Few capitals make a better base for day trips than Madrid. Spain's high-speed AVE trains put a string of extraordinary UNESCO cities within 90 minutes: medieval Toledo in just 33 minutes, Segovia with its colossal Roman aqueduct and fairy-tale castle in 30, cliff-hanging Cuenca in an hour. Add Philip II's monumental El Escorial, the perfectly walled city of Ávila, the royal gardens of Aranjuez, Cervantes' Alcalá de Henares and pretty Chinchón, and you have a week of unforgettable excursions. Here are eight of the best, with distances, transport and tips.
Toledo
Area
Castilla-La Mancha
Distance
70 km S
“A UNESCO-listed medieval city and El Greco's home town, just 33 minutes away by high-speed AVE train.”
Segovia
Area
Castilla y León
Distance
90 km NW
“The astonishing Roman aqueduct and the fairy-tale Alcázar castle, 30 minutes away by high-speed train.”
El Escorial
Area
Sierra de Guadarrama
Distance
50 km NW
“Philip II's immense monastery-palace in the mountains, a UNESCO site reached in an hour by local train.”
Ávila
Area
Castilla y León
Distance
110 km NW
“Spain's best-preserved medieval walls encircle this UNESCO city, birthplace of St Teresa — about 1.5 hours by train.”
Cuenca
Area
Castilla-La Mancha
Distance
165 km E
“The gravity-defying 'Hanging Houses' cling to a gorge in this dramatic UNESCO city, an hour away by high-speed train.”
Aranjuez
Area
Comunidad de Madrid
Distance
50 km S
“A UNESCO royal palace and glorious riverside gardens, 45 minutes away — a lovely, gentle half-day escape.”
Alcalá de Henares
Area
Comunidad de Madrid
Distance
35 km E
“Cervantes' birthplace and a UNESCO university city, just 40 minutes away on the local Cercanías train.”
Chinchón
Area
Comunidad de Madrid
Distance
45 km SE
“A picture-perfect medieval village around a unique circular Plaza Mayor that doubles as a bullring — 45 minutes by car or bus.”
Madrid day trips in detail
1.Toledo
Toledo is the single greatest day trip from Madrid, and one of the easiest — a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage city perched on a granite hill above a loop of the Tagus river, reached in just 33 minutes by high-speed AVE train from Atocha. Known as the 'City of Three Cultures', Toledo was for centuries a place where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived and built side by side, and its dense medieval maze of cobbled lanes is layered with the evidence: the vast Gothic cathedral, one of Spain's finest; former synagogues like Santa María la Blanca; the Moorish-influenced architecture; and the Alcázar fortress dominating the skyline. It was also the adopted home of the painter El Greco, and the city is dotted with his masterpieces, including The Burial of the Count of Orgaz in the church of Santo Tomé. Beyond the monuments, Toledo is famous for its marzipan and its historic steelwork (damascene metalwork and swords). Half a day covers the highlights, but a full day lets you soak up the atmosphere and the views. Arrive early or stay into the evening to enjoy the floodlit old town once the coach crowds thin. It is an unmissable, unforgettable excursion.
Hours
Streets always open; sights ~10:00–18:00
Price
AVE train ~€20 round trip
Getting there
High-speed AVE from Madrid Atocha to Toledo (~33 min)
Insider tip: A UNESCO-listed medieval city and El Greco's home town, just 33 minutes away by high-speed AVE train.
2.Segovia
Segovia is a gem of a day trip northwest of Madrid, a UNESCO World Heritage city reachable in about 30 minutes by high-speed train (plus a short bus or taxi into the centre). Its jaw-dropping centrepiece is the Roman aqueduct, one of the best-preserved in the world — a colossal, 28-metre-high structure of some 20,000 granite blocks assembled without mortar around the first century AD, striding across the main square on a double tier of arches in a feat of engineering that still astonishes. At the other end of the old town stands the Alcázar, a fairy-tale castle rising on a rocky spur, its turrets and slate spires said to have inspired the Disney castle; climb its tower for sweeping views over the Castilian plain. Between the two, the honey-coloured historic centre gathers a soaring Gothic cathedral, handsome squares, Romanesque churches and lively streets. Segovia is also famous for its food, above all cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig), the classic dish to try in its traditional restaurants. Half a day covers the essentials, but the city rewards a leisurely full-day visit with lunch. Easy, quick and stunning, Segovia is one of the best excursions from the capital.
Hours
Streets always open; sights ~10:00–18:00
Price
AVE train ~€25 round trip
Getting there
High-speed AVE from Madrid to Segovia-Guiomar (~30 min), then bus/walk into town
Insider tip: The astonishing Roman aqueduct and the fairy-tale Alcázar castle, 30 minutes away by high-speed train.
3.El Escorial
El Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial is one of Spain's most imposing monuments, a colossal Renaissance monastery-palace complex built in the sixteenth century by King Philip II in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, about an hour northwest of Madrid by local Cercanías train. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was conceived as monastery, royal palace, basilica, library, school and royal mausoleum all in one, and its austere grey granite grandeur reflects the sober piety of Philip's reign at the height of the Spanish empire. Highlights inside include the sombre Royal Pantheon, where most of Spain's kings and queens are buried in a marble chamber beneath the basilica; the magnificent library with its frescoed ceiling and priceless manuscripts; the richly decorated royal apartments and basilica; and an art collection featuring works by Titian, El Greco, Velázquez and Bosch. The surrounding town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a pleasant, leafy mountain resort with good restaurants, and the cooler air makes it a welcome escape in summer. A half-day comfortably covers the monastery, and it can be combined with the nearby Valley of the Fallen. For history and monumental architecture, El Escorial is a rewarding excursion.
Hours
Tue–Sun ~10:00–18:00 (closed Mon)
Price
Local train ~€8 round trip; palace entry extra
Getting there
Cercanías C-3 or C-8 from Madrid to El Escorial (~1 hr)
Insider tip: Philip II's immense monastery-palace in the mountains, a UNESCO site reached in an hour by local train.
4.Ávila
Ávila is a magnificent walled city about an hour and a half northwest of Madrid by train, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed above all for its extraordinary medieval fortifications — the best-preserved city walls in Spain and among the finest in Europe. Built from the eleventh century, the honey-brown granite ramparts run for around two and a half kilometres in a complete circuit, punctuated by 88 towers and nine gates, and you can walk long stretches along the top for wonderful views over the old town and the surrounding Castilian plain. The highest provincial capital in Spain, Ávila has a bracing mountain air and a deeply atmospheric, well-preserved historic centre within the walls, including a fortress-like cathedral built into the ramparts themselves. The city is also indelibly linked to Saint Teresa of Ávila, the great sixteenth-century mystic and reformer, who was born here; sites associated with her, and the local sweet 'yemas de Santa Teresa', are part of any visit. Being a little further out, it makes a satisfying full-day trip, ideally combined with a walk of the walls, the cathedral and a hearty Castilian lunch. For medieval atmosphere and one of Spain's great sights, Ávila is superb.
Hours
Streets always open; walls & sights ~10:00–18:00
Price
Train ~€18 round trip
Getting there
Train from Madrid to Ávila (~1 hr 30 min)
Insider tip: Spain's best-preserved medieval walls encircle this UNESCO city, birthplace of St Teresa — about 1.5 hours by train.
5.Cuenca
Cuenca is one of Spain's most spectacularly sited cities, a UNESCO World Heritage gem perched on a steep rocky spur between the gorges of two rivers, about an hour east of Madrid by high-speed AVE train. Its signature image, and one of the most photographed in Spain, is the Casas Colgadas — the 'Hanging Houses' — a row of medieval buildings whose wooden balconies project vertiginously out over the sheer cliff edge of the Huécar gorge, appearing to defy gravity. One of them now houses the excellent Museum of Spanish Abstract Art, part of Cuenca's surprising reputation as a centre for modern art. Beyond the hanging houses, the atmospheric old town climbs the ridge in a tangle of steep, narrow streets to a fine Gothic cathedral and panoramic viewpoints, with the striking San Pablo bridge offering the classic view back across the gorge. The dramatic landscape and the blend of medieval architecture and contemporary art give Cuenca a distinctive character unlike Madrid's other day trips. Being an hour out and full of steep walking, it makes a rewarding full-day excursion. For jaw-dropping scenery, medieval streets and a touch of modern art, Cuenca is a memorable and slightly off-the-beaten-track choice.
Hours
Streets always open; sights ~10:00–18:00
Price
AVE train ~€30 round trip
Getting there
High-speed AVE from Madrid to Cuenca-Fernando Zóbel (~1 hr)
Insider tip: The gravity-defying 'Hanging Houses' cling to a gorge in this dramatic UNESCO city, an hour away by high-speed train.
6.Aranjuez
Aranjuez is a graceful and relaxing day trip about 45 minutes south of Madrid by train, a UNESCO World Heritage 'cultural landscape' built around a Spanish royal summer retreat on the fertile banks of the Tagus. The centrepiece is the elegant Royal Palace, an eighteenth-century Bourbon residence of French-inspired style whose richly decorated rooms — including a famous porcelain room and an Arabian-style cabinet — can be toured, reflecting the taste and leisure of the Spanish court. But the real glory of Aranjuez is its gardens: extensive, lush and beautifully laid out along the river, the Jardín de la Isla, Jardín del Príncipe and others offer shady avenues, fountains, statuary and greenery that feel wonderfully cool and verdant in contrast to the dry Castilian plain — the setting that inspired Joaquín Rodrigo's famous Concierto de Aranjuez. The town is also known for its strawberries and asparagus, and in season you can even ride a historic 'strawberry train' from Madrid. Flat, green and gentle, Aranjuez makes an easy, pretty half-day escape, ideal for a leisurely stroll through the gardens and a palace visit. For royal elegance and beautiful gardens close to the capital, it is a delightful choice.
Hours
Palace Tue–Sun ~10:00–18:00; gardens daily
Price
Train ~€10 round trip; palace entry extra
Getting there
Train from Madrid to Aranjuez (~45 min)
Insider tip: A UNESCO royal palace and glorious riverside gardens, 45 minutes away — a lovely, gentle half-day escape.
7.Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares is an easy and rewarding half-day trip just 40 minutes east of Madrid on the local Cercanías commuter train, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site on two counts: its pioneering historic university and its literary heritage. Founded in 1499, the University of Alcalá was one of the world's first planned university cities and a model for others across Spain and Latin America; its beautiful Renaissance buildings, above all the ornate plateresque façade of the main college and the magnificent Paraninfo hall (where Spain's prestigious Cervantes Prize for literature is awarded each year), are the highlights of a visit. The city is also celebrated as the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, and you can visit a museum-house recreating the family home where he was born, while statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza preside over the arcaded main square. The well-preserved historic centre, with its long colonnaded Calle Mayor, storks nesting on the towers and good tapas bars, is a pleasure to wander. Cheap, quick and full of history, Alcalá makes an excellent, less-touristed alternative to the bigger day trips. For Spanish literary and academic heritage close to Madrid, it is a fine choice.
Hours
Streets always open; sights ~10:00–18:00
Price
Cercanías ~€5 round trip
Getting there
Cercanías C-2 or C-7 from Madrid to Alcalá de Henares (~40 min)
Insider tip: Cervantes' birthplace and a UNESCO university city, just 40 minutes away on the local Cercanías train.
8.Chinchón
Chinchón is a delightful and characterful village about 45 minutes southeast of Madrid, a favourite escape for Madrileños in search of a relaxed, traditional day out and a long lunch. Its heart, and its unique claim to fame, is the Plaza Mayor — a beautiful, irregular, almost circular square dating from the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries, ringed by rustic three-storey houses with wooden galleries and some 234 green-painted balconies. Extraordinarily, this arcaded plaza still transforms into a temporary bullring for occasional summer bullfights, as it has for centuries, and it has served as the stage for festivals, theatre and even film shoots. Around the square, the village offers a Gothic-Renaissance church housing a Goya painting, a ruined castle, and, above all, a cluster of traditional mesones (taverns) famous for hearty Castilian cooking — roast meats, stews and the local aniseed liqueur, anís de Chinchón, and garlic soup being specialities. Reached most easily by bus or car (it is not on the train network), Chinchón makes a lovely, low-key half-day trip centred on wandering the atmospheric square and lingering over a leisurely regional lunch. For rustic charm, unique architecture and great traditional food near Madrid, Chinchón is a gem.
Hours
Village always open; restaurants for long lunches
Price
Bus ~€6 round trip
Getting there
Bus from Madrid (Conde de Casal) to Chinchón (~50 min), or ~45 min by car
Insider tip: A picture-perfect medieval village around a unique circular Plaza Mayor that doubles as a bullring — 45 minutes by car or bus.