10 Best Day Trips from Madrid

If you are spending a few days getting to know everything there is to see and do in Madrid and you feel like going out to see the surroundings, you are in luck! The capital of Spain is in a strategic area of the map and from here there are plenty of towns, cities and hidden corners that are worth discovering.

Medieval cities like Toledo or Avila, the oldest university in Salamanca, monasteries steeped in history as the Escorial or dreamy snowy landscapes in the Guadarrama Reserve. Come with me because I am going to show you the best day trips to do in one day from Madrid.

If there is a city near Madrid that receives more tourists and curious people throughout the year, I assure you that it is Toledo, and it is not for less. This city was not only named Imperial Capital centuries ago, but it is also one of the references of interculturalism in the history of the country.

During the Middle Ages, it welcomed Christians, Muslims and Jews within its walls, where cathedrals, mosques and synagogues coexisted perfectly.

The result? A city that seems to be taken from another era and an architecture that is studied in all art books. If you are visiting Madrid, this is one of the almost obligatory excursions you must do and, don't worry, because you will find many tour offers so you can choose the one that suits you best.

Half day tour to Toledo

You may have only come to Madrid for a couple of days and don't want to spend too much time outside the city. If you still want to take an excursion to Toledo, there is a half day tour type, either morning or afternoon.

Being only 80 kilometers from Madrid, it takes just over an hour to get there and, with this type of tour you will be able to enter one of the main tourist attractions, its Cathedral, and get a general idea of what this beautiful medieval city is like.

Complete tour of Toledo

If you have the time and interest to spend a full day in Toledo, I promise you won't regret it.

There are numerous tours that offer transfers and full day guided tours of Toledo, including the entrance to several places of interest besides the Cathedral, such as the Church of Santo Tomé, the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca or the Mosque of Cristo de la Luz.

With this type of excursion you will enter much more fully and get to know better the atmosphere of this charming place.

All inclusive day in Toledo

Toledo is a city that has managed to exploit its strengths perfectly and if you are looking for a complete experience, you should know that there are also all-inclusive excursions in which you will not only have the transfers and tickets, but you can also taste a delicious traditional meal in one of the best restaurants in Toledo, plus a small tour in a tourist bus. Quite an adventure!

Interesting facts

• Price: depending on the type of excursion. The half day tour is around 30€, the full day tour is around 50€ and the all inclusive tour can reach 80€.
• Number of people: groups usually do not exceed 20 people.
• Duration: the half day tour lasts a maximum of 6 hours and the full day tour lasts up to 12 hours.
• What's included: all include transfers and entrance fees to the attractions offered and only the all-inclusive tours have food and beverages.

There is nothing more traditional for a Madrilenian than taking a short trip to Segovia and eating a suckling pig. If you also want to live this experience during your visit to the capital, you should know that there are many options to choose from. All of them will let you enjoy not only its gastronomy, but also its incredible aqueduct, dating from Roman times.

Located just an hour from Madrid, Segovia is full of history and monuments at every step you take. However, it is a fairly small city, so the tours are usually half day or even combined with other destinations.

If you want to focus only on this Roman city, you should know that for less than 30€ you can spend the day and not only take a picture in the impressive aqueduct, but also enter its Alcázar, dating from the twelfth century. You will also have free time to do some shopping and taste its typical dishes such as suckling pig or lamb ribs.

Interesting facts

• Price: approximately 30€.
• Number of people: no more than 15 people
• Duration: half a day but with the transfers it usually takes up to 6-7 hours.
• What's included: transfers by bus and a specialized guide.

Built in the 16th century, the Escorial Monastery is one of the icons of Madrid and it is worth spending a day to visit it both inside and out. If you are interested, here you can see the information you need to get tickets to the monument.

Fortunately, if you are not very familiar with the real history of Spain, there are numerous tours that will take you to the beautiful town of San Lorenzo del Escorial and show you inside and out this huge complex that has been named a World Heritage Site.

San Lorenzo del Escorial is located less than an hour from Madrid and beyond being a nice suburban town, it contains one of the biggest attractions in the whole community. The Monastery is the best reflection of the splendor that the country lived during the Golden Age and its more than 33,327 square meters between the palace, the basilica, the pantheon and the library reflect it.

In addition, this type of excursion also includes an extra stop along the way to cover the whole day and summarize the recent history of Spain; the visit to the Valley of the Fallen, a cathedral crowned by a huge cross that was ordered to be built by the dictator Francisco Franco but that today pays tribute to all the victims of that dark period.

Interesting facts

• Price: around 60€.
• Number of people: groups are not usually larger than 25 people.
• Duration: between 7 and 8 hours
• What's included: transfers to the Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen, local guide and entrance to the Monastery and the Cathedral.

One of the advantages of Madrid is that everything is quite close and you can cover several historical cities in one day. Within this type of excursion, one of the most interesting is the one that combines the city of Segovia with Avila.

Both cities are full of history but are quite small in size, so if you want to invest the whole day in traveling, you can go to both perfectly.

With this type of excursion, you will move by bus and you will have half the day to get to know Avila with its incredible wall that still surrounds the entire historic center, its Cathedral and the birthplace of St. Teresa of Jesus and the Discalced Carmelites.

The afternoon is reserved for Segovia, where you will be able to contemplate its Alcazar, enter its cathedral and see the imposing Roman aqueduct at sunset.

Interesting facts

• Price: approximately 50€.
• Number of people: groups can be up to 50 people.
• Duration: about 10 hours in total
• What's included: all transfers and guided tours. Entrance fees and meals are not usually included in the price.

If you have just enough time on your vacations in Madrid but do not want to give up to know all the historical and artistic legacy that have around the city, let me tell you that there is a type of express tour from Madrid thatis designed for you.

Already in itself, any city around the capital is enough to be visited for a whole day. However, for a matter of time or schedule, sometimes this is not possible. That is why there are offers for quicker excursions that cover the three most popular cities: Toledo, Avila and Segovia.

The three cities are very well connected so you will not lose much time in transfers from one place to another and you will have the opportunity to see the most essential places in each place.

In this way, you will be able to visit Toledo, walk through its streets up to the Cathedral, go in to see it and then head to Segovia where you will be able to see its aqueduct, its Cathedral and, of course, its tremendous Alcazar.

To finish the day, you will make a last stop in Avila, where you will see its imposing wall at sunset and get to know its Cathedral up close. All three cities have been named World Heritage Sites, so being able to visit them all in one day is a real luxury.

Interesting facts

• Price: around 70€.
• Number of people: groups can be up to 30 people.
• Duration: covers the whole day with a duration of up to 12 hours.
• What's included: all transfers, guided tours and, sometimes, entrance fees to the Cathedrals and points of interest.

Cuenca is only two hours by bus from Madrid and is one of those cities that will take your breath away due to its architecture and how it has managed to survive the passing of the centuries.

It is not only a city with medieval features but, due to its location, it has had to adapt to the terrain, giving rise to its famous Hanging Houses, constructions cemented on the edge of a cliff.

There are numerous excursions that will take you to know and marvel at this beautiful city throughout the day.

You must take into account that you will have already invested 4 hours with the round trip, but once there, you will have a specialized guide and a whole city to visit, stopping to visit the Cathedral, the Plaza Mayor, the Convent of San Pablo and, of course, the Museum of Abstract Art, located in one of the vertiginous Hanging Houses.

Interesting facts

• Price: about 70€.
• Number of people: usually groups of 10 people.
• Duration: it lasts all day, approximately 12 hours.
• What's included: bus transfers, a specialized guide and entrance fees to tourist attractions.

Within the Community of Madrid and only 30 minutes away by bus is a town that, despite its small size, is a real gem and thousands of tourists visit it every year.

It is Alcalá de Henares, a place full of history since Roman times, which not only has one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Madrid, but also houses the house where the great Miguel de Cervantes was born.

If you are interested in learning a little more about Spanish history and culture, you can get to know Alcalá de Henares through an excursion that will take you through all the corners of interest.

On the one hand, you can visit the ruins of what, in Roman times, was the city of Complutum, visit the atrium of the faculties and enter an authentic Corral de Comedias, from the Golden Age. Of course, you can also visit the house of Miguel de Cervantes and visit the Gothic Cathedral.

Interesting facts

• Price: about 40€.
• Number of people: groups are usually of 10 persons
• Duration: it usually lasts about 6 hours
• What's included: transfers to Alcalá de Henares, guided tour and entrance to the main attractions.

Not all excursions from Madrid are about visiting medieval cities and bits of history. There is also room for leisure and new experiences and that is why one of the most popular excursions has been wine tasting. Just two hours from the capital you can reach one of the areas where the best wine in the country is made; the Ribera del Duero.

There, there are several wineries that can be reached and, within an organized tour, you can have access to a guided tour of all the vineyards and, of course, a tasting and tasting of the strains they handle. Undoubtedly an experience for your senses that will allow you to get to know the area in a different way.

Most of the excursions also allow you to see several wineries throughout the day so that you can taste as much as possible and also make some purchases.

Interesting facts

• Price: around 150€.
• Number of people: groups are usually no more than 20 people.
• Duration: about 10 hours
• What's included: wine tasting, transfers, snacks and guided visits to several wineries in Ribera del Duero.

If you want to know a place full of wisdom and history, I am sure that Salamanca will leave you with your mouth open. Here you will find one of the oldest universities in Spain, which has given it a youthful and university atmosphere that contrasts with its medieval cobblestone streets.

There are several excursions that take you and guide you for a day in Salamanca and also take the opportunity to make a stop in Avila, so you can see its great wall and its Cathedral.

If you want to kill two birds with one stone and spend a nice day learning and doing sightseeing tours such as the search for the frog on the facade of the Colegio Mayor of Salamanca, this type of excursions are for you.

Interesting facts

• Price: about 80€.
• Number of people: groups are usually up to 30 people.
• Duration: about 10 hours
• What's included: transfers from Madrid, tour guide in Salamanca and Avila and entrance to the main tourist attractions.

If you are passionate about nature and hiking, let me tell you that Madrid and its surroundings have a lot to offer you because it has the incredible Sierra de Guadarrama, one of the largest nature reserves in the capital that has a multitude of trails, routes, charming villages and even a ski slope.

Most of the excursions that take you to the Sierra de Madrid are dedicated to travel around the natural environment, make different stops at important points such as the Puerto de Navacerrada, Cercedilla, or Morcuera and take the opportunity to make some route or trails adapted to all audiences to breathe the fresh air of the countryside, do you feel like it?

Interesting facts

• Price: about 80€.
• Number of people: maximum 15
• Duration: about 10 hours
• What's included: transfers and a guide and monitor to learn more about nature.

Madrid is a city that lives in good part of tourism and that is why you can find all kinds of tours, excursions and activities that are interesting for you. Still if you want to move around on your own and discover the surroundings by yourself or with your group or family, the two best means of transport to move around are the train and the bus.

The main companies are Alsa for buses and Renfe for the train system. If you organize and plan well the route you want to do, you can reach the main nearby cities economically, although it is always advisable to have a tour or guide that can guide you and optimize your visit.

Madrid is hotin summer and cold in winter. However, each season of the year has its strengths. For example, if you come to Madrid at Christmas you can discover many stalls and markets in Salamanca or Toledo that you will surely love.

Still, as for the weather, my recommendation is to go in the spring and autumn months because, having to be out all day hiking, you will not have to deal with the heat or the cold too much.

Madrid is not only one of the most interesting cities to see in Spain, but has some amazing and essential to understand the history of the country surroundings. If you come to know the city of cats, be sure to spend a day doing some sightseeing, you will not regret it!