Over seven days, the Madrid–Seville route typically follows this sequence: Madrid – Aranjuez – Toledo – Alcázar de San Juan – Cáceres – Mérida – Jerez – Cádiz – Córdoba – Seville. Along the way, you explore royal palaces, medieval quarters, Roman theatres, wine cellars, and Atlantic coastal vistas, all while enjoying an all‑inclusive experience on board. Accommodation in elegant en‑suite cabins, fine dining with regional wines, guided sightseeing, monument entrances, and transfers are all included, leaving you free to simply soak in the scenery and stories.
Day 1 – Madrid Welcome and Royal Aranjuez
Your journey begins in Madrid, where you meet your guides and fellow travelers and get a first taste of Spanish hospitality over a welcome drink and lunch. Madrid’s grand boulevards and lively plazas set the tone: this is a city of art museums, palaces, and café‑lined squares, and you get an overview before traveling south to join Al Ándalus in Aranjuez.
In Aranjuez, you visit the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, once a spring and summer residence of Spanish kings. The building’s red brick and white stone façade looks out toward the Tagus River, while inside you find richly decorated halls, royal apartments, and period furnishings that tell stories of the Bourbon monarchy and courtly life. Step outside into the vast palace gardens, where tree‑lined avenues, fountains, and landscaped groves were designed as an open‑air retreat for the royal family—a peaceful contrast to bustling Madrid. In the evening, you settle into your cabin on Al Ándalus, enjoy a leisurely dinner on board, and perhaps a drink with live piano music as the train remains in or near Aranjuez for the night.
Day 2 – Toledo: City of Three Cultures
After breakfast in the dining car, a short transfer takes you to Toledo, spectacularly perched above the Tagus River. Walking into Toledo feels like entering a living museum: narrow cobbled streets wind between stone houses, and at every turn there are traces of its Christian, Muslim, and Jewish past.
You visit the grand Toledo Cathedral, one of Spain’s most important Gothic churches, where soaring columns, stained glass, ornate chapels, and a richly decorated sacristy showcase centuries of devotion and power. Nearby, the small 10th‑century mosque of Cristo de la Luz reveals the city’s Islamic heritage with its horseshoe arches and intimate prayer hall, while the synagogues of Santa María la Blanca or El Tránsito illustrate Toledo’s Jewish legacy with their graceful columns and carved decorative motifs. Together, these monuments show why Toledo is called the “City of Three Cultures.” After a traditional lunch—perhaps featuring Manchego cheese and local specialties—you return to the train, which rolls through La Mancha’s windmill‑dotted landscape. Dinner is served on board, and the train usually overnights in or around Alcázar de San Juan.
Day 3 – Cáceres: Stone Towers and Noble Palaces
You wake up to breakfast while the train approaches Cáceres, a city whose old town looks almost unchanged since the Middle Ages. Inside the ancient walls, stone towers, fortified houses, and Renaissance palaces line quiet lanes that have appeared in numerous films and series because of their timeless atmosphere.
A guided stroll leads you through the main square and past gates such as the Arco de la Estrella, then deeper into the historic core where noble families once competed to build the most impressive palaces. You see façades decorated with coats of arms, small inner courtyards, and viewpoints that look out over the tile roofs and surrounding countryside. The blend of Roman, Islamic, Gothic, and Renaissance influences here gives Cáceres a distinctive character that feels both monumental and intimate. After sightseeing and lunch (either in town or back on the train), you continue toward Mérida. Dinner is served on board, and the night is spent in Mérida or nearby, with time to relax in the lounge car or enjoy a nightcap.
Day 4 – Mérida: Roman Theatres and Imperial Echoes
Day four is devoted to Mérida, founded as Emerita Augusta in 25 BC and today one of the best places in Spain to understand Roman life. The city’s Roman Theatre and Amphitheatre complex is especially impressive. The theatre, built in the 1st century BC, features a semicircular seating area that once held thousands of spectators, facing an elegant stage front decorated with columns and statues; remarkably, it still hosts performances today. Right next to it, the amphitheatre’s elliptical arena once rang with the noise of gladiator contests and wild‑animal hunts.
You also visit other key remains and a museum that brings the Roman city to life with mosaics, sculptures, and everyday objects. Walking among these ruins, it is easy to imagine senators, merchants, and citizens filling the streets two millennia ago. After a richly guided visit and lunch, you return to Al Ándalus to continue the journey south. Dinner is served on board, and you enjoy another comfortable night in your private cabin, lulled by the gentle motion of the train or resting at a quiet station.
Day 5 – Jerez: Andalusian Horses and Sherry, Cádiz: Atlantic Light
This morning the focus shifts to Andalusia’s vibrant traditions. In Jerez, you are introduced to the world of purebred Andalusian horses with a visit to an equestrian institution where riders and horses perform a choreographed show. Classical dressage movements, traditional costumes, and carefully chosen music turn this into a moving display of harmony between horse and rider.
You also explore the culture of sherry wine with a guided visit to a historic bodega. Among rows of oak barrels, experts explain how different styles of sherry are produced, from pale finos to darker olorosos, and you enjoy a tasting that highlights the region’s long wine‑making heritage. In the afternoon, a short journey takes you to Cádiz, dramatically set on a narrow peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic. Here you wander through the old town with its domed cathedral, intimate plazas, and sea‑view promenades that glow in the late‑afternoon light. Cádiz feels relaxed and maritime, with a charm that comes from centuries as a port city. After dinner in Cádiz or Jerez, you return to the train, which usually spends the night in Jerez.
Day 6 – Córdoba: Arches, Patios and a Legendary Mosque‑Cathedral
Breakfast brings you into Córdoba, once the dazzling capital of Al‑Andalus and a center of learning, science, and philosophy. The city’s most iconic monument is the Mosque‑Cathedral, or Mezquita. From the outside it looks like a fortress, but stepping inside reveals a vast forest of red‑and‑white arches resting on marble and jasper columns. The original mosque, begun in the 8th century, reflects Islamic art at its height, while the later Christian cathedral nave inserted into the center adds Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque elements. The contrast creates one of the most extraordinary religious buildings in Europe.
You also explore Córdoba’s historic Jewish Quarter, a labyrinth of whitewashed streets, flower‑filled patios, and small squares. As you walk, your guide brings to life the city’s golden age, when philosophers, poets, and scholars from different faiths thrived here. After lunch and some free time to shop or simply enjoy the ambiance, you reboard Al Ándalus for the final leg toward Seville. A special farewell dinner is served on board, complete with regional dishes and wines, and the evening often ends with live music, conversation, and a final toast to the journey.
Day 7 – Arrival in Seville: A Grand Finale
On your last morning, breakfast is served as the train glides into Seville, the radiant capital of Andalusia and the final stop of your Madrid–Seville luxury rail adventure. Although the formal journey ends around midday, many travelers choose to stay on in Seville to explore its extraordinary monuments. Here you can visit the Seville Cathedral, one of the largest Gothic churches in the world, and climb the Giralda bell tower for panoramic views over tiled rooftops. The nearby Royal Alcázar, a former Moorish palace later used by Christian kings, enchants with its intricate stucco work, tile‑lined courtyards, and lush gardens.
In Plaza de España, a sweeping semi‑circular building and canal celebrate Spain’s regions with colorful ceramic benches and grand architecture, while the nearby María Luisa Park offers shade and greenery. The Santa Cruz neighborhood, with its narrow lanes, patios, and tapas bars, is the perfect place to wander, dine, and reflect on your week aboard Al Ándalus. Whether you depart immediately or extend your stay, Seville provides a joyful, atmospheric finale.
Why Palace Tours Is the Best Company to Book Al Ándalus
For a complex luxury trip like this, the right partner makes all the difference—and Palace Tours is the ideal company to book your 2026 Al Ándalus journey. Their team has decades of hands‑on experience with Spain’s luxury trains, knows the cabins, schedules, and day‑by‑day operations in detail, and can guide you to the dates and suite types that best suit your travel style and budget. Because they specialize in these trains, they can often secure the best available rates and confirm space on high‑demand departures that sell out quickly.
Booking through Palace Tours also means you are not just reserving a train; you are crafting a complete, worry‑free vacation. They can add pre‑ and post‑tour hotel nights in Madrid and Seville, private airport or station transfers, city tours, and even additional journeys on other luxury trains in Spain. If something needs to be adjusted—flight times, special diets, mobility concerns, or anniversary and honeymoon touches—their dedicated consultants handle it personally. With clear communication, transparent policies, and a passion for luxury rail, Palace Tours gives you the confidence to book Al Ándalus knowing that every detail has been thought through in advance, so you can simply relax and enjoy Spain at its most beautiful.
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Rates below are per person in US$. See Terms and Conditions for Reservations.
