5 Day Trips from Madrid You Should Definitely Add To Your Bucket List Last Updated: July 14, 2021
Madrid is a buzzing city, no doubt! While there is a lot to do in the city itself, there are quite a few day trips from Madrid less than two hours away that are worth visiting too.
If you have only less than three days in Madrid, then go ahead and explore the city only. But if you are there for longer, keep reading because I have some great recommendations coming your way!
There are many hidden gems situated less than three hours away from Madrid. While I have explored around 7-8 of them in total, I am going to majorly talk about my top 5 which I highly suggest you add to your bucket list whenever you visit Madrid, some of them are popular and some may or may not be so much.
Let’s dive right in!
1. Toledo (approx. 1 hour from Madrid by car/public transport)
2. Segovia (approx. 1 hour from Madrid by car/public transport)
3. Cuenca (approx. 2 hours by car and approx. 3.5 hours by public transport)
4. Chinchon (approx. 1 hour from Madrid by car/public transport)
5. El Escorial (less than 1.5 hours from Madrid by car/public transport)
1. Toledo
Toledo is one of the most ancient and unique cities of Spain, located in the autonomous community of Castile La-Mancha. This is by far my favourite day trip from Madrid.
I had a chance to visit this beautiful city twice – the first time in the month of February and the second time in the month of December during Christmas.
This medieval city has a mix of Arab, Jewish, and Christian architecture. It is known for antique craft items like swords and artisanal marzipan (a sweet made with almonds).
Besides the mesmerizing Moorish landscapes, there is a popular church and the El Greco Museum that are worth visiting.
During Christmas, the city is lit with medieval Christmas markets – something that you will not find in the Madrid city center or any other European city for that matter.
The city’s close proximity to Madrid will definitely make you want to come back again.
2. Segovia
Another favourite day trip for me from Madrid is to Segovia – a historic city situated in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. I have visited this city twice as well and fell in love both times.
A day trip or a weekend trip to Segovia would be ideal for a getaway from the Madrid city life.
There are many things to see – Right from the magnificent Roman aqueduct to the Alcazar of Segovia to the Gothic cathedral. You may also want to see the panoramic views from Mirador de la Pradera de San Marcos.
It is crazy to think that such a place exists only an hour away from Madrid!
3. Cuenca & the Enchanted City
Cuenca is another city in the autonomous community of Castile La-Mancha. It is a mountainous city with Moorish architecture consisting of cobbled streets and ruins of a medieval castle.
A lot of people visit only the capital city of Cuenca but there is more to it.
The Enchanted City of Cuenca is a hidden gem that is only a short drive away from Cuenca, the capital city.
This place is a natural phenomenon caused by the formations of unique rock structures sculpted naturally by ice, wind, and water.
You need to buy tickets to enter this site and it is recommended to take a guide with you to understand the details of the rock structure formations.
More than the capital, I was impressed by this geological site which is not known enough.
If you plan to add Cuenca to your list, it is a must to visit the Enchanted city to get the whole experience.
4. Chinchon
Chinchon is a small town in the community of Madrid. I hiked to this place with a local hiking group from Madrid right before the pandemic.
This happened to be my last excursion to Spain.
I was smitten by the hilltop houses and the medieval Plaza Mayor of Chinchon. This town is so ancient that you really feel like you are living in the 14th century.
One of the main attractions of Chinchon is the bat caves. There is a restaurant which has an underground bat cave. Although we didn’t come across any bats during our visit, it was still pretty interesting to see the dungeon-like cave inside a restaurant.
Another fun fact about Chinchon is that it has Spain’s best garlic production, so much so that there is a Garlic Festival held in the town every year in October.
If you are a garlic lover like me, then Chinchon should be on your list!
5. El Escorial
El Escorial is a village in the community of Madrid in the Guadarrama mountains.
It is mainly known for the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also the world’s largest renaissance building in the world.
Besides the monastery, there is also a basilica that you can visit.
If you are not really into Spanish history, you can enjoy some tapas in the village center.
While there is not much to do in El Escorial, I would still recommend it for the marvelous architecture of the monastery and the views surrounding it.
It is surprising to see how diverse Spain is. Even though all the aforementioned day trips are historical, they are unique in their own ways and very different from the city of Madrid.
I was blown away by the beauty of each of these places, especially since they are located so close to Madrid and yet are so different from the rest of the major cities of Spain.
If you have any specific questions regarding any of the options for day trips from Madrid, please feel free to comment below!
Check out the top 10 FREE Things to do in Madrid here.
