In Spain, the architecture alone tells tales of the country’s multifaceted history on this 9-day itinerary. Catholic cathedrals reveal a surprising Moorish past, medieval quarters whisper the aura of bygone centuries and whimsical Gaudí designs inspire the modern imagination. With its resplendent Islamic, Jewish and Christian heritage, Spain has an incredible number of UNESCO World Heritage monuments, and you’ll have a chance to see as many as ten of these specially designated sites. This sample...
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Madrid - Leisure Time and a Tapas Tour
Your tour begins in the beautiful city of Madrid, the capital of Spain. Upon your arrival at the airport, you’ll be greeted by your driver and provided a transfer to your hotel. You’ll be staying at a hotel in the center of Madrid near the Prado Museum and some of the best tapas restaurants. This afternoon you’ll begin your exploration of the city with a guided Art Walk. The guided tour allows you to discover the internationally renowned Museo del Prado. This exceptional collection includes the masterpieces of El Greco, Velazquez and Goya, among others. After your art tour, you’ll have time to stop for tapas at a stylish neighborhood bar. When ordering a glass of wine, you’ll be offered a snack such as tortilla de patata (potato omelette), cured ham, sausage or fried shrimp. Tapas help keep you going until the late-evening Spanish dinner. Live like the locals: eat dinner late and enjoy the amazing nightlife that usually unfolds spontaneously. The city is literally hopping with cafes, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. All that you need to do is walk outside and then see where the evening takes you!
What's Included:
Day 2
Madrid - Private Guided Visit to Madrid’s Habsburg Palace
Day 3
Madrid - Full-Day Excursion to Toledo
Day 4
Seville - Leisure Afternoon and an Evening Flamenco Show
Day 5
Seville - Guided Sightseeing Tour of Seville’s Highlights
Day 6
Barcelona - Travel to Barcelona; Afternoon Tour of Gothic Quarter and Picasso Museum
Day 7
Guided Tour of Gaudí Masterpieces throughout Barcelona
Day 8
Barcelona - Leisure Day in Barcelona or Optional Excursion to Beaches or Wine Country
Day 9
Barcelona - Tour Concludes with Departure from Barcelona
Trip Highlights
- Cosmopolitan ambience of Madrid and Barcelona
- Go on an art walk to visit world-class museums in Madrid
- Experience traditional Spanish culture and customs in Seville
- Discover the Moorish influence in Madrid, Seville and Toledo
- Visit the beautiful Alcázar, the old Moorish palace, in Seville
- See the historic city of Toledo, an UNESCO World Heritage site
- Tour fantastical and modern Gaudí monuments in Barcelona
- Savor the delicious Catalonian and Andalusian gastronomy
- Enjoy the nightlife in Seville and see a Flamenco performance
Detailed Description
See the amazing sites that tell the fascinating story of Spain’s multicultural past. The glorious Moorish kingdoms of Islamic al-Andalus flourished for 700 years until the final Christian Reconquista in the 15th century. Nearly every cathedral that you’ll see in Southern Spain’s Andalusia was once an Islamic mosque. Madrid also has an interesting legacy as the capital of a world power in the 16th century, ruled by the Habsburg dynasty—the Austrian royal family. Many of the elegant palaces, churches and government buildings in Madrid have a distinct Austrian architectural influence.
You’ll visit an incredible number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the historic city of Toledo and Antonio Gaudí’s fantastical Modernist buildings. With this customized tour, all of your travel logistics will be pre-arranged and knowledgeable guides will show you around so that you get the most out of your visit.
First you’ll visit the grand city of Madrid. When Spain was a world power, Madrid was the city where the King held court. The immense Royal Palace in Madrid was inspired by the Louvre in Paris and is one of the most impressive palaces in Europe. Madrid’s Museo del Prado has one of the finest collections of art masterpieces in Europe, most notably the exceptional works of Velázquez, Goya and El Greco. From your base in Madrid, you’ll make an all-day excursion to Toledo. This UNESCO World Heritage City has an unbelievable wealth of historic monuments: palaces, fortresses, mosques, medieval synagogues and a magnificent Gothic Cathedral.
Next visit the cities full of energetic Spanish ambience and tradition. Seville is a vibrant city of history and culture with a multicultural past. The Cathedral was converted from a mosque, and the Alcázar was the former Moorish palace. Enjoy the traditional customs, including tapas, evening strolls, leisurely dinners and Flamenco performances. Finally, visit the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona in Catalonia. Barcelona is a wonderful place to wander the grand boulevards and medieval pedestrian streets. Known for its love of life, Barcelona is famous for its fashionable people, meals outdoors and conviviality.
Starting Price
$4,800 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.92 stars based on 2633 reviews.
The trip was fantastic. Everything that was scheduled was well planned, with excellent tour guides, communication with the guides, as well as travel agents live during the trip. The experience was five-star and we could tell that the way it was booked through Zicasso was better for the guides themselves versus how others in our group had booked (ie, through other agencies). There were fewer obstacles, complications, and issues with the booking. We could tell this through our tour guides, as they were more comfortable and knowledgeable about our requests and needs.
Tickets were all organized and either sent to us through PDF or to our tour guides. The off days were were well placed during the week and our requests were more than satisfied.
Reviewed By Shaheed H.
Zicasso's travel specialist did an amazing job! She planned our itinerary well, based on our interests, the cities we wanted to visit, and the experiences we requested. All of the accommodations and transportation worked out well, and we enjoyed the trip a lot!
The only downside was one night with a late-night tour scheduled, followed by an early-morning hot-air balloon ride, which was hard to get up for in time, but we managed. Despite this, we would definitely recommend our travel company to anyone traveling to Spain!
Reviewed By Evan C.
Our Zicasso travel specialist was phenomenal. She understood exactly how we travel and what we wanted to do, and planned a 12-day trip to Mallorca and San Sebastián that was better than we even imagined. She was always responsive before and throughout the trip. All of the tour guides and drivers were kind, knowledgeable, and timely. Our travel company delivers exceptional first-rate service and we would highly recommend them.
Reviewed By Lisa S.
Zicasso is an excellent platform. It curates the perfect trip based on your individual needs. We have used them before and will in the future. We have recommended the company to many friends and family members.
Reviewed By Amy J.
The logistics were managed excellently by Zicasso's travel company. The guides were all knowledgeable and accommodating.
Reviewed By Mark J.
Zicasso's travel expert was exceptional in his attentiveness and responsiveness. He helped me to design a trip for my family, a group of 10 ranging in age from 13 to 80-plus. The result fit comfortably within my budget and included activities to suit everyone. I very much appreciated his responsiveness while assisting me with questions and issues that arose during the trip. I never felt alone.
Reviewed By Leslie W.
