Spain | Spanish Serenade
 Narrow lanes |
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8 days / 7 nights
| Location | Nights |
| Barcelona | 2 |
| Madrid | 2 |
| Cordoba | 1 |
| Seville | 2 |
Day 01 Arrive Barcelona
A warm A&K welcome into the Catalan capital and a private transfer to your hotel.
Barcelona (Choice of category)
Day 02 Barcelona
Today discover the masterpieces of Catalonia's most famous architect, Gaudí. Visit the Casa Mila with its wave-like facade and the impressive but unfinished Sagrada Familia Basilica. Continue on to the Parc Güell, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Gaudi's most colourful creations.
Early evening immerse yourself in some of Barcelona’s colourful new haunts with a private tapas tour around the city. Along with paella, tapas (roughly translated as snacks or appetizers), is Spain's major contribution to world food. The word tapas come from the Spanish verb tapar, meaning to cover. Originally a free snack served in a small earthenware dish placed on top of a drink, today these small samplings of mouth-watering Spanish delicacies make up a popular culinary art form (B).
Barcelona (Choice of category)
Day 03 Barcelona - Madrid
Travel by train to the Spanish capital and transfer to your hotel. A vibrant, colourful and sophisticated city there is much to see. Choose one of the following activities: a walking tour of the city, including a visit to the sumptuous Palacio Real, the king’s official residence. Or for a more cultural emphasis see some of the museums and art collections that Madrid is famous for including the Prado Museum, primarily known for its collection of more than 8,600 paintings by Goya, Velazquez and El Greco and the Reina Sofia Art Centre, where you will find Picasso’s famous ‘Guernica’ (B).
Madrid (Choice of category)
Day 04 Design Your Day Madrid
Another day to explore at your own pace. Choose one of the following activities: an excursion to the fortified city of Toledo, which dates to Roman times. It was the capital of Visigothic Spain and is home to the famous 6th century Cathedral. See the nearby church of Santo Tome, where El Greco’s famous ‘The Burial of Count of Orgaz’ hangs, the 14th century El Transito Synagogue and the House and Museum of El Greco. Or travel north-west of the city to the World Heritage site El Escorial. Built by King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century, it was designed both as the burial place for his father Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, as a summer residence. Originally planned in the classic style it shows strong influences of Spanish Baroque as well.
At El Escorial’s heart is the church, with its cloistered chapter rooms and royal palace. Its overall size is remarkable: a wide rectangle 207m long and 161m wide, the grey-white granite pile contains 16 courtyards, 2673 windows, 1250 doors, 86 staircases, and 88 fountains, and the corridors comprise a total length of 16 km. In the Royal Panteon de los Reyes lie the sarcophagi of most of the kings of Spain, with only a few spaces remaining to be occupied before capacity is reached. Before returning to Madrid you can visit Avila, one of the most perfect walled cities in Europe (B).
Madrid (Choice of category)
Day 05 Madrid - Cordoba
Travel by train to Cordoba, one of Spain's oldest cities. Upon arrival, enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city. Walk through the flower-filled streets of the Jewish Quarter and visit the Mezquita, built as a mosque between the 8th and 10th centuries and considered to be one of the most extraordinary buildings in all of Europe. In the 1520s, a Christian Baroque cathedral was constructed in the heart of the mosque. The remainder of today is at leisure (B).
Cordoba (Choice of category)
Day 06 Cordoba - Seville
Enjoy a morning at leisure, before being transferred to the station where you will take the afternoon train to Seville (B).
Seville (Choice of category)
Day 07 Seville - Jerez - Seville
This morning is an excursion to Jerez de la Frontera where you will visit the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art for a dressage performance by skilled riders in 18th century riding costume. Return to Seville where your guide escorts you on a walking tour to include the Alcazar, a magnificent 14th century Mudejar palace which is one of the oldest royal residences in Europe still in use, and the Cathedral. Time permitting your guide will walk you through part of the Barrio Santa Cruz (B).
Seville (Choice of category)
Day 08 Depart Seville
Transfer to Seville airport where your journey ends (B).
Note: Itinerary departs daily. Christmas & New Years Eve supplements apply.
Optional Extensions
Spanish Serenade itinerary combines well with our Portugal Extension or an A&K Villa stay in Andalucia or the sun kissed island of Mallorca.
A must have treat whilst in Madrid is trying the quintessential ‘chocolate con churros’ – a freshly made Spanish donut accompanied by a cup of melted chocolate for dipping.
After a day of sightseeing revive yourself with a quick siesta before slipping into the local lifestyle and sipping a sangria at the open air Piazza Martini cocktail bar at the neo-Moorish Alfonso XIII in Seville. Sprawl on the comfortable cushions and watch the city come alive!
Choice of Accommodation
| City | Platinum | Gold |
| Barcelona | The Arts Hotel (Club Room) | The Arts Hotel (Deluxe Room) |
| Madrid | Urban Hotel (Suite) | Urban Hotel (Standard Room) |
| Cordoba | Hospes Palacia Del Bailio (Deluxe Room) | Hospes Palacia Del Bailio (Superior Room) |
| Seville | Las Casa de la Judeira (Junior Suite) | Las Casa de la Judeira (Standard Room) |
