Grand Tour of Spain
10 Days
from
$2,560
to
$2,910
per person*
Highlights:
Spain
(Barcelona, Madrid)
,
Andalusia
(Granada, Cordoba, Seville)
Trip Start/End:
Barcelona
/
Madrid
Start your tour in Barcelona. Strategically located on the Mediterranean, Barcelona enjoys a temperate climate, a magnificent historical center, is the epicenter of all things gastronomic, and an architect's dream with the many art deco buildings scattered throughout the city. Famous for its shopping and infamous for its nightlife! Fly to Granada and the spectacular Alhambra Palace perched on a cliff top overlooking this historic ancient city. Combining centuries of architecture and three major religions, it is a fascinating city to explore. Continue by train to Cordoba to see the "Mezquita de Cordoba" a grand cathedral built inside one of the world's largest mosques. Onward by train to Seville and a downtown packed with superlatives and built with the money of the New World. The world's largest cathedral, twin mosque towers as in Marrakech, and tapas laden bars ready for exploration. Take the high speed train to Madrid, home of the Royals, the enormous city center public garden known as El Retiro, the Prado museum and the Plaza Major. Que bueno!
Overview
| Day | Activities | Hotel |
- Day 1
- Barcelona
| - Transfer - Private - Airport - Vehicle/Driver
- Spain - Welcome Package
- Lunch (not included)
- Dinner (not included)
| Balmes (3*) Standard (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 2
- Barcelona
| - Shared - 1/2 Day Barcelona Highlights (5 hrs) - Coach/Guide
- Lunch (not included)
- Dinner (not included)
| Balmes (3*) Standard (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 3
- Barcelona - Granada
| - Transfer - Private - Airport - Vehicle/Driver
- Air - Barcelona - Granada [Direct, 1 hr] - Economy
- Transfer - Private - Airport - Vehicle/Driver
- Lunch (not included)
- Optional Cultural Activities:Culinary tasting, Tapas Tour, Cooking/Flamenco/Spanish/Ceramic Painting
- Dinner (not included)
| Palacio de los Navas (3*) Standard (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 4
- Granada
| - Shared - 1/2 Day Alhambra Palace (3.5 hrs) - Coach/Guide
- Lunch (not included)
- Dinner (not included)
| Palacio de los Navas (3*) Standard (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 5
- Granada - Cordoba
| - Transfer - Private - Train Station - Vehicle/Driver
- Train - Granada - Cordoba [2.5 hrs] - 2nd Class Train Ticket
- Transfer - Private - Train Station - Vehicle/Driver
- Lunch (not included)
- Dinner (not included)
| Hotel EXE Conquistador (4*) Standard (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 6
- Cordoba - Seville
| - Self-Guided - Medina Azahara - Tourist bus ticket
- Lunch (not included)
- Transfer - Private - Cordoba - Seville [2 hrs] - Vehicle/Driver
- Dinner (not included)
| Eurostars Regina (3*) Standard (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 7
- Seville
| - Self-Guided - Hop on Hop off - Bus ticket
- Lunch (not included)
- Dinner (not included)
| Eurostars Regina (3*) Standard (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 8
- Seville - Madrid
| - Transfer - Private - Train Station - Vehicle/Driver
- Train - Seville - Madrid [3 hrs] - 2nd Class Train Ticket
- Transfer - Private - Train Station - Vehicle/Driver
- Lunch (not included)
- Dinner (not included)
| Regente (3*) Standard (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 9
- Madrid
| - Shared - 1/2 Day City Sights with Royal Palace (4 hrs) - Coach/Guide
- Lunch (not included)
- Dinner (not included)
| Regente (3*) Standard (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 10
- Madrid
| - Transfer - Private - Airport - Vehicle/Driver
| Depart
|
| B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, 1/2d = Half Day, Al = All Inclusive |
Trip Itinerary
Barcelona
Balmes Hotel
Day 1: Barcelona
Meet your driver for a private airport transfer.
A welcome package with your vouchers, a city map, train tickets (if relevant) and any other touristic information that we deem you may find useful will be waiting for you upon your arrival at your first hotel on your trip.
Accommodation: Balmes (3*) Balmes (3*) is an economy class hotel, situated next to Paseo de Gracia, is located in the Eixample area. A location 25-kilometers from the airport makes this hotel perfect for international travelers. Guests will enjoy easy access via the metro to a myriad of historical, cultural, and tourist attractions, including the Ramblas, Born Quarter, the Olympic Village, and La Sagrada Familia Church. The Liceo Theatre, Guell Park Gothic Park, and the Picasso Museum, are only a stroll away. The hotel features 100 cozy rooms that are adorned with standard amenities, and a distinctive color scheme that uses neutral hues to promote peacefulness. The Balmes Hotel is perfect for travelers that want central city accommodation for a reasonable price.
Parc Guell
Day 2: Barcelona
Embark on a 5 hour shared sightseeing coach tour of the city with a guide. This tour provides an insider's view into Barcelona’s culture and history, from its roman origins through the medieval ages to the modern Barcelona of the 20th and 21st centuries. Discover Barcelona's main attractions such as Montjuic Hill and the Olympic Ring, Columbus Monument, the Port, the Cathedral and Gothic Quarter, Gaudi's "Modernista" buildings in the Paseo de Gracia, the Park Guell and the piece de resistence - the church of the Sacred family - La Sagrada Familia.
Accommodation: Balmes (3*)
Granada
Courtyard
Day 3: Barcelona - Granada
Meet your driver for a private airport transfer.
Enjoy your flight from Barcelona to Granada. Flight duration is approximately one hour.
Meet your driver for a private airport transfer.
Choose to add any number of cultural tours and activities such as a Culinary Tasting, a Tapas Tour, Spanish Cooking Class, Flamenco Show or Class, a Guided tour of Sacromonte, Spanish class, Ceramic Painting Class, or a Painting class in the Albaicín historical quater of the city. Please speak to your Sales Advisor if any of these are of interest.
Accommodation: Palacio de los Navas (3*) The hotel is situated at the very heart of Granada's historical district: Calle Navas a point of reference for all people in Granada. Their central location will allow you to visit within a short walk, the most important monuments of the city, such as the Cathedral, Royal Chapel and the Alhambra citadel, to go shopping to the traditional souk, contemplate the famous Holy Week processions or taste the magnificent “tapas” or appetizers.
Alhmabra Palace interior
Day 4: Granada
Enjoy a shared tour as you visit the UNESCO world heritage site of the Alhambra palace and gardens. On a rocky hill, on the banks of the River Darro, protected by mountains and amongst the eldest quarter in the city, the Alhambra rises up like an imposing castle with its distinctive reddish stone in its ramparts that prevent the outside world from seeing the delicate beauty enclosed within. Originally designed as a military area, the Alhambra became the residence of royalty and the court of Granada in the middle of XIII century. Throughout the XIII, XIV and XV centuries the fortress became a citadel which housed two main areas: the military area (or Alcazaba) and the medina (or court city) where Charles V Palace was built after the city was taken by the Catholics. The complex of monuments has also an independent palace opposite the Alhambra; The Generalife, which is surrounded by orchards and beautiful gardens which you will also visit. (Tour includes entrance into the palace).
Accommodation: Palacio de los Navas (3*)
Cordoba
Hotel EXE Conquistador
Day 5: Granada - Cordoba
Meet your driver for a private train station transfer.
Enjoy your train ride to Cordoba. The train ride takes approximately two and a half hours. Multiple departures, check your ticket for exact time.
Mett your driver for a private train station transfer with vehicle and driver.
Accommodation: Hotel EXE Conquistador (4*) Just five minutes from the major sights of Cordoba, in the heart of the Jewish quarter, the Hotel Conquistador welcomes you on the eastern side of the Mosque. The elegant guestrooms offer guests the height of comfort, and come with cable television, Internet access, and air conditioning. Conquistador boasts a bar, large gardens and wonderful interior patio; the restaurant is open to guests seven days a week serving delicious Spanish and international dishes.
Seville
Eurostars Regina
Day 6: Cordoba - Seville
Medina Azahara, Cordoba’s 10th century version of the Versailles, was a palace of indescribable luxury that took 25 years to complete. It is a palace-city built by the caliph Abd al-Rahman III. Constructed eight kilometers outside of the city in the foothills of the Sierra Morena, the Medina Azahara served as the seat of power for the entire al-Andalus. It was also the personal residence of the Caliph and his court. Includes bus ticket only, entrance to be paid locally (approx. EUR2 per person).
Meet your driver for a private transfer from Cordoba to Seville.
Accommodation: Eurostars Regina (3*) The Eurostars Regina (3*) is a smart and modern hotel, built around 3 traditional Andalusian-style courtyards. Here you can relax in the lovingly restored rooms of the hotel. The Eurostars Regina Hotel is located within walking distance from the historic centre of Seville, close to the Fine Arts Museum and the Cartuja Park. From here you can stroll around the charming streets of the city and discover the historical neighbourhoods of the city. This hotel is the perfect base for exploring the monumental and historical city of Seville.
Day 7: Seville
Seville is the artistic, cultural and financial capital of Southern Spain. A historical masterpiece full of monuments, gardens and flamenco. Enjoy exploring the city at your own pace with your hop on hop off tour.
Accommodation: Eurostars Regina (3*)
Hotel Regente
Day 8: Seville - Madrid
Meet your driver for a private train station transfer.
Enjoy your train ride from Seville to Madrid on the fast speed train. The train ride takes approximately three hours.
Meet your driver for a private train station transfer.
Accommodation: Regente (3*) The Hotel Regente (3*) is a hotel in Madrid located on Gran Vía street and only a few minutes walk from the Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Madrid de los Austrias old. Featuring 154 rooms, this hotel displays traditional hispanic charm. The hotel is surrounded by theaters, cinemas, restaurants and boutiques and public transport, either by metro or city bus is close and convenient.
Royal Palace
Day 9: Madrid
Enjoy half day shared tour of the city with a guide and admire the principal sights of the city. Discover the Madrid of different historical periods: drive through the Madrid of the Habsburg epoch, going past the squares Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol. Continue to drive through Madrid of the Bourbon period, the Teatro Real (Madrid’s opera house), the Museo del Prado, Atocha railway station, the Puerta de Alcalá (triumphal arch) and the city’s beautiful fountains of Neptuno and Cibeles. Drive past squares such as Plaza de Colón, Plaza de Castilla and Plaza de España, with its unmistakable monument of Cervantes. Visit the aristocratic quarter of Salamanca, where distinguished designers have their boutiques in Madrid and drive along the elegant avenue of La Castellana, which leads to the city’s financial quarter. You will see the Torre Picasso, the Estadio del Bernabéu (Real Madrid’s stadium) as well as the Plaza de Las Ventas (Madrid’s most important bullring) and the beautiful Parque del Retiro. Includes a tour of the Royal Palace with entrance fee.
Accommodation: Regente (3*) Day 10: Madrid
Meet your driver for a private airport transfer.
Accommodation: Depart Depart Madrid (Barajas) Airport. End of itinerary.
Accommodations
Balmes Hotel
Balmes Hotel Guest Room
Balmes (3*) - Barcelona
Balmes (3*) is an economy class hotel, situated next to Paseo de Gracia, is located in the Eixample area. A location 25-kilometers from the airport makes this hotel perfect for international travelers. Guests will enjoy easy access via the metro to a myriad of historical, cultural, and tourist attractions, including the Ramblas, Born Quarter, the Olympic Village, and La Sagrada Familia Church. The Liceo Theatre, Guell Park Gothic Park, and the Picasso Museum, are only a stroll away. The hotel features 100 cozy rooms that are adorned with standard amenities, and a distinctive color scheme that uses neutral hues to promote peacefulness. The Balmes Hotel is perfect for travelers that want central city accommodation for a reasonable price.
Courtyard
Palacio de los Navas (3*) - Granada
The hotel is situated at the very heart of Granada's historical district: Calle Navas a point of reference for all people in Granada. Their central location will allow you to visit within a short walk, the most important monuments of the city, such as the Cathedral, Royal Chapel and the Alhambra citadel, to go shopping to the traditional souk, contemplate the famous Holy Week processions or taste the magnificent “tapas” or appetizers.
Hotel EXE Conquistador
Hotel EXE Conquistador (4*) - Cordoba
Just five minutes from the major sights of Cordoba, in the heart of the Jewish quarter, the Hotel Conquistador welcomes you on the eastern side of the Mosque. The elegant guestrooms offer guests the height of comfort, and come with cable television, Internet access, and air conditioning. Conquistador boasts a bar, large gardens and wonderful interior patio; the restaurant is open to guests seven days a week serving delicious Spanish and international dishes.
Eurostars Regina
Eurostars Regina (3*) - Seville
The Eurostars Regina (3*) is a smart and modern hotel, built around 3 traditional Andalusian-style courtyards. Here you can relax in the lovingly restored rooms of the hotel. The Eurostars Regina Hotel is located within walking distance from the historic centre of Seville, close to the Fine Arts Museum and the Cartuja Park. From here you can stroll around the charming streets of the city and discover the historical neighbourhoods of the city. This hotel is the perfect base for exploring the monumental and historical city of Seville.
Hotel Regente
Regente (3*) - Madrid
The Hotel Regente (3*) is a hotel in Madrid located on Gran Vía street and only a few minutes walk from the Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Madrid de los Austrias old. Featuring 154 rooms, this hotel displays traditional hispanic charm. The hotel is surrounded by theaters, cinemas, restaurants and boutiques and public transport, either by metro or city bus is close and convenient.
Travel Info
Travel tips of Spain
VISA/PASSPORT
Spain is a party to the Schengen Agreement. As such, U.S. and Canadian citizens may enter for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. The passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay.
Citizens of other countries may require a visa. Please ask your Sales Advisor. These requirements change often and therefore it is best that you check with the Embassy of Spain for the most up to date visa information.
HEALTH
Health insurance is recommended. Medical facilities are good quality. We recommend that you see a health-care provider who specializes in Travel Medicine. The doctor or health-care provider will determine what vaccinations and medication you will need, depending on factors such as your health and immunization history, areas of the country you will be visiting, and planned activities. For more information on travel requirements, visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/spain.aspx
COUNTRY INFO
Capital: Madrid.
Government: Parliamentary monarchy since 1978.
Language: The principal language is Spanish (Castilian or castillano). Catalan (in the northeast, with variations spoken in Valencia and The Balearics), Galician (in the northwest) and Basque (in the north, bordering France) are also spoken.
Religion: There is no official religion, but the majority of the population is Roman Catholic.
Time: Mainland Spain/Balearics: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October). The Canary Islands: GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220 or 225 volts AC, 50Hz. Generally, round two-pin plugs and screw-type lamp fittings are in use.
Telephone: Country code +34.
Mobile Telephone: Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good throughout most of the country.
Internet: There is a variety of Internet cafes in most urban areas.
What's Included:
- Guaranteed departure - Accommodation, Activities, Transfers, Meals, Fees where indicated as per the itinerary - Local and international traveler assistance during your tour - Specialised and personalised services
What's not Included:
- Tips - Laundry - Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages unless explicitly noted - Optional activities/extras – Visas (unless noted) - Vacation insurance
Trip Terms & Conditions
- Your deposit is due immediately on booking (30% of program price, minimum $350). The balance is due 90 days prior to departure.
- Cancellations of confirmed bookings 90 days or more prior to departure will receive full refund minus a $350 (per person) administrative fee and any non-refundable paid fees (e.g. non-refundable airfare, cruise or hotel deposits). 60-89 days will be subject to loss of 30% of program price. 30-59 days will be subject to loss of 50% of program price. 29 days or less will be subject to loss of 100% of program price.
- Tour quotes do not include airfare to/from the trip start point unless noted on the itinerary
- Cost increases in currency exchange, government fees, taxes, surcharges or hotel/lodge tariff increases between quote date and start date are payable by the client.
- Availability cannot be guaranteed until booked. We will exercise best efforts to book hotels per the itinerary, however, in busy seasons and with client bookings made within 90 days of tour date we may be forced to offer substitutes.
- Payment of the program price constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions set out at www.kensingtontours.com/terms-and-conditions
- Living Standards and practices at destination may differ from those in North America with respect to provisions of utilities, services and accommodation.
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