A Festive Big Short Break in Seville

DAY 1 International Flight

There are direct daily flights to Seville from London and occasional flights from other UK airports, so depending on which one we've booked you on you will arrive in Spain between lunchtime and evening. After your (roughly) three-hour flight you will be met at the airport for the 20-minute private transfer to your hotel. Seville is the spiritual home of tapas, so tonight we strongly recommend exploring the city centre on foot, taking in a tapas bar or three. Our local Concierge is on call to recommend their favourites. The good news is that even in mid-winter, Seville should be several degrees warmer than the UK, so you may be sitting outside even in December, when the city is illuminated by tasteful Christmas lights.

DAY 2 Explore Seville

Time to get your bearings in this special city. After a leisurely breakfast, you will be met at the hotel by your expert guide for the half-day private walking tour of the city. You will visit three of the classic Seville sites, including the elegant Alcazar Palace, one-time home of the Castilian kings (and, more recently, location for filming in Game of Thrones). Your guide will talk you this architectural marvel before the short walk to Seville Cathedral, an extraordinary (and enormous) building that serves as a bricks and mortar history lesson. The star attraction - the Giralda bell tower - was the minaret of what was the Great Mosque when southern Spain was under Moorish rule. Another example of a holy site that has switched between religions over the centuries is the Basilica of the Divine Saviour, built on the site of a one-time Roman basilica and later a mosque. This baroque beauty is well worth a visit, particularly during the festive period when there are numerous services.

This evening, enjoy another tapeo (tapas crawl) and ask our Concierge to recommend somewhere special for dinner.

DAY 3 Triana Tour

After a leisurely breakfast, enjoy a free morning to explore more of the city. At this time of year Seville's Christmas/New Year markets are great to wander around; especially fun is the Mercado Navideno de Artesania in Plaza Nueva, full of stalls selling Andalusian handicrafts, many with a festive theme.

After lunch you will be met at the hotel for a walking tour of the Triana neighbourhood, famed for its gypsy culture and as the spiritual home of flamenco dancing. On the subject of flamenco, if you want to learn more we recommend staying in Triana this evening for an authentic flamenco show where you can see the dance in all it's passionate and proud glory.

DAY 4 Fly Home

Depending on what time your flight home is, you might have another morning to enjoy Seville, and to sneak in one more delicious tapas lunch before you are met for the private transfer back to the airport. Your flight back to the UK will take roughly three hours.