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PTG Tours · Escorted tour

Southwest Spain – Trains, Paradores and Wine

Rail journey through historic southwest Spain, Seville to Madrid, via Roman towns

Illustration of Southwest Spain – Trains, Paradores and Wine

PTG Tours operates this 10-day escorted rail tour through historic southwest Spain, departing from Seville and finishing in Madrid. The journey loops through four small towns in Extremadura and Andalusia, each with Roman ruins, medieval walls, or both. You travel primarily by regional express and high-speed AVE train, staying two nights in each town except one night in Seville and one night in Madrid. Days combine guided walking tours in Mérida and Cáceres with local guide Javier, free time to explore on your own, and excursions by coach to the Rio Tinto Mining Museum (where you board a heritage diesel-hauled train), Trujillo Castle, and Yuste Monastery. Accommodation ranges from a 5-star contemporary hotel in Seville to three historic Paradores and one 5-star palace hotel. Dinners with wine are included every night except the first, along with two winery tastings. This tour suits history-lovers drawn to Roman and medieval sites, couples seeking guided comfort with premium hotels, and food-and-wine travellers who want substantial meals woven into the daily rhythm.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure listed (March 2027); confirm availability before booking.
  • The tour includes outward and return flights from multiple UK airports or Eurostar from St Pancras, but joining without flights requires coordinating your own arrival in Seville and departure from Madrid.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Seville

    Seville

    Both flight and rail options offered for travelling to Seville. The group meets up at the hotel near Santa Justa station for the first night.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Zafra

    Seville to Zafra

    Free time in Seville before walking to Santa Justa station to catch the regional express train to Zafra, a sparsely populated line with only two trains a day on its northern section. On arrival, a short walk through the old town of Zafra finishing at Bodega de Medina winery for a tour and tasting. Dinner in the Parador.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Zafra

    Rio Tinto Mining Museum

    A full day heading south from Zafra by coach to the Rio Tinto Mining Museum, visiting different sections of the park-museum including a diesel-hauled heritage train running the full 11km length of the line each way. Lunch in a local restaurant; dinner in the Parador.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Mérida

    Zafra to Mérida

    A free morning in Zafra before the train to Mérida, following the River Guadiana into a town founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC. Free time to explore with a Monuments Pass. Dinner in the Parador.

  5. Day 5overnight: Mérida

    Mérida guided tour

    A guided walk around Mérida's historic sites with local guide Javier, including the Roman theatre and amphitheatre, the Roman bridge over the River Guadiana, the Temple of Diana, the Aqueduct of Los Milagros and the Alcazaba. Dinner at a local restaurant.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Cáceres

    Mérida to Cáceres

    A free morning in Mérida (optional walk to the Roman Circus) before catching a train north to Cáceres. A guided walk around the walled town with Javier, taking in Moorish city walls and Renaissance and Gothic architecture. Dinner in a local restaurant.

  7. Day 7overnight: Cáceres

    Trujillo excursion

    By coach to Trujillo for a guided walking tour and a winery visit, including Trujillo Castle. Afternoon visit to Las Grandas winery for a wine tasting. Return to Cáceres for dinner in a local restaurant.

  8. Day 8overnight: Plasencia

    Cáceres to Plasencia

    A free morning in Cáceres before heading north to the walled market town of Plasencia, known for its 12th-century double line of walls, a Roman aqueduct and the historic old quarter. Dinner in the Parador (former convent).

  9. Day 9overnight: Plasencia

    Yuste Monastery and Garganta la Olla

    A coach excursion to Yuste Monastery (founded 1408-1414) and the village of Garganta de Olla, with well-preserved popular architecture. Return to Plasencia for a farewell dinner in the Parador.

  10. Day 10rail

    Plasencia to Madrid Airport

    A train to Madrid Chamartín, changing to a suburban train to the airport, for the homeward journey.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Board the regional express train from Seville's Santa Justa station to Zafra on a sparsely populated line with only two trains daily, then tour and taste at Bodega de Medina winery.
  • Day 3Ride the diesel-hauled Rio Tinto Mining Railway heritage train for 11 kilometres through the museum grounds, exploring different sections of the Rio Tinto Mining Museum.
  • Day 5Walk through Mérida's Roman monuments with local guide Javier: the theatre, amphitheatre, Temple of Diana, the bridge over the River Guadiana, and the Aqueduct of Los Milagros.
  • Day 7Coach to Trujillo for a guided walk including Trujillo Castle, then visit Las Grandas winery for a tasting.

Included

  • All travel and excursions as outlined in the itinerary
  • En-suite accommodation
  • Meals as shown in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
  • Services of the tour manager
  • Services of a local guide where indicated in the itinerary
  • Outward flights to Seville from several UK airports (or via Malaga)
  • Return flights from Madrid to several UK airports

Questions travellers ask

Is all train travel included in the price?
Yes. The price includes all rail fares on regional express and high-speed AVE services from Seville to Madrid, with reserved first-class seats where possible, plus the heritage mining railway excursion. Flights to and from Spain are included if you book via those gateways.
What kind of hotels will I stay in?
You will stay in three Paradores (former palace in Zafra, 18th-century convent in Mérida, and 15th-century monastery in Plasencia), the 5-star Hotel Palacio de Godoy in Cáceres, and the 5-star Only You Hotel near Seville's Santa Justa station.
Is the tour fully escorted?
Yes. PTG provides a tour manager (David) who guides you from arrival in Seville to departure from Madrid Airport. Local guide Javier joins for walking tours in Mérida, Cáceres, and Trujillo.
What meals are included?
Dinners with drinks are included every night except the first night in Seville. One lunch with drinks is included. Breakfast is included daily. Other meals are on your own.
How much walking is involved?
You need to be able to walk around towns with steep hills, steps, and cobbled streets while keeping up with the group, and lift your own luggage on and off trains.
When does this tour run?
One departure is confirmed for March 2027.

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