Toledo Cathedral Opening Hours

If you visit the city, you will surely want to visit the Catedral Primada de Toledo, or Cathedral of Santa Maria, one of the best things to see and do in Toledo. Today considered a World Heritage Site, the Cathedral began construction in 1226 and is the second largest cathedral in Spain.

Being one of the most visited attractions in the city of Toledo, it is important that you can plan your visit in advance, so in this article I leave you detailed schedules of the Cathedral of Toledo, what is the best time to visit it and more information for you to take into account during your visit.

The Primate Cathedral of Toledo is open for tours only during daytime hours every day of the week in the schedules that I leave you below, except on holidays, or eve of holidays, when it opens in a shorter schedule:

• Mondays to Saturdays from 10 am to 6.30 pm.
• Sundays from 2 pm to 6.30 pm.
• Last visiting hours: Half an hour before closing time (6 p.m.).

On the other hand, January 1st and December 25th are the only days of the year when the Cathedral is not open to the public.

The entrance is through the Puerta Llana of the Cathedral, which is located to the east, on Cardenal Cisneros Street. This door is the only one that has no steps at the entrance, hence its name, and it is the one usually used by the processions.

The general admission includes the visit to the following Museums:

• The Sacristy, built by Vergara el Mozo.
• The Treasury, which exhibits pieces of gold work, the Processional Monstrance of Enrique de Arfe, tapestries and other pieces of art of great value.
• The Chapter House is surrounded by oil paintings by outstanding painters such as Goya, Vicente López or Carvajal.
• The Choir, located in front of the High Altar.
• The Transparent of Narciso Tomé in 1732, illuminated by an oval window in the center.
• The Chapel of Kings.
• The Cloister.
• Primate Temple.
• The Colegio Infantes Museum.

The general admission does not include the visit to the Bell Tower, which must be requested separately. This usually sells out quickly, since it is done in small groups and accompanied by a guide.

To climb the Bell Tower, you have to climb 32 steps to the base of the Bell Tower and then 38 steps up a narrow staircase. There are 8 liturgical bells in the first room and another 6 in an upper room. The Campana Gorda or San Eugenio bell, the third largest in the world, is in the center of the liturgical bells.

The entrance to the Cathedral of Toledo

The entrance ticket can be purchased at the Cathedral's store. Its value is around 10€ and has a discount for people over 65 years old, under 18 years old, people with disabilities and large families.

Admission is free for children under 13 accompanied by an adult, and for those born or living in the Archdiocese of Toledo. You can consult this article about the prices of the Cathedral of Toledo to read the complete information.

There is usually a long queue to buy the ticket, so I recommend that you go with time to reserve your place. Another possibility is to buy the Toledo City Tour Plus card, as well as being able to enter the Toledo Cathedral without queuing, you will have the opportunity to know it in depth with the guide of an expert. In addition, it also includes entry to about 10 emblematic monuments of Toledo, such as the Alcazar and the church of Santa Maria la Blanca, among others.

There are days in which, on the occasion of special celebrations, the Cathedral of Toledo changes the schedules or is open in a more reduced schedule. For example, on Christmas and New Year's Eve , Epiphany, Holy Week and Palm Sunday, and the day of the Virgin Mary.

Please note that the Holy Week and Palm Sunday holidays do not have a specific date because it varies from year to year. Palm Sunday is usually between March 15 and April 15, and Holy Week, between March 22 and April 25. Specifically, Semana Santa is the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring, and Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter Sunday.

Below is a list of the holidays when the Cathedral is open to the public on a different schedule, but you should always check the Toledo Cathedral website before you go, in case of any last minute changes.

Toledo Cathedral Holiday Schedules

• January 6: from 2 to 6.30 pm. Epiphany.
• January 23: from 2 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. St. Ildefonso.
• Palm Sunday: from 2 to 6.30 p.m. (last admission at 6 p.m.).
• Holy Tuesday: from 2 pm to 6.30 pm. Chrism Mass (last admission at 6 p.m.).
• Maundy Thursday: from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm (last admission at 6:00 pm).
• Good Friday: from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm (last admission at 4:00 pm).
• Holy Saturday: from 11 am to 6.30 pm (last admission at 6 pm).
• Easter Sunday: from 2pm to 6.30pm (last admission at 6pm).
• Corpus Christi: from 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
• August 15: from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Virgen del Sagrario.
• November 1st: from 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Feast of All Saints.
• December 8th: from 2pm to 6.30pm. Immaculate Conception.
• December 24th: from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
• December 31st: from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

A good option to know the Cathedral of Toledo is to take a guided tour, because that way you will see everything you can not miss in the Cathedral of Toledo.

The visits usually take place at noon, around 12.30 pm, and in the afternoon, around 4 pm. They usually last about an hour or an hour and a half. You can book a guided tour for any day of the week. It is usually in high demand, so it is important that you book in advance, as it is one of the best tours you can do in Toledo.

Some of the must-sees of Toledo Cathedral are the Transparent of Narciso Tomé (1732), the bell of San Eugenio, or Campana Gorda, the third largest in the world with a panoramic view of the city of Toledo, the Chapter House, where you can see paintings by Goya, the image of San Cristóbal, the Mozarabic chapel and the statue of the White Virgin.

If you profess the Catholic religion, you may be interested in knowing the mass schedules so that you can attend some of these religious celebrations in the Cathedral of Toledo.

Keep in mind that this is not a tourist visit, and you will not be able to tour the Cathedral at your leisure, since it is a religious rite. In other words, it is only recommended for people who profess religion and who are interested in participating in this celebration in a place as special as the Cathedral of Toledo.

• Weekdays: 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (from October to June).

   At 9 a.m. is the Choral Missal and Mass of the Hispano-Mozarabic Rite.
  

• Sundays and holidays: 9.45 a.m. Choral Mass and Mass Rite Hispano-Mozarabic.

  6.30 p.m. Cristo de la Vega / Basilica of Santa Leocadia.
  

• Vespers of holidays: 8.30 a.m. from October to June.

  9 a.m. Choral Missal and Spanish-Mozarabic Rite Mass. From April to October also at 7 pm.
  

The Cathedral of Toledo is closed only 2 days of the year: January 1st and December 25th, the day of St. Mary, Mother of God, and the day of the Nativity of Jesus, respectively. The other days of the year it is open from 10 am to 6.30 pm every day, Sundays and holidays from 2 pm to 6.30 pm, and some holidays with reduced hours.

In addition, the Cathedral is only open during the day. For this reason it is not possible to take tours or guided visits at night.

In any case, it is always advisable to visit the website of the Toledo Cathedral to check the schedules before you go, as they usually publish in advance if the Cathedral is closed on any other day or if there are any last minute schedule changes.

It is also possible to visit the Cathedral of Toledo for free from 8 am to 9.30 am from Monday to Friday, except on public holidays. The last admission time is 15 minutes before that time, that is, at 9.15 a.m.

During that time, guided tours are not allowed in the Cathedral, but only to people who go on their own. Admission is through the Clock Door, which is located on the north façade and is the oldest door of the Cathedral. The free entrance only includes access to the naves.

The naves are the spaces between walls or columns that are around the central part. Curiously, in the Cathedral of Toledo there are 5 instead of 3, which is the most usual. As for the doors, the main facade has 3: the Door of Forgiveness in the center, the Door of the Last Judgment on the right and the Door of Hell on the left.

The Clock Gate, built in 1300, is on the north façade and is the oldest door in the Cathedral. To the east is the Lions Gate and the Plain Gate, which is the door through which visitors enter the Cathedral. On the other hand, there is a door that enters directly into the cloister, the Puerta del Mollete.

The Cathedral of Toledo has a Chapter Library and a Chapter Archive that can be visited by researchers. Both can be visited from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 2 pm, and are closed to the public on weekends, holidays and local festivals.

The Chapter Archive and the Library began at the end of the 11th century and their history is linked to that of the Chapter, when the Roman liturgical rite was adopted in Castile. The Library has 3 sections: the Old Toledano Fund, the Zelada Fund and the Lorenzana Fund. The Chapter Archive has more than 12,000 files generated by the Chapter and the Archbishop, Blood Cleansing files and music files, among many others.

• Location: C/ Hombre de Palo, 2. P.O. Box 295.

The Catedral Primada de Toledo can be visited on weekends, at the following times, until half an hour before closing time:

• Saturdays from 10 am to 6.30 pm.
• Sundays from 2 pm to 6.30 pm.

Please note that on January 1st and December 25th, the Cathedral is closed to the public, and on holidays the Cathedral has reduced visiting hours. Generally on these days it opens in the afternoon or closes earlier.

In case you visit the Cathedral on a public holiday, holiday eve or local holiday, it is best to check the opening hours on the Toledo Cathedral website before you go so that you are aware of any unforeseen schedule changes.

Many people prefer to visit Toledo in spring, when the weather is more pleasant, from mid-March to the end of June. At this time the city receives the most visitors, so if you are looking for tranquility you may want to travel to Toledo and visit the Cathedral at other times of the year.

From mid-July to mid-August, for example, is when the people of Toledo go on vacation and when the city is quieter. But it is the middle of summer in Toledo and temperatures hover between 30-40 degrees during the day.

On the other hand, in December and January it is winter in Toledo, and the city does not receive as many visitors. It can be a good time to visit the city and the Cathedral if you are looking for more tranquility and to avoid the queues.

Besides visiting the Cathedral of Toledo, there are many things you can see in Toledo in one day. Visiting nearby attractions such as the Alcazar of Toledo and the Caves of Hercules are some of the best things to see and do in Toledo.

Alcazar of Toledo

The Alcazar of Toledo is a 16th century palace, which is five blocks away from the Puerta de los Leones. The Alcazar Army Museum can be visited every day of the week except Mondays, from 11 am to 5 pm. The entrance fee is around 5€ and around 8€ with audio guide.

The Alcazar of Toledo is closed on January 1st, January 6th, and December 24th, 25th and 31st. It can be visited free of charge every Sunday and on the following dates: March 29, April 18, October 12 and December 6.

• Location of the Alcázar of Toledo: C/ De la Paz s/n, 45001, Toledo.

The Caves of Hercules

Near the Cathedral of Toledo, just 100 meters away, are the Caves of Hercules, a site of great archaeological value, as there were cisterns there during the Roman period. It can be visited from Tuesday to Saturday from 12 to 14 hs and from 17 to 19 hs.

To visit it is necessary to complete and send a form from the page of the Consorcio de Toledo.

• Location of the Caves of Hercules: Callejón de San Ginés, number 3, 45001, Toledo.