Toledo, a Unesco heritage city located at less than 1 hour from Madrid, is known as the city of the 3 cultures since Jewish, Moorish and Christian populations lived in Toledo at the same time. This selection of Toledo tours from Madrid has been built to ensure you get to know not just Toledo, but also about Spanish astronomy.
Our top recommended tour is the small group Toledo and Don Quixote mills tour, which includes hotel pick_up in Madrid, visits to the main monuments in Toledo, a winery visit, and fantastic lunch and a short visit to the amazing mills of Don Quixote. But there are more affordable options which also offer a good experience and excellent value.
This Toledo tour has nothing in common with the typical daily tour buses travelling from Madrid to Toledo - it offers a truly unique opportunity to enjoy so much more than just Toledo city. This private tour to Toledo is led by a senior guide who will escort you through the history of Spain, introduce you to typical food from La Mancha, as well as provide you with expert knowledge on the production of wine in this area of Spain (which is, coincidentally, the world´s largest vineyard).
Discover in this post the best attractions in Toledo as well as things you should not miss during your visit to the city. Once a medieval city of three religious cultures, Toledo’s history and heritage make it an interesting visit for tourists. … Read More
A quick review of Toledo´s city to better understand the key role it played in Spain for centuries. Toledo is one of Spain’s most impressive cities and well worth a visit during your trip, whether it be a day trip from Madrid or on your way to a second destination as part of a road trip. … Read More
It is never easy to provide with long-term weather forecasts. Our intention with this post is to provide an overview of the weather in Toledo, Spain. We hope this post helps you to prepare your tour in Toledo. … Read More
Toledo Cathedral. Facts, opening hours, history, paintings and other interesting information. Find out what you need to know to plan your visit to Toledo, Spain. … Read More
A short post with small videos and pictures to illustrate the highlights of the tour to Toledo we run from Madrid. The tour includes the medieval city of Toledo, the amazing windmills of Don Quixote in La Mancha and also a stop at a traditional winery. … Read More
The nearest airport to Toledo, Spain is Madrid. Madrid is located at 1-hour drive from Toledo. Toledo can be reached by motorway from Madrid, but also by high-speed train (30 minutes from Atocha train station to Toledo). Most visitors to Toledo get to the city using a day tour from Madrid since in this way they avoid having to change hotels often.
The weather in Toledo is continental and summers can be hotel (July and August) In our opinion the best months to enjoy Toledo are April, May, June (though it can be very busy if a tour is booked at Corpus Cristi), September and October.
Local gastronomy in Toledo is influenced by the cultural heritage of the city. Different civilisations co-existed in Toledo for centuries and this impacted local dishes. Toledo´s most famous food is marzipan, a local sweet made with almonds, sugar and egg yolks. Another famous dish, this time a tapa, is carcamusa. Carcamusa is a stew served in a small pot (a cazuela) This typical stew is made with slowed cooked pork, peas, tomatoes and white wine. It is served in a small clay pot or cazuela. The third most outstanding dishes in Toledo are game dishes. The region of Toledo is home to both big and small wild game and the most well-known dishes are venison and the red partridge.
Since Toledo receives so many tourists every day, there are many restaurants that offer mediocre food and menus. The situation has however improved a lot in recent years, and a growing number of restaurants located in the most touristic streets offer today reasonable menus.
The whole historic center of Toledo can be described as a monument or an open-air museum. This Unesco heritage site offers a lot for a day tour. The Cathedral (Catedral Primada) is for many experts the best example of Gothic architecture in Spain. Its construction started in 1226 and it took “only” 250 years to get it completed. The Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes is another top highlight in the city. It was commissioned by the Reyes Catolicos. El Puente de San Martin, not far from the Monastery is one of the most beautiful bridges in Spain. There are many more top attractions in Toledo, including two synagogues, the Greco Museum, the outstanding Iglesia de San Ildefonso, la Puerta de Bisagra or the beautiful Alcantara bridge. Toledo is so amazing that some top sights like Zocodover square are almost neglected by visitors that enjoy a day tour in the city. The amazing heritage of Toledo has contributed to its inclusion in the Unesco Heritage sites. The Unesco site is worth reading prior to a tour in the city to understand the most important things that make of Toledo such an amazing place to visit.
The Sinagoga del Transito is a true jewel of Sephardic heritage in Spain. The synagogue was built at a time in which building sinagogues was not permitted. At that time Pedro I was King and his treasurer was Samuel Levi. The King permitted Samuel to build the Sinagogue. Both the decorations and the dimension of the Sinagogue are impressive. But this is not the only jewel Toledo offers for those seeking to understand jewish heritage. The Sinagona Santa Maria La Blanca and also the Puerta del Cambron (the gate to the judería or jewish quarter). The Jewish were expelled from Spain in 1492, the same year Columbus arrived to America. Though there are not clear statistics, some studies propose the number of 200,000 people expelled and many more converted.
If you are visiting Toledo on your own and if you have enough time, your walking tour should include a stop at the Iglesia de San Ildefonso. It offers fantastic views of the city but you will need to climb to its tower. However, most tours to the city include stops on the other side of the Tagus river. The views or vistas from different areas of this road outside Toledo are breath-taking. This is one of the things you would miss if you get to Toledo on train.
El Greco is an icon painter. His style is unmistakable and holds a top position in the history of European art. Born in Crete, el Greco studied in Venice and Rome and he then settled in Toledo, where he found the patronage of several rich people. He was, like many geniuses, an extravagant character. Toledo holds a museum dedicated to his art, and also a good number of pieces can be enjoyed at the Convento de Santo Domingo El Antiguo. But the top highlight for El Greco lovers is Santo Tomé, where the famous painting, the burial of Conde Orgaz is not to be missed.
Toledo is not the easiest city to walk and you will have to be realistic because there are many things to see and enjoy and you will not be able to “do it all”. Most streets in the old city are cobbled and comfortable shoes are a must. There are some hilly streets but since it hardly rains, the streets are not slippery. Unless you have serious mobility issues you should be able to enjoy a guided tour in Toledo, or be able to stroll at your own pace. In summertime the most important touristic streets are covered with canopies to create artificial shadows.
Many children will find Toledo a dream come true: stone walls, ancient streets that look like a maze, and attractions like the torture museum, which can be of special interest to older children. Even at places like the cathedral´s museum kids can become mesmerized by its size and the amazing stained glass windows and gold relics.
There are many things to see and walking up and down in Toledo can get tiring for kinds and adults alike. You have to be realistic about your objectives for the day. If you decide to visit the city by train we would strongly recommend not walking from the station but rather taking a taxi to avoid unnecessary walking time.