Exclusive Spain

(17 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Bilbao, La Rioja, San Sebastian, Barcelona

This is the ultimate private luxury tour of the most interesting and exciting historical, cultural and culinary destinations in Spain. The tour features in-depth private touring with expert guides, accommodation at Spain’s most exclusive hotels and resorts, and special activities such as private art tours of top museums, wine tours at exclusive wineries, and tasting tours of our favorite tapas and pintxos bars.

Begin in aristocratic Madrid, the Spanish capital and home to some of the most important art collections in the world. Stay at The Ritz, Madrid’s most luxurious hotel. During flexible private art touring, visit world-class museums according to your preferences. Options include the Prado Museum to see masterpieces such as Velazquez’s Las Meninas and Goya’s El Tres de Mayo; Reina Sofia National Museum, home of Picasso’s renowned Guernica; as well as the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, CaixaForum, and smaller museums and art-filled churches. Also explore Madrid’s elegant squares, stately Habsburg architecture, leafy boulevards and narrow backstreets, and perhaps visit the majestic Royal Palace. One evening, enjoy a private “tapas tasting” tour of some of Madrid’s most beloved tapas bars.

One day, enjoy a private excursion to fascinating Toledo. Known as the city of three cultures, Toledo once had a vibrant population of Jews, Muslims and Christians living together. With your private guide, explore the narrow streets of Toledo’s splendid medieval center to learn how these cultures overlapped and see elaborately decorated Mudejar-style architecture. Tour ancient synagogues, mosques, the ornate cathedral and the old Jewish quarter. Also, see The Burial of Count Orgaz and other works by the painter known as El Greco, who lived and worked in Toledo.

Next, fly to Granada, one of the richest and most populated cities in Europe during Moorish rule and home of the extraordinary Alhambra, one of the highlights of Spain. Stay at a luxurious resort hotel in the countryside outside Granada. During private touring, explore the Alhambra, a stunning Moorish castle, palace and garden complex on a hillside overlooking the town, and the adjacent Generalife, the country retreat of Moorish royalty. With a local resident, wander the winding, hilly streets and alleys of the Albaicin—Granada’s old Arab Quarter—to discover Moorish ramparts, fountains, carmenes (traditional villas) and teterias (Arabic tearooms).

One day, take a private excursion to Ronda, the most dramatic of Andalusia’s famed whitewashed villages and a favorite of Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, and other interesting villages in the region.

Next, tour Cordoba en route to Seville. Learn about Cordoba’s fascinating history as a capital under the Romans and the Moors as you explore the UNESCO-listed city center, whitewashed backstreets, and the spectacular Mezquita, an ancient mosque with a cathedral in middle of it.

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. Stay in the atmospheric and luxurious Hotel Alfonso XIII. During your insider’s tour of the beautiful city, visit the charming neighborhoods of Santa Cruz, the gardens and tile-covered rooms of the Reales Alcazares (a spectacular Moorish palace), other cultural highlights, and specialty boutiques and markets.

Next, fly to Bilbao, one of the most architecturally progressive towns in Spain. Take a private tour of the Guggenheim Museum, a stunning building of swooping titanium curves designed by Frank Gehry, and other interesting architectural and cultural sites in Bilbao.

Continue to La Rioja, one of the world’s most renowned winemaking regions. Spend two nights in the heart of La Rioja at the Hotel Marques de Riscal, a luxury hotel with distinctive architecture designed by Frank Gehry and a wine therapy spa offering treatments using vine and grape seed extracts. On a private day excursion, visit Laguardia, a beautiful medieval walled village with wine caves under its cobblestone streets and impressive views of the nearby hills. Tour surrounding vineyards and enjoy wine tastings at bodegas designed by celebrated modern architects such as Santiago Calatrava and Zaha Hadid.

Enjoy private culinary touring en route to San Sebastian (Donostia), an elegant seaside resort and the gastronomic capital of the Basque Country, and two nights at the luxurious Hotel Maria Cristina. During private touring of San Sebastian, visit the picturesque old town, and browse local produce and fish markets. Basque cuisine is considered among the finest in the world, and on a private tasting tour you will have ample opportunity to sample delicious pintxos—the Basque version of tapas—and Txakoli, a slightly sparkling white wine.

Conclude in Barcelona, one of Europe’s most dynamic centers of modern design and cutting-edge cuisine. During flexible private art and architectural touring, visit museums and architectural sights according to your interests, such as the Picasso and Miro museums or the extraordinary buildings created by Modernist architects Gaudi (such as the famed Sagrada Familia church), Puig i Cadafalch and Domenech i Montaner. Also, wander Las Ramblas—Barcelona’s most famous walking street—and the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter and La Ribera. Explore the city’s shopping districts, stopping at upscale boutiques along the broad Passeig de Gracia. Browse design shops in the stylish Born and Raval neighborhoods, centers of Barcelona’s design movement. One day, opt for a cooking class to learn to prepare several regional Catalan dishes, considered among Spain’s best. Another day, enjoy a private excursion to interesting villages in the surrounding region, such as Girona, Besalu, Pals and Peratallada.

This private luxury tour of Spain can be fully customized.