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 2644 reviews.
We had a great eight-day trip to Madrid, planned by Zicasso's tour partners. They worked with me every step of the way to update the itinerary multiple times throughout the planning process and also helped provide great attraction, eatery, and transport recommendations.
When we arrived in Spain, we felt we were in good hands the entire time. Every driver and tour guide was on time, responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable! The agency even surprised us with a few gifts throughout our trip to help us celebrate our seven-year anniversary! I would definitely use them again!
Reviewed By Janice T.
Our trip to Spain was fantastic! Zicasso and their travel planner did an amazing job selecting well-appointed hotels in great locations, providing transfers, curating experiences and tours, and providing local tour guides who knew about Spain!
Reviewed By Kimberly T.
Memorable Mother-Daughter Trip!
We had a wonderful mother-daughter trip to Spain and Portugal! I traveled with my 16-year-old daughter and everything was beautifully organized—excellent accommodations, knowledgeable guides, reliable drivers, and thoughtful recommendations throughout. One of the absolute highlights was a cooking tour in Spain, which gave us an unforgettable, authentic experience.
The agency was extremely responsive and a huge bonus was their app, which made it easy to access our itinerary and connect with them via live chat for questions, tips, and extra suggestions along the way. We felt fully supported from start to finish and would enthusiastically recommend Zicasso's travel partners to anyone planning a special trip.
Reviewed By Shela H.
The trip was all that we expected and the Zicasso travel agency's planning and assistance were exceptional.
Reviewed By Chris V.
During planning for our trip and exploring options, Zicasso's travel partner was responsive and attentive to our desires. The trip execution was almost flawless. In the situations where we required assistance from them, they were quick to react and solve the minor issues beyond their control.
Reviewed By Daniel M.
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.
