GOURMET SPAIN
Small Group tour with transport and professional on board guide
2 departures in 2012: 03 June to 14 June & 14 Oct to 25 Oct
DAY 01 MADRID
Arrival in Madrid today where you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for check-in. Spain's capital is situated close to the geographical centre of the country. Madrid's main attractions include three internationally famous art galleries, a royal palace, grand public squares and many museums filled with the treasures of Spain's history. Rest of the day at leisure. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight. D
DAY 02 MADRID
This morning you will have a guided tour of the city, including the great Prado Museum.
You will walk through the majestic streets of the capital and enter the Golden Triangle
museum quarter for a guided tour through the Prado art galleries. With almost 9000 exhibits in its permanent collection, the museum houses the world's greatest assembly of Spanish painting - especially works by Velazquez and Goya - ranging from the 12th to the 19th century. It also houses important foreign collections particularly Italian and Flemish works. Free afternoon at your leisure. You may like to head out and enjoy a stroll through the beautiful Retiro Park - Europe's largest inner city park. Overnight. B
DAY 03 MADRID - ARANJUEZ - TOLEDO
Morning departure to the royal site of Aranjuez, chosen by the monarchy and the Spanish
Court for rest and leisure during the 17th and 18th centuries. You will visit the impressive
Royal Palace and beautiful La Isla garden, considered the most important and typical of the Hapsburg era (16th century). You will travel on to the magnificent walled city of Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage listed site. Arrival and afternoon city walking tour. On your tour you will visit the magnificent Cathedral, the Church of Santo Tome and the Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue. Some time to wander the tiny streets of the old quarter after your tour. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight. B, D.
DAY 04 TOLEDO - CORDOBA
An interesting journey south passing through the vast plains of Don Quixote's land of La Mancha and crossing the rugged mountain passes that mark the frontier with Andalucia. Time for lunch en route. Arrival in Cordoba in time for check-in and free time at leisure. Cordoba was in the 10th century the most populous and sophisticated city in the western world and home to a unique fusion of religions and cultures. This afternoon's city walking tour delves into this past, with visits to the Jewish quarter as well as the emblematic Mosque-Cathedral, at one time the largest mosque in the entire Islamic world and now quite unique as it houses the city's cathedral within its walls. Free time after the tour. Overnight. B
DAY 05 CORDOBA - BAENA - GRANADA
Depart Cordoba as you cross rural Andalucia to reach Granada, stopping in Baena on the
way. The region is famous for its olive oil production and your stop in Baena will include a
visit to a working olive oil mill. On to Granada for check-in and some free time. Eight
hundred years of Moorish rule came to an end in 1492, with the unification of Spain under the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabel. You might like to visit the Gothic style Cathedral which was begun in 1523 and which houses the tombs of the Monarchs in the Capilla Real. This afternoon you will have a guided walk through the Sacromonte district of the city, with a visit to a unique cave house museum, followed by dinner in a restaurant overlooking the floodlit Alhambra. The day is rounded off with a live Flamenco performance in one of the atmospheric cave houses of the Sacromonte. Overnight. B, D
DAY 06 GRANADA
In the morning we will explore the city's markets surrounding the Cathedral, followed by a visit of the Albaicin quarter. The latter was in the times of the Nasrid Sultanate (13th-15th century) a Moorish city of some 40,000 inhabitants. In the Albaicin we visit a carmen (walled-garden mansion) and a 15th century Moorish royal palace, and have lunch in a local restaurant with private garden. In the afternoon we visit the majestic palaces and gardens of the Alhambra and Generalife, Spain's jewel in the crown of its long Moorish heritage. Overnight. B, L
DAY 07 GRANADA - RONDA
Your journey takes you southwest to reach Ronda, Queen of the White towns, and set against a backdrop of beautiful mountain scenery. Its main feature is the immense Tajo or Chasm - a geological cleft in the rock that plunges about 100m deep. On arrival in Ronda, you have free time at leisure. This evening you will enjoy dinner in the restaurant of the Parador. Overnight. B, D
DAY 08 RONDA
Ronda is ideal for those who enjoy walking, as the town offers many tiny and winding streets with great discoveries at every corner. A local guide of Ronda will show you around the sights of this most beautiful and atmospheric city this morning, with entrances into selected monuments which showcase the best of a lengthy and fascinating history. Around midday we will take a path leading out of Ronda into the surrounding countryside where we find the vineyards belonging to a small, niche wine-maker, the Bodega Viejos Descalzos. We will have a guided visit of their installations, housed in a restored 16th century convent church, as well as the vines, before sampling some of their excellent reds
(Syrah/Merlot/Garnacha coupages) and a Chardonnay. We will enjoy lunch in these
beautiful surroundings before walking back into Ronda, with time in the later afternoon for
some independent sightseeing or a siesta. Free evening. Overnight. B, L
DAY 09 RONDA - GRAZALEMA - ZAHARA DE LA SIERRA - SEVILLA
This morning you travel to the rugged whitewashed mountain village of Grazalema, for a short visit through its cobbled streets. Continue north to the charming white village of Zahara de la Sierra, one of the most stunning sites in the province of Cadiz, with its streets clinging to the side of a steep hill which sits above a large reservoir. Lunch. On to Sevilla for a free afternoon and evening at your leisure. Overnight. B, L
DAY 10 SEVILLA
Morning walking tour of the city including the impressive Moorish-Renaissance Alcazar and the vast and proud Gothic Cathedral, with its beautiful, iconic Giralda tower. Free afternoon to continue exploring at your leisure, perhaps towards the Maria Luisa park and the Plaza de España, the exuberant centrepiece of the 1929 Ibero-American Expo. Free time after the tour. In the late afternoon, your on board guide will take you on an exploration of the labyrinthine streets of the old Jewish quarter of Santa Cruz before a tapas dinner - for which Sevilla enjoys great fame. Overnight. B, D
DAY 11 SEVILLA - MADRID
Head to Santa Justa train station today to board the AVE high speed train to return to the Spanish capital for a final night's stay. Check-in and relax. You have a free afternoon to explore the city's wonderful boutiques and plazas or perhaps visit the city's Botanical Gardens, or the superb collection of modern art (including Picasso's masterpiece Guernika)at the Museo Reina Sofia. Tonight, you have a farewell dinner at a typical Castilian restaurant. Overnight. B, D
DAY 12 MADRID
After breakfast at the hotel, collect your luggage and check-out as you are transferred to theairport for your flight out of Madrid. B
END OF ITINERARY!
NOTE: B = BREAKFAST, L = LUNCH, D = DINNER
- Spain
- Tours
- Great Train Journeys
- Paradores
- Rustic and Rural
- Hotels
- Apartments
Land of Contrasts
Appropriately called the 'Bull's Hide' by Roman geographer Strabo in 29-27BC, the landmass of Spain with its 505,000 sq. km, provides the traveller with an opportunity to experience the great diversity within its borders, bounded by sea, except for Portugal to the west and France to the north-east.
Iberia has charmed travellers for centuries, but it was not until the early19th century that the first romantics brought Spain into world recognition. Richard Ford along with many others of his time, describing the country as a 'land of miracles, anomalies and contradictions'.
Spain today embodies all of the contrasts of yesteryear. With its rich and varied culture and language, Spain's 17 autonomous regions offer many unexpected architectural, geographical, cultural, gastronomic and climatic differences; all contributing to the many delights and pleasures of the visitor.
Once Spain was one of the most powerful nations on earth with far flung dominions wielding great influence on world political and commercial affairs. The Spain of today is an energetic member of the European Community with a population of 45 million and a universally appreciated culture, individuality and language.
Download our 2012 brochure!
Tours
Ranging from short Fully Escorted coach tours to Private itineraries with your own driver, we have a tour to suit your time frame and budget. Here are a few examples of some of our most popular touring options...
| Self Drive Tours: | A GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE IN NORTHERN SPAIN -- ROMANTIC ANDALUCIA -- WORLD HERITAGE ENCOUNTER |
| Fully Escorted Tours: | ANDALUCIA AND MEDITERRANEAN COAST -- ANDALUCIA AND MOROCCO -- ANDALUCIA AND TOLEDO -- CASTILLA, PORTUGAL AND ANDALUCIA -- GREEN SPAIN -- NORTH OF SPAIN -- SALAMANCA AND PORTUGAL |
| Small Group Tours: | GOURMET SPAIN |
| Tours with Private driver: | SEVILLA AND THE WHITE VILLAGES OF ANDALUCIA -- SEVILLA, CORDOBA AND GRANADA |
| Walking Tours: | EL CAMINO DEL NORTE -- EL CAMINO PRIMITIVO -- SHORT BREAK PICOS DE EUROPA -- THE ALPUJARRAS - MOORISH SPLENDOUR -- WALKING THE PICOS DE EUROPA |
| Unique Spain: | BARCELONA AND ORGANIC WINE IN THE PENEDÈS -- BARCELONA AND THE MEDIEVAL VILLAGES OF CATALONIA -- A GOURMET'S GRANADA -- BARCELONA AND THE GENIUS OF DALI -- GRANADA -ORIGINS OF FLAMENCO -- SEVILLA AND THE PUEBLOS BLANCOS - A CULINARY ENCOUNTER -- THE MOORISH LEGACY IN GRANADA |
The Great Train Journeys of Spain
IBERTOURS is the sole GSA in Australia and New Zealand for the Great Train Journeys of Spain. These marvellous journeys attend to the needs of the traveller who is keen to savour the travel delights of yesteryear and who is enticed by the notion of a special journey by rail.
"El Transcantabrico" explores the rugged mountains and seascape of the northern coast in an 08 day gastronomic adventure. There are 2 very special and itineraries to select.
The "Espreso de la Robla" takes one on an enjoyable 4 day regional rail experience between Bilbao and Leon, as well as Gijon and Santiago de Compostela.
The legendary "Al Andalus" returns in 2012 in a luxurious 6 day adventure through historical Andalucia, from Sevilla to Sevilla, visiting Cordoba, Granada and Jerez along the way.
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EL EXPRESO DE LA ROBLA | EL TRANSCANTABRICO - 8 DAY JOURNEY AL ANDALUS
Unique Historic Accommodation
IBERTOURS TRAVEL is the Official Representative of Paradores in Australia and New Zealand.
The concept of utilising these unique establishments as selected accommodation for tourism goes back to 1926, when the royal tourist commissioner, the Marques of Vega-Inclan, sought Royal Approval for the extraordinarily far sighted idea of setting up State run Paradores as lodgings for nature lovers and hunters around the country.
Rustic and Rural Spain with Rusticae
Rusticae is a network of boutique properties and guesthouses that are often old farms, mills and homes, transformed into small hotels. Rusticae has currently has over 160 hotels spread across Spain, Portugal, France and Argentina divided into two main types of accommodation, Metropoli and Tradition.
The Metropoli range incorporates a selection of small, boutique hotels inside major cities including Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, Palma de Mallorca and Bilbao.
The Tradition range is the most extensive and has a wide selection of hotels and manor houses located in small villages in the countryside.
There are around 140 of these properties in Spain alone and each possesses its own individual charm and style, reflecting the history and traditions of the region and its people.
Spanish Hotels
Stopovers can include 2 and 3 night packages in all major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and San Sebastian, plus many other smaller regional cities such as Granada, Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela and so on... In fact, with our extensive experience and contacts we can develop stopover packages for almost any city or town in the Iberian Triangle, for any length of time, to suit your requirements. Here are some examples...
View a selection of hotels by region:
Northern Spain and the Pyrenees / Madrid and Surrounds / Extremadura and Castilla La Mancha / Valencia / Andalucia / Balearic Islands /Canary Islands
Apartments
If you are planning a stay of 3 nights or more, why not consider an apartment? Live like the locals do in the centre of one of Spain's vibrant and emblematic cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, and others. Ideal for an extended stay, an apartment gives you the freedom and choice to shop with the locals at the market and cook up your own Spanish fusion! All we need to know is how many people, what city and when and we can find one perfect for you! Just ask us to add an apartment to your creative itinerary.