= Journeys Featuring AKP Projects
Spain | Spanish Serenade
 Barcelona's hidden laneways |
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Click to download PDF itinerary:
8 days / 7 nights
| Location | Nights |
| Barcelona | 2 |
| Madrid | 2 |
| Cordoba | 1 |
| Seville | 2 |
Day 1 Arrive Barcelona
A warm A&K welcome to the Catalan capital and a private transfer to your hotel.
Barcelona (Choice of category)
Day 2 Barcelona
Today you will encounter the masterpieces of Catalonia's most famous architect, Gaudi. Visit the Casa Mila with its wave-like façade, and the impressive but unfinished Sagrada Familia Basilica. Continue to the Parc Güell, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Gaudi's most colourful creations. As evening approaches, immerse yourself in some of Barcelona’s lively 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. 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. Your tour will take you to some of Barcelona’s trendiest new tapas bars (B).
Barcelona (Choice of category)
Day 3 Barcelona - Madrid
Travel by train to the Spanish capital and transfer to your hotel. Madrid is a vibrant and sophisticated city with 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 city’s renowned museums and art collections, 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 4 Design Your Day Madrid
Another day to explore at your own pace. You may opt to travel 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, an excursion north-west of the city to the World Heritage Site of El Escorial may tempt you. 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, and 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 the royal palace, whose dimensions are remarkable. A 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 lay the sarcophagi of most of the kings of Spain. Before returning to Madrid you will visit Avila, one of the most perfect walled cities in Europe (B).
Madrid (Choice of category)
Day 5 Madrid – Cordoba
Journey 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 6 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 7 Design Your Day Seville
Today is yours to design. A morning excursion will take you 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. Upon return to Seville, your guide escorts you on a walking tour to view 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 picturesque Barrio Santa Cruz neighbourhood. Or you may prefer to journey beyond Seville to a traditional cortijo. Cortijo El Esparragal is a 7,400-acre estate devoted to breeding Andalusian horses and cattle. Enjoy a private Flamenco lesson before dining in the 19th century manor, and return to Seville for the remainder of the afternoon at leisure. This evening, attend a Flamenco Show (B).
Seville (Choice of category)
Day 8 Depart Seville
Transfer to Seville airport where your journey ends (B).
Optional Extensions
View our 'Portugal | Portuguese Delights Itinerary'
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A must-have treat whilst in Madrid is the quintessential ‘chocolate con churros’ – a freshly-made Spanish donut accompanied by a cup of melted chocolate for dipping. Revive yourself after a day of sightseeing with a quick siesta before slipping into the local lifestyle and sipping sangria at the open-air Piazza Martini cocktail bar at the neo-Moorish Hotel 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 (Junior Suite) | Urban Hotel (Standard Room) |
| Cordoba | Hospes Palacia Del Bailio (Deluxe Room) | Hospes Palacia Del Bailio (Superior Room) |
| Seville | Las Casa de la Juderia (Junior Suite) | Las Casa de la Juderia (Standard Room) |
