There are a lot of great places you can travel to from Madrid, which is really centrally located in Spain. To plan your day trips from Madrid, think about what you are most interested in (historic buildings and architecture? food? outdoors?) and whether you will be traveling by public transportation or driving. Also, consider how much time you have. Do you have the entire day or just half a day? Could you make it an overnight trip?
The following are seven of my favorite half-day trips, overnight trips, and full-day trips from Madrid.
Madrid to Cuenca
If you had no idea there was a Cuenca in Spain (when most people hear Cuenca they think of Ecuador) you aren’t alone! This charming medieval city is located up in the mountains of east-central Spain in the Castilla La Mancha region. This Unesco heritage site city features hanging houses, expansive clifftop views, a stunning cathedral, a medieval bridge, and other impressive architectural and historic sites including a Parador.
Must-see sites and activities while in Cuenca are the underground tunnels (Túnel Alfonso VIII), Cuenca cathedral (Nuestra Senora de Gracia), Cuenca castle ruins, Cuenca’s Old Town, and the views from San Pablo bridge (especially at night!).
If you have the time, arriving around lunchtime and staying the night is a great way to see Cuenca. Splurge and stay at the Parador de Cuenca, located in a 16th-century convent originally built for the Dominican order next to the San Pablo bridge and opposite the famous hanging houses. Walk to the old town and enjoy lunch along with phenomenal views at Posada de San José (reservations recommended). Visit the castle ruins, Cuenca’s 12th-century cathedral, and stroll around the old town before returning to the Parador to soak up more history. After dinner, stroll across the San Pablo bridge to see the city all lit up at night.
How to Get from Madrid to Cuenca by Train
Getting from Madrid to Cuenca by train takes a little over an hour and can cost anywhere from 20 Euros to 80 Euros each way, depending on how far in advance you book your ticket. I normally book tickets a couple of weeks in advance, and this normally allows me to purchase them at the lower end of the price range. Cuenca’s historic significance, charm, and ease of getting there by train from Madrid make it one of my absolute favorite day trips from Madrid.
Madrid to San Lorenzo de El Escorial
El Escorial’s monastery is a UNESCO world heritage site, making it a destination for anyone that has enough time in Madrid, after seeing all of the sites in the city, to take day trips to other nearby destinations. The monastery is pretty much the only reason to go out of your way to visit El Escorial, but as it’s such an easy half-day trip from Madrid it’s totally worth it.
The best sites to see are the monastery and gardens, and then the walk along Paseo de Carlos III to the Casita del Infante and its gardens. Then it’s time for lunch in the Old Quarter, and the walk back to the train station. On the way you will pass the Casita del Principe (the Prince’s House).
How to Get to El Escorial from Madrid
The best way to visit the monastery, if you’d like to fit in a longer walk, is to take a Cercanias train from Madrid Chamartín Station to El Escorial. The train station in El Escorial is, however, located over half a mile from the town) and then walk up the hill to San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Then, when you are done exploring, you can take the bus back. When I lived in Madrid, I did this as a way to get some exercise and a mini-hike in. The walk to the town and then to the monastery is really nice.
However, if you prefer less walking you can take an Alsa bus from Madrid‘s Moncloa bus station that will drop you off just a couple of hundred feet from the monastery.
Madrid to Ribera Del Duero
I couldn’t write a post about day trips from Madrid without throwing a wine region into the mix.
Ribera del Duero is one of the two best-known red wine-producing regions in Spain (the other being Rioja) and is only about an hour and a half’s drive from Madrid. Like most wine regions, you need a car to get around the region so it makes more sense to drive from Madrid to Ribera del Duero than to take a train and then still have to rent a car once you get there.
Located in the Castilla y León region, Ribera del Duero was awarded its DO (Denomination of Origen) status in 1982. The region has grown rapidly in the ensuing decades, from a region with only 9 wineries to a region that today, in 2023, is home to more than 300 wineries.
While historically, most wines that were made in Ribera del Duero were 100% Tempranillo, blends have become more and more common over the past 15-20 years. **Legally, Ribera del Duero wines can include up to 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot.
When planning a visit to Ribera del Duero wine country, it’s advisable to make appointments with wineries in advance. Which wineries to choose is a more difficult question as there are so many great ones to choose from, but a few that I really like are Bodegas Horra Corimbo (elegant wines that don’t use too much new oak or American oak), Finca Torremilanos (organic), and Dominio de Atauta (high elevation vineyards).
Getting from Madrid to Ribera del Duero
When traveling to wine regions in Spain it’s necessary to drive. Keep in mind that you may encounter tolls along the way and that you will most likely have to pay for parking when you stop in the main towns in famous wine regions (the parking signs aren’t always obvious so a lot of tourists end up getting tickets).
The drive from Madrid to Ribera del Duero takes between two and two and a half hours. The main city (really it’s more a town than a city) in Ribera del Duero where most people stop for lunch or stay is Aranda de Duero. Most wineries you visit will be within half an hour to forty-five minutes from Aranda de Duero.
Madrid to Segovia
Segovia is one of the most popular day trips from Madrid. With its impressively well-preserved Roman aqueduct (Acueducto de Segovia) built in the 1st century AD, medieval castle and fortress, quaint old town, and picturesque cathedral it makes a perfect day trip from Madrid.
Must-see sights in Segovia include the Alcázar of Segovia, set on the top of a hill overlooking the entire city (some say this castle inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle), the Segovia Cathedral (a 16th century Gothic style Roman cathedral), the Jewish quarter, Plaza Mayor (the main square), San Esteban Church, and the Church of Vera Cruz (a UNESCO heritage site). The medieval walls and gates (San Ciriaco Gate and the San Andrés Gate are well worth stopping to see) of the city are also a destination, offering visitors the ability to walk on top of the walls, around the city, enjoying panoramic views.
In addition to the historic sites, Segovia’s iconic suckling pig dish is considered an important historic culinary tradition.
The dish, known as “cochinillo asado” in Spanish, can be traced back to ancient times when the Romans, who settled in the area, introduced the practice of roasting whole young pigs. Over the centuries, this culinary tradition was passed down and perfected by local cooks and chefs in Segovia.
The key to the dish’s success lies in the preparation and cooking method. The pig used for this dish is typically a milk-fed piglet, usually no more than three weeks old. The young age ensures the meat is tender, succulent, and delicately flavored.
The preparation process starts with the piglet being seasoned with salt and sometimes garlic, and then it is placed in a specialized oven called a “horno de leña” (wood-fired oven). The oven is heated using only wood, usually oak or holm oak, which imparts a distinct smoky flavor to the meat. The piglet is cooked slowly at a high temperature, resulting in a crispy, golden-brown skin and tender, juicy meat.
The roasted piglet is typically served whole, with the crispy skin intact. It is traditionally carved using a plate or the edge of a dinner plate, with a swift and precise strike to break the crispy skin and reveal the tender meat.
Plaza Mayor, the main square in Segovia features many restaurants that serve the roast suckling pig dish but be forewarned that you may need to make a reservation in advance and that the dish takes a long time to prepare so you will want to order plenty of wine and appetizers to enjoy while you wait for the main course and be sure you have at least 2-2.5 hours for your meal.
How to Get from Madrid to Segovia
Trains leave from Madrid’s Chamartin station every 20-30 minutes. The journey from Madrid to Segovia takes a half an hour.
How much is the train ride from Madrid to Segovia?
Train tickets cost anywhere from 12 Euros to 40 Euros on which level ticket you purchase and how much in advance you purchase. However, I have never had to pay more than 40 euros round trip for the journey, and I’ve always purchased my tickets the day of my journey or just a few days in advance.
Madrid to Toledo
Toledo has plenty of sites to see but a few of the most popular are the El Greco museum, Santo Tomé Church (home to El Greco’s “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz” painting), the Toledo Cathedral, the Jewish quarter, and the city walls.
My personal favorite thing to do in Toledo is to walk along the city walls, enjoying the views of the entire city, before heading into the historic center for lunch. Signature dishes in Toledo include Perdíz a la toledana (Toledo style patridge), cochifrito (small pieces of fried suckling pig with garlic, Toledo-style carcamusas (a stew of lean pork, tomato, and vegetables with a little spice), venison or game stew, and marzipan (made with almonds, sugar, and potatoes and normally crafted into different kinds of little figurines).
After lunch, the Jewish quarter is a good place to go to find a sweet treat and a coffee (Toledo’s signature marzipan sweets here are made and sold by local nuns!) while enjoying a unique part of the city that holds a lot of history. Nearby, you can also visit the 12th-century Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca. In the afternoon, try one of the museums (for most people, the El Greco is a must the first time they visit Toledo), stroll around the Puerta del Sol or sit and enjoy a late afternoon drink, and then make the hike up to the Alcázar of Toledo, a fortified palace that sits perched on a hill overlooking the city.
If it’s Fall or Winter when the sun sets early, the best place to see the city all lit up at night is from the Alcázar.
Getting from Madrid to Toledo
To get from Madrid to Toledo by train go to Puerta de Atocha station in Central Madrid and purchase a ticket to Toledo. Trains leave every 20 minutes, and the journey takes about 30 minutes.
Your Toledo Questions Asked & Answered
Is there a high-speed train from Madrid to Toledo?
Yes, you can grab a high-speed train from Toledo every half an hour or so from Madrid.
Is Toledo worth a day trip from Madrid?
In my opinion, yes! It’s a charming, walkable city with plenty of historic sites to see and its own unique traditions.
So, with all of these great day trips from Madrid, which will you make time to do? Have you visited any of these sites or regions yet?