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Spain itinerary 10 days – how to plan your dream Spain vacation

Beguiling, evocative Spain. Where tables spill out onto ageless village squares from tiny bodegas, snow-capped mountains soar in echo of the grandest works of architecture, and the city streets positively fizz with energy. Rugged yet charming – just like its men – a tour of Spain will have all your senses set to maximum in no time!

Tailor Made Journey

Tailor-Made Spain: Inspiring Iberia

Venture across the Iberian Peninsula, experiencing art and architecture, diverse cities, numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beautiful landscapes, and wonderful gastronomy — the very best Spain has to offer.

Photo: Joel Bengs

Being LGBT+ in Spain

The equal rights now ascribed to Spain’s LGBT+ communities are some of the best in the world, and the move to equate the age of consent, marriage, adoption, and transgender rights received popular support on the streets of big cities. Act a little more conservatively in smaller villages, and we’re confident you won’t face any problems as an LGBT+ visitor spending 10 days in Spain.

How to get around Spain

One of Europe’s largest nations, getting around Spain can take some doing. The Spain itinerary we’ve created keeps travel to a minimum while still incorporating many of the country’s biggest attractions. So how should you get around?

Renting a car gives you the ultimate freedom of being able to be where you want when you want, though limits your chances for a lunchtime glass of rioja. Public transport, in particular, Spain’s high-speed trains, are generally excellent, though ticket prices don’t fare well when compared to low-cost airlines on the same routes.

Madrid | Photo: Alev Takil

Photo: John Fornander

Top tips for Spain travel

It’s not difficult to find decent food in Spain, but you’ll have to be prepared for some late meals: lunch around 3 pm and evening meals at 10 pm are pretty much the norm. Once you’ve got your head (and stomach) around that, it’s nice to join the families and friends out long into the night.

Like everywhere, petty crime exists in Spain’s big cities. In crowds, be extra vigilant against pickpockets, and try to avoid looking too much like a tourist!

Finally, to avoid wasting time in queues, book tickets for major attractions, such as Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia or Madrid’s Royal Palace ahead of time online.

Photo: Guy Leroux

Spain itinerary 10 days

Our specially designed 10 day Spain trip itinerary will see you take in the wide avenues of Madrid, grand architecture of Seville, Alhambra in Granada, vibrant coastal Valencia, buzz of Barcelona, and beaches of Sitges, but if you’re after a few more ideas, be sure to check Mr Hudson’s 6 favourite places to experience gay Spain.

Days 1 to 3 - Madrid

It’s bombastic for sure, and unfairly compared to Barcelona to boot, but Madrid’s plethora of important sights makes it a great place to begin any trip to Spain. The Mr Hudson Madrid City Guide has the lowdown on the hottest hotels, things to see and do, and the top nightspots among much else, should you somehow become weary of the more obvious attractions of the Prado, boasting one of the finest art collections in Europe, the 2000 room Royal Palace, or the excellent shopping streets that can be found around the shady parasols of the café-bars in Plaza Mayor.

Plaza Mayor, Madrid | Photo: Victor Garcia

Days 4 and 5 – Seville

Just an hour south by air from Madrid, Seville is the provincial capital of Andalusia, birthplace of flamenco, tapas, and sixteenth-century court painter Velázquez, whose name you might have spotted in the Prado. Part of Islamic Spain for somewhere in the region of 500 years, there’s a wonderful cultural mix to the city even today, feeling somewhere between southern Europe and North Africa.

Whether intentionally, or in stumbling back to your hotel in the early hours of the morning, you’re sure to discover the blend of architecture styles that is the result. The ultra-modern Metropol Parasol rubs shoulders with the UNESCO-enshrined cathedral, for instance, where none other than the discoverer of the New World, Christopher Columbus, is buried. Our Seville City Guide has all the details.

Photo: Ana Maria Nichita

Seville | Photo: Heidi Kaden

Day 6 – Granada

While on the trail of the Islamic influence on your Spain vacation it would be impossible to miss Granada, home to the magnificent hilltop Alhambra Palace. Be sure to be wearing a comfortable pair of shoes, since there’s a lot to cram into a day in order to soak up all the ancient city has to offer. It’s probably best to start at the top – geographically and figuratively – at the Alhambra, whose intricately-decorated interiors and equally-fine gardens are out of this world.

Day 7 – Valencia

Any Spain vacation itinerary should include some time on the country’s 1000 miles of Mediterranean coastline, with Valencia offering up and intriguing vision of how old and new can coexist. The homeland of paella is dotted with impressive pieces of contemporary art and architecture, between peaceful Romanesque plazas, wide fine sand beaches, and pleasant city centre parks, as you’ll find by reading Mr Hudson’s top 10 things to do in Valencia.

City of Arts and Science, Valencia | Photo: Alberto di Maria

Days 8 and 9 – Barcelona

The pull of Barcelona, Spain’s second-biggest city, can be unstoppable but have no fear our Barcelona City Guide has all you need to know. Swirling with regional pride, the people of Barcelona know they’re onto a good thing, to the extent they can be rather dismissive of the rest of Spain. And who could blame them when they live in a city as diverse as it is, with an almost endless chain of museums, mind-bending Gaudi structures, and top-end restaurants all vying for your attention?

Tibidabo, Barcelona | Photo: Tomas Nozina

Photo: John Fornander

Day 10 – Sitges

A short journey by train will have you in Sitges, Barcelona’s go-to beach resort, in under an hour. Though the expansive sands and the semi to fully nude bodies that lie there, are first on many people’s lists, there are plenty of things to do in Sitges, a destination that must be one of the most welcoming to the LGBT+ crowd anywhere on the European continent.

Photo: Joao Branco

Extra tips for planning a trip to Spain

If you fall for the nightlife of Madrid, you can extend your time in the capital without getting bored during daylight hours by taking day trips to the likes of Salamanca and Segovia. Meanwhile, San Sebastian in the Basque Country is rapidly making a name for itself in foodie circles, while Cadiz is an alternative beach spot. If you’re tempted by the islands opposite Valencia, the Balearic Islands of Ibiza and Menorca have a fine tradition of sunbathing by day and partying by night.

Photo: Juan Gomez

Want to simplify luxury travel planning?

Whether you want a resort vacation, wildlife safari, city break, luxury cruise, wellness retreat, honeymoon, once-in-a-lifetime adventure or weekend escape, the trip curation experts at Mr Hudson make travel planning a breeze. Find out how we can handle the finer details of vacationing in style.

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