Seville and Andalusia: Star Wars, Thrones and Westerns

Overview

From the palaces of Dorne to the dollars of Leone

This tour crosses Andalusia from west to east and follows sixty years of filming on the way. Seville gives you the arcades of Plaza de España, which played Naboo in Attack of the Clones and Cairo in Lawrence of Arabia, and the Real Alcázar, whose courtyards became the Water Gardens of Dorne. A day out takes you to the Roman bridge of Córdoba, the Long Bridge of Volantis, and to the bullring in Osuna that became the fighting pit of Meereen.

Then the land changes. Almería is dry, bright and close to Africa, and in the 1960s it was where Europe made its westerns. You walk the main streets of Fort Bravo and the town built for For a Few Dollars More, drive the badlands of Tabernas and stand on Mónsul beach, where Sean Connery scared the seagulls into a German plane in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Ines Navarro leads all seven days, with three nights in Seville and three by the sea in Almería.

Itinerary

Andalusia film tour: day by day

A modern air-conditioned minicoach with a professional driver for all transfers and day trips, with stops every 90 minutes on the long drive. Ticketed times shift with the season; your final timetable comes two weeks before departure.

Day 1SevilleArrive in Seville

• Our driver meets you at Seville airport and takes you to the hotel in the old center, about 20 minutes.
• Check in from 3 p.m.; bags can be left earlier.
• At 7 p.m. Ines meets the group in the lobby for an evening walk through the Santa Cruz quarter, under the walls of the Alcazar.
• Welcome dinner of tapas at 9 p.m., the Seville hour.

Meals: dinner

Day 2SevilleNaboo and the Water Gardens of Dorne

• 9 a.m. Plaza de España before the crowds: the arcades of Attack of the Clones, the canal bridges and the province alcoves, then a stroll through Maria Luisa Park.
• Coffee and a light lunch near the university, once the Royal Tobacco Factory of Carmen.
• 2 p.m. timed entry to the Real Alcázar: the Hall of Ambassadors, the Mercury pool, the Baths of Maria de Padilla and the gardens used for Dorne, about 2 hours 30.
• Free evening; Ines suggests a flamenco show in Triana for anyone who wants one.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Day 3Córdoba and OsunaThe Long Bridge of Volantis and the pit of Meereen

• 8 a.m. drive to Córdoba, about 1 hour 45.
• Walk the Roman bridge from the Calahorra tower to the old city gate, then a timed visit to the Mezquita-Cathedral.
• Lunch in the Jewish quarter of Córdoba, then drive 1 hour 30 to Osuna.
• The bullring at its weekend visiting time, the Game of Thrones room at the Museo de Osuna and a walk up to the collegiate church; back in Seville by 8:30 p.m.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Day 4Seville to AlmeríaAcross Andalusia to the desert coast

• 9 a.m. depart Seville by minicoach; the drive to Almería is about 260 miles.
• Coffee stop, then a long lunch on the way at a roadside restaurant Ines has used for years.
• Arrive in Almería in the late afternoon and check in on the seafront.
• Evening walk through the old town under the walls of the Alcazaba, dinner on your own.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Day 5TabernasThe westerns of Almería

• 9 a.m. drive into the Tabernas desert, 30 minutes, with a stop at a viewpoint over the badlands.
• Fort Bravo: the western main street, the Mexican village and the stockade fort, with time for the stunt show when it runs.
• Lunch in Tabernas, then Oasys MiniHollywood, the town built in 1965 for For a Few Dollars More.
• Back in Almería by 6 p.m.; free evening.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Day 6Cabo de GataThe Indiana Jones beach and the Alcazaba

• 9 a.m. drive to the Cabo de Gata natural park, about 45 minutes.
• Mónsul beach, where the seagull scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was shot, with time on the sand and a swim if the weather allows.
• Fish lunch in the village of San Jose.
• Afternoon visit to the Alcazaba of Almería, used for Dornish scenes in season 6 of Game of Thrones, then a farewell dinner in the old town.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7AlmeríaDeparture

• Breakfast and checkout by 11 a.m.
• Transfer to Almería airport, about 15 minutes, timed to your flight; most connect via Madrid or Barcelona.
• Flying home from Málaga instead? We can book a private transfer, about 3 hours, at extra cost.

Meals: breakfast

On screen

Films and series on the Andalusia film tour

The productions behind the stops on this tour, where they filmed and what you see there today.

Filming spots change over time: storefronts get new owners, sets are rebuilt and some interiors were shot on stages elsewhere, so your tour leader tells you on the day what is still there.

Hotels

Hotels on the Andalusia film tour

6 nights, rooms with private bathroom, breakfast every morning. We name the class and the area; the exact hotel, or a similar one, is confirmed with your booking.

What is included

What the Andalusia film tour price includes

Meals: daily breakfast, 5 lunches, 2 dinners. The price is per person sharing a double or twin room. Flights to the start of the tour and home are not included.

• 13 things in the price
• 6 hotel nights
• Daily breakfast, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
• 8 productions on the film list

Dates and prices

Andalusia film tour departures and prices

Price per person sharing a double room. Single room: +$690.

• $250 deposit

  Confirms your booking after the free 72-hour hold. The balance is due 60 days before departure. See the booking terms.

• Guaranteed means it runs

  A guaranteed departure goes ahead whatever the final numbers.

• No surcharges

  The price you book is the price you pay. No fuel surcharges after booking.

• Free date change

  Move to another date of this tour up to 30 days before departure, once, at no fee.

Before you book

Straight talk about the Andalusia film tour

What the days are really like, so there are no surprises.

• Pace and walking

  Easy to moderate, 2 of 5. Three to four miles on foot on the city days in Seville and Córdoba, on flat paving and some cobbles, plus stairs at the Alcazar.

• What can change

  Filming, events and closures can move a stop or close an interior on the day. Your leader swaps in another location nearby and tells you why.

• Inside or outside

  Museums, studio tours and open businesses you enter as a visitor. Working businesses that ask for quiet, and every private home, are seen from the public street or not at all.

• Getting there

  Flights are not included. Plan to land in Seville by mid afternoon on day 1 and to fly home from Almería after lunch on the last day.

Practical information

Before you go on the Andalusia film tour

Your travel pack, with ticket times and hotel addresses, arrives two weeks before departure. Weather, airports and the best months are on the Andalusia page.

• Weather

  Spring and fall run 70 to 85 F by day in Seville and a little cooler on the Almería coast. In the desert the midday sun is strong even in November. Evenings can drop to the 50s F from November to March.

• Hours

  Spain eats late: lunch around 2 p.m., dinner after 9 p.m. Our included meals follow local hours, and Ines can always point you to an earlier snack.

• What to wear

  Comfortable shoes for cobbles and sand, a sun hat, sunscreen and a light layer. Cover shoulders and knees for the Mezquita-Cathedral.

• Money

  Cards work almost everywhere, including small bars. Keep a few euros in coins for coffee stops and the restrooms at the western sets.

• Arriving early

  Seville is a fine city to spend an extra night in before the tour. Most US flights connect in Madrid, and the high-speed train from Madrid takes about 2 hours 40.

Tour FAQ

Andalusia film tour: questions and answers

More answers on the FAQ page and in how to book.