AN ANDALUCIAN EXPLORATION

Day 1 Barcelona

Arrive into the Catalonian capital, and head straight for your base for the next couple of nights. Grand Hotel Central is a 1920s art deco building that houses sleek modern rooms, a smart restaurant, sky bar and rooftop infinity pool with an impressive view over the city skyline. This hotel is just as cool as the city itself, and its central location at the edge of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter will prove ideal for the cultural focus of your time here.

Overnight: Grand Hotel Central

Day 2 Barcelona

Take a morning tour of the city, starting on your doorstep with the Picasso Museum, which holds more than 4,000 paintings by the artist, including much of his early work, his first still life and his striking interpretation of Velázquez’s Las Meninas. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to explore the surrounding medieval El Born district, now home to chic boutiques, cocktail bars and tapas restaurants. Finish by wandering the Paseo Maritimo, Barcelona’s sandy seafront that lights up just as the sun sets.

Overnight: Grand Hotel Central

Day 3 Barcelona

Discover Gaudí’s Barcelona this morning: the visionary Modernist architect responsible for so many of the city’s most spectacular buildings. Casa Milà and Casa Batlló defy expectations of any building found in a city centre, while the vast Park Güell is a kaleidoscopic mosaic wonderland with delights at every turn. Finish in the awe-inspiring Sagrada Família, with soaring vaulted ceilings and stained glass panels that cast jewelled tones of the brightest order. Find quiet contemplation beneath its dynamic merging of Gothic and art nouveau styles. Spend the afternoon at leisure, perhaps at the MNAC (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya) or the Joan Miró Foundation, in leafy Montjuïc, where the hilltop military fortress and its commanding views can be reached by funicular.

Overnight: Grand Hotel Central

Day 4 Barcelona to Madrid

Take a three-hour train journey to reach Madrid, the vibrant Spanish capital. Here you will stay at The Principal Madrid Hotel, another central establishment, this time at the eastern end of the Gran Via. Its contemporary design provides respite from the city outside, all marble and monochrome with chic dark accents, plus a spa and roof terrace that demand total relaxation. High ceilings are afforded by the building’s 20th-century foundations, and a calm, cool air pervades every room.

Overnight: The Principal Madrid Hotel

Day 5 Madrid

Have a walking tour of Madrid, culminating in a visit to the Spanish royal family’s Palacio Real. Within its august Baroque walls you will uncover room after ornate room, filled with paintings by Goya, elaborate ceramics, glittering chandeliers, frescoed ceilings and exquisite detailing. The royal armoury and kitchen have been particularly well preserved, and its labyrinthine corridors will whisk you back to another era entirely.

Overnight: The Principal Madrid Hotel

Day 6 Madrid

Begin on Spain’s strongest artistic note, at the Museo del Prado, where Goya’s dark masterpieces and Velázquez’s original Las Meninas are among the highlights. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, meanwhile, is a world-class private collection of European art that houses every favourite from Dalí and Renoir back to Dürer and Holbein (the Younger, whose portrait of Henry VIII is among the best known). The Museo Reina Sofia, by contrast, hones in on 20th-century art – and time spent admiring Picasso’s Guernica will fly by, enriched by your expertise gleaned in Barcelona.

Overnight: The Principal Madrid Hotel

Day 7 Cordoba

In less than two hours by train, you will reach Córdoba, the first city in the world to have four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visit Mezquita, its Moorish mosque cathedral that has stood since around 600AD and became the current Catholic church in 1236 – here, you will pass through mesmerising columns of jasper, onyx and marble as you learn about the building’s fascinating history. At the edge of the city stands Medina Azahara, the incredible medieval remains of a Moorish city palace.Drive onwards to Seville, where you will spend the next couple of nights at the splendid Corral del Rey – a boutique hotel within a 17th-century palacio in the Old Town centre. Simple wood carvings, neutral stone floors and walls, marble columns and batik accents characterise its rooms, and a roof terrace presents a stunning view of the city over breakfast.

Overnight: Corral del Rey

Day 8 Seville

This morning, marvel at Seville’s 16th-century Gothic cathedral: a huge and exceptional structure with a bell tower – the Giralda – that has an intriguing history, originally built as the minaret for the Moorish Great Mosque of Seville. Continue to the Alcázar of Seville, a palace complex with a long history that began in the 10th century as a fort and later transformed with numerous artistic additions into a staggering royal residence (part of which is still in use). Spend the afternoon at leisure, walking the city’s cobbled streets and discovering treasures both historically grand and enchantingly quiet. Enjoy tapas, sip sangria and let Seville win you over.

Overnight: Corral del Rey

Day 9 Seville

Venture into the city at leisure today, striking out on foot or by bicycle – Seville is a destination that rewards curiosity and wandering feet. The Parque de María Luisa is a dreamlike oasis, in contrast with the fountains, miniature canals and bridges that make up the formidable Plaza de España. The Museo de Bellas Artes, meanwhile, is home to an excellent collection of religious paintings and sculptures, displayed inside a former convent.

Overnight: Corral del Rey

Day 10 Transfer for your flight home

Fly home from Seville or Malaga.