Monaco to Barcelona (12 Days)
Monaco, Avignon, Carcassonne, Costa Brava, Barcelona
Highlights of Madrid & Andalusia
(9 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis) Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada
This tour includes comprehensive private touring in Madrid and Andalusia’s most fabled cities—Seville, Cordoba and Granada.
Begin in Madrid, the Spanish capital known for its elegant squares, stately Habsburg architecture, leafy boulevards and superb museums. With your expert private guide, explore the highlights of the city. See world-renowned museums such as the Prado Museum, Reina Sofia, CaixaForum, and/or the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Tour the majestic Royal Palace. Stroll through the exclusive shopping and residential districts. Also visit historic squares and lively markets, including the gourmet San Miguel Market.
Next, take the high-speed train to Cordoba, a capital under the Romans and the Moors. During private touring, explore the highlights of the UNESCO-listed city center, such as the incredible Cathedral-Mosque, the ancient Roman bridge, and the narrow backstreets lined with whitewashed buildings and historic buildings in the old Jewish Quarter.
After Cordoba touring, continue to Seville, the capital of Andalusia and a city flavored as much by the sounds of flamenco and the smell of orange blossoms as by its 500-year domination by the Moors. Take an insider’s tour of this beautiful city. Explore the charming Santa Cruz neighborhood, tour the gardens and mosaic tile-covered rooms of the Reales Alcazares—a spectacular Moorish palace, see the world's largest Gothic cathedral (which contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus), browse specialty boutiques and markets, and other cultural highlights. Also enjoy a private tasting tour that visits some of Seville’s most beloved tapas bars. One evening, you may wish to attend a local flamenco performance or a bullfight at the famed bullring.
Next, depart for Granada, one of the richest and most populated cities in Europe during Moorish rule and still one of Spain's most breathtaking cities. With your expert private guide, tour the extraordinary Alhambra—one of the highlights of Spain—a stunning Moorish castle, palace and garden complex on a hillside overlooking the town. Visit the Generalife, the summer palace and gardens of Moorish royalty. Also tour the labyrinthine streets of the Albaicin—the old Arab Quarter—and discover a world full of winding, hilly streets, Moorish fountains, and teterías (Arabic tearooms).
Enjoy an overland transfer through beautiful countryside to Madrid for two nights. Spend the last day of the tour exploring Madrid or opt to take a private excursion to Toledo or Segovia.
Itinerary Overview
Day 1
Arrive Madrid
Private arrival transfer to hotel for 2 nights
Day 2
Madrid
Full-day private city tour
Day 3
Madrid - Cordoba - Seville
Private transfer to station for AVE train to Cordoba. Private Cordoba tour, then continue to Seville for 2 nights