5-Day Spain Tour: Seville, Cordoba, Toledo, Ronda, Costa del Sol and Granada from Madrid

Madrid, Spain

Take your time with five days to explore some of Spain's most famous cities. With Moorish Kingdoms in Granada, thriving resorts of the Costa del Sol, and the many UNESCO World Heritage sites in Cordoba, Seville and Toledo, this is a tour deep into the heart of Andalucia.

Andalucia is one of the most attractive areas within the Mediterranean regions, due to its mild climate, environmental nature, its history and culture. It was consecutively conquered by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans, later by Vandals and Suevians, before the Arabs occupied the region during five centuries.

Toledo is a city that once visited, never ceases to rest in the imagination. The fortified medieval city built on a hill overlooking the Tagus River, is without a doubt one of the densest monumental cities in the world. It also lies claim to being the hometown of Spanish artist El Greco and houses many of his famous works.

At the foot of Sierra Nevada, between the Darro and Genil rivers, lies Granada. The last city reconquered in 1492, Granada has a distinctly Arab influence with the impressive UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Alhambra and Generalife Gardens amongst the highlights.

Ronda is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Andalucia region and you will join a sightseeing tour of this beautiful town of Celtic origin. With the Cathedral (Roman, Arabic and Gothic styles), the Old Quarter, the Bull Ring (oldest one in Spain) and the magnificent Tajo Gorge, Ronda has plenty of sites to discover during your time there.

Built on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, Seville displays a rich Arab legacy. Every street and square that makes up the historic quarter of the Andalucian capital bursts with joy and activity.

Special Offer - Book and travel before May 31, 2012 and you will enjoy 4 Star Accommodation for the price of 3 Star Accommodation. - Book Now!

USD $608.94

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Rizwan Q	April 2012
Very good trip. The guide Natalia was charming, well informed, extremely patient and well organized. Hotels were satifactory.The coach and driver were good.

Review by: Sally L L	September 2011
I expected that the bus would be equipped with a toilet, and the first local guide even said it had one, but it did not.Requiring a local guide to provide Information in 4 languages is too much as it shorts everyone.Otherwise, driver was excellent, tour guides were OK, 3 star hotels were fine, and plans for visits worked out well. Our rating is 3 1/2 stars.

Review by: Nicholas I	August 2011
This was a 1st class tour. We had an excellent tour guide who shared his love and knowlwedge of Spain with us. The only down side was the premium charged for 4 star hotel occupancy. We were in adifferent hotel from our fellow "tourist" travellers for 1 night out of 4. This does not justify the increased charge.

Review by: gutarts	July 2011
very good, will recomend to the friends

Review by: Peter W	June 2011
Tour was great. Met really good people and the cities were outstanding. Costa Del Sol not my favourite. Hotel was very old and run down. Would have liked to see more of Toledo and Granada. Next time!

Review by: KAREN S	June 2011
Tour was enjoyable and got us from point A to point B with a couple of tours along the way which were excellent with local guides. The Tour leader of our tour was having a little holiday herself. She was not very informative, nor forthcoming with answers to our questions. For example, tour had 2 hours in Rhonda to sight-see on our own. Not much information was given as to what to see and when asked if she could provide a map of the city she answered not her responsibility (who's then?) She pointed me in the direction of the tourist information centre. However, she did not make mention of it prior to getting off the bus. Accommodations (4 star) and meals were only mediocre - in theory a great sounding tour, in reality not so great.

Review by: Rosemarymack	June 2011
Excellent value for the price. The hotels were comfortable. There was plenty of free time to explore except in Cordoba and Toledo, but in view of the distance travelled, not much could have been done about this. My only real reservation was that the tour guide could have made herself more available at the hotels for general assistance.

Review by: Belinda R	June 2011
Great value for money! The tour guides speak 3 languages which is excellent! Free meals(although some buffets were not that great) Very cultural! (On a few of the extra options such as Flamenco show, Gysy night tour and Gybraltor, the guide was not very clear with the details, needs to be more explicit) for example on the Gypsy night tour in Granada we found out the next day that there was a Flamenco show as part of it and we did not go on this one as 2nights before we chose a Flamenco show option in Seville but if we knew that there would be a Flamenco show as part of the Gypsy night tour we would have chosen that one-some people cant afford to do all the extras. Also the option of going to Gybraltor was not made clear, the guide should have told everyone that all have to say yes in order for this to go ahead so when 4 people said no to this option not realising that it affects the other 15 on the tour who said yes(we were told the next day so the people who said yes were upset and the people who said no felt a little guilty) Aside from this it was a fantastic tour! Thankyou.

Review by: LEON O	June 2011
Christina was our excellent guide! Sevilla 4 star hotel was great, the hotel in Fuengirona, the Pyramide was unexpectedly uncomfortable. All local tour guides were experienced, cordial, and enthusiatically welcoming to our group._br/_ The group was varied (a dozen countries) and flexible.

Review by: Heather A	June 2011
This tour could have been better in two very simple ways. 1: Provide the price and full description of the excursions prior to the trip, so people understand the full cost going in if they decide to go on one of these adventure. 2: Get rid of the tour guide Christina. She was rude and unhelpful. I'm not sure if this was a language barrier issue, but since this is an English speaking tour, I thought that shouldn’t be a problem. When free time was offered in a city, not only would she not tell us about what to do in the city, but she wouldn't even point us in the direction of the tourism office. Using transportation to get into center city? Forget about asking her help. She truly was the worst part of the tour, and this was nothing more than a real nuisance. _br/_ I want to make it clear, that for the price, especially with the free upgrade to 4 star hotels, this trip is worth going on. The hotel and transportation through Southern Spain made the entire purchase worth it for us. The views and the area are worth it and a lot gets packed into the five days. There are some tours included with local city tour guides, who were really friendly and knowledgeable. _br/_ If you have time I would also 100% recommend the Tapas Walking tour that Viator.com offers in Madrid. We did this the first night and just loved the intimate small group setting and the knowledgeable tour guide. The spirits and food weren't bad either.

Review by: jack t	June 2011
overall is good, but i will not recommend it to a friend. the itinerary is excellent, but the food, beside the breakfast, and the trip tour guide are less than desirable. the local guides are good. the one in Granada , Anthony, is excellent. the tour will be better with just breakfast, dinner on your own. the hotel in Granada is very good, but the hotel in Costa del Sol is poor. there are just the right amount of free times for your own explore but the trip guide is not very helpful in that aspect, rather she is more interested in selling you more excursions that are not included in the original tour package.

Review by: Patty	May 2011
The itinerary was really good. The sites were fantastic. The Hotel Emperador in Seville should be eliminated from the tour. We found bugs in bed with us! The food on the tour was good. The Hotel Los Angeles in Grenada was great. The bus has several windows that were obscured. The driver was safe and good, but didn't speak to us at all. The tour guide was knowledgeable, but not caring until the end and tip time.

Review by: onetoad71	May 2011
Tour guide was average, did not provide all details regarding optional trips. For example, those who signed up for the optional night city tour in Granada were not informed that there was a flamenco show in the tour and we only found out during the tour itself. All of us would not have signed up for this optional tour had we known there was the flamenco show. Local guide in Alhambra was also not very good. Spoke using the portable sound system which was not good quality at all, voice was muffled. Rushed through without waiting for the group. Seems to be talking only to herself rather than addressing the group.

Review by: Viatcheslav S	December 2010
Overall, it was very well organized tour. Tour director was very helpful and went extra mile by organizing additional activities such as Flamenco show in Seville on Christmas and visiting cathedral in Toledo. Hotels were nice and comfortable. I would highly recommend this tour.

Review by: Derman	December 2010
You need a guide, a person who can explain in good english any interesting thing on the route. The Toledo visit was a disaster. All the attention was on how we could spend our money visiting the Cathedral or at the metal factory.

Review by: William F T	November 2010
We covered a lot of territory efficiently and at reasonable cost. This tour was best for those who want to travel semi-independently with transport of luggage to rooms, etc., handled by travellers. Admission to Seville Cathedral and Alcazar (which were highlights) were left to travellers. Advantage was that there was adequate free time to tour and have personal experiences. We went Class A, but others on our tour said class B was fine and sometimes nearer the city. Highlights were cathedral/mosque in Cordoba, Seville cathedral and Alcazar, Rhonda bull ring, Moorish castle in Fuencarola in Costa Del Sol and Alhambra Castle and gardens in Granada -- tour there was outstanding. Toledo was a little disappointing, but it was near enough to Madrid for a return trip if one had the inclination.

Review by: Verna A	October 2010
The local tour operator is very efficient, so this is a no-hassle way to do a quick tour of Andalusia. The hotels were fine except that some buffet meals reminded me of swill time at the piggery. I loved the cities we visited, except Costa del Sol, but it's someplace to say you've seen. There was good free time in Seville. Cordoba and Toledo visits are shortish. My only real reservation is that on day 1 it took us nearly 7 hours to reach Cordoba, including a delay for late passengers, and 3 comfort stops. I would just say that I believe the high speed train to Cordoba from Madrid takes only a couple of hours. I'm not sure if it would be possible to pick up the tour from Cordoba, but personally I found that 7 hours on the road pretty tedious.

Review by: Arthur S	October 2010
The tour was very nice overall. The hotels were fine except the one in Granada. The rooms were pretty run down. Did not enjoy staying at Hotel Los Angeles.

Review by: ZAUWIYAH A	October 2010
Interesting and well covered historical places

Review by: David B	October 2010
1. Guide Chritina great. 2. Driver Dominque very good 3. Bernardo at Ahambra very good 3. I found had to pay to see things that I thought would have been included eg boat cruise in Seville. 4. internet booking worked well 5. Accomodation in Grenada good. 6. Would have preferred a 2nd night in Grenada and not outside Malaga

Review by: Peter T	September 2010
Great tour overall. Excellent local guides and excursions except Toledo (very short and non-informative). I would exclude Ronda (which is OK but not thrilling) from the tour and spend more time in amazing Granada instead. Food is OK - typical continental breakfast and dinner like in every other hotel in the world. We choose 4 stars hotels option - it's worth it. Send an email to Viator before you book the trip with request to provide the names of 3 and 4 star hotels and read corresponding reviews on tripadvisor.com So, you'll be ready to what to expect. No complaints about 4 star hotels in Seville and Granada. The only exception is hotel 'Las Piramides' in Costa del Sol which is really sucks. It's not even close to 4 stars - feels like very cheap motel. But you'll be compensated by the really good afternoon time you'll spend on the beach in Costa del Sol (don't forget your swimming suite when pack for the trip). Few words about tour guide Cristina. Make sure you understand all details about optional excursions when she'll propose such deals. Otherwise you'll end up paying for something different than you think. When we tried to clarify the details of one of the optional excursions we paid for she became irritated and kind of rude. Another very important thing that she didn't do is providing all tour participants with her cell phone number in case you'll have any emergency situation during the free time you'll have on the trip. So, ask her to provide such information. Have a nice trip.

Review by: Adnan Miski	September 2010
Great tour but the guide talks a lot on the bus.

Review by: Brian L	September 2010
We could have missed the night at Costa del Sol and spent extra time at Granada. Food was disappointing -just like a pub buffet at home and no Spanish influence in the meals.. Tour may run on Spanish time -eg hurry up so we can run late. At the first lunch stop the food was almost inedible with even the cheese on a roll curling from being dried out.

Review by: Anonymous	July 2010
Sites visited were excellent. Tour guides were excellent. Hotel at Costa del Sol was a huge disappointment. We requested an upgrade and never felt we had anything different than anyone else, especially at Costa del Sol. The view from our room was a horror. I took photos if you want proof of how bad it was. Our guide said it was not the usual hotel, but that did not make us feel better for the extra money we paid. The hotel in Granada was more like what we expected ALL the hotels to be like.

Review by: Mei R	July 2010
The bus was comfortable and timely, and the hotels were all OK - but not nearly enough time was allowed for wonderful Ronda - only one hour, then we rushed to Fuengirola Costa del Sol where there was nothing to do! The food was generally poor and not at all Spanish. The tour did not include many major sites like the Alcazar in Sevilla or the Cathedral in Toledo. Our main tour guide Christina did not tell us what was going on until too late to make changes - she was inflexible and rude at times. All the local guides were good though, especially the guy in Toledo. The tour was nevertheless an efficient way to see a lot of spectacular sights.

Review by: MUKUND J, United States of America	June 2010
The tour directors were excellent professionals knowledgeable and polite. Food was so so and hotels were acceptable. Tour pace was excellent.

Review by: Carolyn C, United Kingdom	June 2010
The visit to Cordoba, Ronda and Granada were well worth it. The guides were very knowledgable.The only minor criticisms are the lack of organisation at the beginning of the trip and slight confusion of meeting points but once we got started things went rather smoothly. Accommodation and food were satisfactory.Would certainly visit again particularly Toledo and Ronda.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	June 2010
There was a mino mix-up the first day about lunches being included. Also an unavoidable disruption because bus driver fell ill at end of first day. But, otherwise the trip management and guide were excellent.

Review by: Wiwiek E	June 2010
Should employe better tour leaders next time, the ones who remember where their participants are coming from and names as one of them actually stayed with us more than 3 days and it was a small group. It was a disappointment.

Review by: CAROLYN C	June 2010
The visit to Cordoba, Ronda and Granada were well worth it. The guides were very knowledgable.The only minor criticisms are the lack of organisation at the beginning of the trip and slight confusion of meeting points but once we got started things went rather smoothly. Accommodation and food were satisfactory.Would certainly visit again particularly Toledo and Ronda.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	May 2010
Tour and guides were excellent. Bus was immaculate. Hotels were only fair, no charm or personality. They could have been anywhere, no sense of place. Food was terrible.

Review by: Carlos A	May 2010
The tour guides were good particularly Ana, America and Isabel. Hotels for the most part were good even with sea view. Good deal for the money

Review by: Anonymous	April 2010
A discent choice of hotels, upgraded to 4 star hotels rather than 3 as paid. Limited free time to explore places exception in Seville with enough free time. A very good guide Grace. Good English.

Review by: Itsuko M	April 2010
We found the trip to be reasonable value however a great disappointment was that we did not get to go to Cordoba as booked. Obviously if you are touring southern Spain you are interested in the Moorish influence and next to Granada is Cordoba. I also noticed that older reviews recommended taking the better hotel option because they were closer to the venue in fact for two of our hotels this was not true, in one case we weren't even near the main tourist items, apparently new cost saving scheme. Also in a few cases we spent too little time at scheduled stops, e.g. Ronda, so that we could be moved to another destination where we could pay for an optional tour component. Such extras should not interfere with the main tour. As others have said the food provided was mediocre. Still you do get to see a lot of interesting historical sites and the guides and driver were very good.

Review by: Wai Keet N, Singapore	November 2009
This is an excellent tour except the last day in Toledo when it is a bit too rush and hence we are not able to enter into the Toldeo Cathedral. Other than that, the tour is great especially in Granada and Selville, even though entrance to the Seville Cathedral is not included. It is because you have the whole day to explore Seville on your own.

Review by: Eduardo F, Panama	November 2009
We had very good hotels. A good tour guide. It was excellent.

Review by: EDUARDO F	November 2009
We had very good hotels. A good tour guide. It was excellent.

Review by: Raquel B	November 2009
The places was nices the local guides was excellent. We missed the proper support from our guide.

Review by: Marie d, South Africa	October 2009
An excellent tour if you are short on time and want to get a bird's eye view of Andalucia. Interesting visits at the various places. The service from this tour company is recommendable.

Review by: Charles J, Saudi Arabia	October 2009
Great trip to see the beautiful Alhambra and area around it. Costa del Sol was the only trashy area. I would give it a miss next time. Every place else was great!

Review by: Marie D	October 2009
An excellent tour if you are short on time and want to get a bird's eye view of Andalucia. Interesting visits at the various places. The service from this tour company is recommendable.

Review by: Hai Yen T, Vietnam	September 2009
It was a very professional tour. The tour guides can speak different languages and their knowledge is deep and wide. The accommodation is good. I highly recommend this tour for those who want to explore Spain, a very beautiful and charming country.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	September 2009
I had very low expectations from this tour, so it met my expectations. Hotels and meals as could be expected for the price. Optional tours Gibraltar and Flamenco show were a disappointment. The bus driver was very good, but one of the tour guides was rude. When asked why there's a lot of traffic, she answered, "I don't know, I'm not God".

Review by: David O, United States of America	August 2009
We got to see so many places and do so many things we wouldn't have been able to do on our own! I didn't feel hurried at all, except for one stop, Ronda. I would have liked more than an hour in that beautiful town. The hotels were all nice, and I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of food. Our tour guide was decent. With tours, the quality also depends on the people also attending, and we had some interesting ones! Note, I would have liked to have more guided tours in Seville. Also, there are external activities like flamenco dancing in Seville and gypsy dancing in Granada that you have to pay for. The first was definitely worth it. I would skip the second in favor for just walking around Granada at night. All in all, a great experience!

Review by: Imad K	July 2009
It was a good experience overall. Lots of beautiful Arab palaces to visit. The food could be better.

Review by: Penny A	July 2009
The tour guide was awful. She did not eat her meals with us, or interact with us at all. One of the women had her purse stolen and Christina would not even use her cell phone to call the embassy to get her passport redone. The food at all the hotels was awful. We went to dinner after we got finished at the hotels. The lunch in Granada was the worst. It was fish and fries and the fish was very fatty and not palatable. The tours were OK, but we would all have liked more time in Ronda. We had 1 hr 15 min in Ronda and there was a lot to see. The guide walked us to one spot, told us where we were to meet in 1 hr and told us not to get lost or we would get left behind. Ronda is beautiful we could have spent a few more hours there. We saw way too many churches and mosques. No free time to shop in most towns. People were skipping the tours and we were trying to walk slow to allow them a chance to get a water from the machine. Not sure what the rush was. Costa del Sol was just a beach. The hotel was OK, but the food and the servers were not good. Buffet style dinner but nothing worth eating. Aren't there any places with good food? Of course there are, we found plenty of them after dinner on our own. Delicious lamb and tapas everywhere except our hotels.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	June 2009
Excellent trip. Very good guide. Only problem was with our hotel in Fuentegirona It was really old and in not very good conditions!!

Review by: Claire F, Canada	October 2008
Excellent excursion. I suggest travelers reconfirm at least two weeks in advance on the spot.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	September 2008
This is one of the best trips I have taken to see part of Andalusia. To see the beautiful Alhambra is worth the trip.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	June 2008
This was an amazing tour; it went deep into the history of Spain. It really highlights the best of art, history, and architecture. This was a wonderful side trip from Madrid. We loved our knowledgeable, fun, and courteous guide. It was like traveling with longtime friends!