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2026 Solar Eclipse Cruise:
Totality in The Mediterraneanwith Sarah Rugheimer
FRANCE & SPAIN
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Great Music Masters of Italy: Verdi and Italian Opera
with Robert Greenberg
ITALY
ENGLAND & FRANCE
D-Day: Courage, Conflict, and History in England and France with Ed Lengel
Great Music Masters of Vienna: The Romantics
with Robert Greenberg
Enchanted England: Folklore, Fairy Tales, and Wonder
with Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman
Revisiting World War 1 in France
with Keith Huxen
Exploring Cuba: From Trinidad
to Havana
with Joyce Salisbury
Great British Mysteries: Conan Doyle, Christie, and More
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ENGLAND
FRANCE
CUBA
AUSTRIA
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Plaza De Espana, Seville
Flamenco Dancers
Alcazar de Jerez
Total Solar Eclipse
Monastery San Isidoro
Starting at $8,995 per person
Journey to southern Spain with The Great Courses Journeys for an immersive exploration of Andalusia, where history, culture, and science converge beneath one of Europe’s most dramatic skies. From Roman cities and Moorish palaces to royal observatories and star-filled mountain views, this journey features exclusive access to a rare astronomical event: a total solar eclipse experienced from a private estate in the heart of the path of totality.
Guided by expert scholars and astronomers, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of humanity’s enduring fascination with the cosmos—how ancient civilizations observed the skies, how modern science deciphers celestial mechanics, and how rare events like eclipses still inspire awe today. Coupled with exceptional cuisine, historic cities, and meaningful leisure, this journey invites you to see Andalusia—and the universe—through a new lens.
Under Andalusian Skies: Total Eclipse in Old Spain
with Jo Marchant or Bill Worden
DEPARTURE DATE AND PRICING
July 29–August 4, 2027
Highlights
View rare treasures on a guided tour of the Collection of Historic Instruments and discover the crossover of art nouveau and music in the Secession Museum.
Set off on an excursion to the spa town of Baden bei Wien and discover the reasons key creatives from Vienna sought sanctuary there.
Gain insights into the life and works of great composers, on guided visits to their homes and haunts with The Great Courses expert Robert Greenberg.
Take an after-hours tour of Schönbrunn Palace and enjoy a classical concert under the vaulted ceiling of the Orangerie featuring the works of Mozart and Strauss.
Experience Andalusia’s vibrant culture through a flamenco performance, sherry tastings in historic bodegas, and regional cuisine highlighting local wines, olive oil, seafood, and seasonal produce.
Explore how Roman, Moorish, and Enlightenment-era astronomers shaped navigation, timekeeping, and scientific discovery in Andalusia, culminating in Spain’s oldest royal observatory.
Travel to an Andalusian estate in the countryside for dinner and a star party with local astronomers beneath pristine Sierra Norte skies.
Highlights
Dr. Bill Worden is an Associate Professor of Spanish at The University of Alabama. He received his PhD in Hispanic Studies from Brown University. Professor Worden's main area of research is the work of groundbreaking Spanish author, Miguel de Cervantes, especially his novel Don Quixote. Professor Worden has published extensively in the fields of early modern and 19h-century Spanish literature. He has taught a wide variety of courses at The University of Alabama, ranging from Introductory Spanish and Advanced Grammar and Composition to undergraduate and graduate courses in 16th- and 17th-century Spanish literature. In 2013, the Alabama Association of Foreign Language Teachers selected Professor Worden as the winner of the annual Outstanding Foreign Language Teacher Award for Post-Secondary. He has taught two Great Courses: Learning Spanish: How to Understand and Speak a New Language and Learning Spanish II: How to Understand and Speak a New Language.
Bill Worden
Michael Wysession
Dr. Jo Marchant is an award-winning science writer and speaker, as well as the author of several popular books, including The Human Cosmos: Civilization and the Stars, which takes readers on a journey through the history of science, and humanity’s relationship with the night sky and the cosmos beyond. It was named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR and The Economist, among others. She’s also the author of New York Times bestseller Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind over Body. Her newest book, In Search of Now, explores the science and mystery of a moment in time. She earned a PhD in Genetics and Medical Microbiology from the Medical College of Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital. She has worked as a senior editor at New Scientist and Nature, and her articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Smithsonian magazine. Her podcast, Where the Wild Thoughts Are, features boundary-pushing scientists across cosmology, physics, neuroscience, and beyond. She’s created two Great Courses: The Power of Mind Over Body, and the upcoming release, Civilization and the Cosmos: An Integrated History.
Journey Experts
Jo Marchant
Colorful Spanish Tiles, Seville
Arrive in Seville today and settle into your centrally located hotel. Late this afternoon, meet your local guide for a walking tour to introduce you to Seville’s rich and diverse cultural history. Stroll the cobblestone streets of the former Jewish quarter. Examine the eclectic architectural styles at the Cathedral and Giralda tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the final resting place of Christopher Columbus. Continue to the Royal Alcázar, the official residence of the Spanish royal family, and the oldest continuously used royal palace in Europe, filled with more than one thousand years of history and art. This evening, gather with your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Included Meal: Dinner
Accommodations: Melia Lebreros
Nova Urbs Amphitheater
Today, step back into Roman Spain with a visit to Itálica, an influential city founded in the third century BCE and later reshaped by Emperor Hadrian. Explore the Vetus Urbs (Old City), the original settlement beneath modern Santiponce, and the Nova Urbs (New City), Hadrian’s carefully planned extension with broad avenues and elegant homes. Highlights include the immense amphitheater—one of the largest in the Roman Empire, once seating up to 25,000 spectators. Continue to the Monastery of San Isidoro del Campo, a striking Gothic and Mudejar complex constructed in the 14th century for Cistercian monks. Late this afternoon, join your Great Courses Journeys expert for a lecture about the significance of eclipses through history, from Babylonian omens and Roman battles to proving Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Later, travel one hour north to a remote Andalusian farmhouse, far from light pollution. After dinner at the estate, local astronomers will lead a late-night stargazing experience, teaching you how to identify constellations, planets, and other celestial wonders.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Melia Lebreros
Casa de Pilatos
Explore Seville’s aristocratic heritage today as you step inside two of the city’s most remarkable private palaces. Begin at Casa de Pilatos, a 16th-century masterpiece that blends the elegance of the Italian Renaissance with intricate Mudejar design. Still a residential palace, it remains the ancestral home of the Dukes of Medinacelli. Continue to the Palacio de Lebrija, where graceful Moorish arches, Renaissance details, and Asian art form a living tapestry of history and culture. Your guide will bring history to life with stories about the aristocratic families that have lived here. This afternoon, your Expert will share more information about the mechanics of eclipses and the science of awe. This evening, enjoy dinner at your hotel, followed by an authentic flamenco performance celebrating Andalusia’s vibrant cultural traditions.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodations: Melia Lebreros
Sherry Tasting
Depart Seville this morning for Cádiz, one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, dramatically set on a narrow peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic. Explore the history, science, and gastronomy of the Jerez de la Frontera. Begin at the Alcázar of Jerez, an impressive Almohad fortress that reflects the city’s Moorish past. Continue to the Cámara Oscura, housed in the Villavicencio Palace tower, where an ingenious system of mirrors and lenses projects live, panoramic images of Jerez onto a viewing screen, bringing the city’s streets, monuments, churches, and famed wineries into focus. Then, visit a traditional sherry bodega to learn about the region’s distinctive solera winemaking process, tour the cellars, and enjoy a tasting paired with local specialties, such as Iberian ham, cheeses, and olives. Continue to a local restaurant for lunch. Return to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure before dinner as a group.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Hotel Fuerte Conil-Resort
Total Eclipse
This morning, take a short drive to Finca de Torrestrella, a historic and picturesque finca in the heart of the Andalusian countryside, perfectly situated in the path of totality and surrounded by olive groves and grazing bulls. As the sky begins to darken, enjoy morning refreshments, like artisanal bread, locally produced olive oil, and seasonal organic tomatoes. You will have an opportunity to visit the stables and observe livestock activities connected with traditional rural life. At 10:45 a.m., experience nearly three minutes of totality as the moon blocks the sun. As the sun reemerges, sit beneath the trees for a Mediterranean lunch with wine pairings showcasing local vintages and regional flavors, including seasonal produce, artisanal cheese, olives, gazpacho, and almadraba tuna. Return to the hotel this afternoon for a lecture from your Great Courses expert about the phenomenon that you just witnessed. Then, take time to enjoy the grounds on your own this evening.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Hotel Fuerte Conil-Resort
Cadiz
Explore the historic heart of Cádiz, beginning at Plaza de San Juan de Dios and wandering through the atmospheric old quarter. Visit the impressive Cádiz Cathedral. Then, continue to El Pópulo, the city’s oldest neighborhood, known for its medieval character, narrow labyrinthine streets, historic monuments, and ancient city gates. Enjoy lunch at leisure, perhaps sampling fresh seafood or Andalusian specialties. This afternoon, travel along the coast to San Fernando for an exclusive visit to the Royal Observatory, the oldest observatory in Spain. Meet with a local astronomer to view the historic equipment and learn about its pivotal role in astronomy, timekeeping, and geophysics. Return to the hotel for a festive farewell group dinner to toast your journey through Andalusia.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Hotel Fuerte Conil-Resort
Day 7 – Departure
Hotel Fuerte Conil-Resort
Cadiz, Spain
Hotel Fuerte Conil-Resort is perfectly situated on the Atlantic edge of Cádiz, directly facing La Fontanilla Beach and surrounded by landscaped gardens. Its architecture blends contemporary Mediterranean lines with traditional Andalusian touches, using white façades, natural stone, and expansive terraces overlooking the ocean. The property offers indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a full-service spa, gym, and multiple restaurants and lounges. Rooms are airy and elegant, decorated in soft neutral tones with natural wood, modern furnishings, and private balconies that invite in coastal light and breezes. (3 nights)
Melia Lebreros
Seville, Spain
Meliá Lebreros offers a stylish urban oasis in Seville’s vibrant Nervión district, just steps from public transit and surrounded by shops and restaurants. The hotel features a seasonal outdoor pool, 24 hour fitness center, and expansive public spaces. Guests can enjoy diverse dining options, including the all day Mosaico Restaurant serving local and international cuisine, traditional Andalusian dishes at La Taberna la Dehesa, and creative cocktails at Bribone Bar. Rooms are sleek and contemporary, with minimalist décor, hardwood floors, flat screen TVs, minibars, and premium amenities. (3 nights)
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Under Andalusian Skies: Total Eclipse in Old Spain
July 29–August 4, 2027
Questions?
Call 1-855-476-5080
Sign up to receive the latest trip updates and instant access to a digital version of our full-color 2026–2027 travel catalog. You will also have the option to share your mailing address and we’ll send a printed copy of our next catalog to your door.
Stay Updated and Receive a FREE Catalog
Request your copy of our full color travel catalog
Highlights
Uncover the dynastic ambitions and historical significance of monuments like Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat.
Experience the stony landscape of the Agafay Desert on a camel trek, culminating in a breathtaking sunset over the High Atlas Mountains.
Admire the Islamic architecture in Marrakesh, from the grand Koutoubia Mosque and intricate Bahia Palace to the serene beauty of the Ben Youssef Madrasa.
Discover the University of al-Qarawiyyin, the world’s oldest continuously operating university, and engage in a discussion on its profound influence on global scholarship.
Wander through the labyrinthine alleyways of the UNESCO-listed Medina in Fes, where vibrant stalls overflow with textiles, spices, and artisanal crafts.