Payment of bespoke trip to Spain | 4th – 10th of April | 2 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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4th of April. Arrival to Seville airport and introductory evening flamenco and tapas tour of the city.
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12:40pm: upon arrival of your flight from Paris to Seville airport, collect your luggage, head to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Eric and Barbara – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to your hotel in Seville.
1:30pm: arrival to your hotel in Seville and free time to check-in, have lunch and freshen up before your introductory evening flamenco and tapas tour of the city.
6:30pm: 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 how flamenco 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 Seville old town. Your tour 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 4 drinks per person (wine, beer, refreshments, water). This will make an excellent opportunity to learn about Southern Spanish gastronomy, about the connection of different foods to different festivities, regions and specific periods of history and also about the dynamics of tapas bars in Southern Spain.
10:30pm: after your tapas and wines 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. Hotel Gran Meliá Colón (5*). Not booked through Genuine Andalusia.
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5th of April: Morning walking tour of Seville World Heritage Sites
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10am: be met by your personal local guide at your hotel in Seville to start a private walking tour that will take you to visit its impressive World Heritages Sites: the Alcazar, the Cathedral with its Giralda tower and the Archive of the Indies.
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 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 landscaping from the 16th until the 20th centuries.
Then you will be taken to visit the Cathedral, which is the largest gothic temple in the World and where Christopher Columbus is buried. The Cathedral of Seville was built on a vast extension of land where previously a Mosque had been erected. An important part of the Mosque was preserved and it is now a part of the Cathedral. This makes it a unique construction featuring styles as diverse as Hispanic-Muslim, Gothic, Renaissance, Neoclassical and Baroque. A most important part of the Cathedral is its bell tower known as la Giralda. During your tour you will be taken to the top in order to enjoy the wonderful views of Seville that one can admire from there.
To finish you will visit the Archive of the Indies. The Archive of the Indies is an iconic neoclassical building erected to keep invaluable documents from all those commercial expeditions that took place between Seville and the New World. Learning about it will uncover probably the most glorious period of the history of Seville and how it connects to the American continent.
1:30pm: end of your tour and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville. Hotel Gran Meliá Colón (5*). Not booked through Genuine Andalusia.
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6th of April: Day trip from Seville 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 Granada
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8:30am: be met by your personal local host and a dedicated driver at your accommodation in Seville and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver 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.
10am: arrival to the start of the cycling route and delivery of 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 to your destination, where you will drop off your bikes and meet your driver again.
1:30pm: end of the cycle, bike drop-off and private transfer to the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera.
2pm: arrival to Arcos de la Frontera and lunch in a selected local restaurant in the village.
3:30pm: 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.
4:30pm: end of your tour and private transfer to Granada.
7:30pm: arrival to your accommodation in Granada and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Granada. Hotel Casa 1800 (superior 3*). Not booked through Genuine Andalusia.
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7th of April: Morning introductory tour of Granada old town and of the quarter of el Albaicín and afternoon walking tour of the Alhambra and el Generalife
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10am: be met by your personal local host at your accommodation in Granada to go on a 3h walking tour of the old town that will allow you to get familiar with its different sections. This tour will also help to set the context for your visit to the Alhambra and El Generalife palaces the next day.
With this introductory tour of Granada, you will explore two key areas in the history of the city that also stand out for their beauty and authenticity. You will start visiting the first quarters that developed in Granada after the Christian conquest of the city in 1492. It is in these areas where the Cathedral of Granada was erected and in one of its chapels, the so-called Royal Chapel, you will visit the tombs of the monarchs that were responsible for this conquest (Isabel of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragón). Their tombs are an exquisite sample of Spanish renaissance sculpture. Near this chapel, you will also visit the palace of la Madraza: a unique building that originally was a medieval Quran School and that later was used as a noble residence. During your visit, you will see beautiful evidence of its original use and of the one that followed.
Later, you will be taken to the iconic quarter of el Albayzín, located on top of a hill and overlooking the Alhambra. El Albayzín was the part of Granada where regular people would live. People whose social scheme inside the walls of the palatial areas of the Alhambra was rather unclear. The quarter of Albayzín is a UNESCO site and it treasures some of the most beautiful corners and views of the Alhambra that the city of Granada has to offer. Your local host will share the most special ones with you, while you are explained about the architecture and infrastructures that the quarter had in the medieval times and of which you will see beautifully preserved evidence.
1pm: end of your tour in Granada old town and free time for lunch at leisure.
3pm: reconnect with your personal local host at a previously agreed meeting point and be transferred by taxi to the top of the hill of La Sabika, where the Alhambra and el Generalife are located.
3:15pm: upon arrival to the Alhambra, be taken on a private walking tour of this palatial city which is the most exquisite example of the Hispanic-Muslim architecture. The Alhambra was the city where the Hispanic-Muslim sultans used to live with their army, their court and some selected artisans. Because of this, it has several parts, all of which you will get to visit during your tour while you understand the role that each of them had. Later you will visit the summer palace or Generalife. This is the place where the sultans would go to escape from the hustle and bustle of the Alhambra. It was a place designed for relax 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.
6:15pm: end of your tour of the Alhambra and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Granada. Hotel Casa 1800 (superior 3*). Not booked through Genuine Andalusia.
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8th of April: Private transfer from Granada to Córdoba, tour of Córdoba, lunch in the city at leisure. Private transfer from Córdoba to Córdoba train station and high-speed train to Madrid
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9am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation in Granada and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Córdoba.
11:15am: upon arrival to Córdoba old town, be met by your personal local host to go on a 3h discovery journey of the historical 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 splendour 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 Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs as its most representative constructions. The Great Mosque-Cathedral is probably the most thought-provoking building in Spain and your personal local host will uncover all its beauty and complexity for you. You will understand its origins, its different enlargements and the role that the building has played in the culture and social fabric of the city throughout the centuries. The synagogue will allow you to understand the very important Jewish – Sephardic community that Córdoba once had and how much it embraced Hispanic-Muslim decorative arts in its places of devotion. The Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs is a fortification treasuring Roman and Visigothic remains that became an important royal residence in the Hispanic-Muslim and Christian times. Your tour of this landmark will be a journey through the history of the city and also through probably the most beautiful gardens that one can find in Córdoba.
1:45pm: end of your tour and free time for lunch at leisure.
3:45pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred to Córdoba train station.
4pm: arrival to Córdoba train station on time to take your train at 4:27pm.
4:27pm: departure of your train from Córdoba train station to Madrid.
6:15pm: upon arrival of your train to Madrid train station, meet your personal driver at the arrivals hall. He will be holding a sign saying “Eric and Barbara – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to your hotel in Madrid.
6:45pm: arrival to your hotel in Madrid and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Madrid. Hotel Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques (5*). Not booked through Genuine Andalusia.
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9th of April: Covid test in the morning and Introductory history, architecture and art tour of Madrid including the Prado Museum in the afternoon.
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Morning (time TBC subject to the availability of the clinic): take your covid tests at previously selected clinic in Madrid city. Then enjoy some free time for lunch at leisure.
2pm: meet your personal guide at your hotel to go on an introductory tour of Madrid old town aimed at learning about its most iconic sites and landmarks.
Your tour will take you through the oldest quarters of the city in order for you to understand where Madrid has its roots and from where it has evolved until becoming the vibrant and cosmopolitan city it is today. A highlight of your walk will be the iconic Plaza Mayor where you will be explained about the important historical events that have happened there over the past 400 years and their importance in the history of Madrid and of Spain. You will also be taken to see the areas where Madrid treasures the Royal Palace and the Opera house, which make two of the most representative landmarks in the city.
Your introductory tour of Madrid will take you then to its most iconic museum: The Prado. There your guide will take you on a private tour that will allow you to travel through Spanish history of art while you enjoy the remarkable works of Spanish master painters such as Velazquez, Goya and El Greco amongst others. This will allow you to understand how different historical periods shaped the artistic creation at each time and how much of Spain’s culture and sentiment is expressed in the works of its main artists.
6pm: after your introductory tour of Madrid, enjoy the rest of the day in the city at leisure.
Overnight in Madrid. Hotel Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques (5*). Not booked through Genuine Andalusia.
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10th of April: Private transfer from Madrid hotel to Madrid airport.
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8am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Madrid airport.
8:45am: arrival to Madrid airport on time to take your flight at 10:45am.
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Pricing
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The cost of this bespoke program of private tours for a private group of 2 people is 4498 Euros (2249 Euros per person).
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This price includes
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver.
– All private tours mentioned above with a personal local host from Genuine Andalusia (a fully licensed, knowledgeable, personable, flexible and interactive guide).
– All entrance tickets and admissions to all the sites included in these tours.
Admission to a selected flamenco venue in Seville to witness a flamenco performance with 4 artists onstage (2 dancers, 1 guitarist and 1 singer).
– A tapas dinner in Seville including a selection of 6 – 9 dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (wine, beer, refreshments, water) and a sweet local treat to finish.
– Bikes and helmets for your bike ride in the sierras of Cadiz.
– Water and small bites for the cycle ride.
– Delivery and return logistics of the bikes.
– Lunch in a selected local restaurant in Arcos de la Frontera after the bike ride including a selection of starters to share, one main dish per person, one dessert per person and up to 2 drinks per person (wine, beer, refreshments, water).
– High-speed train tickets to travel from Córdoba to Madrid on the 8th of April (1st class seats).
– Support to book your covid tests for the morning of the 9th of April.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat in each of the places you will visit.
– 24h support during your trip.
– All taxes.
– All expenses of your driver and of your guides.
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This price excludes
– Accommodation.
– Flights.
– Any meals not mentioned right above.
– The cost of our covid tests in Madrid.
– Anything else not mentioned right above.
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Confirmation and payments
This quote is valid until March the 7th 2022 at 11:59pm (Madrid time). In order to confirm this bespoke tour program at this price we need a 30% deposit of the grand total no later than March the 7th 2022 via credit/debit card. The final 70% must be paid no later than 15 days prior to the start of the tour program via the same method.
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Grand total of this bespoke tour program: 4498 Euros.
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30% deposit needed no later than the 7th or March at 11:59pm (Madrid time) to confirm the trip: 1349,4 Euros.
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Final 70% needed no later than 15 days prior to the star of the trip: 3148,6 Euros.
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your tour program more than 15 days prior to scheduled start, we will charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel your tour program between 15 and 7 days prior to scheduled start, we will charge 50% of the grand total of the tour program and we will refund the other 50%.
– If you cancel your tour program between 6 and 3 days prior to scheduled start, we will charge 75% of the grand total of the tour program and we will refund the other 25%.
– If you cancel your tour program between 2 days or less prior to scheduled start, we will charge 100% of the grand total of the tour program.
(*) If Spain closed its borders due to a global or national emergency, we wouldn’t be able to offer you this trip and therefore we would issue a full refund.
