Food, Culture & History in Andalucia 2026
Friday, April 10 to Monday, April 20, 2026
Join Us for an Unforgettable Culinary Adventure!
Departure from the US for an overnight flight to Malaga, Spain, the main city on Costa del Sol and the birthplace of Pablo Picasso.
Airfare is not included in the price. Celestial Voyagers can help you choose the best routing and schedule. You may want to arrive earlier to rest from jet lag. Let us know if you need additional nights and an arrival transfer to the hotel.
Should you purchase your airline ticket on your own, it is very important to send us a copy.
Check-in to your hotel for 3 nights. Note that individual transfer on arrival to reach your hotel is not included.
In the afternoon, meet Isa, our English speaking tour leader and a gastronomic specialist, who will stay with us throughout the tour.
Start a guided walking tour to visit historical Malaga: see the Moorish center, the Roman theatre, the Cathedral, the majestic Calle Larios with shops, tavernas, restaurants and bars and the Picasso Museum, the most famous among the 22 museums of the city.
Founded by the Phoenicians and with 2800 years of history, Malaga is one of the oldest cities of the Western World as well as a popular resort with numerous beaches and the fortifications of the Alcazaba, an Arabic citadel, and the Gibralfaro Castle, both overlooking the old city.
Welcome dinner at Restaurant La Pergola, by Antonio Banderas. 
Guided walking tour of PEDREGALEJO, once a fishing neighborhood and one of the best beaches in Malaga. The route includes Baños del Carmen -a former bathhouse, the Nereo Shipyards and a traditional boat carpentry workshop. The fisherman-style architecture and the chiringuitos -casual restaurants by the seaside- have a lot of charm and authenticity. Taste espetos, grilled sardine skewers, the most popular local dish. 
Among other Malaga culinary specialties are:
*Pescaíto frito, small anchovies, calamari, dogfish or fried fish… crispy outside, juicy inside and never oily.
*Almejas a la marinera, “sailor-style clams” in a flavorful sauce of garlic, white wine and parsley
*Porra antequerana, a cold tomato soup in the gazpacho family
*Ajo blanco or “white gazpacho,” an elegant chilled soup, thickened with almonds and bread, brightened with a splash of sherry vinegar.
Hands on cooking class followed with late lunch
Return to Malaga and free evening.
EXCURSION TO GRANADA: EXPLORE THE ALHAMBRA PALACE AND ITS GARDENS 
The drive to Granada is 93 miles and less than 2 hours each way. We will visit the city and the famous UNESCO World Heritage site: the Alhambra Palace and the Generalife Gardens. This Islamic style of gardens has flowing waters coming from the mountains and is unique in all of Europe. Important: a copy of your passport is necessary to make reservations and get tickets 3 months in advance.
Lunch in the old city is included. Here are some typical local dishes of Granada:
Remojón granadino, fresh orange, shredded cod, onion, olives, egg, and olive oil, a very fresh and nutritious salad!
Habas con jamón, a simple yet delicious dish with fresh fava beans and ham
Plato alpujarreño, a hearty and flavorful dish including fried potatoes, fried egg, ham, chorizo and blood sausage.
Piononos, a rolled sponge cake filled with cream and soaked in syrup.
Return to Malaga and evening free.
Drive about one hundred miles in the morning to reach Montilla, a lively town known for its vineyard on rolling hills, wine cellars and olive oil. We’ll meet 3 local producers:
CASKNOLIA for artisan barrel making, awarded best cooperage in the world in 2023 and 2024.
JUAN COLIN for olive oil and vinegar tasting: 45 % of the world olive oil is produced in Andalucia! Enjoy a casual workshop to make a perfect vinagreta.
LAGAR BLANCO WINERY: a cozy traditional winery up in the hills producing local “generous wines” among the most complex and unique wines in the world. We’ll have lunch and a wine tasting amidst the vineyards
Another 32 miles will take you to Cordoba. Check-in to your hotel for 3 nights
Hammam relaxing bath with possibility of a massage session
Free evening in Cordoba. 
JEWISH HERITAGE IN CORDOBA
Guided walking tour to learn about the 3-Religion History of Cordoba as you visit the Mezquita, the Jewish Quarter, which is the greatest Andalucian juderia (Jewish quarter), and the Alcazar.
Cordoba was under the Umayyad and other Muslim dynasties for 5 centuries. The Jewish community lived in harmony with the conquerors, had their own judges and managed the official accounts. From the 10th to the 12th century was golden age of Sephardic culture in Spain. Rambam (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon), the most renowned Jewish philosopher of the time was born in Cordoba.
Visit SEPHARAD HOUSE, a project that recovers the lost memory of the history of Sepharad; enjoy a private performance of live Sephardic songs.
Afternoon at leisure.
Dinner at the Sephardic restaurant “Casa Mazal” (House of Good Fortune) 
PATIO EXPERIENCE, MARKET TOUR & FLAMENCO
The Patio Festival of Córdoba is a courtyard competition held in May since 1921. Participants decorate and open their courtyards so that they can be visited. Discover some of this private courtyards and learn about the evolution of this contest and why it became part of the list of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Shop at a LOCAL FOOD MARKET and prepare your lunch with Adrian and Mara (crazy chef and her Andalucia best sommelier partner). They’ll talk about main local dishes:
*Salmorejo, a healthy tomato cold soup, thicker and creamier than gazpacho
*Rabo de toro Cordobés, a slow-cooked oxtail stew in a rich, flavorful wine gravy.
*Flamenquin Cordobés, a rolled pork loin with Iberico ham inside, served with fries
*Berenjenas con miel, deep-fried crispy eggplants topped with honey
What is to be cooked will not be revealed till the very last minute!
After, enjoy a FLAMENCO SONG & GUITAR private performance at Taberna Fuenseca, the oldest tavern in Cordoba, open since 1850. 
Morning drive to Seville: 90 miles, less than 2 hours’ drive.
Check-in at your hotel for 3 nights before we enjoy guided walking tour of Seville, the “Queen of the Guadalquivir.” Just a few meters separate the Giralda Tower, the Cathedral and the Real Alcazar, the three most important landmarks of the city.
Free afternoon.
Shop in lively streets such as Calle de las Sierpes, Calle Tetuán or Calle Velazquez.
Take a promenade in the Santa Cruz quarter, Santa Ana Square with iconic ‘Las Setas” or along large open spaces such as the huge Plaza de Espana or romantic Parque de Maria Luisa.
For dinner, enjoy a TAPAS TOUR with a local expert in the authentic atmosphere of Seville. Adobo marinated fish bites, spicy spinach with chickpeas, and shredded beef montadito with a cold beer or Manzanilla crispy dry wine are a must on any tapas outing. 
CADIZ : THE TUNA PARADISE
Departure for a day excursion to Cadiz: 75 miles, 1h ½ drive each way
Guided walking tour on arrival to visit the oldest city in Europe, which served as a model for the building of La Havana. Visit the Gadir urban archeological site with 3000 year old streets & households. And learn about sought-after garum sauce in the Roman Salting Fish Factory.
The former Phoenician Gadir, known as Gades under the Roman empire then Cadiz with Christian conquest, experienced its most splendid period when in the 17th Century it had the Ultramar (Spanish overseas empire) trade monopoly. This rise attracted attacks by pirates, which made the city fortify itself, constructing defensive bastions, castles and watchtowers on each flat roof.
TUNA-BASED LUNCH.
The Atlantic bluefin tuna also known as cimarrón, is a big fish with a bony structure, which can weigh up to 1500 pounds and which migrates according to the water temperature. The tuna caught in Cadiz with the almadraba ancestral technique are in their migratory process through the strait of Gibraltar, between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
Return to Seville and free evening. 
This morning, a guided walking tour to the historic docks, port and merchant market. Learn the fascinating story of the explorer and navigator, Fernando de Magellanes, who left Sevilla in 1519 in search of a sea route to the spice lands of the east. With Sebastian El Cano they achieved the first tour around the world. Enjoy a spice tasting and learn the importance of spices in local gastronomy.
Free afternoon for last minute shopping.
Farewell dinner at Rio Grande Restaurant overlooking the Guadalquivir River. 
FAREWELL ANDALUCIA
End of services after breakfast.
Transfer to the airport is not included but if you wish, we can arrange car service for your transfer. Seville airport is less than 30 minutes, 6 miles away from the city center. 
Pricing
$7,350 per person sharing in a double room
Single supplement + $1,775
Final payment due: Friday, January 23, 2026
Deposit $750 due upon registration
Hotel Details
PROPOSED HOTELS (or similar)
MALAGA: MALAGA LARIO HOTEL 3 nights
April 21 – 24, 2026
Malaga Lario Hotel
Address: Molina Lario 20-22, Malaga, Es, Malaga, Spain
Phone: +34 952 062 002
Located close to Málaga Cathedral and Calle Larios, Molina Lario Hotel provides a poolside bar, a terrace, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Be sure to enjoy a meal at Matiz, the on-site restaurant. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi, and guests can find other amenities such as car rentals on site and a bar.
CORDOBA: NH AMISTAD 3 nights
April 24 – 27, 2026
Cordoba NH Amistad Hotel
Address: Pl. Maimónides, 3, Centro, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Phone:+34 957 42 03 35
NH Collection Amistad Córdoba is located in the historic heart of the city, next to an early 14th century synagogue and just five minutes from perhaps the most important edifice of our city: La Mezquita Cathedral.
SEVILLA: CASAS DE LA JUDERÍA. 3 nights
April 27 – 30, 2026
Casas De La Juderia Hotel
Address:C. Sta. María la Blanca, 5, Casco Antiguo, 41004 Sevilla, Spain
Phone: +34 954 41 51 50
In the heart of Seville’s old jewish quarter, just 6 minutes walking distance from the Cathedral, a modern service and classic decoration converge in the hotel Las Casas de la Juderia. History fills the air in this magnificent ensemble of 27 fifteenth century traditional houses restored to harmoniously reflect the authentic feel of the serpentine neighborhood that surrounds it.
Testimonials
Tour Highlights
- Walking tour of Malaga: the Picasso Museum and the Pedregalejo fishing neighborhood with hands-on cooking class
- Walking tour of Granada: the Alhamabra, Generalife Garden, Palace, and Alcazaba
- Visit Casknolia to watch artisan wine barrel making
- Lagar Blanco Winery for a vineyard tour, wine tasting and lunch
- Jewish Heritage walking tour in Cordoba, musical performance at Sepharad House and dinner at Sephardic Restaurant Casa Mazal
- Tour decorated private courtyards at the famous Patio Festival of Córdoba
- Flamenco music at Taberna Fuenseca, the oldest tavern in Cordoba
- Seville walking tour including the Cathedral, the Giralda and the Real Alcazar
- Tapas tour at three tavernas in Seville with a local expert
- Walking tour of Cadiz, the oldest city in Europe and the bluefin tuna paradise
- In Seville, learn about Magallanes’ search for the route of spices, with spice tasting
Services Included
- 9 nights’ accommodation in a shared double room at 4-star superior hotels
- Full breakfast daily
- City transfers by taxi to restaurants and special events
- Long-distance transfers with 22-passenger van
- Guided walking tour of historical Málaga with visit to the Picasso Museum;
- Welcome dinner at restaurant La Pérgola; drinks included
- Guided walking tour of Pedregalejo fishermen’s borough + espeto experience + cooking class & lunch; drinks included
- Guided walking tour of the Alhambra: Palace, Generalife Gardens, and Alcazaba
- Lunch at a traditional restaurant in the old city with assorted local dishes; drinks not included
- Visit to Casknolia for a live artisan barrel-making demonstration
- Visit to Juan Colín for olive oil & vinegar tasting
- Visit to Lagar Blanco Winery for vineyard tour, wine tasting, and lunch; drinks included
- Hammam – relaxing bath session; massage not included, but can be booked
- Guided walking tour of Jewish Heritage – Mezquita, Jewish Quarter, and Alcázar with Rasgo guide
- Visit Sepharad House and live private song performance
- Dinner at Sephardic restaurant Casa Mazal; water + 1 drink included
- Patio Experience: patio tour with tea & pastries
- Shop at local food market + hands-on cooking class with Adrian & Mara; includes 3 dishes and wine pairing with Andalusian reds
- Flamenco Music: live song & guitar private performance at Taberna Fuenseca, the oldest tavern in Córdoba (dessert wine and screen-printed wine glass included)
- Guided walking tour: Highlights of Seville: the Cathedral, the Giralda, and the Real Alcázar
- Tapas tour dinner with local expert; 3-tavern tour with assorted tapas (drinks included)
- Guided walking tour of Cádiz including visit to the Gadir archaeological site + Roman fish & garum factory museum
- Tuna-based lunch (water & coffee included; drinks not included)
- Guided walking tour in Seville: The Route of Spices (9 spice-tasting included)
- Farewell dinner at Río Grande Restaurant, overlooking the Guadalquivir River (drinks included)
Services Not Included
- International airfare: Flights into Málaga and out of Seville
- Single room supplement: Additional charge of $1775 for a private room
- Private airport transfers: Arrival and departure transfers not included (available at additional cost)
- Meals not specified: All meals not explicitly listed as included in the itinerary
- Beverages: Unless otherwise noted, beverages during meals are not included
- Travel insurance: Highly recommended, including trip cancellation, medical, and baggage coverage
- Gratuities: Tips for guides, drivers, and other service providers
- Personal expenses: Such as laundry, phone calls, minibar, and other incidentals
- Excess luggage fees: Any charges incurred for exceeding airline luggage limits
- Passport and visa fees:
- Travelers are responsible for securing all required travel documents
- Non-U.S. citizens may need a visa; please check with your consulate
- U.S. permanent residents must travel with a valid Green Card
- All passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the trip’s end date