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Spain and Morocco

Group Information

Departing From:
San Diego
Departing:
March 21, 2026
Returning:
March 31, 2026
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Greetings! I have traveled extensively with students and their families for several years. We've traveled domestically to the East Coast-Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. We have also had adventures abroad- Costa Rica, Japan, England, Spain, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Vatican City, Greece, Poland, and Hungary! We love to have you join us!
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Tour Itinerary (Detailed)

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Day 1 Overnight Flight to Spain (Madrid)
Day 2 Hola Madrid
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Madrid city walk
Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de España
Reina Sofia Museum visit
Details: Madrid city walk
Life in Madrid is centered around talking, toasting and tapas-eating. In a walk through this crowded and social city, your Tour Director will help you get to know the lay of the land. Then stroll over to the Puerta del Sol, the bustling city center. Next, you'll relax at the Plaza Mayor, a grand square where every sort of human drama has taken place—trials of faith, public burnings of heretics, royal marriages, the canonization of saints, and countless balls and bullfights. End at the Plaza de España for a stop at an outdoor café.
Details: Puerta del Sol
Explore the Puerta del Sol, one of Madrid's busiest and most historic squares. While here we will view the Kilometre Zero marker, from which all distances in Spain are measured, and Madrid’s symbol, the Madrono.
Details: Plaza Mayor
Spend time in the Plaza Mayor, Madrid's most famous square. Throughout its long history the square has hosted markets, bullfights, soccer games, public executions, and the Spanish Inquisition. It is now ringed by shops and cafés and is often filled with artists and musicians.
Details: Plaza de España
The Plaza de España is a popular place to gather in Central Madrid. It features a large monument to Miguel de Cervante, author of Don Quixote.
Details: Reina Sofia Museum visit
Officially recognized as Spain’s National Museum of 20th Century Art, The Sofia—as it is more commonly known—is home to an impressive collection from Spain’s two greatest 20th century masters. Hosting works of both Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí, it’s no wonder that The Sofia has risen to such a prominent place in the world of art. Certainly the most famous piece in the museum is Picasso’s Guernica, but in addition to this wonderful masterpiece, you’ll also find a vast library, archive, bookstore and restaurant.
Day 3 Madrid landmarks
Madrid guided sightseeing tour
Calle Mayor, Gran Vía, Cibeles Fountain, Puerta de Alcalá, Columbus Square, Royal Palace visit
Free Time
Tapas-making class
Details: Madrid guided sightseeing tour
Get a taste of Spain's cultural, political and economic center with a tour led by a licensed local guide. See Madrid's mix of traditional and modern as you visit the Royal Palace, an 18th-century masterpiece. The enormous Baroque palace currently has more rooms (2,800) than any other European palace, but it was originally supposed to be four times as large. The palace is dripping with porcelain, jeweled clocks, amazing ceiling frescoes—the most magnificent, in the Throne Room, was done by the Venetian artist Tiepolo when he was in his seventies. Next take a look at the Neoclassical architecture of the Prado Museum and the Puerta de Alcalá triumphal arch, built to honor Carlos III’s entry into Spain.
Details: Gran Vía
Stroll down the Gran Via, Madrid’s lively signature boulevard featuring magnificent shopping and cafés.
Details: Cibeles Fountain
The Fountain of Cybele, one of the most recognizable fountains in Madrid, depicts Cybele, a Phrygian earth and fertility deity.
Details: Puerta de Alcalá
See the Puerta de Alcalá, the ceremonial gateway to Madrid commissioned by Carlos III. The Neo-classical structure is located in the Plaza de Independencia and is named for the old path leading from Madrid to nearby Alcalá de Henares.
Details: Royal Palace visit
Browse through the 3,418 rooms in the largest palace in Europe. Art lovers will marvel at the walls lined with priceless paintings, but don’t expect to catch a glimpse of the Spanish royal family—they reside elsewhere.
Details: Tapas-making class
Tapas are said to have originated when bartenders set a small plate ("tapa") over patrons' glasses of sherry and wine to keep the flies out. The bartenders starting piling the plate with cold cuts, olives, or salad, and the bite-size snack was born (we're unsure how they kept the flies out of the cold-cuts... maybe that's how the sandwich was invented?). Over time these working-class snacks have become more elaborate, with each region adding its own specialties and cooking techniques to create unique tastes and combinations. Learn some of the techniques for cooking and presentation yourself in this class.
Day 4 Madrid--Seville
Travel to Seville by AVE train
Seville guided sightseeing tour
Plaza de España, Old Jewish Quarter (Santa Cruz and San Bartolomé), Casa de Pilatos visit, Seville Cathedral visit, Giralda Tower ascent, Columbus’ gravesite
Flamenco evening
Dinner
Details: Travel to Seville by AVE train
Race across the country in Spain’s fastest train, the high-tech AVE, which can reach speeds of over 180 miles per hour.
Details: Seville guided sightseeing tour
See the twisted alleyways and cobbled streets of this flamboyant Spanish city with a local guide. Discover the enchanting Plaza de España, the Giralda Tower, within the largest gothic cathedral in the world, and explore the Casa de Pilatos considered the prototype of the Andalusian palace.
Details: Flamenco evening
Originating from gypsy music and dance in Southern Spain, flamenco dancing has become a Spanish institution. Dancers use intricate footwork and elaborate arm gestures to convey the mood of the music, which can range from lamentation to celebration.
Day 5 Seville--Granada
Travel to Granada
Alhambra guided visit
Alhambra gardens, Summer Palace, The Medina, Royal Arab Baths, Alcazaba fortress
Details: Alhambra guided visit
Granada sits on three gentle hills, which are dwarfed on a clear day by the majestic snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Atop one of these hills sits the imposing but delicate Alhambra palace. Golden pink hues give this sprawling renaissance gateway an otherworldly aura. One of the best rewards of climbing up to see it is the view of the city mixed in with orchards, tobacco fields and poplar groves. Please note the guided tour will include entrance to the gardens and halls surrounding the palace but entrance to the main palace building may not be accessible at all times due to limited availability.
Day 6 Granada--Tangier
Travel to Costa del Sol
Ferry to Tangier
Lunch
Tangiers guided sightseeing tour
Medina of Tangier, Tangier Casbah, Cape Spartel
Details: Tangiers guided sightseeing tour
Tangier, a Moroccan port on the Strait of Gibraltar, has been a strategic gateway between Africa and Europe since Phoenician times. Its whitewashed hillside medina is home to the Dar el Makhzen, a palace of the sultans that's now a museum of Moroccan artifacts.
Details: Tangier Casbah
Visit the historical part of the city of Tangier.
Details: Cape Spartel
Cape Spartel sits at the entrance of the The Strait of Gibraltar, the location where the Atlantic Ocean meets and mixes with the Mediterranean Sea.
Day 7 Tangier--Casablanca
Travel to Casablanca
Casablanca guided sightseeing tour
Old Medina visit
Dinner at Rick's Cafe
Details: Casablanca guided sightseeing tour
Follow in the footsteps of Hollywood legends in the city made famous by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. On this walking tour of North Africa’s largest port city, take in old world Arab-Muslim architecture juxtaposing modern European designs. Notice striking cultural detail from the Royal Palace to the seventh largest mosque in the world, the Hassan II Mosque, that towers majestically over Casablanca’s skyline. Then, meander the souks of the Old Medina swirling with silks, spices and artisan crafts before kicking back to piano tunes at Rick’s Café. (Go on … request As Time Goes By. Just one more time!)
Day 8 Casablanca--Marrakesh
Free time in Casablanca
Travel to Marrakesh
Day 9 Marrakesh
Marrakesh guided sightseeing tour
Koutoubia Mosque, Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Menara gardens, Djemaa el-Fnaa Square
Visit Souks
Riad dinner (pending availability)
Details: Marrakesh guided sightseeing tour
Marrakesh, a former imperial city in western Morocco, is a major economic center and home to mosques, palaces and gardens. The medina is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with mazelike alleys where thriving souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry. A symbol of the city, and visible for miles, is the Moorish minaret of 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque.
Details: Koutoubia Mosque
The Kourtoubia (Booksellers) Mosque is the largest in the city. Its minaret dominates the city
Details: Bahia Palace
The palace of Bahia (palace of the beautiful, the brilliant) is a nineteenth century palace of eight hectares located in Marrakech. It is one of the masterpieces of Moroccan architecture and one of the major monuments of the country's cultural heritage.
Details: Saadian Tombs
The Saadian Tombs are a true masterpiece of Hispano-Moresque art and the final resting place of Moroccan royalty.
Details: Djemaa el-Fnaa Square
Enjoy the lively street performers and sample the food stalls at Djemaa el Fna Square.
Day 10 Marrakesh--Casablanca
Travel to Casablanca
Farewell dinner
Day 11 Flight Home from Casablanca
Fly home from Casablanca
Total Fee:* $5,189.00
Tour Quote Breakdown
The following fees apply to your full-paying participants:
Tour Fee* $5,189.00
 
Total Fee* $5,189.00
OR 10 monthly payments of $513.90
After initial payment of $50.00

* Last day for this Tour Fee is June 19, 2025.
Additional Adult Fees
The following additional fees apply only to full-paying participants 23 and older and are not included in the total price listed above.
Adult Supplement $125.00
Twin Room Upgrade $405.00
 
Additional Adult Fee $530.00

Tour Fee Includes:

  • Round-trip airfare
  • 9 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms
  • Full European breakfast daily
  • Dinner daily
  • Lunch on Day 6
  • Full-time services of a professional tour director
  • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
  • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
  • Tour Diary™
  • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
  • Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
  • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.