Andalucía Self-Launched: Seville, Córdoba, Granada & the Caminito del Rey
10 days · Andalucía, Spain
G Adventures charges £3,200
No-markup version: ~£835 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 10-day loop through southern Spain covering the same ground as the G Adventures Geluxe trip — Seville's Alcázar, Córdoba's Mezquita, the olive country around Baeza and Úbeda, Granada's Alhambra and Sacromonte flamenco, the cliff walkways of the Caminito del Rey and a hike into the Sierra de Grazalema — but booked independently. You'll travel by Spain's excellent public buses and trains, stay in family-run guesthouses and hostels, and book the two timed-entry tickets (Alhambra and Caminito del Rey) yourself well in advance. Costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Seville
Seville
Land at Seville (SVQ) or arrive by AVE train from Madrid (~£35-50, 2h30). Take the EA airport bus into the centre (~£4) or the C1 cercanías train. Check into a guesthouse in the Arenal or Alfalfa district — you're paying for location, not marble lobbies. Spend the evening wandering the Barrio de Santa Cruz alleys and eating a first round of tapas (puntillas, espinacas con garbanzos, a caña) standing at the bar like a local, ~£12-15.
🚌Airport bus EA ~£4 or train; everything else on foot
🛏Family-run guesthouse/hostel private room, Seville centre (~£40-55/night)
- →Evening walk Barrio de Santa Cruz
- →Tapas crawl in Alfalfa/Arenal
Seville: Alcázar, Cathedral and Giralda
Seville
Book your Real Alcázar ticket online in advance (~£12-14, timed entry — it sells out in high season) and go early before the tour groups. The Mudéjar palaces and gardens take 2-3 hours. Afternoon: Seville Cathedral and the Giralda climb (~£9), plus a stroll along the river past the Torre del Oro (~£3). A free walking tour of the old town (tip-based, ~£5-8 tip) is a cheap way to get the historical framing a city guide would give you. Optional: Casa de Pilatos (~£10). Evening: rooftop drink or a flamenco night at Casa de la Memoria (~£18-20).
🚌On foot; city buses ~£1.30 if needed
🛏Same guesthouse, Seville (~£40-55/night)
- →Real Alcázar timed entry ticket (~£13)
- →Seville Cathedral & Giralda (~£9)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Torre del Oro (~£3)
- →Optional flamenco at Casa de la Memoria (~£19)
Seville → Córdoba → Baeza
Baeza
Take an early Renfe Media Distancia train Seville–Córdoba (~£12-15, 45 min). Store your bag at the station lockers, then walk into the Judería and visit the Mezquita-Catedral (~£12), plus the Roman Bridge and the patios of the old town. Mid-afternoon take the bus or train onward to Linares-Baeza/Jaén and a local bus into Baeza (~£10-14 combined, ~2h). Baeza is a quiet Renaissance town of honey-coloured palaces — check into a small hostal and eat menú del día for dinner (~£11).
🚌Renfe MD train Seville–Córdoba ~£13; bus/train Córdoba–Baeza ~£12
🛏Small hostal/guesthouse in Baeza old town (~£35-45/night)
- →Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba (~£12)
- →Roman Bridge & Judería wander
Úbeda and olive oil country
Baeza / Úbeda
Local bus or 15-min taxi to Úbeda (~£2-6). Explore the Plaza Vázquez de Molina and the Renaissance palaces, then duck into one of the small olive oil cooperatives around town for a tasting and pairing (many offer ~£10-15 tastings — book direct by email/phone; the tourist office in Úbeda can point you to the ones open that day). In the afternoon there are short self-guided walks through the surrounding sea of olive groves — pick up a route map at the tourist office. Back in Baeza for the evening, dinner of salmorejo and local cheese.
🚌Local bus Baeza–Úbeda ~£2 each way
🛏Same hostal, Baeza (~£35-45/night)
- →Úbeda Renaissance old town walk
- →Olive oil cooperative tasting & pairing (~£12)
- →Olive grove countryside walk
Baeza → Granada: your OMG day
Granada
Bus from Úbeda/Baeza to Granada (~£10-12, 2h). Drop bags at a guesthouse in the Realejo or Albaicín edge, then pick your own version of the tour's 'OMG day': either a Sacromonte flamenco show in a cave tablao (~£20-25, book via GetYourGuide or direct) or a self-guided tapas route — Granada still gives a free tapa with every drink, so a tapas crawl is genuinely cheap (~£15 total). Finish with sunset from Mirador de San Nicolás over the Alhambra.
🚌Bus Baeza/Úbeda–Granada ~£11
🛏Guesthouse/hostel private room, Granada Realejo (~£40-55/night)
- →Sacromonte cave flamenco show (~£22) OR tapas crawl (~£15)
- →Sunset at Mirador de San Nicolás
The Alhambra
Granada
The critical booking: Alhambra tickets go on sale roughly 3 months ahead and sell out fast — book the moment your dates are fixed (~£16-19 general, ~£19 with the Nasrid Palaces timed slot; buy at alhambra-patronato.es). Allow 3-4 hours for the Nasrid Palaces, Generalife and Alcazaba. Afternoon: wander the Albaicín whitewashed lanes and the lower Albayzín, then a cheap menú del día (~£11) or free tapas dinner. Optional Granada Cathedral (~£5).
🚌On foot; minibus C30/C32 up to the Albaicín ~£1.30
🛏Same guesthouse, Granada (~£40-55/night)
- →Alhambra & Nasrid Palaces timed entry (~£18)
- →Albaicín old quarter walk
- →Optional Granada Cathedral (~£5)
Granada → El Chorro: hike the Caminito del Rey
El Chorro / Ardales
Morning bus or train Granada to El Chorro (via Málaga or the direct regional bus, ~£12-16, 2h30-3h). Book Caminito del Rey tickets online in advance (~£9-11 plus ~£2.50 shuttle bus at the site — releases sell out weeks ahead; caminitodelrey.info). Hike the cliff-clinging boardwalks through the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes gorge, roughly 3 hours end to end with the shuttle bus linking the two ends. Stay overnight in El Chorro or nearby Ardales rather than pushing on to Ronda the same day.
🚌Bus Granada–El Chorro ~£14; Caminito shuttle bus ~£2.50
🛏Rural guesthouse/casa rural near El Chorro or Ardales (~£40-50/night)
- →Caminito del Rey cliff walkway hike (~£12 incl. shuttle)
Hike El Chorro → Benaoján / Sierra de Grazalema
Ronda
Bus or shared taxi to Ronda (~£8-12, ~1h15), leave your bag at your guesthouse, then walk out of town on the GR-7 long-distance path through farmland and olive groves to Benaoján (~3h, 12 km, free and self-guided — the route is well marked and maps are on Wikiloc/Outdooractive). In Benaoján visit the Cueva de la Pileta cave paintings if you pre-book (~£10) and take the local train (Renfe Cercanías, ~£2) back to Ronda. If you'd rather do the higher Sierra de Grazalema ridges, base a night in Grazalema village instead and use the tourist office's marked routes.
🚌Bus El Chorro–Ronda ~£10; Renfe Cercanías Benaoján–Ronda ~£2
🛏Guesthouse/casa rural in Ronda old town (~£40-55/night)
- →Self-guided GR-7 hike to Benaoján (~12 km)
- →Optional Cueva de la Pileta (~£10)
Ronda's gorge, then back to Seville
Ronda / Seville
Morning exploring Ronda on foot: the Puente Nuevo over the El Tajo gorge, the old town's Moorish walls, and the Plaza de Toros if it interests you (~£9). Download a free self-guided walking route or join a tip-based walking tour (~£6 tip). In the late afternoon take the bus or train back to Seville (~£12-14, 2h-2h30), check into a guesthouse near the centre and have a final dinner of arroz or grilled fish with a glass of manzanilla (~£18).
🚌Bus or Renfe Ronda–Seville ~£13
🛏Guesthouse/hostel private room, Seville centre (~£40-55/night)
- →Puente Nuevo & El Tajo gorge viewpoints
- →Ronda old town walk (free/tip-based)
- →Optional Plaza de Toros (~£9)
Depart Seville
Seville
Final breakfast in a neighbourhood bar (tostada con tomate and café con leche, ~£4) and depart at whatever time suits — airport bus ~£4, or AVE to Madrid ~£35-50 if you're continuing elsewhere in Spain. Allow time to pick up any last olive oil and ceramics.
🚌Airport bus EA ~£4 or AVE to Madrid ~£40
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Last tapas breakfast in Seville
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£835 | £3,200 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,365 per person (74%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£835
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 Andalucía Self-Launched: Seville, Córdoba, Granada & the Caminito del Rey cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £835 per person for 10 days in Andalucía, Spain. 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 £3,200 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £835 — a saving of roughly £2,365 (74%) per person.
How long is the Andalucía, Spain trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Andalucía, Spain.
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, hiking, foodie trip through Andalucía, Spain, 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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