Discover Spain Culture, Coastlines, and Cities - 8 Days

Welcome to Madrid. On arrival at the airport, we transfer you to your hotel. You have free time until the tour begins – please check the information signs at hotel reception for the time and details of the welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travellers. In the evening, we provide a transfer to Plaza Mayor and La Latina – Madrid’s most famous neighbourhood for nightlife and tapas restaurants. You can choose where to dine, with options including Spanish, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern cuisines. Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

This morning we take a comprehensive tour of central Madrid, taking in Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, Puerta de Alcalá, Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor. We then head to Retiro Park – a green oasis in the city centre – to see the lake and the Palacio de Cristal. Entrance is included to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading football clubs. You have the rest of the afternoon at leisure, and in the evening we provide a return transfer to the hotel.

We depart Madrid early and head south across La Mancha, stopping in Puerto Lápice – a classic Manchegan village evocative of Don Quixote. We continue via Despeñaperros into Andalusia and arrive in Granada, where lunch is included. In the afternoon, if you have booked the Alhambra option, we explore the Alhambra Palace and the Generalife Gardens with a local guide – both built during the Arab period.

Important ticket information: visitor numbers for the Alhambra are strictly regulated. To secure your place, tickets are issued when your tour reservation is confirmed, and you must provide your full name and passport/ID number at the time of booking. Ticket costs are non-refundable in the event of cancellation. In the rare event that entry to the Alhambra is not possible, we will visit the Royal Alcázar of Seville instead, which offers similar historical and architectural significance.

We leave Granada, skirting the Sierra Nevada before following the Mediterranean along the Tropical Coast, where a mild microclimate supports guavas, mangoes and avocados – and once, sugar cane. We stop in Nerja, a seaside town set beneath striking cliffs, then continue to Málaga, capital of the Costa del Sol with a lively atmosphere and an attractive historic centre. You’ll have time for lunch and a relaxed stroll in the centre. Later, we head inland into the Andalusian sierras to reach Ronda, a striking white town split by a dramatic gorge. We continue to Seville, arriving in the late afternoon – dinner is included at the hotel.

This morning we set out on a panoramic tour, taking in Seville Cathedral and the Giralda, the banks of the Guadalquivir, and the historic neighbourhoods of Santa Cruz and Triana. After the tour, we enjoy a boat ride on the Guadalquivir. In the afternoon, we transfer you to the station to board the high speed train, scheduled to depart around 4.30 pm, covering the 850 km to Zaragoza in just under four hours. On arrival, we transfer you to your hotel – please note the train journey is unescorted by the tour guide.

We begin with a morning panoramic tour of Zaragoza led by a local expert, starting at the Cathedral–Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. We then explore the legacy of Goya and view some of his works, continue to the Roman theatre and a Renaissance palace, and take a stroll by the Aljafería Palace. After lunch, we travel into Catalonia to visit the walled Poblet Abbey – tickets included – one of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in the world. We continue to Barcelona, arriving in the evening.

In the morning, we include a panoramic tour of Barcelona – a city open to the Mediterranean, known for Gaudí and its modernist architecture, the lively Ramblas, and the legacies of its World Expositions and Olympic Games. The tour ends at Maremagnum, a waterfront dining and leisure complex by the sea next to Columbus Square, where you can enjoy a stroll and explore the area. The afternoon is at leisure for you to continue discovering the city at your own pace. We provide a return transfer to the hotel at the end of the day.

After breakfast, we conclude the tour in Barcelona – we hope you leave with lasting memories.