Best of Southern Spain — Self-Launched
8 days · Spain (Madrid, Granada, Córdoba, Seville, Barcelona)
G Adventures charges £1,250
No-markup version: ~£770 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day self-launched route through Spain's greatest hits: Madrid's art and tapas, Granada's Alhambra and Albaicín, Córdoba's Mezquita, Seville's flamenco and Alcázar, then a high-speed train to Gaudí's Barcelona. You'll use the same trains, city buses and metro the locals do, book the Alhambra ticket yourself the moment it opens (60 days out), and replicate the operator's paella dinner with a small-group cooking class. Budget hostel and guesthouse beds plus supermarket breakfasts keep the total cost to a fraction of the guided tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Madrid — settle into La Latina or Malasaña
Madrid
Fly or train into Madrid (Barajas airport: Metro Line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios, ~€5 / £4; or the 203 bus to Atocha). Check into a hostel dorm or small guesthouse in La Latina, Malasaña or Sol — aim for central and walkable rather than fancy. No fixed plans: wander to Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel for a first plate of jamón and a caña, or pick up bread, cheese and olives from a supermarket for a cheap self-catered dinner. Book your Alhambra ticket tonight if you haven't already — see Day 3 notes.
🚌Airport Metro Line 8 + city metro, ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm or central guesthouse, La Latina/Malasaña
- →Plaza Mayor wander
- →Mercado de San Miguel tapas
- →Supermarket picnic
Madrid — museum triangle and tapas crawl
Madrid
Free self-guided morning: the Prado's free-entry window (Mon–Sat 18:00–20:00, Sun 17:00–19:00 — queue early), or the Reina Sofía (€12, closed Tue) for Picasso's Guernica. Alternatively the Royal Palace (€12) or a stroll through Retiro Park. In the afternoon walk the Barrio de las Letras and Huertas, then do your own tapas route in La Latina — stand at the bar, order small plates, move on. Booking museum tickets online in advance saves queue time in high season.
🚌Walking + metro day ticket ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm or central guesthouse, La Latina/Malasaña
- →Reina Sofía / Prado (self-booked)
- →Retiro Park walk
- →Huertas tapas crawl
Madrid → Granada — Albaicín at sunset
Granada
Take a Renfe AVE/AVLO high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Granada (~3h15, book 3–6 weeks ahead on renfe.com for €25–40 / £21–34 — AVLO is the budget brand). Arrive, drop bags at your hostel in the centre or Albaicín, then climb through the whitewashed Albaicín lanes to the Mirador de San Nicolás for the classic Alhambra-at-sunset view. Dinner: free tapas with every drink in Granada — one of Spain's best-value cities for eating.
🚌AVE/AVLO Madrid–Granada ~£28
🛏Hostel dorm or family-run hostal, Granada centre
- →AVE train to Granada
- →Albaicín quarter walk
- →Mirador de San Nicolás sunset
- →Granada free-tapas circuit
Granada — the Alhambra
Granada
The Alhambra is the centrepiece. Tickets sell out weeks ahead: book on tickets.alhambra-patronato.es the moment your date opens (general admission ~€19 / £16, includes Nasrid Palaces with a timed slot) — set a reminder exactly 60 days out and have passport numbers ready. Skip-the-line guided entry via GetYourGuide (~£30–35) is a good upgrade for context. Take your time in the Nasrid Palaces, Generalife gardens and Alcazaba. Afternoon: Granada Cathedral (€5) or a hammam if you want to unwind. Evening: wander Sacromonte for cave-house flamenco (zambra) from ~€20.
🚌Walking / city bus C30–C32 to Alhambra ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm or family-run hostal, Granada centre
- →Alhambra general admission (self-booked)
- →Generalife gardens
- →Sacromonte zambra flamenco
Granada → Córdoba → Seville
Seville
Morning bus or train to Córdoba (ALSA bus ~1h45, €12–15; Renfe Media Distancia similar). Leave your bag in a station locker (€3–5) and walk 15 minutes to the Mezquita-Catedral — entry €13 / £11, buy online for a timed slot, and the 08:30 free-entry hour (Mon–Sat) is worth the early start. Wander the Judería's flower-filled alleys and cross the Roman Bridge. Mid-afternoon take the AVANT or Media Distancia train to Seville (~45 min, €15–25) and check into your hostel in the Centro or Triana.
🚌Bus + train ~£28
🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Seville Centro/Triana
- →ALSA bus to Córdoba
- →Mezquita-Catedral visit
- →Judería walk
- →Train Córdoba–Seville
Seville — Alcázar, cathedral and flamenco
Seville
Book the Real Alcázar online in advance (€14.50 / £12.50; free on certain Monday evenings) and go early to beat the heat. Then Seville Cathedral and La Giralda (€9 / £8) — the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Afternoon in the Santa Cruz quarter, coffee and orange trees, maybe the Torre del Oro (€3). For flamenco, skip the tourist tablaos if you want grit: Casa de la Memoria (~€18) or a bar show in Triana; bigger tablaos €25–35. Late dinner of tapas in Triana.
🚌Walking
🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Seville Centro/Triana
- →Real Alcázar (self-booked)
- →Seville Cathedral & Giralda
- →Santa Cruz wander
- →Flamenco show
Seville → Barcelona — paella cooking class
Barcelona
High-speed train north: Renfe AVE/OUIGO Seville–Barcelona ~5h30 (OUIGO from ~€35, AVE €60–90 — book ahead). Arrive early evening, check in around the Gothic Quarter or Gràcia. The operator's included 'Mescladis' paella dinner is a social-enterprise cooking class; replicate it with a small-group paella workshop via GetYourGuide or Airbnb Experiences (~£45–55, includes dinner) or the Mescladis social project directly if they're running public sessions. Then an evening wander through the Gothic Quarter and down Las Ramblas to the port.
🚌High-speed train ~£40
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Gothic Quarter/Gràcia
- →OUIGO/AVE Seville–Barcelona
- →Paella cooking class & dinner
- →Gothic Quarter & Las Ramblas walk
Barcelona — Gaudí morning and depart
Barcelona
Book La Sagrada Família online (€26 / £22 basic, more for towers) for the first slot of the day — it's the one thing worth splurging on and it sells out. Then either Park Güell's monumental zone (€10 / £9, timed entry) or a free walk up Montjuïc. If you have a late flight, a swim at La Barceloneta costs nothing. Airport: Aerobús to El Prat €7.25 or Rodalies R2 train ~€4.60. Depart.
🚌Metro + Aerobús/Rodalies to airport ~£8
🛏—
- →La Sagrada Família (self-booked)
- →Park Güell or Montjuïc
- →La Barceloneta beach
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£770 | £1,250 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £480 per person (38%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£770
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Southern Spain — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £770 per person for 8 days in Spain (Madrid, Granada, Córdoba, Seville, Barcelona). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,250 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £770 — a saving of roughly £480 (38%) per person.
How long is the Spain (Madrid, Granada, Córdoba, Seville, Barcelona) trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Spain (Madrid, Granada, Córdoba, Seville, Barcelona).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through Spain (Madrid, Granada, Córdoba, Seville, Barcelona), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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