Payment of bespoke trip to Spain | 6th – 18th of October 2024 | 2 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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6th of October: arrival to Madrid and day at leisure to recover from your flight
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8:50am: upon arrival of your flight (CX315 from Hong Kong) to Madrid airport, collect your luggage, walk to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying (Vonnie Chan – Genuine Andalusia). Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in Madrid.
10am (estimated): arrival to your hotel in Madrid and end of services for the day. We will be on top of things so you can occupy your room as soon as possible. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in Madrid and of places to eat too. We will also book tables for you if you wish.
Overnight in Madrid: supreme room with breakfast included at hotel Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques (5*)
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7th of October: day trip from Madrid to the medieval city of Toledo
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9am: meet your personal driver at your hotel in Madrid and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Toledo old town.
10am: upon arrival to Toledo, meet your personal local host to start a panoramic tour that will take you to see excellent views of the city first to later start a private walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its Jewish, Hispanic-Muslim and Christian history.
Along your tour you will visit the synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, which is an extraordinary example of the Jewish-Sephardic heritage of the city.
Your tour will also take you to see some remarkable evidence of the presence of the Hispanic-Muslim culture in the city, such as 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.
2pm: end of your private walking tour of Toledo and free time for lunch at leisure before your return to Madrid.
3:30pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle back to your hotel in Madrid.
4pm: arrival to your accommodation in Madrid and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Madrid: supreme room with breakfast included at hotel Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques (5*)
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8th of October: from Madrid to San Sebastian with a stopover halfway along the journey to visit the city of Burgos
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9am: meet your personal driver at your hotel in Madrid and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to the city of Burgos. Burgos is one of the most important cities in the Castilla León region, which separates Madrid from the North of Spain. Your visit to Burgos will make a great introductory journey to this particular area of Spain, before your visit to the Basque Country.
11:40am: upon arrival to Burgos, meet your personal local host and start a private 2 walking tour of the old town including its impressive cathedral and its medieval quarters.
Burgos Cathedral was given the World Heritage Site designation in 1984 and it is an exquisite example of Castilla and León’s religious architecture. Your tour will also take you to the medieval quarters of the city in order to see the most representative buildings as well as the iconic Plaza Mayor.
After visiting Madrid, you will start to understand the diversity that Spain has to offer and that you will keep discovering in the Basque country.
1:40pm: after your tour, enjoy some free time for lunch at leisure. Burgos is famous amongst Spanish natives for its gastronomy so you will be in the right city for a nice lunch Castilla y León style! We will give you recommendations of places to eat and will book a table for you if you wish.
3:15pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred to your hotel in San Sebastian. Your guide will have given you instructions on where to meet your driver.
5:30pm: arrival to your hotel in San Sebastian and end of services for the day. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in San Sebastian and of places to eat and will also book tables for you if you wish.
Overnight in San Sebastian: classic room with sea views and breakfast included at hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra (4*)
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9th of October: introduction to San Sebastian finishing with lunch in one of its fine-dining restaurants
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10am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation in San Sebastian and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Mount Igueldo for excellent panoramic views of the bay of La Concha.
It will be there where you will be given an overview of the origins, evolution and present character of the city, before exploring its most iconic sections. This will make the perfect starting point to set the context for your stay in San Sebastian and in the Basque Country. Near Mount Igueldo you will also see the most iconic work of Basque Sculptor Chillida.
Then, you will be driven to the old town quarters, where you will be explained the history and evolution of Basque culture. It will be there where your host will share with you what makes this culture unique to Spain and how this connects to the particular geography, climate and economy of the Basque Country.
1pm: after your introduction to the geography, history and architecture of San Sebastian, you will be taken to a selected fine-dining restaurant and your host will say goodbye to you there (we will give you recommendations and will book a table for you if you wish).
Overnight in San Sebastian: classic room with sea views and breakfast included at hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra (4*)
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10th of October: day trip from San Sebastian to the natural park of Azkorri – Aratz for a small hike in the natural park, to visit a cheese producer there and to have a regional lunch there
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9am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the natural park of Azkorri – Aratz.
Along the way you will be introduced to the geography, nature, customs and economy of the mountainous rural areas of the Basque Country.
10am: upon arrival to the natural park of Azkorri – Aratz, enjoy a light, picturesque and easy hike following a famous trail that was built by Romans and later used by the royalty to cross former borders. An iconic spot along the hike will be the tunnel of Saint Adrian where you will see and be explained about the remains of the ancient toll booths where one had to pay for the goods they brought with them from one side of the border to the other.
Today the trail is a part of the Saint James way: a most popular pilgrimage in Spain, finishing in the NorthWestern city of Santiago de Compostela. Your host will explain to you how this city became one of the most important religious destinations in the world along with Rome and Jerusalem. This will help you to understand how this helped to create a strong Christian identity in Northern Spain and an intense cultural connection with the rest of Europe during the times when an important part of what we know today as Spain was ruled by Muslims.
After your hike, Eneko, sixth generation of a family of Basque cheese makers, will open the doors of his farm and heart to you and your local host. There you will understand what for some people means to keep a family tradition and business alive. You will travel back in time while you visit his 17th century old farm and taste his award winning cheese.
To top up your day, enjoy a regional lunch based on local products from the surrounding farms. This will allow you to learn how much the Basque Country combines humility and finesse in a truly unique way.
3:30pm: After a day filled with fresh air, fresh produce, warmhearted people and stunning scenery, you will be transferred back to your hotel in San Sebastian.
4:30pm: arrival to your hotel in San Sebastian and end of services for the day.
Overnight in San Sebastian: classic room with sea views and breakfast included at hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra (4*)
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11th of October: day trip from San Sebastian to the Basque coast and its towns including a visit to a Txakoli house and lunch in Getaria
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11am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to a selected Txakoli house near the coastal town of Getaria.
11:30am: upon arrival to the Txakoli house, enjoy a private guided tour of both the vineyards and the aging facilities. Along the tour you will learn about the making process of Txakoli and about its history to later enjoy a tasting of Txakoli paired with some early afternoon bites.
1pm: after your tour of the Txakoli house, be driven to the iconic coastal town of Getaria.
1:15pm: upon arrival to Getaria, you will be taken to visit its medieval streets and port. There you will learn about the first sailor to circumnavigate the world: Juan Sebastian Elkano, who was born in this very city.
2pm: after your introductory tour and surely hungry, you will be taken for lunch to a selected local restaurant specialized in fresh fish from the Basque coast.
3:30pm: after lunch, you will be driven to the coastal village of Zumaia.
3:45pm: upon arrival to Zumaia, you will be taken to enjoy its Flysch landscapes, where you will be able to “read” 50 million years of history from a privileged perspective over the Basque Coast. Once at Zumaia you may want to walk off your food by taking a small walk along the unspoilt Basque Coast.
4:45pm: end of your tour of Zumaia and transfer back to your hotel in San Sebastian.
5:30pm: arrival to your hotel in San Sebastian and end of services for the day.
Overnight in San Sebastian: classic room with sea views and breakfast included at hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra (4*)
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12th of October: day trip from San Sebastian to Bilbao to tour the city, visit the Guggenheim Art Museum and have a pintxos lunch local style. Early evening domestic flight from Bilbao to Seville
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9:30am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Bilbao.
10:50am: upon arrival to Bilbao, meet your personal local guide and enjoy a private tour of the city along which you will see the most representative and iconic sections of the city, such as the majestic Guggenheim Museum (including a tour of its art collection), the tower of Iberdrola, the Gran Vía area, and the river sections (with the bridge of Calatrava, the Isozaki Towers, and the City Hall).
You will also enjoy the old 7 streets district area with the cathedral of Santiago, the covered market of Rivera and Plaza Nueva.
Along your tour you will learn how Bilbao evolved from being an old industrial city to a modern and cosmopolitan European capital, which contrasts substantially with San Sebastian in spite of their proximity and shared latitude. You will see the grand buildings that the primitive bourgeoisie of the city erected to match those of other important European bourgeois cities and the contemporary ones that have shaped a new contemporary personality for the city.
2:30pm: your introductory history and architecture tour of the city will continue with a pintxos and wines lunch with your personal local host in order for you to learn about this representative part of the culture and gastronomy of the city and how it contrasts with San Sebastian in this regard.
4pm: after your pintxos and wines lunch, be transferred to the nearby district of Getxo.
4:15pm: upon arrival to Getxo, you will be taken to see the elegant mansions of the Basque bourgeoisie to later discover its unique UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Vizcaya Bridge. This is a unique work of engineering that helps pedestrians and car drivers cross on suspended gondola to the town of Portugalete. You will ride the passenger gondola to the Portugalete side and back to later be taken to the old fishing port of Algorta.
5:15pm: end of your tour of Getxo and private transfer to Bilbao airport.
5:35pm: arrival to Bilbao airport on time to take your flight to Seville at 7:35pm.
7:35pm: departure of your flight from Bilbao airport to Seville (Vueling Airlines VY2508).
9pm: 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 “Vonnie Chan – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in the city.
9:45pm (estimated): 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 and also of places to eat. We will also book tables for you if you like.
Overnight in Seville: hotel Casas del Rey de Baeza (own arrangements)
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13th of October: morning at leisure and afternoon walking tour of Seville’s most impressive World Heritage Sites: the Alcazar or Moorish palace and the Cathedral
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2pm: be met by your personal local guide at your hotel in Seville to start a private walking tour that will take you to visit the most impressive World Heritages Sites of the city: the Alcazar and the Cathedral with its Giralda tower.
You will start your discovery journey by visiting the Alcazar, which is a massive complex of palaces erected in different periods and of breath-taking gardens of different styles. The Alcazar has stunning historical constructions featuring a very particular crossover between Hispanic-Muslim and Christian architecture styles, called Mudejar. This style became very fashionable in Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries amongst the Christian nobility and it reached its maximum splendor in Seville. Another essential part of the Alcazar is the famous house of Trade, which once hosted the offices from where all the commerce with the new world was managed. After enjoying these inner areas, you will be taken to the gardens, which are an exquisite sample of European gardening dating from the 17th until the 20th centuries.
Then you will be taken to visit the Cathedral, which is the largest gothic temple in the World and where Christopher Columbus is buried. The Cathedral of Seville was built on a vast extension of land where previously a Mosque had been erected. An important part of the Mosque was preserved and it is now a part of the Cathedral. This makes it a unique construction featuring styles as diverse as Hispanic-Muslim, Gothic, Renaissance, Neoclassical and Baroque. A most important part of the Cathedral is its bell tower known as la Giralda. During your tour you will be taken to the top in order to enjoy the wonderful views of Seville that one can admire from there.
5pm: after your tour, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville: hotel Casas del Rey de Baeza (own arrangements)
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14th of October: Day trip to the natural park of Aracena to learn about, experience and enjoy the best Ibérico Ham in the world
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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 this part of South West Spain.
10:20am: 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.
11:45am: after your visit to the dehesa and with all the knowledge acquired there, be escorted to the facilities where the Iberian ham of this farm is cured.
12pm: 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, which will make a great end to your discovery journey of the most iconic food from South West Spain.
2pm: after your visit to the Iberian ham farm, be transferred to the whitewashed village of Aracena for lunch.
2:30pm: arrival to Aracena and lunch in a selected local restaurant specialized in traditional recipes cooked with fresh local produce from the natural park around the town.
4pm: after lunch, you may want to take a stroll around Aracena to enjoy its picturesque streets and traditional architecture and to maybe try its local sweets.
4:30pm: end of your visit to Aracena and private transfer back to Seville.
6pm: arrival to Seville and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: hotel Casas del Rey de Baeza (own arrangements)
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15th of October: from Seville to Madrid with a stopover in the city of Córdoba to visit the Great Mosque – Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
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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 Córdoba.
10:45am: upon arrival to Córdoba, be met by your personal local host to go on a 2,5h discovery journey of the historical center of the city (your driver stays in the van with your luggage).
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 and the synagogue 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.
1:15pm: after your tour of Córdoba, enjoy some free time in the city for lunch at leisure. We will give you recommendations and will book a table for you if you wish.
2:35pm: reconnect with your driver at a previously agreed meeting point and be transferred to Córdoba train station.
2:50pm: arrive at Córdoba train station on time to catch your high-speed train to Madrid.
3:27pm: departure of your high-speed train from Córdoba train station to Madrid train station (1st class seats).
5:25pm: upon arrival to Madrid train station, collect your luggage, walk to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Vonnie Chan – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in Madrid.
6pm (estimated): arrival to your hotel in Madrid and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Madrid: hotel Rosewood Villamagna (own arrangements)
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16th of October: day at leisure in Madrid
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All day: spend your day at leisure maybe following our recommendations.
Overnight in Madrid: hotel Rosewood Villamagna (own arrangements)
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17th of October: day at leisure in Madrid
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All day: spend your day at leisure maybe following our recommendations.
Overnight in Madrid: hotel Rosewood Villamagna (own arrangements)
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18th of October: departure from Madrid
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9am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Madrid airport.
9:30am: arrival to Madrid airport on time to take your flight back to Hong Kong at 12:20pm (CX372)
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Pricing
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The cost of this bespoke trip for a private party of 2 pax is 14190 Euros
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This price includes
– Accommodation with breakfast included for your first stay in Madrid and for your stay in San Sebastian as per mentioned above.
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a personal driver.
– All private tours and travel experiences mentioned above with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide with a great command of the English language.
– All entrance tickets and admissions for all your guided tours.
– A private visit to a selected cheese farm in the Natural park of Aizkorri Aratz with the corresponding cheese tastings there.
– A private visit to a selected Txakoli winery in the Getaria area with the corresponding tastings there.
– Domestic flight (Vueling airlines VY2508) to fly from Bilbao airport to Seville airport on the 12th of October. Luggage allowance is a checked-in bag of up to 20kg, a cabin bag of up to 10kg (55 x 40 x 20cm maximum) and a small handbag.
– A pintxos lunch in Bilbao including a selection of up to 5 pintxos per person and 3 drinks per person (wine, beer, refreshments, water).
– Private visit to a selected pig farm with its own curing facilities in the natural park of Aracena including the corresponding Iberian Ham tastings there, paired with local wines.
– High-speed train tickets (1st class seats) to travel from Córdoba to Madrid on the 15th of October.
– 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 for any emergencies you may have during your trip.
– All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Accommodation in Seville and for your second stay in Madrid.
– Any meals not mentioned right above (your lunches during your day trips to the Natural park of Azkorri – Aratz, to the Basque Coast and to the Natural park of Aracena can be paid locally).
– Your international flights.
– Anything else not mentioned in the section “this price includes”.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this bespoke trip we require a 30% deposit of the grand total via credit/debit card no later than the 5th of July 2024 at 11:59pm (Madrid time) as well as your full names, nationalities, dates of birth, passport numbers and expiry dates of your passports. The final 70% must be paid via the same method no later than 30 days prior to the start of the trip.
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Grand total of this trip: 14190 Euros
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30% deposit needed no later than the 5th of July 2024 via credit/debit card to confirm the trip: 4257 Euros
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Final 70% needed no later than 30 days prior to the start of the trip: 9933 Euros
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your trip more than 30 days prior to its scheduled start we will charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel your trip between 30 and 15 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 45% of the full cost of the trip and we will refund the remaining 55%.
– If you cancel your trip between 14 and 8 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 60% of the full cost of the trip and we will refund the remaining 40%.
– If you cancel your trip between 7 and 4 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 75% of the full cost of the trip and we will refund the remaining 25%.
– If you cancel your trip 3 days or less prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 100% of the full cost of the trip.
(*) Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds. This applies to the group size and to the duration, activities and services of the trip.
(**) Genuine Andalusia strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance for any international trip. Most of our guests buy their travel insurance packages from MedJet.
