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Toledo Day Trip from Madrid Sights to See

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I'm currently working on my Toledo day trip itinerary and could use some advice. I'll be arriving in Toledo via train at 8:19am and departing at 5:57pm. I've got a bit to squeeze in, which leaves me less time to get lost/explore on foot and photograph which I love to do.

The must see attraction for me is the Primada Cathedral and I've purchased a ticket to visit at 10am and plan on spending 2 hours there.

The tourist bracelet won't work for me as I am not interested in all of the attractions. However, I would like to visit the following and I've listed the amount of time I think I'd want/need to spend at each.

  • Cristo De La Luz Mosque ( 30 mins, maybe less)
  • San Juan De Los Reyes Monastery (1-1.5 hours)
  • Jesuits Church/San Ildefonso (including climbing the tower) (1 hour)

Initially I was planning on including the Alcazar, but after further research exploring only the exterior/grounds and nearby viewpoint will be fine for me.

I always play around on Google street maps as well as using Pegman to walk the streets to find things of interest to view/photograph. I've found plenty in Toledo but need to arrange everything so there's less backtracking allowing time for more to see.

As much as I'd enjoy the walk from the train station up to city center, I think I'll opt for a taxi to save time and perhaps ask to be taken to a viewpoint first for photos before heading to Zocodover Square.

I'd welcome thoughts/advice on making the most of my time there. I now wish I would have added an hour onto my departure time, but didn't want to come back to Madrid exhausted hoping to explore there in the evening before dinner. Choosing to make the day trip to Toledo only leaves me with 1.5 days to see Madrid, but I couldn't skip Toledo being so close.

Posted by
1114 posts

There is an escalator from the train station to the Old Town so no cab will be necessary.

Also the El Greco Museum, and El Greco's Burial of the Count of Orgaz in the Sante Tome' Chapel. The Chapel in particular because it is its original location and thus is dis[played as it was designed to be (despite how much I like the good lighting of a museum gallery).

Posted by
8450 posts

The walk to either of the escalators from the train station is a mile and uphill. The closest escalator doesn’t go all the way up the historic center, but the one just past the Bisagra gate does go to the top. A taxi would save time.

The are a number of overlooks to get a good view of the town. Possibly the best view is from the Parador a couple miles outside of town.

Probably my favorite monument in town is the Bridge of San Martín. There are a number of places to get a good view of it.

Posted by
2321 posts

I would be surprised if you need a full hour for San Ildefonso. I think a half hour there is more than enough, including the tower climb and enjoying the views from up top. Similarly, a half hour is probably enough to explore San Juan de los Reyes. Certainly not as much time as you've allotted.

I agree with NickB that the El Greco Museum and Sante Tome' Chapel are worthwhile stops. (The Burial of the Count of Orgaz is considered to be El Greco's masterpiece, but be sure to either get a guide to tell you about it or find a guidebook with a good explanation of all that there is to see in that painting.)

In addition, I'd recommend a visit to the Sinagoga del Tránsito, and if time allows, the Museo de Santa Cruz.

Posted by
30399 posts

The historic area of Toledo is large and quite hilly, though I don't know how many hills you'll encounter around the specific sights you are focusing on. The hills can slow you down, so checking your walking routes on Google Maps to be sure you aren't repeatedly climbing and descending would be smart. When the estimated walking time is clearly over 20 minutes per mile, that's an indication of challenging terrain.

Posted by
853 posts

If interested, the military museum is fascinating.
There is also a bar with a misting system over the outside tables which has wonderful views over the trainstaion and surrounding countryside - great place to rest.
Small street off bottom left hand corner of square if you stand facing uphill.

Posted by
8450 posts

I agree that the military museum is nice to visit if you have sufficient time. It is in the Alcázar. With your limited time other sites are probably more important to visit. When I visited it a couple decades ago there was a very nice exhibit showing how it would have been for people living in the Alcázar when it was under siege during the Spanish Civil War.

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