The Heart of Spain: Andalucía

Fly into the Seville airport or take the fast train (AVE) to Seville from Madrid. 

We’ll meet in Seville at our hotel in the old town around 5pm on arrival day. We’ll enjoy a welcome drink and orientation before we embark on a guided tour of the city with our local expert. 

Later, we will enjoy dinner together and you’ll have the opportunity to get to know your GG2W co-travelers a bit better. 

Hotel: Hotel Kivir

After breakfast, we’ll head over to the 14th-century palace which sits just across the street. The Alcazar was built for the Christian King Peter of Castile and sits on top of a former Moorish palace. The palace boasts a mosaic of architectural styles from Gothic to Renaissance, Romanesque to Mudéjar, all balancing together elegantly. The gardens of the palace are an absolute delight. They represent a mingling of the Spanish style infused with Muslim artistry which is what the style Mudejar refers to.

One can trace the history of the Moors and the Christians, and the resulting changes in the garden, by taking a close look at the pavilion of Charles V in the Alcoba vegetable garden as well as the Grutesco Gallery and its many gardens. Water features and gorgeous Spanish tiles reign supreme. We’ll be led here by our local expert guide.

After all our touring we will be well due for some lunch. Enjoy lunch with the group at Zelai.

In the afternoon, we will visit Seville’s famous 15th-century Catedral de Santa María de la Sede, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Seville was also an important location for the Catholic kings and their voyages to the Americas. Here, you’ll see Christopher Columbus’ tomb as well as other riches within the Cathedral. Santa María de la Sede is one of the largest churches in the world, after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

After such a busy day, stroll back to our hotel for a siesta and some space to just chill. Or stay out and explore the city and maybe do some shopping.

Enjoy dinner with the group tonight at Fluvial, right next to the hotel.

Grab your day pack because we are headed east!

Today our private driver will take us to Cordoba to visit a famous mosque called the Mezquita, used by both Muslims and Christians alike over the centuries. This is one of the most beautiful and unusual buildings in the world, revered by designers and architects dating back to 1236.

Our local guide will also show us around one of the few synagogues left in Spain, dating back to 1315. Today, you’ll understand the many layers of history in this part of the world.

Afterwards, we’ll stroll around the Jewish quarter and then sit down to a relaxing lunch at La Casa de Manolete Bistró.

You’ll have some free time, too, to shop and explore a bit on your own. We head back to Seville in the evening. Snooze on the bus or take in the views as we cruise.

Dinner is on your own tonight. Grab a GG2TW buddy and head out for tapas and wine.

Hotel: Hotel Kivir

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Sleep in. Luxuriate in a slow morning.

You have tasted some wonderful Andalusian specialties in the last few days, now learn how to recreate this culinary magic in your own kitchen once you are back home.

Today you will work with a local chef and learn how to make tapas like a real Spaniard. From 11:00am - 2:00pm, dig into traditional recipes and come away with skills for making croquetas, tortilla de patata, and much more.

After cooking, we’ll sit down and enjoy our creations with some regional wines.

The afternoon is yours to explore the city on your own, nap or maybe just chill by the pool for a bit.

In the evening, let’s gather once more to learn more about the Santa Cruz neighborhood and then head to a flamenco show. Enjoy a light dinner together in Triana after the performance.

Hotel- Hotel Kivir

Today we’ll drive to one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. Situated on a gorge, Ronda was settled in the neolithic age, but what we’ll see dates back to Roman times.

Enjoy a tour of Ronda with our guide. Learn about the city’s historic bullring and museum dating back to 1785. It’s Spain’s most famous bullring only open to bull fights once a year and only for the best fighters in the country. Don’t worry, we won’t be seeing a bullfight.

We will also take in vistas of El Tajo, visit the Church of Santa Maria (constructed on a former mosque), and do a bit of wine tasting at the Wine Museum of Ronda.

Lunch today is at Tragata, a tapas restaurant created by Chef Benito Gomez. Get ready to tuck into his unique rendition of regional favs.

You will have time to stroll a bit on your own today and do some shopping.

As the sun begins to lower in the sky, we’ll head back to Sevilla for one more night.

Dinner is on your own this evening. Make sure to save some time to pack up, because tomorrow we check out and leave for our new home for a couple of nights, Granada. 

Hotel: Hotel Kivir

Grab your bags and wave “adios” to Seville, we are off to Granada today in a private minibus. 

The next two days are all about Granada and its crown jewel, the Alhambra. 

The drive to Granada takes a minute (about 2.5 hours). We will break up this journey with stops in little villages along the way, including lunch at Parador de Antequera.

Once in Granada, check into the hotel and get settled. This afternoon will be a relaxing one after all the traveling you’ve done.

Grab your swimsuit because we are off to a hammam or a Moorish-style spa. Enjoy the hot and cold pools and relax among flickering candles. Sip hot tea and unwind. Your visit to the hammam includes a massage. 

Enjoy dinner at Alameda Restaurante tonight with the group. 

Hotels: Hotel Palacio de los Patos

Today we’ll wake up and walk over to one of the most impressive architectural sites in the entire world, the Alhambra. We’ll discover the palace and its incredible gardens with a knowledgeable guide. 

We’ll end with lunch at Restaurante Mirador Carmen San Miguel which boasts expansive vistas over the valley. 

After lunch, we will stroll down Cuesta de Gomerez, a well-known street lined with trees and statues, into the center of town (about 10 minutes). This afternoon is devoted to shopping. Hunt for some gorgeous Fajalauza ceramics and scour the old Arab neighborhood, the Albaycin, with its lovely, whitewashed houses and narrow streets. You are sure to find a few gems to take home with you. 

It is our last night together as a group. Gather in the evening for a unique culinary experience as we embark on a guided tapas dinner. We’ll stop at several restaurants to devour these bite-sized treats like locals and raise our glasses to toast to all the fun we’ve had on this trip. Snack your way across town before returning to the hotel to rest up for the night. 

Hotel: Hotel Alhambra Palace

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. 

We will help arrange a taxi for you today from the hotel to the airport in Granada. Maybe you plan to stay a few more days in Andalucia? Great idea. But if not, say farewell to your GG2TW travel buddies today. 

If your flight out of Granada departs later in the afternoon, you can leave your luggage at the hotel until you’re ready to go. 

From Granada, you can catch a flight or train back to Barcelona or Madrid where you will take your international flight home. 

Some guests may choose to stay in Granada one or two more nights to see more of this historic city. If you’d like to do this, GG2W can help arrange your hotel rooms.