Toledo Day Trip From Madrid
- Shal & James
- Mar 11
- 9 min read
Updated: May 6
Where Swords, Saints, and Marzipan Reign
Toledo reigned as Spain’s capital for a whopping 476 years—until King Philip II woke up one day in 1561 and thought, You know what? Madrid would be better. Fortunately, time in Toledo hit the pause button. Its medieval maze of narrow, winding alleys still snuggles within ancient walls, whispering secrets of centuries past.
In 1986, UNESCO recognised Toledo for its architectural and cultural significance, preserving its story in stone. Today, the modern city sprawls northward, but the old city remains a fortress of history, wrapped in a 16th-century wall like a well-kept secret.
Before we dive into our itinerary, if you're already thinking, How do I get from Madrid to Toledo 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.
Alcántara Roman Bridge
If you leave Toledo without snapping that iconic shot of the Alcázar from the Alcántara Roman Bridge, did you even go? This ancient bridge dates back to the 2nd century, proving the Romans were engineering MVPs long before anyone had Google Maps.
Since we walked from the train, we made this our first stop on the way to the Alcázar. And let’s be real, nothing says epic entrance like crossing a 1,900-year-old bridge into a city that feels straight out of a medieval fantasy novel.
📸 Photo Tip: Stop below the bridge on your way back to the train station for a dramatic nighttime shot of the bridge and Alcázar lit up.
Alcázar de Toledo
Originally built by the Romans, the Alcázar has played musical chairs throughout history, serving as everything from a royal palace to a military fortress to a museum. This massive, quadrangular stronghold stretches 60 meters on each side, crowned with four towering spires, each topped with the classic Madrid-style peak. Bonus: each facade is unique.
Normally, tickets cost €5 per person, but since most of the Alcázar was under renovation (end date unknown), we got in for free. It was a quick visit, but still worth seeing. And honestly? The best view is from the bridge anyway!
Opening Hours
Oct-Mar: Daily 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed Wed)
Apr-Sep: Daily 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (closed Wed)
Zocodover Square
On your way to the next sight, you’ll pass through Zocodover Square, where a Cervantes statue keeps watch over Don Quixote scenes painted on the benches. Sure, it’s a bit touristy, but hey, when in Toledo, a quick glance at Spain’s literary icon feels like a must.
7 Monuments
While Toledo’s cathedral deserves its own spotlight (don’t worry, we’re getting there), the city is also home to seven other incredible religious monuments worth exploring. The best way to see them? The €12 tourist wristband, which grants access to all seven sites (otherwise each site costs €4 each) and comes with a handy tourist map for the most efficient route.
We bought our wristbands in advance and showed a voucher on our phones to pick them up, but honestly? The queue was just as quick for those buying on the spot. Seven sights might sound like a lot, but they’re close together and only take about 15–30 minutes each to explore—making it a perfectly manageable dose of history.
Opening Hours
(All monuments share the same opening hours)
1 Mar to 15 Oct: Daily 10 AM – 6:45 PM
16 Oct to 28 Feb: Daily 10 AM – 5:45 PM
Monument 1: Mosque of Cristo de la Luz
We kicked off our tour here, but feel free to start wherever you like—all seven monuments are within easy strolling distance.
This Catholic chapel and former mosque is the oldest standing building in Toledo and one of the oldest in Spain, dating all the way back to 999 CE. That’s over 1,000 years of history packed into one small space! It also had a beautiful city view.
Monument 2: Jesuits Church (San Ildefonso)
Built on the birthplace of San Ildefonso, Toledo’s patron saint, this 18th-century Baroque church is a masterpiece inside and out. It’s packed with stunning artwork—but the real showstopper? The tower view! Climb up for a breathtaking panorama of Toledo that’s absolutely worth the leg workout.
Monument 3: Royal College of Noble Maidens
Founded in 1551 to provide top-tier education for young girls from lower classes, this institution went on to become one of Europe’s finest colleges. After centuries behind closed doors, it finally opened to the public in 2015—and trust us, it was worth the wait!
Monument 4: Monastery of San Juan de Los Reyes
This 600-year-old Franciscan monastery is an architectural triple threat—Elizabethan Gothic, Moorish, and Renaissance all rolled into one. The garden within its two-story cloister was designed to be an "earthly paradise." Mission accomplished.
Catholic monarchs Isabel and Fernando planned to be buried here but pulled a last-minute plot twist and ended up in Granada instead. The most jaw-dropping detail? The chains hanging on the northeastern façade were once shackles of Christian prisoners freed from Muslim Granada. Even wilder? The freed captives themselves carried them to Toledo, offering them up as a permanent thank-you note to God and their queen. Now that’s gratitude on another level.
The monastery has a QR code to scan for audio guide in English. Also, just a heads up this sight closes about 20 mins earlier than the others.
Monument 5: Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca
One of only two surviving synagogues in Toledo’s Jewish Quarter (once home to ten!), this 13th-century gem was the city’s largest synagogue before being converted into a church and renamed during the Spanish Inquisition. Despite the changes, its original grandeur remains intact—24 octagonal columns still hold up its stunning horseshoe arches, a striking nod to its Moorish past.
Around the Jewish Quarter there were also tiles with Jewish symbols grouted into cobblestones and buildings by Caminos de Sefarad, a tourism program launched by the Spanish government in 2012 in an attempt to atone for and remember the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492.
Monument 6: Santo Tomé Church
A 14th-century tower stands tall next to this famous church that houses El Greco’s masterpiece, The Burial of the Count Orgaz. A must-see for art lovers!
While you’re on Santo Tomé Street…MARZIPAN!
Head to the sweets shop on Santo Tomé Street for a marzipan sampler bag (original, pumpkin, and egg yolk)—or skip the formalities and go straight for the egg yolk, aka the good stuff. 😉 This spot has been perfecting these sweet treats since 1856. (Don’t worry, it’s obvious which shop it is).
Monument 7: El Salvador Church
Completed in 1159 CE, this small but mighty church is a true architectural layer cake—built on the foundations of four successive constructions, each stacked on top of the last. For us, this was the least exciting of the sites—except for its Visigothic pilaster, which is a cool nod to Toledo’s deep historical roots.
Lunch at Street & Soul
While we’re definitely meat-eaters, we really enjoyed this highly-rated vegan spot—especially the pear salad, hummus, and black rice with vegetable meat satay. Try to snag one of the few tables upstairs by the windows. The restaurant doesn’t open until 1 PM, and it fills up fast! We booked a table through the restaurant’s website and wisely slotted our lunch break mid-monument-hopping since it was pretty much near all of them.
Catedral Primada de Toledo
We were blinded by the 25m (82ft) shimmering gold cathedral altarpiece with an equally ornate transept—the first we’ve ever seen with an oculus. It looked like a portal into heaven!
That's not all. There was also a gigantic wall painting of St. Christopher. We’ve seen a lot of cathedrals, but this one practically said, “Step aside, Vatican, I’ve got this.” Construction on the Cathedral kicked off in the 13th century and wrapped up in the 15th—and honestly, you can tell they used every minute wisely.
Opening Hours
Mon – Sat: 10 AM – 6:30 PM
Sun: 2 – 6:30 PM
Lumina light show available on select dates 8 – 9 PM
Prices
Cathedral only €12 per person
Lumina only €24.90 per person
Cathedral + Lumina €33 per person
Unfortunately, catching Lumina on a day trip is nearly impossible since the last train back to Madrid departs at 9:30 PM. Given that it’s a 30-minute walk to the station, even if you caught a taxi you’d be cutting it way too close.
El Greco Museum
Through a twist of fate, Toledo became El Greco’s home—so if you’re a fan of his, don’t miss his museum like we did, thanks to too much dawdling in the cathedral. Oops. 😅 Luckily for us, a temporary El Greco exhibit at the Prado Museum while we were in Madrid saved the day—so we didn’t completely miss out.
Opening Hours
1 Nov to 28 Feb: Tue – Sat: 9:30 AM – 6 PM; Sun: 10 AM – 3 PM
1 Mar to 31 Oct: Tue – Sat: 9:30 AM – 7:30 PM; Sun: 10 AM – 3 PM
Prices
€3 per person
Free after 2 PM on Sat & Sun
Explore Shops
Toledo is famous for its steel and swordsmithing (sadly, airport security frowns upon carrying on souvenir broadswords), damascene work (intricate gold and silver inlay on blackened steel), leather goods, books and calligraphy, and ceramics.
How do you get from Madrid to Toledo by train?
Good news! You're going to take a high-speed train that gets you to Toledo in 34 minutes. Just a heads-up though: if you're also doing a day trip to Segovia, you'll depart from a different train station than for Toledo.
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 Atocha-Almudena Grandes and arriving at Toledo. 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 Atocha-Almudena Grandes, check the boards for your destination so you know which area to wait in until a platform is assigned to your train (which will be posted on the board in your waiting area). Our train to Toledo left from the lower level. 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. While you're waiting, check out Greenhouse Atocha, a beautiful garden in the middle of the station that was featured on Monty Don's Spanish Gardens.
The Toledo train station is small but stunning—think Moorish Revival vibes with intricate tile work and wooden coffered ceilings. No need to stress about platforms; just check the board when you arrive.
We walked to and from the historic centre (about 20–25 minutes), but if that sounds like too much effort, there were a few taxis out front. Uber? No idea—we didn’t try!
How much time do you need in Toledo?
We were happy with our decision to do Toledo as a day trip, but if you’re keen to see the light show at the cathedral, you might want to consider staying overnight.
We took the 9:15 AM train to Toledo (perfect!) and the 8:25 PM train back. In hindsight, we should’ve left 60–90 minutes earlier because by the time we finished sightseeing, no restaurants were serving dinner—just drinks or cake. Normally, we'd dream of dessert for dinner, but after a full day of walking, we were actually hungry!
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 Segovia Day Trip from Madrid itinerary and our 3 Days in Madrid itinerary (coming soon!) for all the details, pro tips, and foodie finds!
