Great Rail Journeys · Independent Holiday

Al Andalus Express – Madrid to Seville

Luxury Al Andalus Express train tour across Andalucia, Madrid to Seville

Al Andalus Express – Madrid to Seville, a rail journey with Great Rail Journeys

Great Rail Journeys runs this 9-day independent holiday between Madrid and Seville, built around six nights aboard the Al Andalus Express, a luxury cruise train travelling in a Gran Class Cabin. After flying into Madrid and a day to explore independently, travellers join the train at Aranjuez, where a visit to the Royal Palace comes before a run of day excursions from the train: Toledo's Gothic cathedral and mosque, cheese and wine tastings in La Mancha near the windmills of Campo de Criptana, the Roman ruins of Mérida, an equestrian ballet and sherry winery in Jerez de la Frontera, the old streets of Cádiz, and the Mezquita in Córdoba. The train reaches Seville over breakfast on day 8, followed by a tour of the cathedral and the Barrio de Santa Cruz before an overnight hotel stay. It suits travellers who want a single-train, all-inclusive way to see central and southern Spain's historic cities and want their meals, transport and sightseeing arranged for them.

What to know before you look closer

  • Hotels in Madrid and Seville are offered as a choice (for example a 4-star or 5-star option in Madrid), so which one you get depends on what you book.
  • Day 1 in Madrid has no guided activity: you arrive and are transferred to your hotel to explore independently before joining the train the next day.
  • The evidence lists no specific departure dates for this itinerary; confirm current departures with Great Rail Journeys.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Madrid

    UK to Madrid

    Your adventure begins today when you take your flight from London to Madrid. On arrival in the Spanish capital, you'll be transferred to your hotel to relax or begin your explorations independently. Choose from our selection of 4-Star and 5-Star hotels on a B&B basis.

    Meals: Breakfast

  2. Day 2railovernight: Al Andalus Express (Aranjuez)

    Boarding Al Andalus in Aranjuez

    This morning, you'll be transferred to meet your fellow Al Andalus passengers. Afterwards, a panoramic tour of Madrid unveils the main sights of the capital, before enjoying lunch. In the afternoon, a transfer takes you to nearby Aranjuez, where the train awaits. A visit to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and its gardens reveals the beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage site dating from the 16th century. Returning to Al Andalus, savour your first dinner aboard before spending the night on the train in Aranjuez.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  3. Day 3railovernight: Al Andalus Express (Alcázar de San Juan)

    The imperial city of Toledo

    After breakfast, your first off-train excursion takes you to Toledo, a city that was once the capital of Spain during the reign of Holy Roman Empire, Charles V. The blend of Christian, Muslim and Jewish architecture can be seen in its Gothic cathedral, 10th-century mosque and synagogues like Santa María la Blanca and El Tránsito. Today, this cultural impact has seen Toledo awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Lunch is served in the city, before there's free time to explore at leisure. Returning to the train, enjoy dinner while Al Andalus rolls across the plain of La Mancha to Alcázar de San Juan, where it stops overnight.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  4. Day 4railovernight: Al Andalus Express (en route to Cáceres)

    La Mancha and Cervantes' windmills

    Enjoy breakfast on the train before learning how La Mancha's most famous products are produced. One of the largest vine-growing regions in the world, La Mancha is renowned for its wines, as well as cheeses including Manchego. During visits to an artisanal cheese factory and a wine cellar help uncover the soul of the region through its food and drink. Lunch is enjoyed before a trip to Campo de Criptana. This evocative area dotted with its iconic windmills inspired Cervantes' most-famous work, Don Quixote. At sunset, return to the train in Alcázar de San Juan and savour dinner as Al Andalus continues through Spain to Cáceres.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  5. Day 5railovernight: Al Andalus Express (en route to Jerez)

    Cáceres and Mérida

    Waking in the Extremadura city of Cáceres, enjoy breakfast before a tour of this UNESCO World Heritage site brimming with well-preserved medieval streets, timeless squares and grand palaces. Later, Al Andalus rolls south to the nearby city of Mérida. Sightseeing here reveals the remains of Emerita Augusta, the capital of the former Roman province of Lusitania, as you view breathtaking theatres, temples and aqueducts stretching back to the city's founding in 25BC. Dining back on the train this evening, Al Andalus heads further south to Jerez de la Frontera.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  6. Day 6railovernight: Al Andalus Express

    Jerez de la Frontera

    Reaching Andalucía, you enjoy a flavour of this celebrated region in Jerez today, beginning after breakfast with a famous equestrian ballet. Set to Spanish music, an elegant equine performance of How the Andalucían Horses Dance introduces the region's charming traditions. After lunch in a local restaurant, you head to one of Jerez's most prestigious wineries to discover how its celebrated fortified wine is produced. Known by its anglicised name of sherry, you will also be treated to a tasting before returning to the train for dinner.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  7. Day 7railovernight: Al Andalus Express

    Andalucían gems in Cádiz and Córdoba

    Known as the 'Silver Cup', Cádiz is considered to be the oldest city in the western world. After breakfast on Al Andalus, a guided tour uncovers its history which stretches back to the time of the Phoenicians in 1100 BC. Exploring this ancient city reveals a labyrinth of narrow streets opening up onto quaint squares brimming with life, while the yellow dome of the cathedral dominates the city skyline. Back on board, savour lunch before your arrival in Córdoba. One of Andalucía's most revered sites is here, and you'll tour the remarkable Mezquita, or mosque-cathedral, as you explore a city that once flourished as the capital of the Al Andalus caliphate. Dinner is served on the train this evening.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  8. Day 8railovernight: Seville

    Disembarking in Seville

    During breakfast, you arrive in Seville and disembark the luxurious Al Andalus train. On a tour of the historic capital of Andalucía, discover the cathedral crowned by the Giralda, a famous symbol of Seville, and walk through the narrow streets of the Barrio de Santa Cruz, where the Jewish community once settled. After lunch at a local restaurant, you can take private transfer to your choice of hotel for the evening. You may wish to stay an extra night in Seville and enjoy one of our optional excursions, available at a supplement.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  9. Day 9rail

    Homeward bound

    From Madrid to Seville, this luxurious journey aboard the magnificent Al Andalus train has taken you through some of Spain's most renowned locations. Awaking in your hotel this morning, your once-in-a-lifetime adventure comes to an end as you are transferred from your hotel to Seville airport ready for your flight back to the UK.

    Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2The Al Andalus Express departs from Aranjuez after a visit to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and its 16th-century gardens.
  • Day 4A stop near Campo de Criptana to see the windmills that inspired Don Quixote follows a cheese factory and wine cellar visit in La Mancha.
  • Day 6An equestrian ballet in Jerez, 'How the Andalucían Horses Dance', is followed by a tour and tasting at a sherry winery.
  • Day 7A guided tour of Cádiz, described as the oldest city in the western world, covers history stretching back to the Phoenicians around 1100 BC.
  • Day 8The train arrives in Seville during breakfast, and a tour of the city visits the Giralda-crowned cathedral and the Barrio de Santa Cruz.

Included

  • 6 nights on the Al Andalus Express luxury train in a Gran Class Cabin
  • 2 nights in 4-Star hotels on a bed & breakfast basis
  • Flights from London to Madrid
  • Flights from Seville to London
  • Panoramic tour of Madrid
  • Transfer to Aranjuez
  • Visit to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and its gardens
  • Excursion to Toledo with lunch
  • Visit to artisanal cheese factory and wine cellar in La Mancha
  • Tour of Cáceres
  • Sightseeing in Mérida
  • Equestrian ballet in Jerez
  • Lunch in local restaurant in Jerez
  • Sherry winery visit and tasting in Jerez
  • Guided tour of Cádiz
  • Tour of the Mezquita in Córdoba
  • Tour of Seville including the cathedral and Barrio de Santa Cruz
  • Lunch in Seville
  • All meals on board the Al Andalus Express (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Private transfer to hotel in Seville
  • Transfer from hotel to Seville airport

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance

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Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included?
Yes, 6 nights aboard the Al Andalus Express in a Gran Class Cabin, from Aranjuez to Seville, are included in the package.
Is this trip escorted or independent?
It is an independent holiday: flights, transfers, hotels and the Al Andalus Express are booked for you, but day 1 in Madrid is unguided and you choose your own hotel from the options listed.
Which train is used?
The Al Andalus Express, travelling from Aranjuez via Toledo, La Mancha, Cáceres, Mérida, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz and Córdoba to Seville.
What hotels are used?
A choice of 4-star or 5-star hotels in Madrid (Sercotel Conde Duque or Hospes Puerta de Alcala) and 4-star hotels in Seville (Hotel Las Casas de la Juderia or Hotel Becquer), each for one night.
What is not included?
The evidence lists only cancellation and travel insurance as excluded; flights, the train, most meals and sightseeing are included.
When does it depart?
The evidence does not list specific departure dates.

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