Segovia Day Trip From Madrid
- Shal & James
- Mar 11
- 8 min read
Updated: May 24
Where Ancient Rome, Fairy Tales, and Roast Pig Collide
If a 2,000-year-old aqueduct, a Cinderella-worthy castle, and a plate of roast suckling pig so tender it’s cut with a plate sound like the makings of a perfect day, then UNESCO-listed Segovia is calling your name.
Before we dive into our itinerary, if you're already thinking, How do I get from Madrid to Segovia by train? or Is there a high-speed train?—we've got you covered. Click here to skip straight to the part where we break down public transportation in painstaking detail.
Segovia Aqueduct
If you follow our directions to Segovia, the #11 bus will drop you off at the start of a wide, pedestrianised street leading straight to the aqueduct—and trust us, you won’t miss it.
Standing before this 167-arch, 1st-century engineering flex, we couldn’t help but marvel: no mortar, just perfectly stacked stones delivering water for nearly 2,000 years—which is more than we can say for our kitchen plumbing.
We followed the aqueduct around the bend, but it stretches as far as the eye can see. Unless you’re staying overnight, don’t plan on walking a huge section of it, or you’ll run out of time for Segovia’s other must-sees—and there are 83 according to the tourist map! Luckily, 39 of the sights you can appreciate as you stroll as they can only be viewed from the outside. Even though we only saw a little over a dozen of the sights, we didn't feel like we missed out—because we hit the grandest ones.
📸 Photo Tip: Head to the viewpoint to the right of the tourist info office (next to the arches) for epic shots. By the late afternoon, we had it all to ourselves—prime photo op! You’ll find it to the left of the pedestrianised street after you hop off the bus.
Walk the Medieval Walls
After snapping about a thousand photos of the aqueduct (because how could you not?), pop "Puerta De San Andrés" into Google Maps. It’ll lead you to a staircase with a gate at the top—but don’t go up just yet! Take a left around the corner (there’s even a sign on the staircase to remind you) and head to the tourist info office to buy a €2 access code per person for the gate. While you're there, grab a hard copy of this tourist map listing all of Segovia’s historic sites—there was a handy stack sitting right on the counter when we visited
Heads up: The tourist office is only open 10 AM – 2 PM daily, so you’ll need to hustle over to the Jewish Quarter if you want to squeeze in both this and Corpus Christi Church before lunch—because once they close, they’re done for the day.
📸 Photo Tip: Want that iconic shot of Puerta De San Andrés (third photo above)? The only way to get it is from the top of the wall—so make that €2 count!
Corpus Christi Church
This is the best-preserved of the five synagogues in Segovia’s Jewish Quarter, thought to have been converted to a church in 1410.
Before the infamous 15th century Spanish Inquisition, Spain was home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world, with around 300,000 Jews. Fun fact: In 2013, the Spanish government offered Sephardic Jews the chance to reclaim Spanish nationality—if they could prove their ancestral roots.
Today, the church belongs to a convent of Poor Clare nuns, who care for the building. Entry is just €1 per person.
Opening Hours
Mon, Wed, Thu: 10:45 AM – 2 PM
Sat: 10:45 AM – 2 PM & 4 – 6 PM
Sun: 10:45 AM – 2:15 PM
(Closed Tue & Fri)
Lunch at Casa Comala
By now, it’s probably 1 PM, and if your feet are protesting, it’s time for a break.
Craving something other than jamón y queso? Try the local delicacy—"cochinillo,"(roast suckling pig so tender it’s traditionally sliced with a dinner plate).
As much as we love trying local specialties, the thought of an entire piglet staring back at us was a bit much so we chickened out and went to Casa Comala instead. No regrets. It's a highly-rated Spanish-Mexican fusion spot tucked away on a side street—a real hidden gem! We both loved the pork tacos, and the staff speaks fluent English, making it super easy to communicate food allergies (Shal is allergic to shellfish).
If food quality isn’t the priority and you just want a cathedral view, grab a bite in Plaza Mayor.
Cathedral & Episcopal Palace
The last gothic cathedral built in Spain and it only took 243 years to finish. But hey, good things take time, right? We were particularly captivated by the stunning painted decorations in the Immaculate Conception Chapel (third photo above). We chose to wander on our own, but if you prefer a deeper dive, the cathedral offers several official tours to explore its history and hidden corners.
For us, the Episcopal Palace was a solid meh. We checked it out because it’s included with the cathedral ticket (€4/person), and well… we’re completists. Unexpectedly, the palace also has an escape room—because what better way to immerse yourself in Catholic grandeur than by trying to escape its holy halls? (We didn't try it, but let us know if you do).
The palace is in a separate building a few minutes’ walk from the cathedral, but unless you’re really into liturgical treasures or just have extra time to kill, you can skip it guilt-free.
Cathedral Opening Hours
(And we think it's the same for the palace)
Mon-Sat: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Sun: 12:45 – 6:30 PM
Local Treats!!
While you're in the area, head to Lemon & Mint off Plaza Mayor for an “individual” Ponche Segoviano—a traditional sponge cake dessert with egg custard filling and a marzipan coating. It was so good, we went back for seconds!
We did read reviews mentioning rude staff, but honestly, we found them to be very
nice—maybe some people misinterpreted their lack of English as unfriendliness. Shal busted out her rusty Spanish, which they definitely seemed to appreciate.
If you're getting coffee with your cake, pay for it together at the bakery and then pick up your coffee at the counter in the back of the shop.
Alcázar de Segovia
While we came for the aqueduct, the Alcázar of Segovia—a 12th-century fortress perched atop a rocky cliff—was also very impressive. We were particularly drawn to the Hall of the Kings that features a frieze of 52 seated Spanish monarchs glittering gold (third photo above). According to the audio guide, in the late 15th century, a Czech traveler mistook the polychrome statues for real gold and started a rumour that once crowned, a Spanish king had to hoard gold for their posthumous statue.
The audio guide is definitely worth it—it streams straight to your phone in multiple languages (don't worry, there's free Wi-Fi). We bought one and shared it. In hindsight, it would’ve been smarter to bring a pair of AirPods so we could each listen individually, rather than having it on speaker.
Our tickets were €7 per person, since we missed the last tower entry at 4:30 PM, plus €3.50 for the audio guide.
Opening Hours
1 Nov to 31 March: Daily 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
1 April to 31 October: Daily 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Roam the Medieval Streets
Part of the charm of the city is definitely roaming its pedestrianised streets, right? There’s something magical about wandering without the noise of traffic, just soaking in the atmosphere and getting lost in the little corners of this historic city.
Stroll past Casa De Los Picos, its 15th-century facade has 617 granite points! Check out 16th century Church of San Justo or the 12th century Romanesque Church of San Millan if you have time (we didn’t).
Make sure to check the official websites (we've linked them above for your convenience) for any changes to opening hours, special hours, or closed days—because nothing’s worse than showing up when they’re unexpectedly closed!
How do you get from Madrid to Segovia by train?
Good news! You're going to take a high-speed train that gets you to Segovia in less than 30 minutes. Just a heads-up though: if you're also doing a day trip to Toledo, you'll depart from a different train station than for Segovia.
Book your roundtrip tickets in advance directly on Renfe’s website and make sure to reserve your seat ahead of time—it doesn’t cost extra. We went in low season in February, and the trains were completely packed, so booking ahead is key.
You’ll be leaving from Madrid-Chamartín-Clara Campoamor and arriving at Segovia Guiomar. When booking a same-day round trip, you can pick the cheaper fare for €11.10 per person each way (which isn’t clearly explained anywhere). We're not sure if you can use the discounted fare for a non-same-day trip—didn't try!
Save your tickets as a PDF on your phone or print them out at home—collecting them at the station using the record locator didn’t work for us, so we used PDF tickets on our phone.
Once you arrive at Madrid-Chamartín-Clara Campoamor, follow the blue signs for the fast train ("velocidad")—it’s an 8-minute brisk walk from the main station. Platforms for high-speed trains are posted on boards before and after security. Our train to Segovia left from platform 20. Arrive at least 30 minutes early (or more—because nothing induces transport anxiety quite like worrying about missing your train). Be prepared for airport-like security and queues (i.e. bag scanners).
Segovia’s historic centre isn’t walkable from Segovia Guiomar station, mainly due to a lack of sidewalks. After you leave the station, you’ll see several #11 buses heading to the aqueduct ("acueducto"). The bus stop will be crowded, but the queue moves quickly. We probably waited about 10-15 mins. We only saw one taxi there.
The bus takes about 20 mins and costs €2.40 per person. You can pay by credit card or cash. We used a credit card.
To return, walk past the tourist information centre through the aqueduct arches. The bus stop will be on your left right outside the arches. Take the #11 bus back to the train station, ("estación"). If you miss the bus, there are plenty of taxis at a rank next to the bus stop. We’re not sure about the bus frequency at the end of the day since we sprinted to catch one at 7 PM.
Get to the train station 15-20 mins early (or more) to allow time to go through security. At the Segovia end, they seem to do it 15 mins before train departs, although it felt a little rushed and chaotic compared to Madrid.
How much time do you need in Segovia?
We were happy with our decision to do Segovia as a day trip, but if you’re keen to check off every site on the tourist map (there's 83!), you might want to consider staying overnight.
We took the 10:15 AM train to Segovia and the 8:03 PM train back to Madrid, which gave us the perfect amount of time to explore without feeling rushed. And since dinner service in Spain doesn’t get rolling until around 8:30 PM (or later), we just headed back to the city for our evening feast.
Is it better to visit Toledo or Segovia?
We strongly believe that if you have the time, you should do a day trip to both. While we preferred Segovia for its dramatic landscape, Toledo's cathedral is so spectacular that it alone makes the trip worth it.
Can you visit Segovia and Toledo in one day?
There’s so much to see in each city that we recommend spending at least a full day in each—otherwise, you’ll feel rushed and may not fully appreciate either one.
Make sure to check out our Toledo Day Trip from Madrid itinerary and our 3 Days in Madrid itinerary (coming soon!) for all the details, pro tips, and foodie finds!
