This guide on what to do in Toledo in one day It will help you plan the best itinerary on foot through one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, optimizing the time to the maximum.
Although we know that 24 hours is a short time to get to know this city in depth, we believe it is enough to know the most tourist areas, taking into account that the old town is quite small and all points of interest are within walking distance between them .
It is also highly recommended to spend the night in Toledo to see the illuminated city and take a leisurely stroll through its alleyways of the old town when most tourists have left.
Based on the experience of the two times we visited the city, in the last we wrote this list of places to visit in Toledo essential, we have made this route to know the best of Toledo in one day. We start!
How to get to Toledo
Keep in mind that the closest airport to Toledo is Madrid Barajas Adolfo Suarez and many travelers take advantage of good public transport communication with the capital to get to know this amazing city.
To get to Toledo you can take an AVANT train that leaves every hour from the Atocha Station and leaves you at the train station in 33 minutes for less than 14 euros. Although the frequency of trains is quite high, it is advisable to book tickets one day in advance, especially if you travel on weekends or holidays.
Another cheaper but less comfortable way to get to Toledo is to take a bus from the ALSA company that leaves the Elliptical Plaza Exchanger and leaves you near the center in 50 minutes for 5.5 euros or 10 euros, if you buy round trip .
If you only have one day and want to learn more about the history of Toledo, it may be more interesting to book this excursion with a guide in Spanish or this tour that also includes a visit to Segovia, another of the essential cities to see in Spain.
For more information about the transfer you can consult this post on how to go from Madrid to Toledo.
Where to stay
The best area to stay and tour Toledo in one day It is around the Plaza de Zocodover, the nerve center of the city, being close to all points of interest and having good communication by public transport with the bus stop and the city's train station.
Among the numerous hotels that are located in this area, we recommend the Sercotel Alfonso VI Hotel and La Posada de Manolo, both with an excellent quality / price ratio and perfect to know this incredible city.
For more information on the best hotels and neighborhoods we recommend you check this post of where to stay in Toledo.
Tips for traveling to Toledo
Once you are clear about how to get to Toledo and the accommodation booked, you can follow this series of practical tips that will help you prepare your trip to Toledo:
- Check if it is profitable to book the Toledo Card, which includes the skip-the-line entrance to the main monuments and a walking tour with a guide in Spanish.
- Try the marzipan and a Manchego cheese board, two of the city's star products.
- To learn more about the history of the city, it is interesting to book this guided tour of the Toledo of the three cultures or this free tour of Toledo Free!, Both with a guide in Spanish and located among the most valued tours of the city by travelers.
- Visit the Cathedral first thing in the morning to avoid finding queues or too many people inside.
Toledo in one day
The itinerary of what to do in Toledo one day It starts early in the morning arriving at the AVE train station or the bus station.
If you are only going to be one day we recommend you start the route by walking in about 40 minutes or by taxi (5 euros) to the Mirador del Valle, from where you get the best views of Toledo. In case of staying to sleep in Toledo or having to return to Madrid very late, the sunset is also a great time to approach this viewpoint.
From this viewpoint, which are actually several that are distributed along the ring road in the south of the city, you can see the entire city and the buildings that stand out over the Toledo skyline such as the Alcazar or the Cathedral.
If you prefer to have more panoramic views of Toledo and the surroundings you can climb to the viewpoint of Piedra del Rey Moro.
Valley Viewpoint
To return to the center, we advise you to walk down and thus see the city from other natural viewpoints, which will allow you to enjoy various perspectives of the city.
Before entering the walled historic center, you have to cross the 200 meters of the Alcántara Bridge built on the Tagus river by the Romans in 103, which along with San Martín, are the most beautiful in the city and to which it deserves the worth spending some time.
After crossing the bridge and climbing a small slope you will arrive at a parking lot, from where you can go up some internal escalators to the Plaza de Zocodover.
This ancient arcaded Plaza Mayor is a good starting point to explore the medieval old town, a World Heritage Site. In addition, it is surrounded by terraces and beautiful buildings of Castilian architecture, being a perfect place to make a stop and taste the typical sweet of the city, the marzipan.
A few meters from the Plaza de Zocodover is the Alcazar, a huge rectangular medieval fortress and the next stop of the Toledo in one day.
Having little time we recommend leaving the visit for another day and going up to the top floor of the Library of Castilla-La Mancha, for free, in which there is a cafeteria with good views of the city.
Views from the Library
After circling the Alcazar and seeing the Castillo de San Servando from afar, you can head towards the Cathedral of Santa María or Primada de España. This Gothic church is the emblem of Toledo and it is advisable to visit it around 10 in the morning, before the organized groups arrive. Before entering or leaving, it is worth going around this huge building to see the three facades of the cathedral: the main one, the Puerta del Reloj and the Puerta de los Leones.
The entrance to the Cathedral costs 10 euros but you may find it more interesting to pay a little more and book this guided tour, which will allow you to better know the history of the church or take this offer that also includes the famous guided tour in Spanish of the three cultures.
Once inside it is essential to see the Main Chapel with its magnificent altarpiece, the Chapter House, the Mozarabic Chapel, the Choir or the Treasury, among other places.
Toledo Cathedral
When leaving the cathedral the Toledo route in one day continue strolling through the center until you reach the Church of Santo Tomé where the great masterpiece of El Greco is located, "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz". The ticket price is 3 euros, but it is included if you have purchased the Toledo Card.
After the visit you can go down the Paseo del Transit to enter the old Jewish neighborhood, where the Greco Museum and two synagogues are located. According to our personal opinion, if you are not a lover of El Greco's paintings, we recommend leaving the visit for another day and approaching the Transit Synagogue directly, where the Sephardic Museum and a magnificent coffered ceiling are located inside this religious building. of wood.
Although if you only want to see a synagogue, you can walk a few meters further along Calle de los Reyes Católicos until you reach the Synagogue of Santa María La Blanca, our favorite in Toledo.
Upon entering the interior of the synagogue you will be surprised to see the white walls and the horseshoe arches that give it a special charm. Admission is also included in the Toledo Card.
Synagogue of Santa María La Blanca
When you leave the synagogue you can walk a few meters along the same street to the monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, the next stop of the Toledo in one day.
This Elizabethan Gothic building, built by order of the Catholic Monarchs, impresses with its beautiful two-story cloister full of decorative figures.
After the visit of the monastery, you can head downtown through Angel Street, one of the most beautiful in the city, which will take you to the Church of the Jesuits or San Ildefonso, a Baroque church that has one of the best views from the city from the top of its two towers and the passage that connects them.
Views from the Church of the Jesuits
Being close to lunchtime we recommend you enjoy the homemade food of El Albero or the most modern of La Mar Salá, two of the best restaurants to eat in Toledo.
In the afternoon you can complete the Toledo in one day with the visit to the Mosque of Christ of the Light, considered the best preserved building of the Muslim era of the city and approach the Bisagra Gate, a few meters from the mosque, which is one of the main accesses to the ancient city Medieval walled of Toledo.
Hinge Door
The last hours of the afternoon we recommend you to walk through the streets of the city, aimlessly, enjoying the atmosphere and its historic center, one of the most impressive in the country.
And if you spend the night in the city, do not miss the night tour through the mysterious Toledo or East of the Templars, both with a guide in Spanish and located among the most valued by travelers visiting the city.
If you have more time we recommend you book the excursion to Puy du Fou, an impressive show in which you will relive 1,500 years of Spanish history and culture with an audiovisual montage that will leave you speechless.
Toledo map in one day
Do you want to organize a trip to Toledo?
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The best hotels at the best prices in Toledo here
Book the best tours and excursions in Toledo in Spanish here
Where to stay in Toledo: best neighborhoods and hotels
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The best offers of Flights to Madrid here
The best hotels at the best prices in Toledo here
Book the best tours and excursions in Toledo in Spanish here
Where to stay in Toledo: best neighborhoods and hotels
Rent your car in Madrid at the best price here
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