Madrid

A gentle guided walk through the Retiro park and the Barrio de las Letras – the old literary quarter where Cervantes and Lope de Vega lived – with the stories of Spain’s golden age of writing underfoot.

Tour the spectacular renovated Santiago Bernabeu – the trophy room glittering with Champions League cups, the pitch, dugouts and dressing rooms. A pilgrimage for Real Madrid fans.

An intimate tablao performance of raw, foot-stamping flamenco – guitar, song and dance up close – often paired with tapas or dinner. A stirring night out in the art form’s spiritual second home.

A short hop south to Toledo, the dramatic hilltop “city of three cultures” – a UNESCO maze of cathedral, synagogues, mosque and El Greco, wrapped in medieval walls above the Tagus. Guided day trips make it easy.

A day trip to Segovia and its jaw-dropping Roman aqueduct, fairy-tale Alcazar castle and grand cathedral – often finished with the local speciality, roast suckling pig. Frequently paired with Avila.

Skip the queue and tour the opulent Royal Palace with a guide – the throne room, the royal armoury and the frescoed halls – with the centuries of Spanish royal history that fill them.

A guided evening crawl through the old town’s best tabernas – tortilla, jamon, croquetas and vermouth – with a local unpacking the ritual of the Spanish tapeo. The tastiest way to meet Madrid.

Make sense of the vast Prado in a focused couple of hours – a guide walks you to Las Meninas, Goya’s masterpieces and the Bosch triptych with the stories behind them, skipping the ticket queue.