Self-Drive Through Andalusia - 6 Days

Highlights

• Visit the enchanting gardens of the Royal Alcázar in Seville
• Eat traditional tapas and watch a flamenco show
• Explore Ronda, one of the most beautiful White Villages in Spain
• Enjoy a private visit to the historic Alhambra Palace in Granada

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Seville, Tour Seville Cathedral & Alcázar, Tapas & Flamenco Experience

Welcome to Seville! A private driver will wait for you in the Seville Airport (SVQ) arrivals area and transfer you to your hotel, which typically takes 30 minutes. After settling into your accommodation, you'll join a private guide and visit Seville's most important monuments: Seville Cathedral and the Royal Alcázar. You'll skip the long lines and enjoy a personalized experience that digs deep into the city's history and cultural heritage.

Start by meeting your guide at the cathedral (the world's largest Gothic cathedral and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and climb the bell tower, La Giralda, for incredible city views. Then make your way to the Alcázar, a royal palace commissioned for King Peter of Castile, replacing the original Moorish fortress and offering one of the country's best examples of Mudejar architecture.

Day 2: Pick Up Rental Car, Drive to Cádiz via Jerez de la Frontera

After picking up your rental, you'll drive from Seville to the historic coastal city of Cádiz, which typically takes about 1.5 hours. Along the way, stretch your legs, enjoy the scenery, and learn more about the local culture by stopping in Bodegas Luis Pérez and Jerez de la Frontera. Luis Pérez Rodriguez, a professor of oenology (the study of wine and winemaking) at Cádiz University and former chief winemaker, specializes in merlot, Syrah, and Petit Verdot grapes. Enjoy the views at his winery, tour the production facilities, taste a few varieties, and purchase some bottles. 

Then, the most popular stopping point between Seville and Cádiz is undoubtedly the historic city of Jerez de la Frontera, known for its architecture, sherry, and horseriding. The Old Town surrounds an 11th-century Moorish fortress, the Alcázar de Jerez, plus highlights like the Jerez Cathedral and Plaza del Arenal. You'll also find plenty of opportunities to taste sherry and check out the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, a historic riding school with shows, stables, and a museum.

Once settled into your accommodation, you'll head out to explore Cádiz with a local guide, getting to know the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe, founded by the Phoenicians in the seventh century BCE. You'll learn all about the city's unique and long history, stopping to view monuments, churches, and viewpoints ending at a tavern for wine tasting.

Day 3: Drive to Ronda via the White Villages, Private Walk in the City

If you're traveling between Cádiz and Ronda, you'll find numerous White Villages. Consider visiting at least a few towns, such as Arcos de la Frontera, known for its two cliffside hills topped with the large medieval Castillo de Arcos de la Frontera and the Iglesia de San Pedro. Another option is Grazalema, deep in the national park and perfect for hiking or grabbing a snack in the town's main square, Plaza de España.

For incredible views, consider Zahara de la Sierra, a picturesque white village overlooking the Zahara Reservoir, with its Castle of Zahara de la Sierra and numerous viewpoints. To get off the beaten path, head to Olvera. Enjoy exploring twisting cobbled streets, the Castle of Olvera, and plenty of towers, plazas, and viewpoints. Or, stop in Setenil de las Bodegas for its famed whitewashed dwellings built straight into the rock that overhangs above the streets.

Once you've arrived and settled into your accommodation, you'll explore Ronda with a local, the village that Ernest Hemingway once called the most romantic town in Spain. Its home to several palaces, museums, and historic buildings, plus set on a spectacular gorge and surrounded by the Serranía de Ronda Mountains. Your guide will take you through the historic neighborhoods and across all three of the town's famed bridges, including Puente Nuevo, for its incredible views of El Tajo Gorge.

Day 4: Drive to Granada, Evening Walk in the Albaicín Neighborhood

In your rental car, you'll drive from Ronda to Granada. The journey usually takes two hours, but plenty of optional stopping points are en route. Consider stopping at the unique lookout point at Mirador del Guarda Forestal, El Torcal National Park's rock formations near the beautiful Antequera and/or the infamous Caminito del Rey hiking trail.

The Mirador del Guarda Forestal is one of Spain's most unique viewpoints. It sits almost 3,000 feet (900 m) above sea level and offers incredible views of the Turón river basin and its forested slopes. It's a good relaxed stop, but the rocks and dolmens of El Torcal are perfect for stretching your legs through the picturesque karst formations, part of the area's World Heritage Site. For a much more challenging adventure, opt for the Caminito del Rey trek, which follows a canyon along the Guadalhorce River, with parts of the trail more than 2,000 feet (700 m) high.

Day 5: Private Visit to the Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Enjoy a private visit to Granada's Alhambra and Generalife Gardens, the second-most visited monument in Spain. A professional guide will cater the excursion to your interests and lead you through the complexes of the Nasrid dynasty, steeped in thousands of years of history. Walking through palaces, courtyards, halls, chapels, and gardens, your guide will share how Granada, once the last bastion of Al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim rule), maintained these landmarks throughout history, even when transitioning from the Moors to the Christians.

Day 6: Depart Granada

It's time to head to the airport! A private driver will wait for you near your hotel and transfer you to Granada International Airport, which typically takes about 30 minutes, with plenty of time to catch your flight.

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