Ms. Ahrens's Language Immersion: Seville, Spain

283 Days until departure
March 10, 2027 - March 21, 2027
Trip ID: Ahrens-7306

Tour Itinerary print itinerary

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Day 1 Start tour
Tour must depart North America on Wednesdays
Day 2 Hola Madrid
Meet your resident director and check into hotel
Details: Health & safety program orientation
We will participate in an orientation session, covering health, safety, and program expectations.
Details: Madrid city walk
Life in Madrid is centered around talking, toasting and tapas-eating. In a walk through this crowded and social city, your Tour Director will help you get to know the lay of the land. Then stroll over to the Puerta del Sol, the bustling city center. Next, you'll relax at the Plaza Mayor, a grand square where every sort of human drama has taken place—trials of faith, public burnings of heretics, royal marriages, the canonization of saints, and countless balls and bullfights. End at the Plaza de España for a stop at an outdoor café.
Details: Puerta del Sol
Explore the Puerta del Sol, one of Madrid's busiest and most historic squares. While here we will view the Kilometre Zero marker, from which all distances in Spain are measured, and Madrid’s symbol, the Madrono.
Details: Plaza Mayor
Spend time in the Plaza Mayor, Madrid's most famous square. Throughout its long history the square has hosted markets, bullfights, soccer games, public executions, and the Spanish Inquisition. It is now ringed by shops and cafés and is often filled with artists and musicians.
Details: Plaza de España
The Plaza de España is a popular place to gather in Central Madrid. It features a large monument to Miguel de Cervante, author of Don Quixote.
Day 3 Madrid
Details: Madrid guided sightseeing tour
Get a taste of Spain's cultural, political and economic center with a tour led by a licensed local guide. See Madrid's mix of traditional and modern as you visit the Royal Palace, an 18th-century masterpiece. The enormous Baroque palace currently has more rooms (2,800) than any other European palace, but it was originally supposed to be four times as large. The palace is dripping with porcelain, jeweled clocks, amazing ceiling frescoes—the most magnificent, in the Throne Room, was done by the Venetian artist Tiepolo when he was in his seventies. Next take a look at the Neoclassical architecture of the Prado Museum and the Puerta de Alcalá triumphal arch, built to honor Carlos III’s entry into Spain.
Details: Gran Vía
Stroll down the Gran Vía, Madrid’s lively signature boulevard featuring magnificent shopping and cafes.
Details: Cibeles Fountain
The Fountain of Cybele, one of the most recognizable fountains in Madrid, depicts Cybele, a Phrygian earth and fertility deity.
Details: Puerta de Alcalá
See the Puerta de Alcalá, the ceremonial gateway to Madrid commissioned by Carlos III. The Neo-classical structure is located in the Plaza de Independencia and is named for the old path leading from Madrid to nearby Alcalá de Henares.
Details: Royal Palace visit
Browse through the 3,418 rooms in the largest palace in Europe. Art lovers will marvel at the walls lined with priceless paintings, but don’t expect to catch a glimpse of the Spanish royal family—they reside elsewhere.
Details: Prado Museum guided visit
Visit the Museo del Prado, home of works by Spain's great masters, including Francisco Goya, Diego Velázquez, and El Greco.
Details: Parque del Retiro visit
Enjoy the relaxing atmosphere in the Parque del Retiro, once the grounds of Felipe IV’s royal palace complex. Our visit gives us the opportunity to interact with the locals, and perhaps visit the vendors or listen to the musicians that always seem to be present.
Day 4 Madrid
Details: Toledo guided excursion
Long the spiritual capital of Spain, Toledo still captures the heart with its spectacular surroundings of ochre-colored mountains. El Greco created some of his greatest works here, including his most famous painting, "The Burial of Count Orgaz." You’ll also see the city's cathedral, St. Mary's Synagogue, and the Church of Santo Tomé.
Details: Toledo Cathedral visit
Enter Toledo Cathedral, a Gothic landmark filled with remarkable art and history. Admire the dramatic Transparente, El Greco’s Twelve Apóstoles, and an exquisite alabaster Last Supper. Then see the famous 500-pound gilded monstrance, believed to contain New World gold and still used in Toledo’s annual Corpus Christi procession.
Details: St. Mary’s Synagogue visit
Visit The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, the oldest intact synagogue building in Europe. As it was constructed by the Christian Kingdom of Castile and designed by Islamic architects for Jewish use, it is considered a symbol of cooperation among the three religions.
Details: Sword factory visit
Toledo is famous for its traditional crafts, especially sword-making. Find out more at a local Toledo sword factory.
Day 5 Madrid--Seville
Travel to Seville
Overnight in homestay
Details: Begin homestay
Our home for our stay will be with our homestay families in Seville, where three meals will be provided daily. Seville is known as one of the great cathedral and university cities of Europe. It is also the heart of bullfighting and flamenco, and an intriguing Moorish heritage. Seville continued to grow from its trading relationships with the Americas and today is a bustling, lively city.
Details: Orientation meeting
We will have an orientation meeting to provide students with relevant information and useful tools to familiarize them with their host country and the program ahead.
Day 6 Seville
Spanish language and culture classes
Seville guided sightseeing tour
Plaza de EspañaOld Jewish Quarter (Santa Cruz and San Bartolomé)Casa de Pilatos visitSeville Cathedral visitGiralda Tower ascent
Overnight in homestay
Details: Seville guided sightseeing tour
See the twisted alleyways and cobbled streets of this flamboyant Spanish city with a local guide. Discover the enchanting Plaza de España, the Giralda Tower, within the largest gothic cathedral in the world, and explore the Casa de Pilatos considered the prototype of the Andalusian palace.
Day 7 Seville
Spanish language and culture classes
Overnight in homestay
Details: Seville city walk
Charming white-washed houses and ochre-colored palaces with ornate façades. Jasmine-covered balconies and luxuriant parks. Jean Cocteau listed Seville (along with Peking and Venice) as one of the three most magical cities in the world. Santa Teresa proclaimed its beauty was the work of the devil. Decide for yourself as you stroll the streets with your Tour Director.
Details: Barrio Santa Cruz
Enjoy Barrio Santa Cruz, Seville's historical center and former Jewish quarter, made of narrow streets and whitewashed houses with flower-covered patios and ironbound windows.
Day 8 Seville
Spanish language and culture classes
Overnight in homestay
Details: Flamenco class
Watch as Flamenco dancers use intricate footwork and elaborate arm gestures to convey the mood of the music, then join them on the dance floor and try out the moves yourself!
Day 9 Seville
Spanish language and culture classes
Overnight in homestay
Details: Traditional Spanish cooking class
Enjoy a hands-on experience as an introduction into the world of Spanish cooking. Prepare a traditional paella with direction from local chefs. After all the preparation, the food is taken to a private dining room where we will taste each other's creations.
Day 10 Seville
Spanish language and culture classes
Overnight in homestay
Day 11 Seville--Madrid
End homestay
Details: Travel to Madrid via Córdoba
Stop at Córdoba to visit one of Spain’s most impressive monuments, the Moorish Mezquita, which dates from the 8th to the 10th centuries. Walk through narrow white-washed alleys, passing tile covered patios, dotted with vibrant colored flowers. Don’t miss the beautiful back quarters.
Details: Córdoba guided sightseeing tour
Marvel at the 800 marble columns of the 1,200-year-old Mezquita. Savor the aroma of flower-accented Jewish quarter courtyards in Córdoba with a local guide.
Details: Mezquita guided visit
The Mezquita of Córdoba is a breathtaking monument, showcasing a stunning blend of Moorish and Christian architecture. Its forest of columns and horseshoe arches create a mesmerizing visual effect, while the intricate mosaics and gold-adorned mihrab add to its allure. This unique fusion of styles, dating back to the 8th to 10th centuries, reflects the rich and complex history of Córdoba.
Day 12 Flight home from Madrid

Tour Includes

  • Round-trip airfare and other transportation described in the itinerary
  • Basic Medical, Dental, Emergency Evacuation Insurance during trip (U.S. travelers only)
  • Up to three college credits upon course completion (grades 9-12) or high school credit (grades 6-12) for U.S. travelers only.
  • 5 overnight stays in homestays with local families
  • 5 overnight stays in centrally located three- or four-star hotels
  • Three nourishing home-cooked meals provided by host family during homestays
  • Daily breakfast and hearty dinner daily during hotel stays
  • Full time, multilingual, WorldStrides tour director who is LEAP-trained in experiential education
  • Local guide at sites and on city tours as described in the itinerary
  • LEAP! Learning through Exploration and Active Participation; trademarked immersive approach of learning by doing
  • Entrances and transportation to sites and activities described in your itinerary
  • Local guide and local bus driver tips
  • 24/7 On Tour Emergency Support
  • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
  • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, any required passport or visa fees, or optional excursions. Optional excursions, or other individual/group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.

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