7 Intriguing Madrid Day Trips Not to Miss
Heading to Spain and looking for the best Madrid day trips? This guide has all the best places to add to your Spain itinerary.
Madrid is one of my favorite cities in the world. The architecture is stunning, the food is incredible, and the people are some of the friendliest in the world. Madrid has enough activities to keep you busy for weeks, but make sure you carve out time in your schedule to visit some cities near Madrid.
From historic cities to Roman ruins, there are tons of places to visit just a few hours from Madrid. Spain has an extensive transportation system so you can easily get to other places by train or bus.
Booking tours is also a fantastic way to visit other places, especially if you want a tour guide. It also makes transportation easier in case taking the trains or metros makes you nervous.
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7 Top Madrid Day Trips
After seeing the beauty and culture of the capital of Spain, here are the best day trips from Madrid:
- Tour El Alcazar in Toledo
- See some of the most stunning churches in Europe in Segovia
- Visit one of the world’s oldest monasteries in El Escorial
- Learn about the Spanish royal family at the royal palace of Aranjuez
- See the hanging houses in Cuenca
- Explore the intriguing Alcázar de Cordóba
- Learn about Don Quixote in Castilla de La Mancha
1. Toledo
Most people visit Toledo as their first-day trip from Madrid. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has some incredible architecture not to miss.
One of Toledo’s most unique features is that it was home to three distinct religions during the Medieval Ages: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The three cultures were able to live peacefully in the same city, as evidenced by the many synagogues, mosques, and churches around Toledo.
You can easily spend the entire day walking around the cobblestone streets. Most people love gazing at the architecture, stopping into a cafe for a coffee, or trying out one of the restaurants for some local bites.
You should also check out El Alcazar. It’s a huge fortress built in Roman times. Inside, you’ll find a military museum that details the Spanish army’s history.
While the building itself is stunning, the view from it is even better. Make sure you tour the inside and then take photos of the city below from the hilltop.
Before heading back to Madrid, make sure to see the incredible Santa Iglesia Cathedral. Built in the 13th century, it is one of the largest cathedrals in the country.
Getting to Toledo
If you want to take a day trip to Toledo from Madrid, you can take the high-speed AVE train and reach Toledo in just 30 minutes.
You can buy your tickets online in advance or directly at the Atocha Railway Station in Madrid.
2. Segovia
You’re sure to find the city of Segovia unique and stunning. Set on top of a hill, it offers incredible views of the countryside below and is full of culture and history.
Many people choose to go on a sightseeing tour from Madrid as this allows them to see all the best sites in Segovia and have a tour guide that can explain everything to them. Some tours even add a lunch option, so you can try local food and fuel up before returning to Madrid.
Even if you don’t book a tour, you can visit many of the attractions on your own. Make sure to check out the Ancient Aqueduct built in 50 CE. It’s one of the largest Roman structures in Spain and is extremely impressive because all the original arches are still intact.
You should also walk around the city’s Old Town area for a few hours. Check out the stunning churches that used to be synagogues but were converted during the Reconquista.
Several churches built during the Romanesque era are equally stunning on the inside and the outside.
A Madrid to Segovia day trip is the perfect way to experience more of the culture and cuisine of Spain.
Getting to Segovia
The train is the best way to get to Segovia from Madrid. It only takes about 30 minutes to get to Segovia, and trains leave the Charmartin Station in Madrid about every hour.
3. Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
This famous monastery and palace is in a small town called San Lorenzo del Escorial. The monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with thousands of visitors heading there every year.
During the height of the Spanish Empire, the palace and monastery served as the center of political power, and the royal family spent most of their time there. The monastery was originally built for Felipe II in the 16th century.
Despite being a monastery, most people think the place is a fortress or military structure when they first arrive. However, once you enter the complex, you’ll see stunning architecture and landscaping.
You can tour the inside of both the palace and the monastery. Make sure to also visit the Picture Gallery, where you can see famous paintings by many well-known artists, including Veronese and Guido Reni.
Getting to El Escorial Monastery
The best way to start your journey to El Escorial is by Metro. You can take Metro lines 3 or 6 to reach Moncloa Station. From this station, you will need to take a bus. Buses 661 and 664 go directly to El Escorial.
Reaching the monastery once you get on the bus will take about an hour.
4. Royal Palace of Aranjuez
If you want to visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also gives you insight into the Spanish royal family, one of the best Madrid day trips is to see the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. The magnificent palace shows how the royals lived during the 16th century.
The entire palace was built in Neoclassical architecture, complete with tapestries, paintings, and other works of art.
While you can tour many different areas and rooms of the palace, the most stunning and popular rooms to see are the chapel, the throne room, and the porcelain room.
The Chinese room is one of the most impressive, as it contains over 200 paintings on rice paper, which the Emperor of China gave to Queen Isabella II as a gift.
Getting to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez
The palace is about a one-hour train ride from Madrid. You can take the regular train, but some prefer the Tren de la Fresa or Strawberry Train. It only runs during the spring, summer, and autumn, though.
If you can’t take the strawberry train, you can catch the train to Puerto de Atocha from the main train station in Madrid.
It’s definitely a unique experience because all the workers on the train wear period costumes from the 19th century. You also get to sample all the fresh seasonal strawberries.
Unfortunately, if you’re visiting from the end of October to March, you won’t be able to take the Strawberry Train.
5. Cuenca
The city of Cuenca is a bit further than some of the other Madrid day trips since it takes about two hours to get here. However, the city is stunning, and you can see the incredible “hanging houses.”
These houses were built on the edge of cliffs along the eastern ravine surrounding the city. As a result, they appear to hang off the side of the cliffs. It’s a pretty cool sight and will have you wondering how people constructed them in the 15th century.
Only a few of the homes are left, making them all the more special. Most of them are no longer habited.
Instead, they have been converted into restaurants, small museums, and even council buildings for the local government.
After snapping some amazing photos of the hanging houses, you can go inside the Cuenca Cathedral or see the exhibits at Museo de Paleontologica.
I also recommend seeing the fortress at the top of the city’s hill. The best place to see it is from San Pablo Bridge.
You can also walk along the bridge and see many ancient structures like a small convent and the old homes of farmers from many centuries ago.
Getting to Cuenca
There are trains going from Madrid to Cuenca running from morning until evening. It takes about 55 minutes to get from Madrid to Cuenca.
6. Cordoba
Cordoba should definitely be added to your Spain itinerary. It’s one of the best day trips from Madrid by train as the high-speed option takes less than two hours.
Cordoba is located between Madrid and Seville, two of Spain’s biggest cities. Cordoba used to be a Roman colony, and it has a long and fascinating history.
The city center and the Jewish Quarter are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. When you first get to the city, wander around the city center and go down all the little side alleys. You’ll find tons of cafes and shops. It’s also fun to watch locals going about their daily lives.
Afterward, head to the Mosque-Cathedral. This building is special because Roman influences are seen in the architecture and Islamic and Christian features.
One of the other famous features in the city is Alcázar of Córdoba. It’s a huge fortress and palace from medieval times. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella stayed here most of the time, and they even met Christopher Columbus here to discuss exploring the New World.
The palace inside is open for tours, and you can also roam around the beautiful gardens.
Getting to Cordoba
There is a high-speed train that runs from Cordoba to Madrid. It takes around an hour and 45 minutes each way.
The driver is longer, but it’s a simple drive along the main highway of A4.
7. Castilla de La Mancha
Castilla de La Mancha isn’t a city but an entire region. Most people who take this day trip from Madrid are Don Quixote fans. In many towns throughout Castilla de La Mancha, the story says that Quixote fought off giants in front of the famous windmills throughout the region.
A tour is the best way to see all the different Castilla de La Mancha places. Otherwise, you must take a bus from one place to the next.
If you don’t want to do a tour, I recommend going to Consuegra first. Here, you can see twelve windmills and the Castillo de Consuegra. Some windmills are open to tourists if you want to go inside.
Campo de Criptana is another great city along Don Quixote’s traveling route. Many restaurants are here, so I recommend making this a lunch or dinner stop. The most popular restaurant is Restaurante Las Musas.
The hilltop also has some stunning windmills with a great view below.
Getting to Castilla de La Mancha
As I mentioned previously, taking a tour is definitely the best way to see the cities and windmills of Castilla de La Mancha.
You can also take a train to the region if you prefer. There is a high-speed train from Madrid that takes about 2 hours.
Don’t Miss These Fantastic Madrid Day Trips!
Ready to plan the perfect Madrid day trip? This guide should have everything you need to sort out your itinerary and transportation to each place.
If you’re heading to Madrid soon, which of these amazing day trips do you plan to take first?
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