Signature experience — Segovia
La Granja de San Ildefonso
Duration
Half day
Price
From €390
Mercedes
Dedicated vehicle & chauffeur
On 23 July 1721, Philip V purchased San Ildefonso to create a hunting retreat; by 1727, gravity-fed fountains were already performing, powered without pumps by high reservoirs and the Valsaín aqueduct. Just 12 km from Segovia, La Granja pairs a restrained Bourbon palace with the Royal Glassworks (founded in 1727) and 146 hectares of French-style gardens where statues by René Frémin still line formal vistas under the Guadarrama range.
Collected from your Segovia hotel in a Mercedes, your dedicated driver keeps the schedule flexible: palace rooms, chapel, gardens, photo stops along the Carrera de Caballos. You tour while they handle the wheel, then continue to the Royal Glass Factory to see glassmaking close to the furnaces. The ride back can include a short detour via Valsaín’s former hunting lodge or a stop to sample local judiones beans; near Castile and León, your private chauffeur in Segovia coordinates timings, pre-booked tickets, and smooth transfers.
Your itinerary
- I
09:00 — pick-up at your Segovia hotel and scenic drive via CL-601 (20 minutes).
- II
09:25 — tour the Royal Palace and Chapel (about 60–75 min), focusing on the Tapestry Rooms.
- III
10:45 — guided garden walk: Carrera de Caballos, Latona and Andromeda fountains; Sierra viewpoint (45–60 min).
- IV
11:50 — Royal Glass Factory: glassblowing demo and gallery (45 min), then 20-minute return to Segovia.
What’s included
- ✓ Dedicated Mercedes driver
- ✓ Hotel pick-up
- ✓ Waiting time, flexible
- ✓ Palace ticket coordination
Your chauffeur’s tip
Aim for a fountain activation day (often local holidays and select summer Sundays at 5 pm): tour the palace in the morning, then be back 15 minutes early at the upper end of the basins to catch the first surge up close.
Book this experience
Confirmed within 30 minutes · Fixed price quoted in advance