Enjoyable 8-Day Spain Vacation: History, Culture and Nature

It was the first time we’ve used a travel company and there’s no going back to doing the planning ourselves! Zicasso’s travel specialist designed a trip around our needs and preferences. We enjoyed excellent private tours, wonderful boutique and unique hotels, and many of his recommendations for restaurants and other things to explore. He went above and beyond to check in with us on how it was going, even arranging a takeaway breakfast for our early-morning flight!

Zicasso’s travel specialist and the tour operator were fabulous and created a wonderful Spain experience!

This trip was the best vacation my husband and I have ever taken! Zicasso's travel designer was excellent; he was very knowledgeable and planned the perfect itinerary. I would book another trip with him in a heartbeat! I told him we wanted to go to Barcelona and the activities we wanted to do. He was spot-on with the initial itinerary and we only needed to make minor adjustments based on additional recommendations he had.

The entire trip was very well planned out and everything went off perfectly. I wish I could do this trip all over again!

We stayed the first three nights in Llafranc, Costa Brava, which is a very lovely seaside town that our travel designer suggested. The hotel there was beautiful, pristine, and right on the beach. We went for a wonderful hike, took a day trip to the Dalí Museum, and had a wine tasting at a smaller vineyard that he suggested rather than a large, touristy one. Here, we had a private tour and tasting with the host. On our way to Barcelona we had a tour of Girona, where it was very interesting to see and learn about the history. We loved the hotel in Barcelona. It was in a great location, with many good restaurants nearby, and was also beautiful and pristine. The first night in Barcelona we saw a flamenco show that was incredible and the next day we saw Park Güell and La Sagrada Família. In the evening, we did a tapas tour through five restaurants that was so much fun. The next day, we had a cooking class, which was one of our favorite activities of the trip. The last day, we took a bus trip out to Montserrat, which is well worth seeing and only about an hour outside the city.

I was able to be in communication with our agent throughout the trip. He was always available for questions and also gave us recommendations for restaurants and bars to go to. He also made dinner/lunch reservations as needed.

All of the private guides that were hired were excellent: our guide who did our hike, our guide who took us to the Dalí Museum and Girona, and our guide who showed us Park Güell and La Família Sagrada. They were all so knowledgeable and enjoyable to be with. Even the guides when doing group activities were amazing: our guide who did the cooking class, our guide who took us to Montserrat, and our guide who did the tapas tour.

I appreciated that although our itinerary was busy, our travel designer made sure there was still free time to explore on our own. He was a pleasure to work with and made this vacation so special. The whole process of planning was very easy because of his expertise. I will definitely use him and the tour company for future trips!

Zicasso's travel expert at the tour company was exceptional. He immediately understood our priorities for the trip and created an itinerary that met our goals. The tour company worked with us to modify elements of the trip when our adult children and other family members decided to join us for different portions of the trip. Our travel expert was an exceptional logistics coordinator.

Our experience with Zicasso and the tour operator was nothing short of amazing. From start to finish, everything was thoughtfully planned and beautifully executed. The tours in Madrid and Seville were incredible, each filled with history, culture, and stunning sights. Our guides were knowledgeable and engaging, bringing the stories of these cities to life and making the experience even more special.

After the busy city days, Estepona was the perfect place to slow down and relax. We enjoyed exploring the charming streets, indulging in a little shopping, and taking part in a fun and memorable cooking class that gave us a true taste of Spanish culture. The balance between sightseeing, cultural immersion, and relaxation made the trip feel perfectly designed just for us.

A special thank you goes to our travel agent, who was simply wonderful throughout the entire process. He was patient with all of my many questions, quick to respond, and flexible in accommodating every addition or change to the itinerary. His attention to detail and genuine care ensured we felt supported and stress-free from the moment we began planning to the very last day of our travels.

The accommodations, transfers, and overall flow of the trip were seamless, allowing us to simply enjoy the journey without worry. This trip exceeded our expectations and created memories that we will truly cherish.

We highly recommend Zicasso and the tour operator, and especially our travel agent. If you’re looking for a personalized, well-organized, and unforgettable travel experience, this is the way to go.

We were very happy to be matched with Zicasso’s travel consultant to arrange our travel plans. His expertise and thoughtfulness were obvious through every detail, and his suggestions proved to be the right ones in nearly every case. The transfers made the travel stress-free and smooth. The drivers were professional and most engaging, with only one slight mix-up on the location when departing Mallorca, but this caused no issue.

We returned to Zicasso because of our wonderful experience they arranged for our trip to Italy a few years ago, and this experience was equally fantastic. It was very assuring for my wife and I to receive the notices and updates from our travel consultant while our travel was in progress. He was prompt and detailed from start to finish. My wife speaks Spanish very well and loved the opportunity to interact and rebuild her vocabulary.

All hotels selected were excellent. The service quality was a standout at the hotel on Plaza de las Cortes in Madrid and the resort on Carrer de les Molins in Mallorca, in particular. The accommodation in Granada was beautiful, although just for feedback, the room location was not so good, having a full window wall at nearly ground level looking at people at a cafe — which meant keeping the blackout drapes pulled the entire time — and, consequently, a little noisy. That is just meant as a note if you book this hotel in the future. The lower levels at the back of the hotel should be avoided. That probably had more to do with what was available at check-in time, but just a note.

As we mentioned to our travel consultant during the trip, all four private tour guides we had were wonderful and very knowledgeable. The day trip to Toledo was a standout, as was the Alhambra in Granada. The horse show at the Spanish riding school fulfilled my wife's wish over many years and it didn't disappoint. Our guide in Granada stayed with us nearly an hour beyond her time (even though we mentioned the time to her). She replied that she enjoyed spending time with those who appreciated her city – and we did. We enjoyed her historical perspective very much and she seemed to enjoy it too. Our other guides were all terrific and it was evident they all enjoy their work and are proud of their cities and heritage.

We loved the horseback riding at the ranch with our guide in Mallorca. The staff there went above and beyond when my wife lost a bracelet on the trail (unknown where or when). We were nearly back at the hotel when we got a call that one of their staff had found the bracelet. The manager offered and dropped off the bracelet at the hotel that night on her way home, before we left for Barcelona. Great people!

The crowning point was ending our travel at the Sagrada Família at sunset — awe-inspiring! We really don't have any complaints or things we would change. There is much we would add, however, had we had more time (and money).

Thank you, Zicasso, and Zicasso’s travel company, for helping make a great memory for my wife and me.