Day 1. Monday 07 September – Arrival (Seville)

Arrive at the Andalucía capital Seville. Your 4 star central hotel is close to all sights. After an afternoon welcome meeting, we head out on a private walking tour of the historic centre and the largest gothic cathedral in the world! Enjoy a welcome group dinner as we get ready to start our adventure. Rest up!
Seville is easily accessed by plane (own airport) or fast train from Madrid, Málaga or Córdoba.
(Transfer to Seville included today from Córdoba for those on previous Week 2 Vuelta tour – combine them with a discount!).

 

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Day 2. VIP Stage Finish, Atlantic Coast (Seville)

Our ride: 85 km / 53 miles 

After a buffet breakfast, it’s time to head out and enjoy our first taste of La Vuelta live. We are soon on the race route in the unique landscape of Rio Tinto, pedaling south towards the coast. We ride the last 85km to the finish line. The terrain is undulating at first but then relatively flat, giving us the chance to spin our legs. But don’t be too relaxed, as a few hours behind, the peloton are chasing us down:) Cycle alongside the Atlantic Coast before crossing the finish line at La Rábida. This is the place Columbus sailed from to discover the New World. Entering the VIP Hospitality zone at the line, we will make our own discovery of today’s stage winner!

After the podium celebrations we take a transfer back to our base in Seville. Tonight is a free evening to explore this vibrant city and it’s typical tapas bars and atmospheric restaurants.

 

To Explain – the VIP Hospitality Area – This is an exclusive part of our La Vuelta tour packages, where each of our cyclists have access with personalized accreditation given on a lanyard at the start of the tour. Here, enjoy just metres from the Meta Finish line, a viewing zone to see the riders finishing the stage, and preview the entire race beforehand via large plasma TVs. The place to be at La Vuelta after riding the route! Also included is an open bar and tapas tasters for a real Spanish experience.

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Day 3. VIP Stage Depart Seville, Biosphere Park Ride, Cat 1 Summit (Jerez)

Our ride: up to 88 km / 55 miles 

Being in Seville, we are ready to head today’s VIP stage Depart just outside the city. This is a great chance to see, and often speak to, your favourite bike star as they get ready to race! Wander the area seeing the team buses, the depart village and the immense logistical set up of a Grand Tour.

 

To Explain – The Vuelta Depart Village is an added perk of our VIP hospitality package. Each day the teams must sign on to start the day in a presentation, but prior this, the riders are warming up, giving interviews, signing autographs and prepping their bikes. It also includes a presentation area for local businesses and sponsors who have stands where we can get nibbles, drinks and enjoy the friendly atmosphere. A great opportunity for photos of the stars of cycling.

 

As today’s race is a sprint finish in the centre of the busy city, we instead have chosen to ride one of the most beautiful areas of Andalucia, the UNESCO biosphere mountains of Grazalema in the White Villages area. We have selected an incredible hairpin cat 1 pass to conquer (avg gradient of 6.6% with ramps of 10%), used in past Vueltas, high above the olives and a blue lake. Spectacular! After a magical descent we pedal deep into the parkland, stopping en route to see the end of today’s stage in a bar.

We take the short transfer to our 4 star hotel in Jerez. We are perfectly situated for the Time Trial tomorrow. Enjoy the evening dining together before sampling what the town is famous for, sherry!

Revitalize, Refresh and Reboot in order to be ready to Ride the next day, that is the mantra of all cyclists (especially the Pros!). That is why our hotels will guarantee your sleep time will be well spent in comfort. Places which allow you to ease into inaction, and calm that beating heart in the evenings. The hotels on this tour include excellent 4 and 5 star city hotels, a boutique wellness hotel and a Parador – great accommodation.

A highlight is the Reina Victoria Hotel. This hotel in Ronda overlooks the famous gorge, with beautiful views from the terrace. With a swimming pool and spa, we will dine in the well regarded Azahar restaurant. A fine place to rest.

In Seville we have selected a 4 star hotel near to the historic centre of this grand dame of a city. With a touch of Sevilliana flare, the boutique style decor is a mix of pure fun and charm. Enjoy the pool and facilities of this elegant hotel for 2 nights.

Antequera offers us the Parador, a hotel with all mod-cons overlooking the olive groves of Andalucia. The restaurant has expansive views and the bar nestles beside the pool.

Jerez de Frontera’s lodging is another fantastic place to relax. Impressive grounds, a great bar and of course a terrace with a pool to take a post ride dip.

Our hotel in Granada at the end for 2 nights is the Barcelo Granada. A 5 star hotel with a spa, swimming pool and traditional paella restaurant. Plus easy access to enjoy the sights of Granada. Perfect.

“2025 Vuelta Trip! La Vuelta was an outstanding experience for me as a very average amateur cyclist who loves the entertainment of pro cycling. The six days of riding were either on the course only hours ahead of the race or on iconic stages that were not part of this years race. The climbs will challenge the best riders but the Cycling Country support van is always on hand to ensure everyone reaches the top. Geoff has secured VIP access at some of the starts and finishes which is almost unbelievable, so close and intimate you have to pinch yourself. I would thoroughly recommend this tour and will probably do it again myself.”
H. Griffin, Auckland, New Zealand – La Vuelta Sept 2025 – Famous Vuelta Climbs

“My cousin and I did the 2nd week of La Vuelta (Summits of the North). We’ve both participated in previous Cycling Country La Vuelta tours (2023 for me, 2024 for cuz). Geoff, Maggi, and team run a great organization. The cycling was challenging (as advertised and expected), the lodgings were great, and the race experience was unlike anything you would get at the Tour de France or Giro.
The Vuelta trips should not be mistaken for a relaxing laid back tour. They give you a small taste of what it’s like to ride a Grand Tour: up and out of the hotel “early” (usually by 8 or 9), out on the course and riding until mid afternoon, at the race finish until after the last rider crosses the line, potentially a 1-3 hour transfer to the next hotel, dinner around 10 or 11 (it’s Spain, restaurants are just getting into high gear), to bed and repeat next day. It’s awesome.
The access CC has to the team areas at the starts and finishes is really special. I’m not where else you would have a chance to chat up Jonas or Sepp or other top tier Pro’s.
I have also taken CC’s Spanish Andalusia and Portugal Alentejo tours. I’m looking forward to our next tour with this team.
It’s also a testament to how good the CC trips are, in that they have so many repeat customers..”
N. Detor, Oklahoma, USA – La Vuelta Sept 2025 – Famous Vuelta Climbs

“Julie and I had an incredible time riding with our group and leaders on the roads and race course of La Vuelta. Geoff, Dean, Jose and Santi are not only fun and interesting to travel with but go way beyond expectations to make us comfortable and ready to ride! The hotels we stayed at are amazing as are the meals we enjoyed. The VIP access to the pros was sick! Kudos Cycling Country!! Kuss, Kuss, Kuss!!!”
D. & J. Mahler, Washington, USA – La Vuelta Sept 2023 – Week 3 to Madrid

“LA VUELTA BIKE TRIP!
Where to start… we (my dad and I) joined the group a couple days after the official start for the last week of La Vuelta 2021.
They were very accommodating to our travel needs and very responsive. Once we joined the group in Spain, the staff was very friendly and professional, the hotels selected were topnotch. Most dinners were included and the quality was superb. The rides were challenging but they were very accommodating to everyone’s abilities, you could ride as much or as little as you were comfortable with. We had amazing experiences from incredible access to the teams and riders. We got to ask them about logistics, advertising, etc. Super cool experience. They always had nutrition, and fluids readily available (I am sure they would have even offered a sticky bottle if you asked them for one). The bikes were in great condition. I got to ride a brand new Trek Emonda SL6. If you are not very knowledgeable about bikes, that is a very good bike, better than what I ride at home. I sent my measurements beforehand and the bike fit perfectly once I got there. I could not recommend them enough. I will most definitely be taking another trip with them.
Our guides were Javi and Dean. They both were super friendly and great riders. We shared beers, laughs and tears. Very amazing experience. Geoff and Maggi were also amazing. They made us feel as we were long time friends and bent over backwards to make everyone feel the same way.”

J. Pava, Illinois, USA – La Vuelta 2021 – Last Week

“Cycling Country Bike Tours took a group including me on the last week of la Vuelta 2021.
All details were pre-planned, routes, hotels, transfers, full backup on the routes.
I have been on many bike tours but none as good as this! Communication and planning prior to the event was efficient but when I first met the team I thought I would be dropped every day, they looked so fit and slim. But their focus was on each participant with helpful tips and advice. we cycled on the Vuelta routes and had to finish before the peloton arrived, we watched the finish from the VIP enclosure. We also had an opportunity to attend the start of the stage. This was truly amazing, the motorbikes, the lead car, the peloton, the broom wagon, team cars, police, ambulance, team busses.
Finally we rode the time trial and when we finished we enjoyed the facilities of the VIP enclosure to watch the finish and then the presentations.
It was a truly memorable spectacle.
Thanks to Maggie, Geoff, Javier and Dean for pulling out all the stops for a great week of cycling.”

T. Fahy, Galway, Ireland – La Vuelta 2021 – Last Week

“Geoff, Dean & Javier, Thanks for some glorious rides and a wonderful adventure. Again, a real pleasure to ride with you.
“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road without thought for anything but the ride you are taking – Arthur Conan Doyle – ” Still a good idea to keep an eye out for route signs though!! 😃”

D. & R. Coutts, Calgary, Canada – La Vuelta 2019 – Last Week

“Cycling Country far surpassed the high expectations we had for the tour. We had such a wonderful time 😃😃 A million thanks to you and Geoff and Dean and Javier. 😘
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J. & L. Hickman, MN, U.S.A. – La Vuelta 2019 – Last Week – Non Cyclists

“We had booked to visit Madrid to watch the final stage of the Vuelta Espana, we come every year as Madrid is a magical city. This year was my partners 50th birthday so for a surprise I decided to book with Cycling Country for the Neptuno VIP experience. There were a choice of experiences to choose from but I decided as it was a birthday treat we would go all out and chose the most comprehensive experience. Maggi was extremely helpful and gave me honest information on what we could expect. The Neptuno experience was amazing. We were situated to the side of the finish line with an unobstructed view of the cyclists as they passed.

Food and drinks were included in the day and were of very high quality and in abundance. Waiters would continually walk round with canape’s or take drink’s order.

I explained to Maggi this was a surprise birthday present and she arranged for us to get a behind the scenes tour of the riders area, podium and interview area’s. This was so much fun and for cycling enthusiasts to have your photos taken on the podium and finish line made the day so much more special.

We really couldn’t have hoped for a better day. Just as the riders crossed the finish line, we got a tap on our shoulder from Dean who works with Cycling Country to tell us to come with them as we might be able to get into the podium area again to watch the finishing ceremony. Very few people were able to get in so we crossed our fingers and followed. They managed to get us in and we couldn’t contain our excitement, cyclist ‘s coming in to be interviewed, have their press photograph’s taken and prepare for the ceremony. We were unbelievably close to the riders and to really make my day Alberto Contador and Juan Antonio Flecha were directly in front of us doing there Eurosport commentary.
We cannot begin to thank Cycling Country, Maggi, Geoff and Dean was making this day so amazing. They went over and above what we were expecting from the day. Thank you so much.

It’s my big birthday in a couple of years and my partner is going to have to work hard to beating this.

If you’re considering either a cycling tour or a VIP experience, look no further than Cycling Country, an honest and welcoming company that really do look after their guests.
M. & D. Lovatt, UK – La Vuelta 2018 – Neptuno Madrid VIP 2018

“I want to thank you for the fantastic experience you gave Alex and I. It will be something we will always remember. You and Geoff were excellent hosts and the riding and vip experience was outstanding! Thanks for all you did to make it so great. Thanks again for everything
Chat soon.”
M. & A. Webb, Calgary, Alberta – La Vuelta 2018 – First Week

“Just a short note to thank you all for making it such an enjoyable week. You could not have chosen better hotels or arranged better group meals.
We would have come back just for the pleasure of seeing you all again, so the hotels and the riding were a bonus!
The meal on the rooftop terrace in Malaga was particularly stunning as was the vista from the Parador in Ronda.
It is always interesting to meet different people and some of them were a little different.
We are back safe and sound, the cat is happy and the last washing is going out to dry.”
J. & P. Sharman, UK – La Vuelta 2018 – Andalucia

“With Cycling Country we made our first cycling trip to Europe. Geoff, Dean, Javi and the rest of the crew made our rides and say really happy. Balbino took care of my mom and showed her Spain while me and my brothers went riding, then we met at the finish line of La Vuelta stages. It was a terrific Trip and we will for sure do it again!!!”
D. Botero, Medalin, Columbia – La Vuelta 2017 – Andalucia

“The weather and the event were awesome. We had a very memorable experience. Thank you!”
P. Oppenheim, Sydney, Australia – La Vuelta 2017 – Neptuno VIP Experience

“Awesome Vuelta a España tour, amazing VIP access, up close & personal with the riders!
We recently did a Vuelta a Espana tour with Cycling Country, and had an amazing time. The tour was well-organized and thought out, with rider enjoyment in mind, both from the perspective of riding and spectating. The Spanish-based company clearly has a very close relationship with the race organizers, which is to the benefit of Cycling Country’s clients. The VIP access to starts and finishes, as well as the podium, were unbelievable. Because the race is smaller, it is also much more intimate, enabling access to the riders. The behind-the-scenes access and perspective was very interesting, as was the talk from a retired rider. This was our third time doing a trip with Cycling Country, and the reason we chose them for our Vuelta shadow tour. Previously we have done self-guided tours or fixed-stay trips, and have been very impressed and pleased with the company and the service it provides. Geoff and Maggi are wonderful people and it shows in their dealings with clients. We would definitely recommend Cycling Country for any of its tours, but especially the Vuelta a Espana tour!”
A. Sauve & Tim, Cobourg, Canada – La Vuelta 2017 – The North

“The Vuelta tour was probably the best bike tour I have ever done. Ok the days were long, but your team gave us the best access I have ever had to a Grand Tour. The routes you designed to ride the best climbs and see the stage finishes were exceptional. Chapeau!”
John, Ontario, Canada – La Vuelta 2016 – First Week

“Hi Maggie and Guys,
Since I got back in Oz I have telling everybody what an amazing time I had at the tour. I certainly appreciate the effort you guys put in to make things run smoothly for us.”
D. Reed, Victoria, Australia – La Vuelta 2016 – Last Week

“Let me write a few lines of thank you. I just can’t believe what a trip you gave us all! It was truly a cycling tour that I will never forget. Well done to all of the Cycling Country crew and thank you again for the good times. The Vuelta was the ride of my life.”
Steve, Sydney, Australia – La Vuelta 2015 – First Week

“That was an amazing trip to the Vuelta! So much behind-the-scenes access and some fab riding too. Thanks for everything!”
L.Rice, London, UK – La Vuelta 2015 – Andalucia

“The Vuelta Tour 1 (Andalucia 2014) was memorable! The VIP access was exceptional, beyond my expectations. Cycling Country beautifully handled different levels of cycling abilities in the group in the smoothest way, the coordination among them was very professional and efficient, providing to the group an ongoing feeling of safety, support and fun. I will highly recommend them to all my friends and they honestly deserve to run such a successful business. Muchas Gracias for the extraordinary experience!”
L.Sullivan, Colorado, USA – La Vuelta 2014 – 2nd Week

“Rob and I would like to take the opportunity to send you a big thank you for everything you organized for the tour. We had an amazing time. The ride routes where spectacular and the VIP access was fantastic. Dean and Javi were both lovely, very helpful and encouraging. We had the best time and keep reminiscing about the week wishing we were still in Andalusia. It definitely exceeded all our expectations and hopefully will see you at next years tour. Thank you again”
K.& R.Garland, Australia – La Vuelta 2014 – 2nd Week

“Thanks Geoff and Dean for a truly wonderful week in northern Spain, climbing up all the famous climbs of the Vuelta’s final week, then watching the pros do them in style, from the VIP vantage point of your preferred operator, special access status. The tour was expertly run and organised by you, accommodating all abilities with your usual skill and good humour. This is my third tour with Cycling Country and I hope there’ll be more to come. Excellent local food and comfortable accommodation – add great company, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides who are expert road cyclists themselves, and what more could a roadie want! Thanks once again”
D. Jones, Oxford, UK – La Vuelta 2013 – Final Week

Testimonials from previous cyclists are always available and we enjoy receiving the feedback after tours. It helps us improve our services and offer you an even better experience. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a reference to talk to. Others have also posted reviews on the independent travel website .