years later, this wine scene is having a comeback and this winemaker is one of the pioneers in the recovery. At the winery you will enjoy a tasting of his red and white wines as well as a local pairing dinner cooked by his wife. This will be the icing on the cake for your immersion into the life of a remote mountain village in South West Spain.
10:15pm: end of lunch and private transfer from Benalauría back to Ronda.
11pm: arrival to your accommodation in Ronda and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Ronda: hotel Catalonia Ronda (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
24th of August: day trip from Ronda to the sierras of Cádiz for a 36km bike ride through rural Andalusia followed by lunch and a tour of the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera, finishing in Cadiz
–
9am: be met by your personal local host and a dedicated driver at your accommodation in Ronda and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to the start of a selected cycling route in the sierras of Cadiz.
The stunning Southwestern Spanish countryside offers a landscape of rolling hills, whitewashed villages and small rivers which is delightful to explore by bicycle and this is what this day trip will take you to enjoy.
9:45am: upon arrival to the start of the cycling route, be given your bikes and helmets to start a picturesque 36km cycling route, going slightly downhill along a former railway. Your personal host (an experienced local touring cyclist) will accompany you along the journey to show you the way and to provide you with water and some small bites for the adventure. You will cross farms, tunnels, bridges, rocky ridges and olive groves for approximately 3 or 3,5 hours before arriving at your destination, where you will drop off your bikes and meet your driver again.
1:15pm: end of the cycle, bike drop-off and private transfer to the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera.
1:45pm: arrival to Arcos de la Frontera and lunch in a selected local restaurant in the village.
3pm: after lunch, enjoy a private walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its Hispanic – Muslim urban planning and traditional constructions, on its Christian monumental buildings, on its traditions and on its breath-taking viewpoints. Understanding of what life on the frontier between the Christian Kingdom of Castilla and the Muslim Kingdom of Granada was like in the 14th and 15th centuries.
4pm: end of your tour and private transfer to Cadiz.
5pm: arrival to your accommodation in Cadiz and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Cadiz. Hotel Casa de las Cuatro Torres (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
25th of August: Cadiz culture and gastronomy walking tour
–
10am: be met by your personal local host at your hotel to start a private walking tour of Cádiz old town with a special focus on its history, colonial architecture and gastronomy.
Founded by the Phoenicians in the 11th century BC, the city of Cádiz has amazing surprises to offer to the adventurous traveler with a thirst for culture and gastronomy discoveries.
You will start this tour seeing incredibly well preserved evidence of the Phoenician past of the city. This will allow you to understand who the Phoenicians were, where they came from, why they based themselves in Cadiz and the impact that their arrival had in the present gastronomy and wines of Southern Spain.
Later, you will travel forward in time to the 18th century, when the city held the monopoly of all trade with the Americas, formerly established in Seville. The bourgeoisie that settled down in Cádiz in this period transformed the city completely into a refined and cosmopolitan colonial hub. These new inhabitants commissioned the construction of very impressive civil and religious buildings to prove their financial status. You will be taken to visit some hand-picked ones, to later understand that these merchants brought to Cádiz not only material wealth, but also new ideas and new foods from the New World, that slowly transformed the local gastronomy making it more and more diverse.
After this introduction and surely hungry, you will be taken on a gastronomy tour of the city including tastings of selected local produce in the local market, a stop in a selected local tavern where you’ll be introduced to the famous fortified wines that traveled from Cadiz to America, a tapas lunch in a local family-run and family-owned bar and a coffee with a sweet local specialty in a historical café to finish.
3:30pm: end of your walking tour back at your hotel.
Overnight in Cadiz. Hotel Casa de las Cuatro Torres (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
26th of August: day trip from Cadiz to the natural park of the straits of Gibraltar for a hike there, for a discovery journey of the Roman archaeological site of Baelo Claudia and for a guided walk of the quaint and vibrant coastal town of Tarifa
–
8:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the hamlet of Betis in the heart of the natural park of the straits of Gibraltar.
9:45am: upon arrival to Betis start a hike to the summit of the sierras of Saint Bartholomew. You will walk through a forest of Mediterranean pines that slowly will become less and less dense, giving way to different lower Mediterranean bush and allowing for breath-taking views of Southernmost Spain, Northernmost Africa, the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
11am: arrival to the summit and small mid-morning picnic to celebrate the simply spectacular views and the achievement of having made it to the top of this mountain range.
11:15am: start of your walk down to the bottom of the mountain range, enjoying the different views of this unique reserve in Southern Europe.
12pm: arrival to the bottom of the mountain range and private transfer to the archaeological Roman site of Baelo Claudia.
12:20pm: arrival to Baelo Claudia and private walking tour of the site aimed at understanding the very important Roman settlement that it once was. This was thanks to a particular local industry that produced a fermented fish sauce, called Garum, that was an absolute delicacy for the Roman empire. You will be explained how this sauce was produced and the industrial configuration that this Roman city had.
1:10pm: end of the walk through Baelo Claudia and private transfer to a coastal family restaurant for lunch.
1:20pm: arrival to the restaurant and lunch there.
2:45pm: end of lunch and private transfer to the village of Tarifa, the southernmost point of continental Europe.
3:05pm: arrival to Tarifa and small walk through the old town to learn about its history and about its evolution towards a quaint, cosmopolitan, chic and bohemian Southern Spanish town.
4:15pm: private transfer from Tarifa back to your accommodation in Cadiz.
5:35pm: arrival to your hotel in Cadiz and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Cadiz. Hotel Casa de las Cuatro Torres (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
27th of August: private transfer from Cadiz to Seville airport and domestic flight from there to Barcelona airport for Yaffa and Max and private day trip from Cadiz to Jerez finishing at Jerez airport for Chaz
–
(Yaffa and Max only)
5:45am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Seville airport.
7am: arrival to Seville airport on time to take your flight to Barcelona.
9am: departure of your flight from Seville airport to Barcelona airport (Vueling Airlines VY2211).
10:40am: arrival of your flight to Barcelona airport and end of services.
–
(Chaz only)
11:15am: private transfer in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with your own personal local host and a dedicated driver from your hotel in Cadiz to Jerez old town. Explanations along the way about the geography, history, landscape, economy and character of Jerez and the surrounding areas.
11:50am: arrival to Jerez and private walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its Hispanic-Muslim origins and on the transformations that it experienced (architecture, urban-planning, social composition and overall character) with the Christian conquest in the 13th century and later in the 18th and 19th centuries when the local wines (sherries) became probably the most fashionable drinks in the world. Along the tour, we will visit the Alcazar, which still treasures important archaeological evidence of its Hispanic-Muslim beginnings.
This tour of Jerez will also include a private visit to the local market in order to understand not only the essential proximity service it is for the local community but also the important role it plays in the social fabric of the city.
2:30pm: end of your introductory walking tour in selected tapas bar in Jerez old town and tapas lunch there Jerez style. You will be explained how Jerez and Cadiz are different in spite of their proximity, in their character, history, customs and gastronomy too.
3:45pm: end of lunch and short walk to the Cathedral of Jerez to top up your cultural visit to the city with a tour of this iconic temple.
4:30pm: private transfer from Jerez Cathedral to Jerez airport.
5pm: arrival to Jerez airport and end of services.
–
–
Pricing
–
–
The cost of this bespoke tour program for a private group of 3 people is 9250 Euros.
–
This price includes
– All private transfers mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a personal driver.
– All private tours and experiences mentioned above with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide.
– Your flights to travel from Barcelona to Seville and from Seville to Barcelona with Vueling Airlines. Luggage allowance per person: 1 handbag, 1 carry-on suitcase (max 10kg and 55x40x20cm) and 1 checked-in piece of luggage (max 25kg).
– All entrance tickets and admissions for the sites mentioned in the tour program.
– All taxi rides for your architecture tour of Barcelona.
– A tapas dinner in Barcelona through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars and including a selection of 6 – 9 dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments or water).
– Admission to a selected flamenco venue in Seville with 4 people onstage (2 dancers, 1 singer and 1 guitarist).
– A tapas dinner in Seville through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars and including a selection of 6 – 9 dishes to share, up to 4 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments or water) and a sweet local treat to finish.
– A private cooking lesson followed by lunch in the cooking studio of a local chef including introductory educational tastings and dinks, and a homemade lunch with starters, one main course and one dessert. A suggested menu will be sent to you in advance for you to approve or suggest changes so we can send alternatives.
– A private bread making and bread baking workshop in a private home in the village Benalauría.
– A private pairing dinner in the winery of a local winemaker in the village Benalauría.
– Bikes, helmets, water and snacks for your bike ride through the sierras of Cadiz.
– Lunch in a selected local restaurant in Arcos de la Frontera on the day of the bike ride including a selection of 2 starters to share, one main course per person, one dessert per person and up to 3 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water).
– Tastings in the local market in Cadiz.
– A wine tasting in Cadiz to sample the wines that traveled from there to the New World.
– A tapas lunch in a family owned tapas in Cadiz old town including a selection of 6 – 9 dishes to share and up to 3 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water).
– A coffee/tea with local sweets in a selected historical café in Cadiz old town.
– A light mid-morning picnic atop the sierras of San Bartholomew in the straits of Gibraltar during your hike.
– Lunch in a selected local restaurant in the natural park of the straits of Gibraltar on the day of the coastal hike including a selection of 2 starters to share, one main course per person, one dessert per person and up to 3 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water).
– A tapas lunch in a family owned tapas in Jerez old town (Chaz only) including a selection of 6 – 9 dishes to share and up to 3 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water).
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat in each of the places where you will be based.
– 24h assistance during your trip.
– All taxes.
–
This price excludes
– Accommodation
– Any international flights
– Any meals not mentioned right above
– Anything else not mentioned right above
–
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 25th of July at 11:59pm (Madrid time) as well as all your full names and dates of birth. The final 70% must be paid via the same method no later than 10 days prior to the start of the trip.
–
Grand total of this trip: 9250 Euros
–
30% deposit needed no later than the 25th of July 2022 at 11:59pm (Madrid time) to confirm the trip: 2775 Euros
–
–
Final 70% needed no later than 10 days prior to the start of the trip: 6475 Euros
–
Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your tour program more than 10 days prior to its start: we’ll charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel your tour program between 10 and 6 days prior to its start: we’ll charge 50% of the full cost of the tour program.
– If you cancel your tour program between 5 and 4 days prior to its start: we’ll charge 75% of the full cost of the tour program.
– If you cancel your tour program 3 days or less prior to its start: we’d charge 100% of the full cost of the tour program.
*If Spain closes its borders due to a national or global emergency and you are not able to enter the country to take this tour program, we will give you a full refund.
**Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds. This applies to the group size and to the length of the trip.
***Genuine Andalusia strongly recommends buying travel insurance for any international trip. Most of our guests buy their travel insurance via Medjet.
