In a country of superlative cities it is hard to imagine a Spanish city more incredible, more beautiful, better preserved and full of surprises than our destination today. Join us on our trip where we show you what to see in Toledo, a world heritage city and one of our great Spanish passions.
What to see in Toledo, the outstanding Spanish destination
The Alcázar, the Cathedral, the Cuevas de Hércules, the Jesuit Church, the Church of San Román, the Church of Santo Tomé, the Church of the Saviour, the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes, the Santa Maria la Blanca synagogue or the Transito synagogue are just a few of the must-see places in Toledo, witness to the rich history of the former capital of Spain.
The Pulsera Turística, Toledo’s tourist wristband
The pulsera turística is an excellent combined ticket that allows you to save money in the city. You buy the wristband, wear it on your wrist and with it you can enter seven of the cities monuments that we have already shown you in the video. They are the Church of the Jesuits, the Church of Santo Tomé, the Church of El Salvador, the San Juan de los Reyes Monastery, the mosque of the Cristo de la Luz, the Royal College of Noble Maidens and the synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca.
From the first use of the wristband, and as long as you don’t take it off, it will be valid for seven days, allowing you to make a single visit to each of the monuments during that period of time. You can buy the wristband at the ticket offices of any of the monuments, or at the Civitatis website following this link.
How much time in Toledo?
We’ve seen the attractions, now it’s time to talk about how much time to spend in Toledo. There are two indisputable facts.
The first is that most people think of Toledo as a day trip from Madrid, and the second is that there are many many many fascinating places to visit in Toledo. And, of course, too many places and too little time is a complicated combination.
Ideally, you would dedicate one day, one night and at least part of the next day to Toledo. That way you could explore Toledo at your leisure, discovering countless little corners that those who take a day trip don’t get to see. Planning your visits without rushing, with time to enjoy yourself and also to take a break without that “I wish I had had spent more time in the city” feeling. For those staying overnight in Toledo the big advantage comes at the end of the day. As well as being able to watch the sunset from the viewpoints, as we mentioned earlier in the video, when evening falls most tourists return to Madrid and the city becomes a haven of tranquility, reserving for those who have decided to stay overnight the privilege of contemplating the city’s beautiful monumental illumination.
Hey, Tony, hold on a second, does all this mean we are condemning the same day round trip that most people do? No, not necessarily. We maintain our preference for an overnight visit but if you can only do Toledo as a day trip, it can work as long as you take these three steps:
- The first is to try to arrive in Toledo at around 9:30 in the morning so that you can start your visit at that time. The main monuments open their doors at 10 a.m.. Book your return for the end of the day, from 8:00 p.m. onwards.
- The second step is to be aware that you will not be able to visit all the places we have shown you and you will have to make a selection of the places of interest you are going to visit.
- And the third step is to make sure you don’t arrive in Toledo without having an idea of the route you are going to follow. Toledo is a city with so many narrow streets that it is not always easy to find your way around. If you leave it until the last minute to organize your visit you are likely to waste valuable time that you don’t have.
Toledo in one day – walking tour
And here’s where we come to the rescue with our Toledo in one day, a self-guided walking tour we have created to help you optimize your time in the city. It is an electronic guide you can carry on your mobile/smartphone. Along with an online map, the guide contains a full day walking tour that covers 19 sights in the extraordinary Toledo. No need to rock your brains on how to visit Toledo, we’ve done that work for you.
Our Toledo in one day walking tour is a comprehensive walking tour delivering crystal-clear instructions that immerse you in the heart of the city, making you feel like a true Toledano. Deciding what to visit is not an insurmountable task. Planning the order in which to visit those places is something quite different, as it requires a deep knowledge of the city.
After years helping travelers who come to Toledo, we feel one of the main mistakes made by many is to follow unrealistic routes, that do not optimize their time in the city and miss out on incredible places. Our guide is the perfect solution for anyone wanting to find out what to see in Toledo and how to do it in just the one day.
A full-day walking tour that covers one of the most outstanding destinations in Spain, Toledo, with delicious and traditional food stops along the way. Uncovering the wonderful Toledo has never been so easy!
Check all the details of Toledo in one day here!
Hello Tony,
My wife & I will be coming up to Toledo via train after flying in to Seville and stopping in Cordoba for a few days by train. My question to you is “can we train into Toledo from Cordoba or do we have to train into Madrid first, then train into Toledo from Madrid?” We are booked to stay in Toledo 3 days.
Thank You,
Terry
Hi Terrence, you have to go to Madrid first.
How often do trains leave from Toledo to Madrid? Because if we want to leave earlier [and our return trip is later], then what are our options? Is there a cost to consider as well?
There are several trains per hour. You can only board the train for which you have a ticket. If your tickets allows it, you might be able to change the ticket.
Greetings Tony, Your You Tube content is tremendous! We are flying into Madrid for 4 nights, then the train to Toledo for 1 night. However the next day we want to depart Toledo for Cordoba. But that means going back to Madrid and hoping on another train. Are we better off just making Toledo a day trip from Madrid and departing Madrid for Cordoba? Your advice needed. Kind regards, Jerry
Hi Jerry, many thanks for your kind words. Yes, trains from Toledo only run on the Toledo-Madrid line, forcing you to make choices. Toledo at night is so wonderful that we would spend the night there. Then take a train to Madrid and, at least 45 minutes later, a second train to Córdoba. All the best!
Hello Tony,
I’ve watched many of your videos and subscribed to your channel. Thank you for everything you and your wife do to help others plan their trip.
My husband and I will be visiting Spain for the first time in April of 2025.
We will land in Madrid at 730 a.m on April 27th, a Saturday and we leave out of Barcelona to Serbia on May 11th.
I would love to visit Avila, but I do not think we have the time.
We want to visit Toledo, Granada, Sevilla (and be there for La Feria de Abril this year which will fall begin on May 6th), and then visit Cordoba and go to Barcelona.
I have a couple of questions. Is it true that the sites in most cities are closed on Sunday or Mondays? If so, are any of the cities I mention above affected by those closures?
Second, do you think this is a reasonable itinerary –
(Sat) April 26 – Land in Madrid 7:30 a.m. Explore a little of Madrid that evening. Or perhaps see Avila at night? We will be staying in Hotel in Madrid this night.
(Sun) April 27 – Travel by high speed train early morning from Madrid to Toledo, return to Madrid
(Mon) April 28 – Check out of Hotel in Madrid, travel by train to Granada, where we will stay in Hotel in Granada
(Tues) April 29 – Explore Granada
(Wed) April 30 – Explore Granada
(Thurs) May 1 – Check out of Hotel in Granada and travel to Sevilla early morning, where we will stay at Hotel in Sevilla
(Fri) May 2 – Explore Sevilla
(Sat) May 3 – Explore Sevilla
(Sun) May 4 Take train from Sevilla to Cordoba and explore, return to Sevilla at night.
(Mon) May 5 Take train from Sevilla to either Cadiz or Malaga, return to Sevilla at night.
(Tues) May 6 – Have fun on Day 1 of La Feria de Abril in Sevilla
(Wed) May 7 Check out of Sevilla Hotel and travel to Barcelona early morning by train
(Thurs) May 8 Explore Barcelona
(Fri) May 9 Explore Barcelona
(Sat) May 10 Explore Barcelona
(Sun) May 11, fly to Serbia
Thank you for your help.
Hello Noemi, apologies for a belated reply, we have been on holidays very far from home. To answer your first question, cities are always opened (don’t understand the meaning of the question). The vast majority of attractions open on Sundays, quite a few close on Mondays. As for the second question, we intend to create a consultancy service to help with queries like yours, but so far it is at a planning stage.
In the meantime, the following video is a good starting point for any planning. You can also count with our self-guided walking tours, see the details here.
Thanks Tony, yes you answered my question. My concern was as to the sites being opened.
Tony, We will be in Toledo on Tuesday May 1st 2025 on Labor Day. What will be open? How should we plan our itinerary? Looking to salvage a blatant scheduling mishap! Want to make sure we can purchase a couple Damascus steel knives. Thank you. Kind regards, Jerry
Hi Jerry, there is still hope! All the attractions that are part of the Pulsera Turística (the tourist wristband) will be open on 1 May, at least there is no indication on their website otherwise. Make sure you see our warning on the video above about the transportation of steel knives on the high-speed train. All the best.
Hey Tony
Thank you for the wealth of information in your videos. We are planning to stay in Toledo for 3 day and nights. we would love to purchase your day tour and use it over the period we are in Toledo. When you say you can down load it up to 6 times this would work for that period?
Do I need to down load it when I arrive in Toledo, Not before? to get the best experience?
Hello Vicki. The download limit means you can download the file up to six times. But if you download it correctly the first time, that will be the only download you need to complete. The file will be in your computer or you smartphone for as long as you need it (you can make copies if you need to). You can download it before arriving to Toledo for a better preparation of your trip. All the very best!
Hi Tony. Just wondering how we should adapt your one day travel guide to an overnight stay?
Hi Larry, you could not do the cathedral on your first night and leave it for the morning of the second day. All the best!
Hi Tony. Just wondering how we should adapt your one day travel guide to an overnight stay? And should we buy our bus tickets in advance?
If you are planning to go by bus there is no need to buy them in advance. If you were to go by train, we would advise advance purchase. All the best.