Segovia and Toledo from Madrid day tour
In just one day, enjoy an excursion to Toledo and Segovia from Madrid. These two historic cities, declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, are close to the Spanish capital. Therefore, it is possible to take full advantage of the day in to get to know both locations, authentic gems of Spanish heritage.
We will begin with a guided visit to the city of Toledo, located 70 kilometres from Madrid. There we will go on a walking tour in to introduce you to all of its attractions before giving you free time to enter those that seem most intriguing to you.
Walking tour in Toledo
In Toledo, we will find monuments made by Christians, Jews and Muslims, who coexisted in peace and harmony. That’s why this city is also known as the “City of the Three Cultures.”
Walking through the historic centre of Toledo is a true luxury. We will travel along narrow, cobbled and steep streets that are almost exactly as they were in the 16th century. That is part of the charm of our itinerary through Toledo, but for people with limited mobility it can be very difficult, so this tour is not recommended if you have such limitations.
The first point of contact we will have with Toledo will be from the Mirador del Valle (Valley Lookout), where we will have some fantastic views of the city, surrounded by the Tajo River, in which the Alcazar and Cathedral stand out.
We will begin our walking tour of Toledo by crossing through one of the city’s most beautiful entrances, the San Martin Bridge. It will allow us to cross the Tajo River, which envelopes the city. The bridge, which formed part of the city’s defensive complex, has a tower on both sides, and on them we will see the crest of Emperor Carlos V presiding over the entrance.
From the San Martín Bridge, we will head toward the Jewish district and to our first stop: the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, declared an Historic-Artistic Monument of National Interest. This Gothic-style monastery was built in 1477 by order of Queen Isabel the Catholic as gratitude to God for victory in the Battle of Toro. In fact, both on its facade and in its interior, we will find representations of the Crown of Castile.
In your free time, you will be able to go inside to see its cloister, which is considered one of the jewels of the Gothic Renaissance in Spain, and its church, where reliefs with the crest of monarchs are highlighted on its walls and high altar.
Also in the Jewish district, we will find the only 2 historic synagogues remaining of the original 9: the Transito Synagogue (14th century) and the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca (12th century), declared a National Monument.
Both synagogues are of a Mudejar (Moorish) style inside, since the Moors were charged with its construction. You can also visit them on your own during your free time.
Before leaving the Jewish district, we will head toward the small church of Santo Tomé, the most-visited place in Toledo, where the master work of El Greco is located: The burial of Count Orgaz. Take advantage of your free time to see this magnificent painting if you wish.
Our next stop is the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, where the Town Hall, Archiepiscopal Palace and the Cathedral of Saint Mary are located.
The Cathedral of Toledo is considered Spain’s Gothic jewel, and on its main facade, its unique tower of three crowns, 92 metres high, and the Puerta del Perdón (Gate of Forgiveness) are displayed. You can visit the interior of the cathedral during your free time with an audio guide.
Now our guided tour of Toledo has come to a close, and you will have 90 minutes of free time to go to any of the places we passed by to go inside. All of them are very close by. If you prefer, you could always go shopping or get something to eat.
Walking tour in Segovia
Once our visit to Toledo has ended, we will begin the bus ride to Segovia. The journey lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes, but it is worthwhile to get to know three of Spain’s great monuments. The first of them, the Roman Aqueduct, will be the starting point of our visit to Segovia.
The aqueduct served to transport water from the Guadarrama Mountain Range to Segovia over 15 kilometres. Built during the Roman presence in Spain in the 2nd century, its most visible part is 800 metres long and reaches up to 28 metres high. While approaching the aqueduct, we will be able to see how it was built stone upon stone, without any type of mortar to hold it together.
This will be our first point of contact with the heritage of Segovia, but before continuing we will give you time to eat. We recommend going to Mesón de Cándido or Casa Duque, the most famous restaurants in Segovia to sample the city’s most typical dish: cochinillo asado (roast pig). This dish, together with the other typical dish, judiones (beans), can also be sampled in practically all of the restaurants in the city.
After eating, on our trip to the Alcazar we will encounter other prominent areas in the city.
We will see palatial houses of the old nobles, like the Casa de los Picos or the Torre de los Lozoya.
We will get to know two important examples of Roman-style churches catalogued as National Monuments: the Church of San Martín and the Church of San Andrés.
We will walk through the Jewish district and discover the house of Abraham Seneor, a former Chief Rabbi of Segovia.
We will also contemplate the facade of its impressive cathedral, built between the 16th and 18th centuries and considered the last cathedral built in the Gothic style in Spain.
We will finish our guided visit to Segovia by entering the spectacular Alcazar, the other great symbol of the city and the residence of the Castilian Monarchs until the Catholic Monarchs, and one of the castles that inspired the Disney Castle.
Inside, rooms as elegant as the Throne Room, the Room of the Kings, the Armory or the Royal Chamber await us, which we will visit at our own pace.
In short, our proposed tour through Toledo and Segovia from Madrid in the same day is an irreplaceable offer and the opportunity to discover two absolutely essential destinations during your holiday in Spain.
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