Spain Travel Guide – 9 Day Itinerary

Spain has been a country on my bucket list for YEARSS!! After studying Spanish all through middle school, high school, and minoring in college, I have been dying to visit this country,.

Beautiful Spain continues to be one of the top destinations for summer travel. It’s the perfect place, if you’re looking for a fairytale escape with good food, wine, adventure and authentic culture.

Spain has it all.

There are many stunning locations and sights that I could endlessly describe and I will in individual blog posts for each city! I wanted this post to be a brief overview of our itinerary. We spent 9 total days in Spain. We flew into the Madrid, took a train to Cordoba, rented a car and headed to Sevilla, Nerja, Granada, and back to Madrid.

Spain City Travel Guides (coming soon!):

• Madrid
• Cordoba
• Sevilla
• Granada

Spain at a glance | What to expect

WEATHER | May, June and September are perfect months to visit for those long sunny days and fewer tourists! However we went during high season (July/August). It was HOT: mid-nineties or even dipped into the hundreds every day. 

Language: The official language of Spain is Spanish.

Currency: The currency in Spain is the Euro.

Safety: Spain is one of the safest European countries. While there is a low crime rate, you’ll need to be aware of pickpockets in the metros and in crowded areas that are popular with tourists.

Siesta: Many small shops and restaurants close from about 2:00-4:00 PM. If you have important errands to run, make sure to get them done in the morning if possible! Because of siesta, Spaniards usually eat their dinners after 8:00 PM, and go out even later.

Food and Drink | Tapas is the name of the game. Small dishes that are meant to share are pretty much everywhere. Spend an evening doing a tapas crawl and wander from tapas bar to tapas bar. One of the most common beer orders in Spain, a caña is a small glass of beer – usually only a Euro or two. A few of our favorite tapas were:

• Jamon Serrano: a delicious cured, dried meat, salted and aged for the perfect texture and color.
• Tortilla Española: the egg and potato omelette is light and tasty
• Patatas Bravas: fried potatoes served with a spicy aioli sauce on top.
• Croquetas: flavoured with ham, shrimp or cheese – prepare for a lovely crispy exterior and a rich, soft inside. 
• Gambas al Ajillo: The prawns are usually cooked in a clay pot, they are fried with garlic and parsley in olive oil and sometimes slices of dried chilli. They are then served in the clay pot, while the olive oil is still sizzling.
• Fried Aubergine: Fried eggplant drizzled with honey.

Tip: Sangria is only for the tourist, Spaniards do not drink it. Opt for a Spanish wine or cava instead. If you want something similar to sangria, try Tinto De Verano: 1 part of table red wine and 1 part soda, usually lemonade.

Night 1: Fly into Madrid

After a quick layover in Brussels, we landed in Madrid. We took a taxi to our hotel, and then we were off to start exploring! We stayed at Hotel Liabeny, and we loved the location! We were close to the Plaza Del Sol, tapas bars, and shopping.

We wanted to try to beat the jet lag, and knew we only had a few hours of exploring before we needed sleep. Our stomaches were growling so we headed to our first tapas bar – one that we were looking forward too!

La Campana is known for their calamari sandwich. It is a small restaurant off of a corner of Plaza Mayor. You will miss it if you blink (common with most tapas bars), but you will want to stop here! Order the calamari sandwich and a caña and you will thank me.

Day 2: Madrid

After a good nights rest, we were ready to tackle our first full day in Madrid. We started the morning with the classic Spanish breakfast – chocolate y churros. There is only one place that you must try this at and it is: Chocolateria San Gines. Since 1894, they have been serving chocolate and churros every day of the year. They specialize in the thick hot chocolate and mouthwatering, deep-fried churros.

We like to start our first day in a city with a walking tour. We met at the Plaza del Sol, and it was very informative. Our guide was super energetic and gave us lots of knowledge about Madrid. We visited the longest running restaurant in the world, he gave us tapas bar recommendations, and we learned about the history of the city.

After our tour, we were starving and headed straight to Mercado de San Miguel for some lunch. Find all the local delicacies at the Mercado San Miguel! This historic market in the old quarter is perfect to sample your way through Spanish cuisine—vermouth, pintxos, oysters, olives paella, caviar—the list goes on and on. We had empanadas and patatas bravas (one of my favorite tapas- fried potatoes with a spicy aioli!).

We were off the the Royal Palace. This is still a working palace, and is larger than Buckingham Palace and Versailles combined. We strolled through the rooms and it was a great break from the heat! Tip: order your tickets online beforehand to skip the lines!

Probably one of our favorite activities of the trip was our Tapas, Taverns & History Tour. A 4 hour night tour trying Spanish dishes, drinks, and learning more about Madrid. It is a small tour (we had 6 people), and our guide was AMAZING and the food was OUTSTANDING! Here is a quick list of what we tried:

• Casa Labra – vermouth and salt brined fried cod
• Mesón del Champiñon – famous stuffed mushrooms and Padrón peppers (these peppers were AMAZING!)
• La Casa del Abuelo – gambas al ajillo. Shrimp cooked in oil and garlic. No joke top 3 things I have ever eaten in my life! This is a MUST TRY!
• Casa Toni – We squeezed into one of Madrid’s last remaining traditional tapas institutions, a no-frills spot where locals crowd in for classic dishes. We each got to order a dish here so we tried many Spanish dishes.

Day 3: Train to Cordoba

An early morning train south to Cordoba. It is only a 45 minute ride on the fast train. This was our only day to explore Cordoba so we wanted to get there early so we could see it all! Cordoba is a quaint town and I think you could easily day trip from Sevilla or Madrid, if a full night doesn’t fit into your itinerary. Cordoba is famous for its white washed walls and flowers. However, we liked our hotel because of the location and it had a pool that we enjoyed during the afternoon heat. We stayed at NH Collection Amistad Cordoba.

Our first stop was to Calleja de las Flores. A small alleyway lined with gorgeous flower pots. Perfect for pictures! Tip: go early! We had the alleyway to ourselves and didn’t see anyone! If you visit in the afternoon be prepared to wait in line to take your picture of this gorgeous street.

We then made our way to Palacio De Viana. There are 17 different gardens/patios to explore. Each one is as stunning as the next. Full of fountains, flowers, and trees. It is super peaceful to visit.

After wandering through the charming Jewish quarter, we were hungry by now, so of course time to try another tapa! Bar Santos is a must visit in Cordoba. They are famous for their Tortillita de Patatas. Basically a huge potato with egg. Situated adjacent to the historic cathedral this is the perfect location. We ordered 2 beers, and sat against the wall of the cathedral and enjoyed our lunch.

The main attraction in Cordoba is La Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba. This massive building is just awe inspiring. The candy cane pillars, to the architecture itself. It is a must see. Be sure to get tickets online beforehand!

Day 4: Train to Sevilla

Off to Sevilla and spoiler alert – it was my favorite city we visited! This was also our favorite hotel that stayed at. Hotel Casa del Poeta was just stunning! 10/10 recommend staying here while in Sevilla.

No surprise we started our day with a walking tour. We got to learn a lot about the history of this city. We did a tour of the area across the river called Triana. It was where the gypsies and flamenco dancers lived back in the day. After the tour we stopped at Mercado Lonja del Barranco for lunch. This upscale food hall has so many different Spanish tapas to try!

A must see in Sevilla is the Real Alcazar. This is a beautiful medieval Islamic palace showcasing a unique fusion of Spanish Christian and Moorish architecture. Spend time wandering the grounds (especially the massive gardens) and live your dream of being a princess! Tip: buy your tickets online early!

One of our favorite tapas bar we visited was El Librero. We had a manchengo cheese tasting and it was just delightful! 10/10 recommend doing this during your stay in Sevilla.

Sevilla is known for Flamenco dancing, and a trip here isn’t complete without seeing a flamenco show. There are tons of touristy ones that offer dinner/drinks with your show, but we wanted to go to one as local as possible. We ended up going to el Museo del Bailey Flamenco for a show, and it was wonderful! We got to see 6 different styles of traditional flamenco. It was so passionate!

Day 5: Sevilla

Another full action packed day in Sevilla. We started bright and early at a Mercado Triano for a cooking class. We got a tour of the market and learned a lot about traditional Spanish food including El Jamón, which is the famous Spanish Iberian ham. We then enjoyed a cooking class while we made cold soup tomato garlic bread and olive oil, chickpeas and spinach, and then the main star: Paella! It was so fun to learn more about Spanish cooking.

We rolled our way to the largest wooden sculpture in the world: Las Setas. The views from the top are amazing! Tip: Get a beer at the cafe across the street with the red chairs for the perfect photo op! We also stopped at Spain’s oldest tapas bar: El Rinconcillo.

On our way back to the hotel, we strolled through La Plaza De Espana. This is such a stunning square! Just walking around, watching some local flamenco, and taking in the beauty is enough reasons to visit this square!

Mom surprised me with a special spa experience at the Aire Ancient baths. Where else can you do a red wine soak? The answer is no where in the world besides Sevilla. We soaked in red wine, while sipping on a glass of red wine. We then enjoyed a full body massage, followed by a soak in their rooftop hot tub. We were able to watch the sunset over the whole city. This was very romantic, definitely would do as a couple! We then got to swim in the other bathes Aire offered. They had a salt bath, hot, warm, and cold baths. This was truly an unforgettable experience!

Day 6: Rent Car and White Villages

We picked up our rental car and headed south to La Costa Del Sol. Our final destination was Nerja, but we wanted to spend the day exploring the white villages. In total it is about a 3 hour drive. But on the way down south there are tons of picturesque white villages to explore.

A must village to stop by is Ronda. Ronda’s most striking feature is the Puente Nuevo, which spans a gorge over 300 feet deep.It’s also known as the birthplace of modern bullfighting. The town’s bullfighting ring is only used once a year, at the Feria Goyesca, but it’s also a museum where you can learn about the history of this traditional (yet controversial) sport. We really enjoyed wandering around this village.

Another village that is a must visit is Frigiliana. This small town carved into the mountain side literally looks like Greece! The white washed walls, flowers, and blue doors are just magical. We spent a couple hours wandering around this village.

Day 7: Nerja

Once we made our way to Nerja, we were ready for a beach day! We were staying at Parador de Nerja, which had beach access. We rented chairs and umbrellas for 12 Euros, and were excited to soak up some sun. The beach was super clean! The water however was FREEZING!! We knew that the Mediterranean was always cold, but this was felt like an ice bath. We were able to swim a little before our teeth started to chatter.

There is one place that you must eat in Nerja if you are wanting to try some paella. Ayo’s is a lunch only all you can eat paella feast. The best part is they make it in these HUGE pans right on the beach. It was super yummy!

We strolled through the streets of Nerja exploring the little shops and restaurants. Some we enjoyed are:

• Unico – Italian/Spanish fusion. SUPER good dinner spot!
• Puerto Del Mar – Upscale fish restaurant. You get to pick your fresh catch of the day!
• Sevilliano – Great tapas
• Copa Vina – Wine bar with tons of Spanish wine and cava

We visited the rainbow stairs even though they were a little bit of a walk. They are at Torrecilla beach if you want to take some cute pics!

Day 8: Drive to Granada

Back up the coast we go to the lovely city of Granada. It is an hour drive from Nerja, but since we only had one day we headed out early to give us a full day of exploring. We checked into our hotel La Casa de la Trinidad, which was very centrally located. For some reason I thought Grenada was going to be quaint, it had it moments, but was definitely a little more grittier than I anticipated.

We started our morning with a free walking tour, and our guide was great! She was super knowledgeable and it was a great tour. We walked all around the city centre and learned about the history and culture of Granada.

After the tour, it was time for some tapas. We stopped at Carmela because we heard they were famous for croquettas, which is one of our favorite tapas. They did not disappoint, and they were massive! We had the traditional jamon, and it was tasty! Paired with a cold beer it was the perfect lunch!

What’s vacation without a little shopping? Due to the massive Moorish influence of Granada there is a massive souk. Alcaicería is worth a stroll through all the shops to find some goodies. It felt like we were back in Egypt!

We stopped at Los Diamantes for dinner (well tapas) and it was delicious. They are still one of the few tapas bars that brings you a new tapa for every round of drinks you order. Our first round we had fried anchovies (not my fav), and then we ordered fried shrimp, and another one of our favorite tapas, fried aubergine (eggplant) with honey. I am not an eggplant person, but with the honey it was seriously so good! Our second round of drinks they brought us stuffed mushrooms.

The main reason why people add Granada to their Spain itinerary is The Alhambra. The Alhambra is one of the most famous buildings in Spain: a Moorish fortress with grand archways and delicate ornamental mosaics. Step backwards in time as you wind through the ascending cobblestone streets of Albayzin. You’ll be rewarded with beautiful views at the top.

You will NEED to purchase tickets a few weeks in advance. We opted for the nighttime tour to beat the crowds and the heat. We loved it and would recommend. Seeing everything lit up at night added an extra element of beauty!

Day 9: Train to Madrid

We took one final train back to Madrid. It is about a 3 hour ride, so we took the first train of the day to give us as much time as possible back in Madrid. We checked into our hotel Dear Hotel Madrid, and started exploring on our last day in Spain.

We headed to Parque del Retiro, which is like the Central Park of Madrid. It is a peaceful urban park centered around a beautiful lake. It was nice to just stroll around some trees. You can rent paddle boats for the lake which looked super cute. We wanted to see the Palacio De Cristal. Which is this massive glass building in the middle of the park. It was super pretty to walk around and see! It was free to go inside.

By this point of the trip we were quite exhausted, so we spent the rest of the day/evening relaxing on the rooftop pool of our hotel! It was an early bedtime to be up to catch our fight home!

Spain was such a dream trip of mine, and it did not disappoint! From the food, to the culture and people, Spain was a beautiful country to visit!

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