Name: Madrid, Seville, Barcelona: 7-Day Itinerary
Brand: Zicasso
Price: 312 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (79 reviews)

View of Alcazar and Tagus river in Toledo, Spain

What to expect on this itinerary

The capital city treats coastal exuberance, fantastic architecture, flamenco, tapas, and a wonderfully laid-back style are all yours with seven days of authentic Spanish highlights. From medieval leftovers to Modernist design, intimate tavernas to expressive art, you will be amazed at how much you can experience in just one week without compromising on luxury or Spain’s tranquil vibe. Handcrafted to maximize your time, this private tour visits Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, and Barcelona.

Countries Visited

Spain

Places Visited

Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, Barcelona

Suggested Duration

7 Days

Day 1

Madrid – Superlative Art and Local Spanish Experiences

Madrid always proves to be a romantic place to land as elegant tree-lined boulevards mark your way from the airport to the city center, the odd statue sneaking its way above the branches. Closing in on the heart of the city, the roads become narrow, most of them made from cobbles. Your hotel is within this old area, barely a five-minute walk to the Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s grand 17th-century centerpiece. Check-in, freshen up and then grab a coffee with your guide on a cafe terrace. Ease your way into Spain and gain some historical perspective from the guide, before heading out into the city’s famed art scene.

The Prado is world-famous, a museum of classical art that covers the very best of Spanish painters up until the 20th century along with the world’s finest collection of Flemish art. Explore the galleries and the masterpieces following the chronological artistic timeline. You could spend a full day here, but two hours is usually enough to get a feel for who is who and why such painting are so revered. You will likely be a little weary after your flight, so most of the afternoon is left free, although the private Thyssen-Bornemisza collection is a great complement to the Prado.

This evening you can head to the Plaza Mayor and stroll without a plan. Cafes and restaurants line this central square, their terraces emanating chatter and enthusiasm. Narrow pedestrianized roads jut out between the terraces, leading you towards the smell of coffee, chocolate, and tapas. One way to soak up the Spanish atmosphere is to hop between the tapas bars. Another is to dine at one of the small restaurants in the area, before returning to the Plaza Mayor for a glass of wine or short coffee later in the evening, when there’s a real hum to the atmosphere.

Transfer

Accommodation

Breakfast

Day 2

Madrid – Exploring the Vast Medieval City of Toledo and the Best of El Greco

Madrid is vastly different from London and Paris. In those two capitals, there are countless attractions, abundant tourists, and an international ambiance. In comparison, the Spanish capital has less to see but feels instantly Spanish, a city that does not need abundant attractions to show off its charms. Take some time to walk around with your guide this morning, seeing the old palace and new cathedral, taking in the views from the Egyptian Obelisk and Don Quixote statue, exploring the townhouse architecture. Late in the morning, it will be a 50-minute train journey to Toledo, where you will step out into a carefully preserved medieval world.

Cross the bridge and stop for lunch on a small plaza, and then ascend through this dramatic old city. A narrow doorway leads to a synagogue, and gazing up you can see church spires, one, two, three, four, and then more jutting up above the cityscape. Entering Santo Dome you admire one of El Greco’s famous works, the paint so luscious it seems to still be drying. In a 14th-century monastery, you can listen to tales from the nuns, then around the corner, there’s something unusual: a mosque, in the old Moorish style.

Toledo provided religious sanctuary, and there is a harmony to its juxtapositions, mosques alongside churches decorated by El Greco, alongside cute cafes and small boutique stores. It is a city virtually frozen in the medieval era, although your guide will point out that this era actually covers five centuries. Ascend through the city to the cathedral, and then stick around as Toledo changes color at dusk. You will follow the El Greco trail throughout, the artist proving an excellent lens to keep track of where you are on the mazy streets. It will be a 50-minute train journey back to Toledo, and you can disembark in the city center with your guide able to provide restaurant recommendations and reservations.

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast

Day 3

Cordoba – Half Day at El Escorial and Evening in Cordoba

Explore El Escorial with one eye, and you see a monastery, a sanctified space that still functions to this day. You will see serenity and simplicity, but look with the other eye, and you see extravagance as El Escorial is stuffed with gold leaf and endless artworks. Part palace and part monastery, this UNESCO World Heritage Site reflects Spain’s Golden Age, built at a time when religion was used to cement power and showcase wealth. You will need half a day to make sense of it all, the congruence of ideas and elements baffling at first glance. Take the train here with your guide and fully explore, before hopping back to central Madrid and the high-speed train to Cordoba.

This journey is without your guide, traveling first class on one of Europe’s fastest trains. A new guide will meet you in Cordoba, and it will be late-afternoon now, the time when Cordoba really comes to life. Moorish secrets whisper through the old city, remembering a time when this was the capital of the artistic world. Calligraphy and geometric patterns are the norms, with painted embellishments found all along the vernacular buildings. This is enlivened by a gritty, modern feel, one that comes from an almost-subculture style that is a halfway point between the Middle East and Spain. Although mysterious and hard to grasp for some, this is a wonderful city if you have a good guide. So settle into local experiences, including some Islamic, Moorish inspired tapas.

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast

Day 4

Seville – The Mezquita and Authentic Flamenco

Most visitors to Cordoba come only for the Mezquita. Yesterday evening will have shown you a more local side of the city. Then you can enter the Mezquita when it opens this morning before the Seville-based crowds turn up. Red and white painted columns keep up the grand prayer hall as arched walls are covered in flamboyant symmetrical patterns, their intricacy incredible to witness first hand. This was a mosque and then a cathedral, and now it’s a museum piece, perhaps the greatest Islamic monument found in the West. It is not just the artisanal beauty, but also the size of this place, and the thought that this sumptuous style came 1,000 years ago at a time when most of the world was in the Dark Ages.

After lunch, you will cruise to Seville on the high-speed train to spend two nights at a hotel within Europe’s largest old city quarter. Tonight is will be all about flamenco as the Triana district is one corner of the flamenco triangle, so one of three places where this art form originates. The flamenco here is slow and soulful, based on impromptu tales of love and loss. A voice echoes, a guitarist strums, the dancer twirls to the music’s rhythm and you are spellbound, lost in the atmosphere. This is not a show for tourists, but a venue where all the finest flamenco musicians want to perform, a place where legends perform together, and sometimes for the first time. For true flamenco, there is nowhere in the world that can compare.

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast

Day 5

Seville – Highlights of Seville Including a Private Tapas Hopping Tour

Seville’s highlights suggest grandeur and wealth. Most of this came from the conquistadors, who returned with their New-World treasures through Seville’s port. Churches are enlivened with silver and gold; townhouses fade elegantly, a show of how well they were built. Columbus is found in the enormous cathedral, just one of the explorers in the crypt. There is history before Columbus as well, the Alcazar another fine example of Moorish architecture, so different from what you may expect when visiting Spain. While exploring old Seville, you will also encounter it’s lively, fiery style as this is a city of people who live with their heart on their sleeves and like to shout when they are happy.

This evening in Seville is dedicated to another famous Andalusian pleasure, tapas. Tapas originated here, and there are dozens of bars to try. Curried blood sausage, a mountain of olives, pan-fried squid, hams and cheeses and delicacies and treats best enjoyed as a small plate. Head off on a private tapas walking tour, stopping in four different bars to sample their specialties. Each bar has a subtly different style or a locally famous plate that everyone orders. At some, you will dine al fresco, whereas in others you get the pungent smells and lively atmosphere of a packed interior space. It will be a tour that could go on until past midnight if you have the energy because there’s always another tapas bar to try in the home of tapas.

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast

Day 6

Barcelona – Montjuic and the Beach

Fly to Barcelona and this day is left free. With seven days in Spain, it is easy to rush, but this is a vacation as well as an adventure. After a transfer to your hotel in Barri Gotic, the day is left free. It is just a short walk to the beach, where bars fringe in golden sand and it gets lively around late-afternoon, or you can ascend through Barcelona’s old neighborhoods to Montjuic, where a castle hangs high over the city and there is a distinct medieval flair. After dusk, you will not need to travel far from the hotel. Barri Gotic is Barcelona’s bustling center with shops, cafes, restaurants, wine bars, and everything else you could want on a perfect vacation day.

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast

Day 7

Barcelona – La Sagrada Familia, Montaner and Departure

Ghouls mark the entrance, staring at you as if from on high. Columns turn in strange ways as if created by a mathematics experiment. From the outside, it is an impossible building as Gaudi’s masterpiece is still under construction after 100 years. The surreal style extends inside every inch of the space and artistic detail that other cathedrals cannot compete with. This is your last day in Spain, and you will be up early to visit La Sagrada Familia before it gets too packed. Not far away there is more beauty from Gaudi with two houses that demonstrate his development as an artist and architect.

Yet Gaudi was not the first, and it may be Montaner that is most memorable in Barcelona, Palau de la Musica Catalana a magnificent work that’s true to the original Modernista style. It helps complete your historical journey through Spain’s finest buildings, from the Moors to the Golden Age to Catalan Modernism. Later, head for a late lunch on a restaurant terrace and spend the afternoon indulging in some final Spanish flavors. Late check-out has been arranged, and you can freshen up back at the hotel before your late departure. It has only been seven days in Spain, but looking back it will feel like two weeks, such is the diversity of the destinations and the authenticity of what you’re able to experience.

Tour

Transfer

Breakfast

Trip Highlights

Experience the music and atmosphere of real flamenco, in a small Seville tavern where the art form takes its roots
Feast your eyes on the art and architecture of Toledo, an evocative medieval city just outside Madrid
Feel the beauty of the Moors in Cordoba, where Le Mezquita is beyond comparison
Explore the highlights of Barcelona, including Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia and Montaner’s Palau de la Musica Catalana
Discover authentic tapas by hopping between bars in old-world Seville
Tour Spain’s pre-eminent gallery, the Prado, then find out why Madrid is Europe’s most local-feeling capital city
Marvel at part-monastery part-palace El Escorial, later comparing it to Catalan Montjuic

Detailed Description

Spain is always authentic, and this handcrafted tour puts you in the heart of the local experience. Think tapas hopping through Seville’s cobbled lanes, and then wandering through a part-monastery part-palace that evokes Spain’s coming to global power. There will be an evening of flamenco, not a tourist show but a performance in the place where flamenco began. You can delve into the art world, not merely in museums and galleries, but also in small churches where dazzling works hide. With just seven days you are never going to see all of Spain, as that is not possible even with seven months. But transport connections are reliable, and this route will take you around the diversity of highlights with four very distinct overnight destinations.

Handcrafted to maximize experiences and minimize wasted time, this is an action-packed itinerary yet one that can still be truthful to Spain’s laid-back style. They do not like to rush things here, and you will be able to take it slow, especially during the evenings. Relaxing on a cafe terrace or dining al fresco is part of local culture, and your hotels have been handpicked for their location as much as anything, ensuring that you are close to everything after dark. Mostly, you will travel on first-class high-speed first-class rail, the quickest way to go from city center to city center, although there is a flight from Seville to Barcelona.

Fly into Madrid and the first day is all about superb art and Spanish experiences found in the Prado, and then around the Plaza Mayor. After sleeping in the next morning, you can take a day trip to Toledo, a medieval city of harmonious religion and famous El Greco artwork. Sink all of your senses into the history and stay until dusk, when Toledo exquisitely changes color. The next you will visit El Escorial, the most dramatic of all the Golden Age architecture, part monastic retreat, and part flamboyant palace. That afternoon you’re on the train to Cordoba, an old Moorish city with a lively local atmosphere and a great sense of Andalusian change.

It’s the Mezquita that Cordoba is famous for, and you will need the whole morning of the next day to appreciate why. It will then be a short hop to Seville for an evening of flamenco, Triana the district where it all evolved, a couple of centuries ago. The next day is dedicated to the best of Seville, from its architectural highlights and treasures to local tapas bars that each have their own specialty. Fly to Barcelona the following day, and you will find Catalan culture, and some hours to spend on the beach. The flamboyant Modernist architecture is saved for your last day, Gaudi and Montaner providing fitting final memories before you fly out late in the evening. Consider reading some of our travelers’ Spain tour reviews for more ideas to perfect your dream vacation.

Starting Price

$2,200 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

Accommodations
In-country transportation
Some or all activities and tours
Expert trip planning
24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 79 reviews

Spain Travel Review: Madrid, Mallorca, Granada, Toledo, Barcelona, Horse Show, Horseback Riding, 10 Nights

We were very happy to be matched with Zicasso’s travel consultant to arrange our travel plans. His expertise and thoughtfulness were obvious through every detail, and his suggestions proved to be the right ones in nearly every case. The transfers made the travel stress-free and smooth. The drivers were professional and most engaging, with only one slight mix-up on the location when departing Mallorca, but this caused no issue.

We returned to Zicasso because of our wonderful experience they arranged for our trip to Italy a few years ago, and this experience was equally fantastic. It was very assuring for my wife and I to receive the notices and updates from our travel consultant while our travel was in progress. He was prompt and detailed from start to finish. My wife speaks Spanish very well and loved the opportunity to interact and rebuild her vocabulary.

All hotels selected were excellent. The service quality was a standout at the hotel on Plaza de las Cortes in Madrid and the resort on Carrer de les Molins in Mallorca, in particular. The accommodation in Granada was beautiful, although just for feedback, the room location was not so good, having a full window wall at nearly ground level looking at people at a cafe — which meant keeping the blackout drapes pulled the entire time — and, consequently, a little noisy. That is just meant as a note if you book this hotel in the future. The lower levels at the back of the hotel should be avoided. That probably had more to do with what was available at check-in time, but just a note.

As we mentioned to our travel consultant during the trip, all four private tour guides we had were wonderful and very knowledgeable. The day trip to Toledo was a standout, as was the Alhambra in Granada. The horse show at the Spanish riding school fulfilled my wife's wish over many years and it didn't disappoint. Our guide in Granada stayed with us nearly an hour beyond her time (even though we mentioned the time to her). She replied that she enjoyed spending time with those who appreciated her city – and we did. We enjoyed her historical perspective very much and she seemed to enjoy it too. Our other guides were all terrific and it was evident they all enjoy their work and are proud of their cities and heritage.

We loved the horseback riding at the ranch with our guide in Mallorca. The staff there went above and beyond when my wife lost a bracelet on the trail (unknown where or when). We were nearly back at the hotel when we got a call that one of their staff had found the bracelet. The manager offered and dropped off the bracelet at the hotel that night on her way home, before we left for Barcelona. Great people!

The crowning point was ending our travel at the Sagrada Família at sunset — awe-inspiring! We really don't have any complaints or things we would change. There is much we would add, however, had we had more time (and money).

Thank you, Zicasso, and Zicasso’s travel company, for helping make a great memory for my wife and me.

Spain Travel Review: Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla, Ronda, Malaga, Granada, Jerez, Museums, Flamenco, Cooking Class, Sherry Tasting, Alhambra, 9 Nights

I know we worked together on content, so none of the activities or the schedule were a surprise. We enjoyed every activity and just loved Spain. Our trip was worry-free and we were in the country during the power outage. We were not able to visit a cathedral due to the power outage, but were able to do a different tour. Our guide was enthusiastic and we barely noticed any inconvenience.

Each guide was on time and personable. We had a couple of substitutes and that was not noticeable at all. In general, each guide was knowledgeable and we learned so much.

Our first guide, in Madrid, was so kind when he realized jet lag was going to cut our tour short – not his fault. He was the best choice for our first tour. He was so knowledgeable and helped to orient us to Madrid. It was so great to have a personal guide so we could ask questions.

Toledo was fantastic. We loved the guide and the city. The train ride was our first and we had to navigate the train station, but we did just fine after a few wrong turns. We took the bus to the station. The bus worked great. We were exhausted from our day in Toledo, but still walked from the train station. The information on how to get to the station was accurate and it was a lovely walk.

Sevilla was magical. We were surprised when our driver drove through a public square to let us out to walk to the hotel! We loved our tour, really liked the hotel, and had great meals in the restaurant. We got to know the bartender and she helped us experiment with local wines.

Our trip to Ronda was beautiful and our guide and driver were both excellent, especially our driver, who had to work around a running and walking event going on that meant our meeting spot was inaccessible. But he was on time and close, and we made it work!

Our trip to the olive oil museum was great, but we were part of a group and some of the people in the group were just stupid. I am allergic to olive trees and my allergies completely kicked up. We enjoyed the tour and bought olive oil, but I just couldn’t understand why some people on the tour were so rude.

The wine tasting also got us a spontaneous flamenco demonstration, which was fantastic. We stayed and did a wine tasting with the owner. We could have stayed all afternoon. She was lovely and interesting, and we enjoyed our time there very much.

Málaga was a joy and it was there we had the power outage. We had a great tour with our guide, who took so many pictures of us and slowed down to compensate for my tired legs. Touring was catching up with me. The Picasso Museum was open and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We loved our hotel and were very grateful there was a good restaurant with an excellent bar, and we took advantage of that!

Granada was worth a visit and our trip to the Alhambra was amazing; our guide was five-star.

Spain, Portugal Trip Review: Douro Valley, Cordoba, Toledo, Madrid, Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Batllo, Alhambra, 18 Days

It is hard not to be overly effusive in praise of the trip. The hotels, travel, guides, and itinerary were all wonderful. The trip was tailored to our needs and interests very well. We loved our app and Zicasso’s travel specialist checking in on us.

So what were the favorites for me? The Douro Valley, Córdoba, and Toledo. Not saying that I did not enjoy all the rest, but those were the standouts and might merit a return. I think being there during the Christmas season was special, though the crowds in Madrid were a little much for us. It was colder than we expected, but better than sweltering heat.

So what could I have lived without? The Metropol Parasol (recommended by someone else, not the travel company) was underwhelming and the Royal Palace in Madrid was not as interesting as other landmarks. The Alhambra and the Retiro Park in Madrid were more enjoyable.

That said, the travel specialist did a wonderful job accommodating our lifestyle and interests, making for a wonderful travel experience.

Spain Vacation Review: Madrid, Granada, Seville, Barcelona, Costa Brava, Toledo, Cordoba, Flamenco, Sailing, Museums, Cathedrals, 11-Day Trip

My husband, our two adult sons, and myself had the pleasure of going to Spain for 11 nights. We didn’t know much about the country, so we relied on Zicasso’s travel specialist to guide us. From the start, she explained the history, culture, food, etc.

We traveled to Madrid, Granada, Seville, Barcelona, and Costa Brava! We also took day trips to Toledo and Córdoba. We had excellent tour guides and drivers. Our trip flowed nicely, as we were on the go a lot of the time.

It was a trip of a lifetime for our family. We looked forward to the tapas, paellas, Jamón Ibérico, gazpacho, empanadas, rabo de toro, and, of course, the seafood every evening. The Spanish people were great and some we’ll never forget!

We learned so much about the ancient and early history, including the Roman conquest through the Medieval and early modern history. We were taking in this information all week, including the Prado Museum, the Picasso Museum, and the Dalí Theatre-Museum!

A simple family moment was sitting on our rooftop in Seville by the pool looking out at this beautiful city, which was difficult to leave!

Spain Luxury Travel Review: Ronda, Madrid, Royal Palace, Guitar Concert, Sagrada Familia, Costa Brava, 2 Weeks

"The entire experience not only met our high expectations, but managed to exceed them."

Spain Family Travel Review: Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Cordoba, Barcelona, Cathedrals, Mosques, Cooking Class, Tapas, Biking, 9 Nights

The recommended activities were amazing for our trip.

We started in Madrid, then went to Toledo, Seville, Córdoba, and Barcelona. Highlights for my kids (15, 13, and 13) were the cathedrals, mosque, cooking class, walking tapas tour and e-bike tour.

All of our drivers and tour guides were prompt, knowledgeable, and listened to our preferences.

The hotels in Madrid and Seville were perfection and located close to major areas.

The only reason I gave the trip four instead of five stars was that the travel company made a mistake booking our hotel in Barcelona. We found out the night before that our hotel was switched and the new hotel was not in the best area and far from major attractions. The company did offer to reimburse us for taxis and sent us a gift and apology letter. However, I would have preferred to book my own hotel in Barcelona but the day before it was too late for me to research and change the hotel. That particular experience marred what was an otherwise fantastic trip.

Zicasso in the News

Madrid, Seville, Barcelona: 7-Day Itinerary

What to expect on this itinerary

Countries Visited

Places Visited

Suggested Duration

Customizable Itinerary

Madrid – Superlative Art and Local Spanish Experiences

Madrid – Exploring the Vast Medieval City of Toledo and the Best of El Greco

Cordoba – Half Day at El Escorial and Evening in Cordoba

Seville – The Mezquita and Authentic Flamenco

Seville – Highlights of Seville Including a Private Tapas Hopping Tour

Barcelona – Montjuic and the Beach

Barcelona – La Sagrada Familia, Montaner and Departure

Trip Highlights

Detailed Description

Starting Price

What's Included

Verified Traveler Reviews

Customizable Itinerary

Madrid, Seville & Granada: 10-Day Itinerary

Immersive 2 Weeks in Spain Tour: History, Culture & Food

Iconic Cities & Experiences of Spain: Madrid, Seville, Barcelona Tour

Discover Spain: Custom Tour of Madrid, Toledo, Seville and Barcelona

Highlights of Spain: Barcelona, Madrid, Seville Luxury Tour

Best of Barcelona & Madrid Vacation