Barcelona | Spanish Highlights Rail Tour

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Departing from Barcelona this 10-day Rail Tour highlights the classic cities of Madrid, Seville and Cordoba, and of course Barcelona. Discover what makes Barcelona one of Europe's most in demand cities, visit Spain's cosmopolitan capital city Madrid and marvel at Andalucia's historic monuments and Moorish palaces in Seville and Cordoba.  

Day 1 Barcelona

Upon arrival at Barcelona airport, you will be transferred to your selected hotel for check in and overnight. The remainder of the day is free to relax or start exploring Barcelona on your own.

Day 2 Barcelona | Highlights Tour

In Barcelona, history and traditions go hand in hand with emerging fashion and new trends in cuisine, culture, and art. Your Barcelona Highlights Tour will start with a panoramic tour along the elegant Passeig de Gràcia where you will see the most famous Gaudi houses, Casa Batlló and La Casa Mila (La Pedrera) as well as other majestic buildings of the Modernism era, before continuing to the sea where you will be able to admire the intense changes the city underwent with the organization of the Olympic Games in 1992. You will drive by the Arc of the Triumph, Ciudadela Park, the Olympic Village, the Olympic Port, the beach and the fisherman’s quarter, called Barceloneta, the Port Vell, Plaza (square) de Colon with its famous Columbus monument, indicating which way he sailed to discover the Americas. This point is also the beginning of the famous Ramblas of Barcelona. Next, we proceed up Montjuïc where you will enjoy a cable car ride offering precious views of the city below. The bus will pick us up again at the last station and we will continue our Montjuïc visit passing by the sports facilities built for the 1992 Olympic Games: the Lluis Companys stadium, the Palau Sant Jordi, the Olympic swimming pool Picornell, followed by a visit to El Poble Espanyol (the Spanish Village) where you can admire a collection of traditional Spanish buildings and a demonstration of a selection of the handicrafts made in this country. Finally, we return to the city centre for a guided walking tour of the old centre. Our guide will take you to the Ramblas, Cathedral Square, through the narrow street of the Gothic quarter and to Plaza Sant Jaume with the City Hall and Palau de la Generalitat, the seat of the Catalonian government. Our tour ends at Plaza de Catalunya in the city centre and the balance of the day is yours to continue exploring the city. (B)

Day 3 Barcelona | Montserrat Tour

This morning depart on a half-day tour to Montserrat. Driving through the province past picturesque little villages, we reach the rugged Monserrat Mountains situated at an altitude of 1.235 m and home to one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in Spain: the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat. The rocks of Montserrat were formed by natural cement of sand during the centuries. The wind and rain shaped the mountain with strange and varied forms. The popular imagination has seen human or animal shape in some of these peaks, giving those names and inventing legends to explain their fantastic origins. This trip to Montserrat will give you the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful and breathtaking views of the Montserrat Mountain, one of nature’s special creations. You will visit the Royal Basilica of Montserrat, which holds the famous 12th-century Romanesque carving of Verge Moreneta (the Black Madonna). You will be able to see this famous statue of the Black Madonna from a distance. The Benedict sanctuary of Montserrat has been founded in 1025 and provides a mystical backdrop for the Virgin of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia who is enshrined in the monastery's Royal Basilica. The little monastery soon began to receive pilgrims and visitors who contributed to the spread of stories of miracles and wonders performed by the Virgin. Today, Montserrat has been modernized to continue attending to the needs of pilgrims, one thousand years after it was originally founded. Your tour also includes a taste of 4 typical liquors of Montserrat and entrance free to the Audiovisual "Montserrat Portes Endins" and some free time to visit the audiovisual exhibition about the history and creation of Montserrat. The Escolania of Montserrat is one of the oldest boys choirs in Europe (XIV Century). On some days the children's choir sings in the monastery and so you may be fortunate enough to catch one of their delightful performances. Their time frame is subjected to the school calendar and special events of the choir and monastery. Return to Barcelona and the remainder of the day is free to pass as you choose. (B)

Day 4 Barcelona | Seville

Following breakfast transfer independently to the railway station to board a high-speed train that will take you to Seville, the capital of Spain’s Andalucia region and the birthplace of flamenco,  in about five hours. On arrival in Seville make your way to your selected hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to start exploring this beautiful city on your own. (B)

Day 5 Seville | Cordoba Caliphal City

Today set out to on a full-day tour to Cordoba and discover the extensive heritage that you can find there. With an official expert guide, you will pass through the Mosque of Cordoba, the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Jewish quarter among others. You can walk through its narrow streets with white houses that create a charming environment. The tour begins with a scenic one-hour bus journey to Cordoba passing many beautiful cities such as Carmona, La Luisiana and La Carlota. We will then arrive in the city which once was the light of the world when it enjoyed the position of being a caliphate city. Cordoba offers an enormous cultural and historic legacy. We will visit the gorgeous Mosque-Cathedral declared World Heritage Site, which is considered the most important monument around the Islamic western. Its shimmering golden mosaics and an endless row of red and white striped arches make it a visual delight. We won´t miss the Christian Kings Alcazar, the Jewish Quarter with its narrow streets & whitewashed houses full of flowers and the only Synagogue in Andalusia, then take a walk along the lovely Calle de las Flores, one of the most traditional places of Cordoba. Once we´ve explored all the Jewish Quarter secrets, you will have some free time to walk around by yourself, have a traditional lunch or do some shopping before returning to Seville where the tour ends in the city centre after a duration of 10 hours. (B)

Day 6 Seville | Fascinating & Monumental Sightseeing

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before setting out for today's excursion. Fall in love with the Andalusian capital as you tour the majestic city and discover its most impressive monuments & sites. Discover the charm of Hispanic-Muslim architecture that is all around the city, walk along the shore of the Guadalquivir, the great king of Andalusia, or enjoy the best views of the city from the top of the Giralda. In the company of our official tour guide, you'll visit some of the most emblematic works of Andalusia's historic & artistic heritage. You will be amazed by the Gothic-Mudejar beauty of the Reales Alcázares and the dimensions of the Cathedral of Saint Mary, both declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Walk through the narrow streets and the courtyards of the Barrio de Santa Cruz, the old Jewish quarter of Seville, and if you feel up to it end the day climbing up the almost 98 meters of the Giralda Tower, the undisputed symbol of the city.This tour lasts approximately 3 hours and the remainder of the afternoon is free to spend as you chose. (B)

Day 7 Seville | Madrid

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and transfer independently to the railway station to board a high-speed train to Madrid.  Here you’ll make your own way to your hotel for check-in.  Be sure to head to the capital's most exciting street, the Gran Vía and perhaps visit the Plaza Mayor. (B)

Day 8 Madrid | Highlights Tour

Madrid shows the multiple contrasts inherited through the History. You will be able to find the medieval origins of the city, like the Arabic fortress, at the Barrio de la Morería, characterized by the antiquity of its buildings and the taste of its typical restaurants. We will also cover the Hapsburg Madrid of Felipe II, with its Renaissance and Baroque buildings walking and making pictures on Calle Mayor, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa. Then, we will also see the Bourbon Madrid and the urban layout made by Carlos III, the Royal Palace, the Cibeles Fountain, Neptune Fountain and the Puerta de Alcalá. We will also visit the works from the kingdom of Joseph Bonaparte on the 19th century, such as Prado Museum. We will get to know the contemporary Madrid on areas such as Gran Vía, Paseo de la Castellana, Barrio Salamanca, Plaza de Castilla and Parque del Oeste, as well as the commercial and financial areas of Modern Madrid, like the emblematic Ventas Bullring or Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. During this tour, we will stop at the famous Hard Rock Café, where you will enjoy a free drink.  The Royal Palace was built in the XVIII century upon the ancient Baroque Italian style fortress of the Habsburg. It is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved palaces in Europe and a symbol of the permanence and consolidation of Madrid as the capital of the Kingdom. The Palace was the official residence of the Spanish Monarchy from 1765 to 1931.  This tour has a duration of 3 & 1/2 hours approximately and ends at the Royal Palace and the remainder of the day is spent as you choose. (B)

Day 9 Madrid | Toledo Tour

This morning you can discover the “City of the Three Cultures”.  Located 70 km away from Madrid is Toledo, a beautiful city-museum declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is one of the oldest towns in Europe and has a great artistic beauty and buildings from almost all periods in history (Arabian, Gothic, Mudéjar, Renaissance and Baroque style). Toledo is called the “City of the Three Cultures” since Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together. In the XVI century, it was also home to the great painter El Greco. This tour includes the outside view of the Cathedral; Church of St. Tomé with El Entierro del señor de Orgaz, masterpiece of El Greco; Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca; Monastery of San Juan de Los Reyes; demonstration of the famous technique of damascene (incrustation of precious metals in steel) and Panoramic Sightseeing of Toledo, before returning to Madrid for the remainder of the day. (B) 

Day 10 Madrid Departure

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and perhaps some time for last minute souvenir shopping before your private transfer delivers you to the airport for your return flight home. (B) 

Departure dates

Spanish Highlight Tour departs every day except on Wednesdays.
Some excursion included in this tour do not operate daily. Itinerary will be modified to suit