Arrive in Casablanca on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), a private hotel transfer, accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

At 18:00, join your tour leader Genevieve Jacobs and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing and talk at the hotel, followed by dinner.

(D)

This morning, explore Casablanca, a city steeped in romantic mystique and intrigue, where the dramatic whitewashed Hispano-Moorish homes lie scattered amid Art Deco jewels. Visit the Hassan II Mosque, Mohamed V Square, built in 1916 under the French protectorate, the Marché Central and drive along Casablanca’s Boulevard de la Corniche.

After lunch, travel south to the mesmerising city of Marrakesh. Founded in 1062 by the Almoravid Sultan Yusuf ibn Tashfin, Marrakesh was to become one of the Islamic world’s most important artistic and cultural centres.

(BL)

Begin the day with a visit to the enchanting Jardin Majorelle, created by French Orientalist artist Jacques Majorelle and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent. The beautifully landscaped garden is filled with exotic plants set against a backdrop of cobalt blue Moorish architecture.

Later, explore the 12th-century medina dating back to the Berber empire and densely packed with narrow, winding alleys and hidden courtyards, surrounding souks that sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewellery.

The remainder of the afternoon and evening is at leisure.

(BL)

This morning, visit the Jnane Tamsna Gardens, a four-hectare garden designed by a husband-and-wife team with the intention of blending in with the natural environment. Situated on the grounds of the Jnane Tamsna Hotel, the gardens draw inspiration from North African agricultural and horticultural traditions. They feature aromatic herb beds, olive groves, lemon trees, date palms, vegetable plots and ornamental flower gardens.

After lunch, visit the 19th-century Bahia Palace, whose gardens comprise several inner courtyards and riad gardens designed in the traditional Moroccan style. With a mix of different layouts, shaded paths and lush vegetation, the garden features orange, jasmine and cypress trees.

(BL)

After breakfast, enjoy a guided visit of Le Jardin Secret, a garden situated on a site that dates back to the mid-16th century. The complex features two distinct spaces: an Islamic garden characterised by traditional geometric layouts, designed to optimise irrigation, and an exotic garden featuring plant species from around the world, recalling the experimental aspect of the great gardens of Marrakesh.

Continue to La Mamounia Gardens for a private, guided tour of this iconic hotel’s 13-hectare oasis. Originating in the 18th century, Prince Al-Mamoun inherited the estate and turned it into a venue to hold traditional open-air receptions. The grounds are meticulously manicured with paths, ancient olive groves and vibrant citrus and rose gardens.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

(BD)

Today, check out of the hotel and transfer to Casablanca Airport for a flight to Málaga (flight included in tour price).

With a history stretching back 2,800 years, Málaga is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe. Due to its temperate climate, the city is home to subtropical and tropical plants making it a making it a lush, green oasis year-round.

Upon arrival at Malaga Airport, transfer to the hotel and enjoy dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

(BD)

This morning, visit La Concepcion Historical Botanic Garden. Established around 1855 by the Marquises of Casa Loring, this English-style landscape garden with over 150 years of history is now recognised as a Property of Cultural Interest. The Marquises introduced various exotic plants through their trade routes to Latin America, the Philippines and Australia, and now the garden is home to more than 50,000 plants. With 3,000 tropical, subtropical, autochthonous, endemic and agricultural species, varieties and cultivars, this is one of the few gardens with subtropical plants that exist in Europe.

Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure to relax or to explore Málaga further at your own pace.

Tonight, dinner is at a local restaurant.

(BD)

Today, check out of the hotel and travel to Granada, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This historic city has been inhabited since ancient times by the Iberians, Romans and Visigoths and is renowned as the last Muslim kingdom in Spain.

On a walking tour, explore the city’s rich history, shaped by the Moors for about eight centuries and later ruled by the Catholic Monarchs, which marked a new era of Renaissance grandeur.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before checking in to the hotel. The remainder of the afternoon and evening is at leisure.

(BL)

This morning, transfer to the Alhambra for a private, guided tour of this iconic landmark.

The Alhambra, meaning ‘red fortress’, occupies a dramatic hilltop position overlooking the city. Built between 1333 and 1391, the Alhambra was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain and is a remarkable example of the exotic and sensual use of space, water, light and decoration. It has had an extraordinary influence on later architecture and garden design throughout the world.

After lunch, continue to the Generalife for a private, guided tour of one of the oldest surviving Moorish gardens in the world. The Generalife consists of the Patio de la Acequia (Court of the Water Channel), which has a long pool framed by flowerbeds, fountains colonnades and pavilions, and the Jardin de la Sultana. The former is thought to best preserve the style of the medieval garden in Arabic al-Andalus.

(BL)

Today, depart Granada and travel to Córdoba, once the prosperous capital of the Islamic world in the west and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit La Mezquita, a former mosque which embodies the power of Islam on the Iberian Peninsula. Dating back to the 8th century, the Mezquita evolved over the centuries with many additions and elaborations, especially in the 10th century and during the 16th century, when the cathedral with an Italianate dome was built in the heart of the reconstructed mosque.

Enjoy some time at leisure in the afternoon before dinner at a local restaurant.

(BD)

Begin the day with a guided visit of the Palacio de Viana, a 17th-century palace and one of Córdoba’s most splendid aristocratic homes. Also known as the Museo de los Patios, it contains 12 interior patios, each one uniquely decorated with flowers, fountains and fruit trees.

Afterwards, marvel at the ‘patio gardens’ in the surrounding area, especially decorated for the city’s annual Fiesta de los Patios. The shady inner courtyards are typical of Andalusia, and every Spring hundreds of pots filled with geraniums, carnations and jasmines adorn every available window ledge, staircase and wall space surrounding the patios.

Conclude with a visit to the gardens of the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs. Built in the 14th century, the palace-fortress features stunning gardens and a blend of Islamic and Christian architecture.

(B)

Today, drive to Seville, the vibrant capital city of Spain’s Andalusia region. Discover the historical heart of Seville on a walking tour of the Santa Cruz quarter. As the Jewish district in the Middle Ages, it benefitted from the protection of the Crown after the reconquest, but at the end of the 14th century it was taken over by the Christians who converted the synagogues into churches.

Enjoy some time at leisure in the afternoon before an evening flamenco performance, an art form blending music, song and dance that developed within the gitano (gypsy) subculture of Andalusia.

Tonight, dinner is at a local restaurant.

(BD)

This morning, transfer to the Real Alcázar, the royal residence dating from 1364. Originally established as a 10th-century fortress, it became a space of small gardens and large orchards by the 13th century. Today, the gardens hold more than 170 plant species and are laid out with terraces, fountains and pavilions in a variety of styles, including French, Italian and Arab, and bearing names such as the Garden of the Dance, the Garden of the Ladies and the Garden of the Prince. Within the residence itself, the ornate Moorish-inspired rooms contain many fine examples of complex tile and plasterwork.

The afternoon and evening are at leisure.

(B)

This morning, enjoy a guided tour of the largest private palace in Seville, the Casa de Pilatos. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries by the Dukes of Medinaceli, it is considered a quintessential example of an Andalusian palace. The palace is renowned for its extensive, intricate azulejo (Spanish tile) work, lush gardens and art collections, as well as its blend of Italian Renaissance, Mudejar and Gothic architectural styles.

Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to relax or to explore Seville at your own pace.

In the evening, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell dinner with Genevieve and fellow travellers.

(BD)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

For those returning home today, make your way to Seville Airport for suggested flights to Australia or New Zealand. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including a private airport transfer, additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)