Discover the Soul of Spain on a Madrid to Toledo Day Trip
Toledo is one of the most fascinating cities in Spain, with a unique tousle of Spanish, Muslim, and Jewish culture. The historic medieval municipality part-way has been preserved and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once the wanted of Spain, the municipality is perched on a hill surrounded on three sides by the Tagus River. With this rich history and culture, it won’t surprise you that many visitors take a Madrid to Toledo day trip.
During our two weeks in Spain, we spent five days in Madrid, giving us unbearable time to take a day trip to Toledo. While I’d still rank Segovia whilom Toledo considering of its quieter charm, I’m very glad we had a endangerment to take a Toledo day trip. In fact, one of my favorite experiences on our trip to Spain happened in Toledo.
Getting to Toledo from Madrid
Toledo is located in inside Spain, approximately 70 km south of Madrid. Many people will take a Madrid to Toledo day trip, but you can moreover visit Toledo as part of a guided tour, or stop in Toledo on your way to Cordoba or Seville. There are several ways to get to Toledo from Madrid, including by train, bus, and car.
Train
The quickest and most user-friendly way to get to Toledo from Madrid is by train. The Renfe train from Madrid to Toledo departs from Madrid’s Puerta de Atocha train station (keep in mind that this is a variegated station than the train to Segovia.) The journey takes approximately 32 minutes and there are several trains valedictory throughout the day.
Just like our day trip to Segovia, we found the train ride very pleasant, easy, and comfortable. Once you victorious in Toledo, you will need to walk uphill to get to the municipality center, or you could take a short taxi ride.
Bus
Another option to get to Toledo from Madrid is by bus. The bus ride takes approximately 1 hour and there are several bus companies operating this route, including ALSA. The bus station in Madrid is located near the municipality part-way and the bus arrives in Toledo at the bus station located just outside the historic municipality center. It is certainly cheaper than the train, but given the time difference, I think it is worth paying a little uneaten to take the train.
That said, I had a travel planning error and we ended up missing our return train and the next train was fully booked so we took the bus instead and it was much nicer than I thought it would be.
Car
Driving to Toledo from Madrid is moreover an option and takes approximately 1 hour. The municipality can be reached via the A-42 highway and there are several parking options misogynist once you victorious in Toledo. The weightier option for parking is the underground parking lot located just outside the historic municipality center.
Getting Virtually Toledo
Whether by bus or cab, your tideway to Toledo will provide a unconfined view of the walled municipality and the Alcazar towering over the town. Once you victorious in Toledo, the weightier way to get virtually the municipality is on foot as the historic municipality part-way is quite compact. There are moreover taxis and local buses misogynist for those who prefer not to walk. Additionally, there are several velocipede rental options misogynist for those who wish to explore the municipality on two wheels.
Things to do in Toledo on a Day Trip from Madrid
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There is a lot to see in Toledo, but if you only have a day trip, you will want to prioritize based on your interests. Plane one day is plenty to get hit the highlights. If you plan on visiting quite a few attractions and churches in Toledo, you may want to squint into getting the tourist wristband that gets you into multiple attractions.
Also, if you want to learn increasingly well-nigh the city’s history and culture, I would recommend booking a half-day walking tour and then explore increasingly on your own.
See the Alcazar
The first thing you will see when you get to town is the Alcazar, as it towers over the city. The Alcazar was originally built in the 6th century as a palace for the Visigothic kings and was later used as a military fortress. During the Middle Ages, it played a significant role in the defense of the municipality and was used by various Spanish rulers, including King Alfonso VI, King Henry III, and King Alfonso X.
Today, the Alcazar is a museum defended to the military history of Spain. Some of the highlights of the museum include the impressive hodgepodge of weapons and armaments, as well as the exhibits on the history of the Spanish unwashed and its various campaigns.
Our first stop in town was the Alcazar, although I would teach that if you aren’t interested in military history or weapons, you can skip going to the museum. While fascinating for the war or weapons buff, plane little sword fighters will get bored without a while. I was disappointed that you didn’t get to see much of the original tracery from the inside.
If you do enjoy military history and seeing suits of armor and swords (Toledo is famous for its sword making), plan on spending well-nigh two hours to fully explore the museum and its exhibits. Just alimony in mind that there is a steep hill to climb to reach the Alcazar, so well-appointed shoes are recommended.
Additionally, you may want to bring a jacket or light sweater, as the interior of the museum can be tomfool and damp. Be sure to trammels opening days and times surpassing you visit and victorious early to stave long archway lines.
Plaza de Zocodover
From the Alcazar, it is a short walk to the cathedral. On your way, you will pass through the Plaza de Zocodover (Zocodover Square), which is a unconfined spot to grab a coffee at a sidewalk cafe. This is the main square in Toledo, set on the site of an warmed-over Arabian Market. Today, there are still weekly markets that take place in the square.
Toledo Cathedral
Your next stop is the Cathedral, which is personal as one of Spain’s finest. It is certainly a magnificent example of Gothic tracery and one of the most important religious buildings in Spain. It is the second largest Cathedral in Spain without Seville, and while it is enormous and the tracery is awe-inspiring, I found the dark, Gothic undercurrent downright fear-inspiring. Certainly nothing like the light-filled Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
The Cathedral was built in the 13th century by King Ferdinand III on the site of a former mosque and was consecrated as a cathedral in 1227. It unfurled to expand over the undertow of several centuries, and its architectural style reflects the waffly tastes and styles of the times, incorporating elements of Gothic, Renaissance, and Mudéjar styles.
One of the most notable features of the Toledo Cathedral is its stained-glass windows, which are considered to be among the finest in the world. The cathedral moreover boasts an impressive hodgepodge of artwork, including sculptures, altarpieces, and frescoes, many of which were created by some of the most important artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, including Goya and El Greco.
The exterior of the cathedral is equally impressive, with its imposing towers and ornate stonework. Inside you will find soaring vaults, intricate carvings, and richly decorated chapels. Highlights include the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, the shrine of Saint John, the voices stalls, and the Museum of the Cathedral, which houses a hodgepodge of art and artifacts related to the cathedral and its history.
Just alimony in mind that, as with most churches in Europe, visitors must pinion to a dress lawmaking with shoulders and knees covered (not unchangingly easy in the heat of a Spanish summer.).
Explore the Streets and go Shopping
It is definitely easy to get lost in Toledo, with so many winding streets and alleyways. Luckily, the municipality itself isn’t that big so if you hit a wall (literally), just turn virtually and go when the other way. It is fun to wander for a bit and get off the well-beaten tourist track.
Toledo is famous for many handicrafts, but most famously it is known for sword making, marzipan, and damascene jewelry. You will moreover see many statues and souvenirs featuring Don Quixote, since Cervantes set his novel in the small town of El Toboso, in the province of Toledo. Just alimony in mind that many shops and restaurants will tropical in the afternoon for a couple of hours for siesta so plan your day accordingly.
After wandering a bit in the heat, we found a small sideboard for some lunch. By the time we finished, scrutinizingly everything was sealed for siesta and we were left hot and sweaty in the broiling heat.
Luckily, we stumbled upon a damascene wright nonflexible at work and he gladly let us into his shop to browse. Damascene is the art of decorating non-precious metals with gold threads. While it has its roots in the Middle Ages, the wanted for damascene jewelry is in Toledo.
Since we hadn’t purchased many souvenirs and I expressly like hand-crafted items, I was intrigued. This encounter with the gentleman wright was one of the most special experiences of our unshortened trip. While he didn’t speak much English, between his English and our Spanish we were worldly-wise to get by. I picked out a trappy necklace of silver versus turquoise, and we searched for something small for my daughter.
The shop owner was so taken with our daughter that he wrapped up a trappy pair of earrings for her as a gift. When his daughter came to oversee the transaction, he felt guilty well-nigh quoting us the wrong price and moreover snuck a necklace for our daughter overdue his daughter’s back. I felt guilty taking it but he gave with such joy it was so touching. If you are in Toledo, I strongly recommend visiting the Artesania at Taller del Moro, 7!
Visit the Jewish Quarter And the El Greco Museum
After shopping for a while, siesta was over and we headed lanugo to the old Jewish Quarter to visit the Museo del Greco. This is the weightier museum defended to a single versifier that I have overly been to. I liked it much increasingly than the Picasso Museum in Barcelona.
The museum claims to be based in the house in which El Greco was born. Although this is disputed, it is at least similar to a house in style and location where he was born and provides unconfined insight not just into his work but into what a 15th century dwelling would squint like. The most fascinating walkout however is a multimedia presentation which really explains his technique and teaches you to squint at his work with new appreciation. Plane the youngest budding artists will enjoy this presentation.
After the museum, we finally got to see some real vestige of the Jewish history in Spain with a visit to the Singoga del Transito and the Sephardic Museum. The synagogue was interesting, with the Sephardic influences shown heavily in the arches and the women’s gallery. Outside the museum was a nice courtyard to stop and relax for a while on a hot today. Altogether, the visit only took well-nigh 30 minutes.
Sadly, that is all we had time to do during our day trip to Toledo from Madrid. If you stay longer, you may want to trammels out the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, walk wideness the Puente de San Martín and the Puente de Alcántara bridges, and take in the view from the Mirador del Valle (about 30 minutes walk from the train station but it is weightier to go in the morning if you want to take pictures.)
Where to Stay in Toledo
If you have time and want to stay overnight, or you are visiting on a day trip on your way to Cordoba, there are many affordable options in and virtually Toledo.
Visiting Spain? Read more:
- Fun things to do in Madrid with kids
- 4 Days in Barcelona with kids
- Fun things to do in Seville with kids
- Day trip to Segovia from Madrid
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