A day trip from Madrid to Toledo is easy and something I highly recommend adding to your Madrid itinerary! If you have Googled or Instagram-stocked Toledo, you know the city is absolutely gorgeous. With its large walls perched up on a hill plus its history as the prior capital of Spain, it boasts great views plus history. Here you get information on:
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How to get to Toledo from Madrid
Toledo is about a 30 minute train ride from Madrid, making it so easy to get to!
- To get from Madrid to Toledo, take the high speed Renfre train from the Atocha station.
- You will arrive at the train station (obviously) which is downhill a little less than a mile from the city center. The walk is about 20 minutes or you can taxi into the city center.
- If Toledo being situated up on a hill worries you, there are outdoor escalators that take you to the top of the hill!
A Guided Day Tour to Toledo from Madrid
If you aren’t wanting to visit Toledo all on your own, you can take a guided day trip to Toledo from Madrid. This is a full day tour that takes you to Toledo and includes entry into the Synagouge and church in Madrid. The tour below is one of the higher-ranked tours if you wish to do that instead of take yourself to Toledo from Madrid!
What to see and do in Toledo
With a limited amount of time in Toledo, here are a few highlights to catch while you are there! In summation, we spent most of our time admiring Toledo from either the edge of the city or in the winding streets of Toledo.
Go to the Overlook and Locks
If you arrive by the escalators, you will come out just near this overlook! From the escalators, you’ll take a right and immediately see this view! From here you can see the Tagus river and the city below. It is also a short walk from the main square of Toledo, so it is a good way to start exploring Toledo!
Visit Plaza de Zocodover
Plaza de Zocodover is the main square of Toledo and the heart of the city. This is where you’ll find many shops, restaurants and bars. You’ll see loads of people just sitting and hanging out in the square! Grab a sangria and a small bite before making your way through the streets of Toledo!
Visit the Cathedral at Plaza del Ayuntamiento
The cathedral in Toledo is a beautiful gothic-style cathedral found in the popular Plaza del Ayuntamiento. It is free to walk around the perimeter, but it costs money to enter the cathedral. We opted to not go inside, but the cathedral is located in another popular area that is home to the Toledo City Council and other beautiful architecture. Therefore, even if you decide to not venture into the cathedral, this is still a must-visit area of Toledo.
- Cost: 10 euros
Admire the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes
The monastery is a sight from the outside, but is gorgeous inside. The building is two stories with a cloister and garden inside. The architecture looks like something in a movie! I recommend taking the time to tour the inside of this one (especially if you are trying to choose between this and the cathedral).
- 3 euros to enter
View the City Walls
You’ll notice the walls of Toledo as soon as you arrive into the city. For a unique view of them, walk down the road from the monastery (pictured above) and through the gate of the city for an overlook of the town below and the walls of Toledo.
Walking between these main highlights you will also wind through many of the streets of Toledo and get a great feel for the city of Toledo. You can get lost in the streets of Toledo for hours (literally, they are so winding!) If you have time, make your way to St. Martin’s Bridge as well. We didn’t make it that far, but the views of the city from the bridge look amazing!
What didn’t make the list
As you come into the city of Toledo, you’ll notice the Alcazar de Toledo (pictured in the first photo on the page). Although, beautiful from the outside and eye-catching up on the hill, it is now a military museum, and we didn’t find that it would be interesting enough for us to spend our *limited* time touring it. I recommend just admiring it from afar unless you are a huge military history buff.
How much time Do you need?
Toledo requires a little more time to see the highlights than my other day-trip recommendation, Segovia. Toledo is larger than Segovia and it takes a lot of the day simply walking around the city. You’ll need to allot an hour for the train rides (plus the time to navigate the stations) and at least 5 hours to walk around the city. So, if you are taking a day trip from Madrid to Toledo, catch an early train and stay as late as you can!
Also to note, Toledo takes its siesta time very seriously. So take into consideration that you will have a few hours between 2 and 5 pm where there won’t be many stores or restaurants open as well
Cost of a day trip to toledo
A day trip from Madrid to Toledo can be quite affordable. How much we spent:
- Train ticket Madrid<>Toledo: about 25 euros round-trip
- Brunch: ~12 euros
- Dinner: ~20 euros (with sangria)
If you are going to enter more than one attraction in Toledo, I suggest getting the city card that includes entry into 7 attractions for 1 day for about 12 euros. You can purchase just a pass or include a guide with it.
Is Toledo worth a day trip?
Toledo is such a beautiful city and provides a nice, smaller town vibe (like Segovia!) compared to Madrid. It is such a unique city, being built on the hill with the walls surrounding, the river below and the winding streets within the city; beautiful! As long as an early morning train is caught for plenty of time to spend in Toledo, it is definitely worth a day trip!
If you’re looking for another day trip from Madrid, I recommend Segovia. Here is everything you will need to know about a day trip there!