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Treasures of Andalucia

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7 days From £999 £899 per person
4.2 stars(86 reviews)
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Explore the vibrant culture and Moorish cities of southern Spain

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Save up to £150pp on selected European holidays, when you book by 2nd April 2024.

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Mobility Rating 2

2024 Tour code: 24ANF

About the tour

Discover the highlights of beautiful Andalucía on this spectacular holiday. Visit the lively city of Seville, explore the glorious Mezquita and other treasures of Cordoba, and walk through the breathtaking palaces and gardens of the Alhambra in Granada, all from your central base in the traditional town of Antequera.

Unforgettable Experiences

Granada and the majestic Alhambra
Granada and the majestic Alhambra
Enjoy a guided tour of Granada and the majestic Alhambra – one of the world’s greatest, most famous sites and best-preserved Moorish palaces and gardens.
Guided tour of Seville
Guided tour of Seville
Discover beautiful Seville on a guided tour, including the Plaza de Espana and the impressive cathedral.
Mezquita of Córdoba
Mezquita of Córdoba
Visit the incredible Mezquita of Córdoba on a guided tour, seeing the stunning mosque-cathedral and walking through the Jewish Quarter.
Antequera
Antequera
Stay in the traditional Andalucían town of Antequera with time to visit its ornate churches, Moorish fortress, and authentic Spanish cafés.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - From London to Antequera

This morning you meet the Tour Manager and your group at Gatwick or depart independently from your regional airport, for a morning flight to Malaga. On arrival we are transferred by coach to our hotel in Antequera, in the heart of Andalucía, and a great location to explore the cities of Granada, Córdoba, Seville and Málaga. Antequera is a typical Andalucian medieval town with an impressive Moorish fortress, dozens of churches, and a relaxed atmosphere. The town also has many Spanish Baroque buildings, carefully restored to retain their traditional façades. There's time to look around and get your bearings before our first dinner together at our hotel.

Tonight and each night of our holiday we enjoy a 3-course buffet dinner at our hotel, with wine included.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - A day to explore historic Antequera

Today you are free to begin exploring Antequera at your own pace. You could start with a walk around the town, about ten minutes' walk from the hotel, passing ornate churches and leafy squares. To find out more about local sights and events, the tourist office is located in the centre of the city near the Plaza de San Sebastián.

There are plenty of cafés and restaurants to choose from if you'd like to indulge in a traditional Spanish lunch. A local speciality is 'Porra Antequerana', a gazpacho-style soup traditionally served cold and made with tomatoes and bread.

If you enjoy nature, there are two interesting places to discover nearby. The Dolmen Tombs are some of the largest prehistoric burial chambers in Europe. Equally interesting is El Torcal de Antequera, 5 miles outside of the city, a national park with unique rock formations which can be reached by local bus or taxi.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - An excursion to Seville, the vibrant capital of Andalucía

This morning we're taken by coach to the station to catch the high speed train to beautiful Seville, for a guided tour. Exploring by coach and on foot, our first stop is the Plaza de España, a colourful area with fountains, and tiled alcoves, created for the 1929 'Fair of the Americas'. Your tour finishes in front of the amazing cathedral, the largest Gothic building in Europe and where the bones of Christopher Columbus were interred. The cathedral's bell tower, La Giralda is the minaret of the original mosque and has panoramic views over the city.

The afternoon is yours to explore. The Santa Cruz district, where our tour ends, is teeming with tapas bars and restaurants. After some lunch you could walk along the river to the Torre del Oro, once a military watchtower and medieval prison. From here, you're close to the Alcazar Palace, which - with its stunning gardens with seating and cooling water features - is a lovely retreat from the city streets.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - An excursion and free time in Córdoba

Today we take another high-speed rail journey, this time to Córdoba, an ancient city that was once the largest metropolis in Western Europe and is now a fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site. On arrival, we're taken on a guided tour of the city's main attractions, seeing the exterior of the famous Mezquita, or mosque of Córdoba - one of the world's greatest examples of Islamic architecture. Your tour also takes you through Córdoba's historic Jewish Quarter, which has an ancient synagogue, hidden stone patios and characterful streets.

You're free over lunch and into the afternoon to look around at leisure. We return to our hotel by rail and there's some free time to relax and recharge before our buffet dinner with wine.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - Antequera

With a free day, you could choose to make the most of the local rail network to explore other cities. Malaga, around an hour away, is recommended. This coastal city combines history and culture with a laid-back atmosphere. Known as the birthplace of Pablo Picasso, you could spend some time at Museo Picasso in the Old Town. Close to the museum is the impressive Roman amphitheatre and the Moorish Alcazaba. Above here is Gibralfaro Castle which takes around half an hour to reach on the wide pathway, but is well worth it for the views over the city. The city centre has some excellent restaurants, cafés and bars. You might like to wander through the tree-lined avenue of the park, which runs parallel to the coastline, then join the promenade of the modern port area, where you can find shops, market stalls, restaurants and Malaga's own 'Centre Pompidou' gallery of contemporary art. This open walkway leads to the lighthouse, from where you could continue to walk along the beach.

Or you might be interested in seeing the Roman Villa of the Station, a site which was only discovered in 1998 and is now open to the public. Your visit might also coincide with Antequera's cultural event called 'Moonlight', from mid-June to mid-September, when various monument are lit up and can be viewed at twilight or after dark. Of course, you may prefer a relaxing day, maybe enjoying the hotel swimming pool. Alternatively, in Antequera, there's a municipal museum which describes the town's archaeological history, art and architecture.

However you choose to spend your day, this evening you can re-join your group at a buffet dinner with wine at our hotel.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 - Granada: the Alhambra and the Albaicín

Today is yet another highlight of our tour, as we are taken by coach to the city of Granada, where we visit one of the world's most important and well-preserved examples of Moorish architecture, the Alhambra with its stunning backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Your walking tour includes entrance to the Alhambra palaces and gardens.

The palace interiors have intricate carved wooden ceilings, colourful mosaics and astonishing plasterwork. You also enter the beautiful 14th-century Generalife, once a summer palace and country estate of the sultans. The garden here features peaceful paths through pergolas dripping with jasmine and other trailing scented flowers, pebble mosaics, cool patios, pools and pretty water features, framed by flowerbeds and pavilions.

After our Alhambra tour you have free time, and could visit the Albaicín neighbourhood - the Moorish quarters of the city with narrow winding streets, with Moroccan-style tea gardens, bohemian bars and colourful craft shops. Nearby is a must-see location, the Mirador de San Nicolas - which has fantastic views up to the Alhambra and is a popular spot for local flamenco players, artists and craftspeople. Here you'll find several restaurants and cafés to enjoy a tapas, possibly with a glass of vino tinto.

We return to our hotel by coach at the end of the afternoon and enjoy our final dinner with wine.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 - Homeward bound

Today you bid adiós to Spain, as a coach transfers you and your group to Malaga Airport for your flight back to London or to your regional airport. There will be plenty of special moments to reflect on during your journey home, after your adventure in Andalucía.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We will write to you around 10 weeks before your departure date with the precise meeting times for your tour group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

hotel-antequera-exterior

Hotel Antequera Hills, Anterquera

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Reviews

4.2 stars4.2 / 5 · 86 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (31)
  2. 4 stars
    (42)
  3. 3 stars
    (12)
  4. 2 stars
    (1)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

Michael Slattery

5 stars

Submitted 28 Oct 2023

The tour was interesting and showed Andalucia at it's best. Also our guide went the extra mile to cover additional sites.

Collected by Trustpilot

Barbara Mandel

3 stars

Submitted 28 Oct 2023

Group was too big. Some organisational issues- meeting tour guide from regional airport/ visiting Cordoba on public holiday so extra busy. Would have preferred b and b rather than bbd. Hotel good standard, local guides good. Overall enjoyed the trip- feel feedback form from rail discoveries was too limited to give full feedback

Collected by Trustpilot

Mrs S Peace

5 stars

Submitted 25 Oct 2023

The tour was brilliant and Tracey Davies was a first class tour manager

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Mr G E Gaff

5 stars

Submitted 23 Oct 2023

Trip as described tour manager also arranged visit to Ronda which should be included in future tours hotel ok but buffet meals need review.

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S Rawson

5 stars

Submitted 21 Oct 2023

Excellent

Collected by Trustpilot

Mr Derek Proctor

4 stars

Submitted 21 Oct 2023

Rail discoveries is a great way to see the Treasures of Andalusia. Would have given 5 stars but for a couple of issues. The hotel food not good and cold. Also location of hotel in relation to the town. Long walk when hot. We loved the three cities we visited. Granada was the other issue. We spent 1hour waiting and then 3 hours on guided tour of the Alhambra. Not sure what created this issue. This left us with one hour to try and visit Granada old town and have lunch. This was impossible so never got to see the city. With a little thought and some Organisation this would have received 5 stars. ie. Shorten the guided tour in Alhambra to allow for food and sightseeing in the location. The tour guide Andrew was excellent as was the group size of 19. Sitting together as a group worked very well.

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