Toledo is a city full of history, with an amazing heritage that allow us to travel back in time. In this post, I tell you what to see in a day-Trip to Toledo. Also, I give ideas about what to do in the city, and I explain how you can go from Madrid.

Must-see places in a Toledo Day Trip

These are the places in Toledo that you can’t miss:

Catedral Primada de Toledo

The Primate Cathedral of Toledo is the main Christian temple in the city. It was built in the 13th century in a Gothic style. It is in the city centre, in plaza del Ayuntamiento (City Hall Square), in front of the tourist office, so it’s a great starting point to explore Toledo.

Apart from its majestic architecture, it has works of art by important artists such as El Greco, Goya, Rafael, Tiziano and Caravaggio. If you want to visit its interior, you must buy a €12 ticket. It opens from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, and Sundays from 14:00 to 18:30.

Monasterio San Juan de los Reyes

San Juan de los Reyes Monastery is one of the most amazing buildings in Toledo. It was built in the 15th century, ordered by the Catholic Monarchs. It’s Hispanic-Flemish Gothic style, and my favourite part is the cloister.

To visit San Juan de los Reyes Monastery along with other attractions, I recommend you purchase the Toledo Tourist Wristband, which costs €12 and includes the entry to several places, so you can save up money. Individually, the ticket to the monastery costs €4.

All the links to Civitatis are affiliate links, so using them you’ll find the same prices as if you access the platform directly, but this way you’ll be supporting Wonders of Spain’s content.

Sinagoga Santa María la Blanca

Toledo is known as the city of the three cultures, as here coexisted Muslims, Christians and Jews. This is reflected in the heritage we can visit in the city. From the Jew culture, it stands out Santa María la Blanca, the former Major Synagogue of Toledo. The beauty of its rows of white columns leaves you speechless!

Greco’s Museum

If you like art, then you should visit Greco’s Museum. It consists of a recreation of a house from 16th century and a museum with some of the original works of El Greco. Even though the entry costs €3, it is free Saturdays from 14:00 (it closes at 19:30) and Sundays (it closes at 15:00).

Iglesia de Santo Tomé

To see one of the most famous paintings of El Greco, you have to visit Santo Tomé’s Church. Here you can admire The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. This painting is 4.8 m high and 3.6 m wide.

Mirador del Valle

The last must-see place in Toledo is Mirador del Valle or Valley Lookout. You can’t leave the city without before admiring the views from here, where you’ll see the majestic city surrounded by the river. You can take the bus L71 from the city centre to arrive.

Other places to visit in Toledo

Apart from these, there are other places to visit in Toledo in order to complete your visit to the city:

• Bell tower Iglesia de los Jesuítas: I recommend you to go if you’ve purchased the Toledo Tourist Wristband, as it is included. From the top of the Church of the Jesuits, you’ll have a great view.
• Alcázar: The Alcázar is one of the most outstanding buildings in Toledo. Even though it’s an impressive construction, its inside is the Museum of the Army, so if you don’t like this topic, you can skip this visit. On Sundays, the entry is free.
• Mezquita Cristo de la Luz: this ancient mosque is also included in the tourist wristband. It is small and nowadays it’s a Christian chapel. The same happens to Iglesia de El Salvador.
• Sinagoga del Tránsito: a beautiful ancient synagogue. On Saturday afternoons and Sundays, entry is free.

What to do in Toledo

There are several activities you can do in Toledo, both to explore is heritage and to add a bit of excitement to your visit to Toledo:

• Touristic train: With the touristic train, you’ll learn some history about Toledo while you enjoy the ride and the views. It goes to the Valley Lookout, where it stops for some minutes so you can take photos.
• Take a walking tour: The best way to learn about the history and heritage of Toledo is with a tourist guide. You can book a Free Walking Tour or a Private Tour, both in English.
• Zip line: Even in a historic destination as Toledo, you can have a little bit of adrenaline. The zipline Fly Toledo is next to San Martín bridge, and it costs €11.99.
• Hot Hair Balloon Ride: A daydreaming activity to do in Toledo is ballooning. This way you’ll have the most privileged views of the city. Furthermore, cava and a picnic lunch are included.
• Visit Puy du Fou: if you are planning to stay several days, you can visit Puy du Fou, an amazing themed park that will transport you back in time along the history of Iberian Peninsula.

Day trip to Toledo from Madrid: options

There are organised day trips from Madrid to Toledo with a guide who speaks English. A great place for booking it is Civitatis, a Spanish company with a lot of options. These are some of them:

• Toledo Full-Day Trip (€77.9)
• Toledo Half-Day Trip (€49.5)
• Toledo Day Trip + Wine Tasting (€65)
• Toledo and Segovia Guided Day Trip (€69)
• Day Trip to Toledo, Segovia and Ávila (€129)

If you prefer to go on your own, you can take public transport from Madrid to Toledo. The fastest option is taking a train with Renfe. It takes just 36 minutes and the price of the round ticket is around €22.2. Once you’ve arrived to Toledo, you can take a bus to the city centre (L61/L62) or walk around half an hour.

Also, you can take a bus from Madrid to Toledo. This is cheaper, with the company Alsa, around €11.5 the round trip, but it takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes. In Madrid, buses from Alsa to Toledo depart from Elíptica square. They arrive to the bus station of Toledo, from where you can walk or take a bus to the old town.

I hope you find this information useful in order to organise your day trip in Toledo. Enjoy this interesting destination full of history!

Pictures are from my travel blog in Spanish, Meraviglia, so I own the rights to them.