The Best of Spain: La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia - Gaudi

The Best of Spain: Barcelona Las Ramblas

Barcelona Las Ramblas

The Best of Spain: Madrid Plaza Major

Madrid Plaza Major

The Best of Spain: Alhambra

Alhambra - Granada

The Best of Spain: Granada Alhambra

Granada

Arcos

Arcos de la Frontera

Toledo

Segovia Aquaduct

The Best of Spain: Nerja Beach

Nerja

The Best of Spain: Sevilla Cathedral

Sevilla Cathedral

THE BEST OF SPAIN in 13 days

My Best of Spain Tour connects the varied cultures and rich history of the largest nation on the Iberian Peninsula. You’ll experience the “drippy” architecture of Gáudi in Barcelona, the Royal Palace and Prado Museum in Madrid, the massive Alhambra in Granada, and the jaw-dropping Cathedrals in Toledo and Sevilla.  Along the way, we’ll visit sleepy little towns far off the beaten tourist path to experience the country’s diverse cultures.  This, coupled with authentic dining experiences and laid-back sightseeing strategies, makes this my best way to experience Spain in 13 days.  

Your Adventure Starts Here!

Spain Map
PRICE FROMDATES
$5289 + airSep 25-Oct 07, 2026“Sign
$5389 + air Apr 30-May 11, 2027“Sign
$5389 + air Sept 15-26, 2027“Sign

Barcelona – 2 nights

Madrid – 4 nights

Granada – 2 nights

Nerja – 1 night

Arcos – 1 night

Sevilla – 2 nights

——————————-

Single Room Additional Cost ~$960

ITINERARY

DAY 1: BARCELONA – Let’s plan to gather at our Barcelona hotel at 5:00 p.m. for introductions and a welcome drink. Then we will set off on an orientation paseo, including the modernista architectural style of Antonio Gaudí’s “Block of Discord.” We will finish up with a typical tapas dinner at a favorite restaurant. Sleep for 2 nights in Barcelona. Dinner.
DAY 2: BARCELONA – We will begin the day with a visit to Gaudí’s architectural masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia.  Later, join your guide on a stroll through Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, pedestrian-friendly streets and markets, and the grand harbor promenade. You’ll have the remainder of the day to explore more of the city on your own.
DAY 3: FAST TRAIN TO MADRID – Enjoy a ride on the high-speed AVE train to Madrid. After checking into our hotel, we will join a local guide for a tour of the massive Palacio Real, the royal palace of Spain. Then, let’s top off the day with dinner at a favorite restaurant. Sleep for 4 nights in Madrid. Dinner.
DAY 4: MADRID – Today, we will meet our local guide at the Museo del Prado for a personal tour of the museum’s most important works of art. The remainder of the day and evening is free for you to discover more of Madrid on your own.
DAY 5: SEGOVIA – After breakfast, we will hop on a train and head for the hills north of Madrid. Segovia, known for its Roman Aqueduct, fancy cathedral, and Moorish Alcazar, is a delightful town to wander.  Later, we will meet for a late lunch featuring the region’s unique delicacies. As the sunsets, we will head back to our hotel in Madrid.  Lunch.
DAY 6: TOLEDO – This morning, the high-speed train will have us in Toledo in about 30 minutes. Toledo, once the capital of Spain, is now a tourist’s delight. Enjoy a visit to the impressive cathedral, and plenty of time to shop, wine, and dine. Later, we will return to Madrid for the evening.
Day 7: MADRID TO GRANDA – A super-fast train will zip us down to Andalucia in about four hours.  Be sure to grab a picnic at the station for the scenic and relaxing journey through the countryside. In Granada, we will visit the lavish tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella, who took Spain into the age of exploration of the Americas. Sleep for 2 nights in Granada. Dinner.
DAY 8: THE ALHAMBRA – Enjoy an informative visit to the massive Alhambra palace and gardens. Perhaps the greatest of all “Moorish” palaces, the Alhambra will wow you with its style and artistic flair. You’ll have the remainder of the day and evening to explore more of the Alhambra and the back lanes of the old historic town.
DAY 9: THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST – Today, we will head south to the sun-soaked Costa del Sol and set up in the beach town of Nerja. Perched on a cliff, it has a quiet old town, pleasant sandy beaches, and English is spoken everywhere. With no sightseeing plans, we’ll take an orientation walk around the small town square and have the whole day and evening to rest, relax, sunbathe, and enjoy. Sleep 1 night in Nerja.
DAY 10: THE WHITEWASHED VILLAGES OF ANDALUCÍA – The mountains between Granada and Sevilla are loaded with whitewashed villages perched high in the hills. We’ll set up for the afternoon and evening in my favorite, Arcos de la Frontera. Enjoy a sky-high vista of the surrounding countryside and wander its well-worn cobbled lanes. Later, we will meet for dinner at the top of the hill in the old town. Sleep 1 night in Arcos. Dinner.
DAY 11: SEVILLA – We will head directly to Sevilla to make the most of the day ahead. Join a walk through the whitewashed lanes of the Barrio Santa Cruz, with a glimpse at the “weeping Madonna” and the largest gothic-era church in the Christian world. We will meet later tonight for a flamenco music and dance performance. Sleep in Sevilla for 2 nights.  
DAY 12: THE ROYAL ALCÁRZAR – Today, enjoy a tour of the Moorish-influenced Alcárzar Palace, home of Spain’s royalty for more than half a century. You’ll have the remainder of the day to visit the cathedral, climb the tower, and poke around Sevilla on your own. We will meet tonight for a grand farewell dinner, toasting our adventure in Spain. Dinner.
DAY 13: TOUR OVER AFTER BREAKFAST – Your tour guide will be happy to assist in making transportation connections to the airport or train station. Enjoy your journey!

Itinerary specifics are subject to change.

INCLUSIONS

Transportation is provided by coach, minivan, and train from your Barcelona hotel to your hotel in Sevilla.

12 nights accommodation in centrally located hotels, guesthouses, and B&B’s.  All rooms have private en-suite baths.

All tips and gratuities to guides, drivers, restaurant, and hotel staff.

Guaranteed Small Group consisting of 6-18 travelers.

All breakfasts and six of your dinners. 

Traditional and gourmet dining experiences at some of David’s personal favorite restaurants. Eating well is a priority and you’ll enjoy fine regional fare featuring the best the locale has to offer.

Water is included with all group meals. Sodas, wine, beer, and other drinks are your responsibility.

Tours and admissions to the following attractions, experiences, and sights: Guided orientation walking tours in Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Granada, Nerja, Arcos and Sevilla ▪ Entrance and/or local guided tour of the following sites: La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Palacio Real and Prado Museum in Madrid, the Cathedral of Toledo, the Alhambra in Granada, and the Alcázar and Cathedral in Sevilla,  and much more.

A full-time Exploring Europe guide and local experts dedicated to bringing to life the art, history, and culture of the tour destinations.

David’s tour handouts are delivered electronically and detail each day’s historical and cultural experiences.

Free luggage tags and David’s custom-designed drawstring backpacks.

Our Unconditional Tour Price Guarantee, once locked in, will never change.

$50 Tour Alumni discount for each David McGuffin tour you’ve taken prior to this travel year. 

EXCLUSIONS

Comprehensive Trip insurance. We strongly recommend comprehensive insurance for tour.

Fee for passports.

Beer, wine, spirits, and soda during the tour.

Laundry, phone, internet, and personal items

Extras and optional activities.

Anything not mentioned in the itinerary.

CANCELLATION POLICY

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:

Deposits- Deposits for tours are fully refundable for 30 days from your initial application and deposit date, unless otherwise noted. If you book a tour less than 90 days before its departure date, full payment is due immediately, and the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after seven days. After these dates, deposits are not refundable and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation.

Payments- Tour payments are due in full 90 days before your tour departure date. If you find you must cancel between 90-0 days before your tour departure, please contact us immediately. We will work with you to transfer your payments to another tour departing within 18 months. We strongly recommend that everyone purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers tour cancellations, emergency medical, and other unexpected events.

Cancellations will be effective when the written notification is received at David McGuffin›s Exploring Europe by mail, e-mail, or fax.

SIGN UP BY EMAIL OR POST

If you do not want to sign up online:

You may download a tour application and send it to us with payment.

-OR-

You may return it by:

  • FAX 1-800-570-1351
  • Email – info@davidmcguffin.com
  • email – take a photo of the form with your smartphone and attach it to an email
  • TXT – take a photo with your smartphone and TXT to 904-612-8149

KEY TO WALKING & ACTIVITY

Walking and Physical Activity: We have planned this trip to provide maximum tour experiences. The basic nature of Europe does require some degree of physical activity to get out and see the sights, especially in the big cities. To help you plan, we’ve included a daily projection of physical activity. Here is the key for our walking activity ratings:

Light – Walking done on level surfaces with some hills and elevation gains. Two miles or less of required walking during the day.

Moderate – Walking done on paved and gravel paths and cobbled city sidewalks. To enjoy the full tour experience, some uphill and downhill walking is expected, as is standing while viewing sights or museums. Four to six miles of walking per day.

Strenuous – Walking done on rugged and rocky paths and city-cobbled sidewalks.  There will be steps and stairs. Up to three hours standing in museums or experience sites. Up to eight miles of walking per day.

Your Choice – No matter what your walking ability, we will help you find alternative ways to enjoy and experience all Europe has to offer. To get the most out of our tours, you should be able to operate at the light level every day with spurts of moderate and strenuous.

PRE-TOUR RESOURCES

Now that you’ve decided to join this tour, we are sure you’ll have some questions.  Don’t worry. We are here to help you through each aspect of your tour from start to finish.

DAVID’S 60 SECONDS DESTINATION VIDEOS

Join David as he shares impromptu moments from his travels in the United Kingdom.  Watching these short 60-second segments are a great way to experience David’s travel style and adventures. Watch David Explores Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

David’s TRAVEL TALK TUESDAY almost-weekly broadcast and Video Series Blog.

Every week, when David is not traveling in Europe, he presents a LIVE broadcast on Zoom and Facebook.  Check it out on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.

Each Travel Talk Tuesday session is recorded.  Watch them here.

DAVID’S BLOG ARTICLES

David and his team have answered many travel-related questions, and they are all tucked away on his blog.  But, no need to go there. Just type in a keyword in the search box at the top or bottom of this page (it’s the gray rectangle with a small magnifying glass icon), and you will get results for your query.

PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL OR GIVE US A CALL.

We are happy to answer your travel questions and give advice and suggestions.  tours@davidmcguffin.com   or 800-570-1351.

 

Testimonials & Reviews of our Tours

 by Lavon from Colorado on David McGuffin's Tours to Scotland and Wales
Loved Scotland and Wales

The Scotland /Wales trip was wonderful. Scotland is so beautiful, and we loved the small towns where we stayed. Dave was a great guide and so willing to help us in whatever we needed. Ian was a great driver and so nice. His van was super comfortable. We really enjoyed getting to meet Jan and Bobby on the trip and finding out that they had known you for years. They are special people, and we hope they had an enjoyable time in London.
Thanks for doing the trip for such a small group, and I know we all felt that we were very blessed because of it.

 by Julio and Lily on David McGuffin's Tours to Italy
Bucket List Experience!

We participated in the Best of Italy tour in June of 2026. This was our first David McGuffin tour, and certainly not our last. We were blessed to have an exceptional tour manager throughout our trip. Ilaria Mercuri was a gem! Not only did she provided insightful information about the places we visited, but she was also very flexible and accommodating to our needs and preferences. She became family! We can't imagine having this unique experience without her. Transportation between and within the cities was flawlessly arranged. We had two drivers in particular that really stood out (Angelo and Enzo). They were very personable and courteous. Each destination we visited was unique and had its own charm. Our accommodations were excellent! The dining experiences were carefully curated to showcase the local cuisine of each region. It took the pressure of "guessing" off, and enriched our experience. Our experience with the local guides began with Giulia, who was truly a wealth of knowledge, as she showed us around the Vatican. This was followed by Annie in Volterra who gave us an unbelievable historical presentation of this unique Tuscan city, culminating in a delightful wine tasting in a local tavern. Our final interaction with local guides was with Paola in Florence, who introduced us to so many incredible facts and nuances of the culture, including our first "wine window" experience. These local experts enriched our visits to this beautiful country. Every time we encountered a new location, it was definitely a "wow" moment for us. David gave us valuable information prior to and throughout our trip. This helped us prepare for what to expect on our trip. It also included important reminders to include when packing. We couldn't have asked for a better experience to commemorate our 32 wedding anniversary! Bucket list... CHECKED!!

 by Libby on David McGuffin's Tours to London and Paris
London,Paris and Rome on 6/22/26

We had an amazing time on this tour of London, Paris, and Rome! My husband, our grown daughter, and I loved the combination of guided sightseeing and free time to explore on our own.

The walking tours covered all of the must-see sites in each city, and we learned so much from the guides. A special thank you to our tour directors, Jamie and Leslie, who were absolutely wonderful. They were organized, knowledgeable, friendly, and always attentive to everyone in the group. They made the trip run smoothly and helped create such a fun, welcoming atmosphere. The local guides in each city were also excellent and shared fascinating history and stories that made every stop more meaningful.

We enjoyed delicious meals throughout the trip and appreciated having enough free time to wander, shop, and discover places on our own. We also had the pleasure of traveling with two other families, and getting to know them made the experience even more enjoyable.

The only minor disappointment was that our hotel in Paris wasn’t quite as nice as the accommodations in London and Rome. Even so, it was a small part of an otherwise fantastic experience.

This tour exceeded our expectations, and we came home with wonderful memories of three incredible cities. We would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a well-organized, enjoyable, and memorable European vacation. Thank you, Jamie and Leslie, for making our trip so special!

 by Sue, McKinney, Texas on David McGuffin's Tours to Italy
Islands & Amalfi coast

I can't thank David enough for an amazing trip! His knowledge of everywhere we went was terrific. He also had locals to do various tours and driving either around the island or Pompeii and Amalfi coast. The group was fun and easy going. I think that was my favorite part, we had a schedule, but we weren't over scheduled. It was a great mix of planned activities and time to explore, rest or whatever on our own. David helped to make this a fantastic trip! The best part was I didn't have to plan it or figure out how to get around. Will I use David's company, absolutely!

 by Phil & Geny, Garland Tx on David McGuffin's Tours to Italy
A different side of Italy

We took the Sicily and Amalfi/Islands tours back-to-back. Both were outstanding. Every time we saw a line of visitors with headphones following a guide with a flag on a stick we were reminded just how different the experience with David McGuffin's Exploring Europe (DMEE) is from other tours. Our travels with DMEE were very personal. The pace was comfortable and we were able to pause where we wanted to linger, plus we had plenty of time to wander about on our own.

Sicily was Italian, yet different. It seemed each city or area we visited had its own charm. The architecture, customs, people, and cuisine were so lovely. From the backstreet ristorante David knew about in Palermo to the views from Erice, the Dorian Temples in Agrigento, the passiggiata in Taormina, our Sicilian experience was outstanding!

Amalfi/Islands was very interesting too! Ischia has a beautiful castle and gardens to explore. Our group enjoyed a stunning view from the rooftop terrace, where we gathered for some relaxation time together. Procida was packed with stunning vistas, cultural uniqueness, and incredibly talented drivers, navigating the insanely narrow streets. Our favorite memory of Capri was boat ride that circled the island. Just beautiful.

The time in Sorrento included a drive along the world-famous Amalfi Coast Road…which was a great experience. But the best experience we had on the entire trip was our pizza cooking class.

Thank you DMEE for making this a truly once in a lifetime experience. If you’re thinking about a trip to Europe, you must contact DMEE! They treat you like family every step of the way! Ciao!

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David McGuffin Exploring Europe: Tour Operator & Travel Information
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