The Best of Spain: Ultimate 10 Day Spain Itinerary
Are you planning a trip to Spain? This popular destination has so much to see that it can be tricky to plan the perfect Spain travel itinerary for a short amount of time. The first time I visited Spain, all I knew was Barcelona and Madrid. So that’s all I visited! But after living in Spain for over two years now, I have put together this perfect Spain itinerary for ten days.
This ten day Spain itinerary of course hits the two big destinations of Barcelona and Madrid. But it also includes the arguably much more interesting destinations of Seville, Granada, and Cordoba. That way, you can return back home from Spain having seen more than just the basics!
But, I must warn you. This Spain itinerary is very detailed. Like, how-on-earth-do-you-have-time-to-write-all-this detailed. That’s on purpose. You can go to any old travel blog to get a vague “two nights in here” and “one night here,” bare-bones itinerary for Spain. But those itineraries don’t tell you what to do in each destination, or how to get from each city to city. You would have to go look that up after. But not with this itinerary.
In short, what I am trying to say is: get ready for a long article! (About a 25 minute read.) You will probably want to save this for later right now by bookmarking it or saving it on Pinterest, just in case you don’t finish all in one go. Then, sit back, kick your feet up, and let’s get to it!
Pssst! If you are debating a shorter trip to Spain, check out my Spain itinerary for one week.
The Perfect 10 Day Spain Itinerary
Let’s begin with an overview of this epic, ten day Spain itinerary, so that you can have an idea of what to expect for your trip.
| Days | City | Overnight In |
| Days 1 – 3: | Barcelona | Barcelona |
| Days 4 – 5: | Madrid | Madrid |
| Days 6 – 7: | Granada | Granada |
| Days 8 – 9: | Seville | Seville |
| Day 10: | Cordoba | Seville |
Pssst! Be sure to check out my hotel and hostel guide to match this itinerary’s stops!
What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Spain?
Spain has the reputation of eternal warmth and sunshine. It’s true Spain’s weather is quite good year round in many places. But after having lived here, I can report back that winter definitely gets chilly in many of the destinations in this ten day Spain itinerary. I can also report that summer gets unbearably hot in many of these destinations! People say that about a lot of destinations in Europe. But trust me – avoid doing this Spain itinerary in summer. Because of that, I recommend you visit Spain during the shoulder seasons of April – May and September – October. This lets you enjoy every destination in this ten day Spain itinerary in mild weather.
BUT, I do recommend avoiding the week leading up to Easter. This week, called Semana Santa, is a very big deal in the region of Andalusia (which includes Seville, Granada, and Cordoba). Streets get blocked off for daily processions that last through the night. Hours change for even the most popular of attractions. Everything shuts down except restaurants on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. And the cities are just very crowded overall. So unless you particularly want to see the processions (because they are quite interesting!), I recommend avoiding Easter time for this ten day Spain itinerary.
What is the Best Way to Get Around Spain?
There is a lot of debate about the best way to travel around Spain. For some parts of the country, a car is definitely ideal. But for this ten day Spain itinerary, you won’t need one. This Spain itinerary is completely car-free, relying solely on Spain’s extensive train network. You can purchase all the train journeys I mention in this itinerary in advance at the official Renfe website. You can also download their app (Apple and Android) so that you have all your tickets in one, convenient place.
Free Printable 10 Day Spain Itinerary E-Book
But once you are actually in Spain, you definitely don’t want to be walking around on your phone all trip trying to get to each next spot. So, I’ve made a printable, condensed version of this post with every important detail from this ten day Spain itinerary you’re about to read. Just download the PDF, print it double-sided (so three pages total), and you’re good to go for your trip. It even has a map to help you visualize! Enter your email below, and get the PDF sent straight to your inbox.
(Finally) The Actual Ten Day Itinerary for Spain
Beforehand, I just want to let you know you can do this itinerary in the order I have it or in the exact reverse. Just look up flights and see which direction is cheaper. Also, at the very end of this page, I have a section on how to adjust this itinerary if you need to. Ready?!
Barcelona
Barcelona is Spain’s most-visited tourist destination, boasts unique Gaudí architecture, and is home to one of the most famous football (soccer) clubs in the world. Thus, it is an absolute must on any first-time Spain itinerary! Located towards the eastern end of Spain’s southern coast, Barcelona offers all the perks of big-city life, but in a setting of palm trees, ocean breezes, and sandy beaches. Barcelona is also the capital of Catalonia, a region which has been trying to separate from Spain since 2017.
How to Get to Barcelona
As the starting point of your Spain trip, you will need to fly into Barcelona. Barcelona’s international airport is Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN). To get from BCN airport to the city center, you have three options.
- Option 1: Take a bus. From BCN, you can take the Aerobus to Plaça de Catalunya in the Barcelona city center. This leaves every 5 minutes during peak hours, costs €7.45 one way (€12.85 roundtrip), and takes around 30 minutes. From Plaça de Catalunya, you can either walk to your accommodation, or use the Metro to take the subway if your accommodation is further away. Be very careful of pick-pocketers in Plaça de Catalunya and on the Metro! You can find the Aerobus schedule and purchase tickets in advance at the official site. Be careful to purchase your ticket for the correct terminal (A1 for Terminal 1 and A2 for Terminal 2) if you select this option.
- Option 2: Take the train. Follow signs in the airport to the Renfe train station. (If you arrive in Terminal 1, you will need to take the free airport shuttle bus to Terminal 2 first.) From BCN, take the R2 Nord line to either the Barcelona-Sants or Passeig de Gràcia stops. This train leaves every 30 minutes, costs €5.50* one way, and takes around 25 minutes. From either of these, you can walk to your accommodation if it is nearby, or use the Metro to take the subway if your accommodation is further away. These stations are a little less central than Plaça de Catalunya. *If you select this option, consider buying the T-Casual 10-ride ticket for €12.55 instead.
- Option 3: Take a taxi. Taxis from BCN are not a fixed fare. The price ranges from €25 – €30. You can find the official yellow-and-black taxis lined up outside the arrivals terminals. The drive should take 20 to 40 minutes.
What to Do in Barcelona (Three Days)
Three days in Barcelona is the minimum amount of time to “see everything.” Take it easy on day one, since it’s the day your flight gets in. But feel free to interchange days two and three as works best for you. If you get in way too late on day one, you can tack the first three bullets onto day two and the fourth bullet onto day three.
Day One
Walking straight through this route as I have it below is 45 min (3.5km or 2.25 miles), just to give you an idea of total distance on day one.
- Plaça de Catalunya: This plaza is considered the center of Barcelona. You may find yourself here without even trying, since it’s the starting point for many tours and where many forms of transport meet. It marks the northern end of the famous La Rambla street. You should be very careful of pickpockets in this square!
- La Rambla: This wide, tree-lined pedestrian street is the most famous in Barcelona and runs right through the heart of the city. It is often referred to in the plural, “Las Ramblas,” and it marks the western edge of the Gothic Quarter. Again – be very careful of pickpockets on this extremely busy street!
- Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boquerìa: While making your way down La Rambla, be sure to stop by Barcelona’s most famous and beloved food market. It is more often simply called Marcet de la Boqueria. Here, you’ll find the quintessential fruit smoothies and juices, along with other food items like jamón, empanadas, sweets, and more.
- Playa de La Barceloneta: There’s already so much to do in Barcelona, ignoring the fact that it’s on the coast. But it is indeed on the coast! I have to say, Barcelona city is not home to the best beaches in Spain. But a stop at La Barceloneta beach is still an absolute must. Even if you don’t care to walk on the sand or get in the sea, you can walk along the long promenade.
Day Two
- Basilica de la Sagrada Familia: This still-under-construction church is the most famous thing to see in Barcelona. It was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, and he is buried in the church’s crypt. He is also responsible for designing many other popular attractions in Barcelona. The Sagrada Familia is definitely his most famous work and an absolute must to visit. Be sure to purchase tickets that include both the Sagrada Família and Towers! These come with an app audio guide and will set you back €36 per person. Definitely purchase your tickets in advance online from the official site during high season, as certain time slots do sell out.
- Parc Güell: If you’ve ever watched the Cheetah Girls 2, or had anyone on your social media study abroad in Barcelona, this is that mosaic park! This UNESCO World Heritage site is an absolute can’t-miss thing to do in Barcelona and – surprise, surprise – was designed by Antoni Gaudí. You can buy tickets, which are €18, in advance from the official site to ensure you get a time slot that works for your schedule.
- Gràcia: On your way towards the historical center from Parc Güell, wander through one of Barcelona’s most beloved neighborhoods. Gràcia is a lot calmer than the touristy parts of town, but has many less-popular Gaudí works hidden inside it.
- Casa Milà: Casa Mila is the last private residence designed by Antoni Gaudí. You can enter this UNESCO World Heritage site for €29 if you purchase tickets online from the official site, or for €2 more in person. But if you are short on time, even just admiring it from outside is better than nothing!
- Casa Batlló: Located not too far away from Casa Mila, Casa Batllo is another Antoni Gaudí masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage site. Like Casa Mila, you can also enter. There are various ticket types that allow you to see more or less of the building. The lowest-level ticket type is usually €29 – €35 if you purchase tickets online from the official site. Again, you can simply admire from outside if you are short on time.
Day Three
- Barri Gòtic: Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is the city’s historical center. This charming area of the city is many visitors’ favorite part of the city, due to its narrow streets and bustling atmosphere. It might be worth doing a free* walking tour of this area, depending on your group’s travel style. But whether you join a tour or wander solo, be sure to pass under the famous Pont del Bisbe while in this neighborhood! *Tips are expected at the end of these tours.
- Catedral de Barcelona: Finished in the 15th century, the Cathedral of Barcelona is worth a stop while in the Gothic Quarter. Entry is €14 and dress code (no shoulders, no knees) is enforced. You can purchase tickets in advance online from the official site.
- Museu Picasso de Barcelona: Consider a stop by this museum to enjoy the work of (arguably) Spain’s most famous artist. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of modern art, it’s fun to view his many different styles and debate works which you like best – or perhaps which works you even consider “art!” Tickets for the main collection plus temporary exhibits are €15 at the door or €14 if purchased online from the official site in advance.
- Parc de la Ciutadella: In this park, you’ll find some more iconic structures of Barcelona. These include the Arc de Triomf and the Cascada del Parc de la Ciutadella. Entry into the park is free.
Madrid
Though Madrid is the capital and largest city in Spain, it is not known for as many impressive monuments as some of the other destinations in this ten day Spain itinerary. But even so, it has won the hearts of visitors and deserves a spot in your Spain itinerary. Madrid has the liveliness of a big, international city. But its tourists don’t overrun it, allowing you to feel like you are experiencing it authentically.
How to Get to Madrid
Take the high-speed AVE or AVLO Renfe train from Barcelona-Sants station to Madrid Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes station. This takes between 2.5 and 3 hours. If you purchase an AVLO journey a few months in advance, it only costs €7 for the earliest AVLO train in the morning or the latest AVLO train at night! And it costs €15 for the other AVLO train times. But the ticket prices increase as each fare sells out, so if you purchase on the day of, expect to pay anywhere between €35 and over €100, depending on the day of the week, time of day (more inconvenient times usually are cheaper), and the time of year (tickets sell out faster for holidays).
From within Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes train station, you can take the Metro or Cercanias to get to your accommodation if necessary. Or, you can exit the station and take a taxi.
What to Do in Madrid (One and a Half Days)
As the capital of Spain, you might think Madrid would warrant more days than some of the other destinations on this ten day Spain itinerary. And while I’ve loved living in Madrid (I could never see myself living in Barcelona!), it doesn’t boast as many tourist draws as some other cities in Spain. Between one and two days is the perfect amount of time to “see it all” and get a small flavor for the city before moving south!
Day One
I know the below will look like a lot to squeeze into just half a day in Madrid. But central Madrid is super compact! Walking straight through this route as I have it below without stops is 50 min (3.7km or 2.3 miles), just to give you an idea of total distance you’ll be covering.
- Gran Via: Gran Via is Madrid’s most famous street. Its name translates into “Great Way,” and it boasts a host of eateries, international shops, and even Broadway hits like The Lion King. Some of Madrid’s most famous buildings line Gran Via, like the Edificio Metrópolis, the Fundación Telefónica, and the Schweppes Sign on Edificio Carrión. I recommend starting at Plaza del Callao and walking east along Gran Via until reaching the next spot on the list – Plaza de Cibeles.
- Plaza de Cibeles: Palacio Cibeles was once the headquarters for the Spanish Post Office. It is literally my favorite building in Madrid! It’s the first image of Madrid that I ever had in my head, back from when the Spanish national soccer team won the Euro Cup, then the World Cup, then the Euro Cup back-to-back-to-back. The team always passed between this building and the majestic Fuente (fountain) de Cibeles in front of it on their victory parade route. So I began to view the building as emblematic of Spain well before ever arriving! It is also where Real Madrid FC passes by during their celebration parades.
- Puerta de Alcalá: This triumphal arch was once the main entrance to the city of Madrid, putting into perspective just how much the city has grown over the centuries! It’s located right outside the most popular entrance to El Retiro Park.
- El Buen Retiro Park: This UNESCO World Heritage Site has been called “the Central Park of Madrid,” and you can understand why. Set right in the heart of Madrid, this green oasis is popular with locals and tourists alike. The most famous area of El Retiro is the artificial lake, where you should definitely rent a rowboat (€6 per boat weekdays and €8 weekends). I personally also love the Jardín del Parterre and would recommend either entering or exiting El Retiro park through this garden.
- Palacio de Cristal: Also in El Retiro is the Palacio de Cristal. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and such a pretty building, especially from across the pond in front of it. But ironically, its history is nowhere near as pretty. The Palacio de Cristal was built as a greenhouse for plants and fauna from the Philippines, which was a colony of Spain at the time. Some sadly like to claim that was all, but it soon went on to become the site of one of Europe’s many human zoos. Igorot people were brought from the Philippines and made to live and fish in a replica village while visitors watched. To see some photographs and sketches of the human zoo, definitely check out this post.
- Museo Nacional del Prado: The Prado Museum is definitely the most famous art museum in Madrid, and probably all of Spain, too. It is home to the most extensive collection of Spanish painting in the world. Some of its most famous works include those by Murillo, Velázquez, and Goya. Tickets are €15 and can be purchased in advance online at the official site. Entry is free during the last 90 minutes (online it says the last two hours, but you must leave the building 30 minutes before close time). You used to be able to book the free entry online to secure your time slot, but now you unfortunately have to wait in line. This may affect how feasible it is to squeeze this into your itinerary, depending on your preferences.
- Fuente de Neptuno: Real Madrid has the Fountain of Cibeles, and Atletico Madrid has the fountain of Neptune, located just down the road. It’s not an attraction by any means, but it’s a pretty fountain that you might as well pass by, since it’s near the Prado Museum.
Note on Day One: The order listed above allows you to visit the Prado during the free hours towards the end of the day. If you love paintings more than I do and want to spend several hours at the Prado Museum, consider doing this day one itinerary in the exact reverse order of how I have it above.
Day Two
- Puerta del Sol: The Puerta del Sol is located smack dab in the center of Madrid. And if you’ve looked at a map, you’ll see that Madrid is located smack dab in the center of Spain! So this square is literally the center of Spain. There is even a plaque in the ground called Kilometre 0, from which all major radial roads in Spain leave. It’s quite popular to take a picture of your feet standing at the bottom edge of the plaque! But the most famous part of Puerta del Sol is the building behind Kilometre 0 – the Casa de Correos. It is home to Madrid’s regional government, and its famous clock is part of a huge Spanish NYE tradition. Be ultra on-alert for pickpockets everywhere in Madrid, but particularly in and around Sol!
- El Oso y el Madroño: While in Puerta del Sol, be sure to check out the statue of el Oso y el Madroño (the bear and the strawberry tree). These two together are the official symbol of the city of Madrid, so keep an eye out for them as you tour the city!
- Plaza Mayor: This is Madrid’s main square and has been for many centuries. Three of the four sides of the square are lined with eateries and outdoor seating, though most will recommend that you skip a full meal here, simply opting for a coffee or another drink instead. The third side of the square boasts a pretty fresco of zodiac signs and gods.
- Mercado de San Miguel: This gourmet indoor gastronomical market is located right outside the western end of Plaza Mayor. It boasts fine foods from all of the country, and some food stands have even been awarded Michelin stars! If you’re not hungry, you can still just pass through and gaze into all the various food stands.
- Catedral de la Almudena: Be sure to stop by this cathedral while visiting the Royal Palace (they’re located right next door to each other). There is often some sort of performance happening outside the steps facing the palace. And to the side, there is also an observation deck offering sweeping views. For those who want to view the inside as well, the cathedral requests a €1 donation.
- Palacio Real de Madrid: Madrid’s Royal Palace is the largest in Western Europe by building size (i.e. gardens excluded). It was built under King Phillip V, who was born in Versailles and designed it to be his Versailles. Tickets are €14 and can be purchased in advance at the official website for an additional €0.77 booking fee.
- Plaza de España: This square recently just completed a redesign to make it more pedestrian friendly! It’s now the perfect intersection between Gran Via, the Royal Palace, and the Temple of Debod. Across the square also happens to be the largest Zara in the world, for any fans of the store.
- Templo de Debod: This real-deal Egyptian temple may feel a little random on this list of things to see in Madrid! It dates back to around 200 BC and was donated to Spain by the Egyptian government. Entry is free. Afterwards, take a lap around Parque de la Montaña (where the Temple of Debod is located) to enjoy views over the Royal Palace and Catedral de la Almudena. The view is especially nice during sunset.
Granada
Located in the Andalusia* region of southern Spain, Granada is most famous for its architecture dating back to when the Muslim Moors of northern Africa ruled much of modern-day Spain and Portugal. Granada was actually the final city to be reconquered by the Spanish Catholic Monarchs from the Moors. And at certain points, you may feel like you have been transported to Morocco! Aside from the astounding Moorish architecture, Granada is also simply in a stunning location. Sitting right at the foot of the often-snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains, Granada offers amazing vistas from all angles.
*Andalusia (or Andalucía in Spanish) is home to many of the most “typical Spanish” things. It’s the birthplace of tapas, flamenco, and bullfighting as we know them. So be sure to (ethically) take in these things in particular while in the region!
How to Get to Granada
Take the high-speed AVE train from Madrid Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes to Granada. This takes around 3.5 hours and makes three stops on the way. It will be the longest travel day in this ten day Spain itinerary. If you purchase this ticket a couple months in advance, tickets can be as low as €26, depending on the day of the week. But as already mentioned, ticket prices increase as each fare sells out. So if you purchase on the day of, expect to pay anywhere between €60 and over €100.
What to Do in Granada (Two Days)
Feel free to interchange day one and day two however you like.
Day One
*Items with an asterisk can be purchased at a €1 discount each if bundled in the combined ticket.
- Basílica de San Juan de Dios: Even if you don’t enter this pretty baroque church, the little courtyard in front is worth a peek while en route to the city center from the train station. Tickets are €10 and can be bought in advance from the official site.
- Monasterio de San Jerónimo*: This historic monastery began to house monks in the early 1500s. The building warrants a visit from even just the outside, but tickets to enter are €7. You can purchase them in person on the day of or in advance from the official site.
- Plaza de Bib-Rambla: Also known as Bibarrambla, this is the main square in central Granada. Take a stroll around and perhaps stop for a drink at one of the many cafes.
- Alcaicería: Originally located across Granada’s old mosque (and now its main cathedral), the Alcaicería is an open-air, Arabic-style bazaar. It features little alleys, full of vendors selling colorful shawls, hats, purses, lamps, jewelry, and so much more.
- Catedral Santa María de la Encarnación*: Granada’s most famous cathedral is hard to miss. It was built shortly after Spain’s reconquest of the city from the Moors, right atop a destroyed mosque. Tickets are €7 and can be purchased on the official site.
- Capilla Real de Granada*: Adjacent to the cathedral is the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel). This chapel houses the tombs of King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile. They ruled during the end of the reconquest and are considered Spain’s first great royals. Tickets are €7 and can be purchased on the official site.
- Plaza Nueva: Even though its name translates into “new square,” it is actually the oldest square in Granada. Stick around this area long enough, and you might just catch a little performance! I saw two different ones in this area during my own visit to Granada. The plaza connects the modern city center and the Carrera del Darro.
- Carrera del Darro: This scenic walk up a cobblestoned street follows the Darro river. It is considered one of the most romantic walks in Spain.
- Paseo de los Tristes: The Paseo de los Tristes starts where the Carrera del Darro ends and continues along the Darro River. The path offers great views of the Alhambra. At the end of the road, you can turn left to climb up to the Albaicín neighborhood. You can also turn to cross the Puente del Aljibillo on the right, to cross over the river and walk up to the Generalife entrance/exit of the Alhambra.
- Albaicín: Also spelled Albayzín, this picturesque neighborhood of winding, cobbled streets and white, Moorish-style buildings is located on the hill opposite the Alhambra. (Yes, Granada is quite hilly!) It is the oldest area of Granada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Mirador de San Nicolas: This viewpoint of the Alhambra is located in the Albaicín. You’ll find it on the terrace in front of the Iglesia de San Nicolas.
- Mezquita Mayor de Granada: The main mosque of Granada is literally right next to the Iglesia de San Nicolas. It is not a typical tourist “must-see.” But it has a cute garden and offers similar views to the Mirador de San Nicolas, but with fewer crowds. The mosque does close in the middle of the day (as do many things in Spain), so be sure to time your visit correctly if you care to enter.
- Sacromonte: This is another historical neighborhood of Granada and is home to the Roma community. It borders the Albaicín and is known for its houses built into rock as caves. The area’s main street is Camino del Sacromonte, which is dotted with many tourist-geared artisan shops and cave restaurants offering nightly La Zambra performances. La Zambra is a type of flamenco dancing and singing that originated in the Sacromonte.
- Sacromonte Abbey: Further away from town, further along the Camino del Sacromonte, is the Sacromonte Abbey. It does offer lovely views over both Granada’s main hills at once, but I would only recommend this trek if you are interested in entering the abbey or have ample time.
Day Two
- Alhambra: This stunning Moorish palace and fortress atop a hill is the biggest tourist draw in Granada. In my opinion, it should be the biggest tourist draw in all of Spain! It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and without-doubt the most unique palace you’ll see in Europe (I’ve seen quite a few!). There are many different things to see in the Alhambra, but the Nasrid Palaces are the most famous part of the Alhambra. You will need to select a specific time to enter these when purchasing your entry ticket. Another main part of the visit is the Generalife’s Palace, which was the summer palace of the Moorish sultans. To get from one palace to the other, you will walk through El Partal, another main part of the visit. Tickets to the Alhambra tend to sell out months in advance, except in the low season. So be sure to purchase your tickets on the official site once you have your dates. You can choose from several different packages to purchase, including a nighttime visit. But the general daytime visit is €19.09. Plan to spend a minimum of half a day at the Alhambra.
- Calle Elvira and Calderería Nueva: These two streets are towards the bottom of the Albaicín hill. They are filled with small dessert shops, tea shops, and souvenir shops selling artisanal items. I personally felt like I was transported to Morocco and feel like the area warrants passing by,
- Bañuelo: Also known as Hammam al-Yawza or Baño del Nogal, this hammam (a type of public bath or spa popular in the Arab and Muslim worlds) is thought to be from the 1100s or earlier. It’s the only hammam in Granada that has been restored and is open to the public. Tickets are €7.42 and include entry into a few other monuments as well. They can be purchased online from the official site.
- Ermita San Miguel de Alto: For the best view over not just the Alhambra, but all of Granada and beyond, you can make the hike up the hill behind the Albaicín. From the Albaicín, the hermitage of San Miguel Alto is about a 30 minute walk. I recommend packing some food and drink beforehand, picking out a nice spot to sit once at the top, and watching the sunset over the city.
Seville
Seville (or Sevilla in Spanish, pronounced Sev-EE-ya), is the largest and capital city of Andalusia, making it a must in any visit to southern Spain. It is home to the oldest tapas bar in Spain and final resting place of Christopher Colombus (of whom Spain unfortunately still seems very much proud, as you will definitely notice when you follow this Spain itinerary in person!). Seville also served as filming site of the beautiful Game of Thrones kingdom of Dorne and of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, and is honestly just an all-around stunning Spanish city.
How to Get to Seville
Take the AVE or AVANT train from Granada to Sevilla-Santa Justa. This takes between 2.75 and 3 hours. If you purchase your ticket for this journey a couple months in advance, the only option will be the AVE trains. Tickets can be as low as €35, depending on the day of the week. If you wait until a few weeks out or even purchase on the day of, the AVANT-MD ticket will be available to purchase. This ticket can be as low as €29 (even if purchased on the day of). Other ticket types range between €45 and €78 when purchased on the day of.
What to Do in Seville (Two Days)
You can exchange day one and day two however you like.
Day One
- Catedral de Sevilla: This is the third-largest church in Europe and the largest Gothic church in the world. It is also the final resting place of Cristopher Columbus (and his son). The cathedral was built over a destroyed mosque, but the courtyard of orange trees and the mosque’s minaret still remain. The minaret was turned into a bell tower, which tourists can climb up (no elevator) for sweeping 360-degree views over Seville. Tickets to the cathedral and bell tower are €13 and can be purchased online from the official site. Tickets cost €1 more if purchased in person. You might also want to consider the €20 tickets for a guided tour on the cathedral rooftop! You can also purchase these on the official site.
- Plaza de Toros (de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla): This bullring is the largest and most significant in Spain. Taking a lap around the outside and peering inside the ring whenever there was an opening was enough for me. But those wanting to enter the bullring without attending an event can join a tour. You can purchase €12 tickets online from the official site or in person.
- Barrio de Triana: This historic neighborhood in Seville is across the river from the main part of the city center. One of the main attractions here is the Mercado de Triana. It is a cute, indoor food market with a lot less-touristy feel than the popular markets of Barcelona or Madrid. It sits next door to the remains of what once was Castillo de San Jorge.
- Museo de Bellas Artes: Seville’s Museum of Fine Arts was originally a convent. Now, it is home to some of the most important Spanish paintings. Entry is €1.50.
- Setas de Sevilla: Also known as the Metropol Parasol, this is apparently the largest wooden structure in the world. It was built in a shape that resembles mushrooms (setas, in Spanish) and offers one of the best viewpoints in Seville. You can get a discount by booking in advance online at the official site, where general entry tickets are €16. Even if you don’t decide to go up, the building is pretty cool from the bottom and warrants a visit.
- Calle de las Sierpes: This is central Seville’s main shopping street, running between Plaza de San Francisco and Calle Campana. Enjoy a slow stroll up this pedestrian zone, popping in and out of the shop geared towards tourists and locals alike.
- Iglesia Colegial del Salvador: Entry into this beautifully salmon-colored church is free with your ticket to the Seville Cathedral!
Day Two
- Real Alcázar: This once-fortress is where the Moors ruled from while they were in Seville. After the Christian monarchs reconquered Seville, they added to it and used it as a royal palace. Game of Thrones fans will recognize many different parts of the Alcázar as film sites (especially Dorne!). Check out this post for a full run down, so you can recognize it all when you go. General entry tickets are €15.50, and you can add a tour of inside the royal rooms for €4.50. Personally, I didn’t think the royal rooms tour was super worth it. I found the rest of the Alcázar to have the best parts. But I know others have loved it! I think it depends on how many European palace tours you’ve done or if you tend to love or hate royal room tours. Either way, you can buy the tickets online from the official site.
- Plaza de España: This stunning square is the most iconic image of Seville. You might even recognize it from some films, like Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. The plaza is located inside the Parque de María Luisa (which also deserves some exploring), and its name translates to “Spain Square.” When you visit, you’ll understand why! Each block of tiles in the semicircle creates an image of a province of Spain. You can also rent a boat and row along the plaza’s canal, or wait around near the two central bridges to catch a flamenco performance.
- Torre del Oro: Originally part of the city’s Moorish walls, the name of this former military watchtower translates into “Tower of Gold.” The tower sits along the river and marks the starting and ending point for Spanish ships bringing spoils from the Americas. Today, you’ll find the Museo Naval de Sevilla inside the tower. There, you can learn about Spain’s naval history and enjoy the panoramic terrace. Entry is free, but a €3 donation is requested.
- Barrio Santa Cruz: This beautiful neighborhood of narrow alleys and peaceful plazas is where Seville’s Jewish community was once mostly concentrated. It is located just across the main cathedral.
- Museo del Baile Flamenco: The famous Spanish dance originated in southern Spain, and those interested can view some of Andalusia’s best flamenco at a show here. Shows are nightly, and you can book your tickets online at the official site.
Cordoba
I notice Cordoba gets skipped on some Spain travel itineraries. But its world-famous mosque-slash-cathedral alone is good enough reason to squeeze a day trip here from Seville into your ten day Spain itinerary. Add to that the picturesque winding and flower-pot-laden streets with the old town’s seamless mix of Jewish, Moorish, Catholic, and Roman architecture… Well, Cordoba simply is a no-brainer to visit when traveling through Spain.
How to Get to Cordoba
Take the MD or AVANT train from Sevilla-Santa Justa to Cordoba. Then, take the same journey the reverse direction, and return to Seville to spend the night.
The MD train is €11.20 and 1.5 hours each way. It is available for purchase beginning around two months in advance. The AVANT train is €17.85 and 50 minutes each way. It is available for purchase beginning a few weeks in advance.
These prices are only if you purchase round trip (ida y vuelta) tickets. That means you must select your return train departure time in advance. If purchased as separate tickets rather than round trip, the MD train is €14 each way and the AVANT train is around €24 each way. I recommend choosing times that essentially give you a full day to explore Cordoba!
What to Do in Cordoba (One Day)
- Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba: This was once the main mosque of Cordoba and today is a cathedral. But it isn’t a cathedral built over a mosque, like oftentimes happened. Rather, it is a cathedral blended into the center of a mosque, creating the most unique blend of two architectural styles that I personally have ever seen. Definitely purchase tickets in advance online from the official site. Entry into the mosque is €13, and tickets up the bell tower are €3. I recommend choosing the first entry time of the day for the mezquita. That way, your pictures of the iconic columns and arches will have a lot less people in them.
- Puerta del Puente: Outside the mosque-cathedral, in front of the river, is the Gate of the Bridge. It is located where the Roman gates into the city used to be.
- Puente Romano: Cross the Roman Bridge over the river. From there, you can enjoy the typical postcard views of the famous mosque and Cordoba’s old town (though the river is quite drier these days).
- Torre De Calahorra: At the end of the Roman Bridge is the Calahorra Tower. You can enter the tower to enjoy its museum on life in Cordoba during Al-Andaluz (the name of the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula). You can also enjoy views over Cordoba from its top. Tickets are €4.50 and can be purchased in person, but check the official site (…once they fix the site!) for hours.
- Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos: This medieval fortress-palace is located right by the famous mosque-cathedral and the river. It houses a few Roman mosaics, but visitors most-enjoy its gardens. Tickets could only be purchased in person when I went. They were €5.
- Almodovar Gate: In between the Alcázar and the Jewish Quarter is the Almodovar Gate. It is the only remaining medieval gate of the original nine into the city.
- Judería: Cordoba’s historically Jewish quarter is a UNESCO World heritage site. The well-preserved neighborhood is very pretty, but my favorite part was the synagogue. It’s absolutely stunning and one of the three best-preserved Medieval synagogues in Spain. Entry was free when I went.
- Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba: If you are visiting Spain in early May, you can enjoy this festival celebrating the potted-plant-courtyards that Cordoba is famous for. But even if you are visiting during another time of year, you’ll still notice beautiful potted plants adorning walls around the city center. One of the most famous streets for a great view of the mosque-cathedral bell tower behind an alley of potted plants is Calleja de las Flores.
- Templo Romano: In the middle of Cordoba, right next to the city hall, you can find the remains of a Roman temple. It was discovered in the 1950s while expanding the city hall. It’s not often listed as a tourist attraction to see, but I thought it was pretty cool (and it’s free)!
How to Get Out of Seville
Alas, your epic ten day Spain vacation has come to an end! You’ll need to get out of Seville. Seville’s airport is Seville Airport (SQV), sometimes called San Pablo Airport. There are a couple ways you can get from Seville’s city center to SQV.
- Option 1: Take a bus. From any of the available stops (which include the Sevilla-Santa Justa train station), take the urban bus transport line (Line EA) bus from the Seville city center to the Seville airport. Tickets are €5 and are paid to the driver on board. You can check the timetable and map of the stops here. This journey takes 50 minutes to an hour.
- Option 2: Take a taxi. The fare for this 15 – 35 minute ride is fixed at €26 or €29, depending on the day and time. Make sure you get into an official taxi. They should accept card, and you can double check this as well as fare before getting in.
Adjustments to this 10 Day Spain Itinerary
- Starting in Seville instead of Barcelona: You can totally do this ten day Spain itinerary in the reverse order. Check what flights work best for you, and decide off of that.
- Flying out of Madrid instead of Seville: Your flight out of Seville will almost certainly involve a connection in Madrid if you are flying to the Americas. So, you might prefer to take a train from Seville to Madrid’s airport (3 hours) rather than a flight from Seville to Madrid (1 hour). If that is the case, you can definitely change this itinerary to do that.
- Flying out of Barcelona instead of Seville: To do this, simply book a domestic flight between Seville and Barcelona. If you would like to do this due to round trip tickets to Barcelona, check if you can’t purchase an open-jaw or three-city journey using Seville. You might find a flight path that includes the Seville to Barcelona journey as part of the connection. This way, you do not need to exit the airport to collect checked luggage and then re-enter, and any delays that cause you to miss the connection flight will fall on the airline instead of on you, like it would with two separate flight purchases.
Hotel Recommendations to Match this Itinerary
It’s been a growing request, and I’ve finally completed it! I’ve created a Spain accommodation guide to match this itinerary. In it, I provide housing options that are conveniently located near each train and/or bus station that I use in this itinerary. That way, you don’t have to spend extra money on cabs, but don’t have to drag your bag very far either. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Any Questions on this Spain Itinerary for Ten Days?
Phew – I know that was A LOT! If you’re planning your own ten day itinerary for Spain soon and want some personalized advice, drop a comment below with your questions. I love playing travel agent for people!
And in Case You Need One Final Summary
Spain Itinerary 10 Days:
- Day 1: Barcelona
- Day 2: Barcelona
- Day 3: Barcelona
- Day 4: Madrid
- Day 5: Madrid
- Day 6: Granada
- Day 7: Granada
- Day 8: Seville
- Day 9: Seville
- Day 10: Cordoba
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Thoughts on Valencia? Considering adding it to an upcoming 10 day trip. Thanks!
Hi Suzie,
Valencia is a nice city! It doesn’t have any major attractions like the other stops in this 10 day itinerary, which is why I didn’t include it, but I liked it. The main beach (which is sandy and long) is about 30 min from the center via metro/tram.
You could take a 3ish hr train from Barcelona to Valencia or a 2ish hr train from Madrid, in order to connect it to other stops in your trip.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi.
I am planning to travel Spain with my wife and 3 year old daughter in June 2025. Is it too Hot to be there at that time?
Hi Gourav,
It’s hard to say! Last June in Madrid was very mild and comfortable. The previous June was very rainy the first half and extremely hot the second half. And the one prior to that was extremely hot the whole month.
In general, June is supposed to be warm but not extremely hot in places like Madrid and Barcelona. But with increasing temps lately, you never really know when there might be a heat wave. So there’s always a little bit of luck involved with weather and travel! I’ve never visited Andalusia in summer, but you can check averages by Googling “monthly weather in [city name].”
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi Em! I am sooo glad I ran across your itinerary! Our daughters (22 & 23 yrs old) are planning their 1st trip to Spain (and also 1st time in Europe for the 22 yo). They have not done had a chance to do any planning yet, so I’m stepping in (their trip is a month away!). So far, all they have is their roundtrip flights:
Depart: EWR (Newark, NJ) Thu 4/24 @ 10:50pm
Layover: LIS (5.5+ hrs)
Arrive: BCN Fri 4/25 @ 7:20pm
Return Flight:
Depart: BCN Tue 5/6 @ 6:00am
Layover: LIS (5+ hrs)
Arrive: EWR Tue 5/6 @ 3:20pm
In total, they will have 10 full days for their sisters trip (not including the days of travel to and from Spain to US).
Do you have a sample 10-day itinerary that includes Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Porto, and perhaps a couple of other must-see destinations/beaches in Spain? Is this even possible? They were really hoping they could visit both Spain and Portugal in this one trip. They are on a pretty tight budget but won’t get to travel again to Spain/Portugal anytime soon, so they’re trying to pack in as much as possible in those 10 days to take advantage of this trip.
Kindly note they will be flying into and out of BCN w/ a layover in LIS both ways. Unfortunately, they did not realize until now that they could have done a stopover for a couple nights in Lisbon instead of just a layover.
Please help! Any suggestions are welcome! THANK YOU!
Hi JP,
Thanks for the kind feedback!
I haven’t been to Porto yet, so my suggestion for that will just be based off my research for future trips of mine and not my experience.
In order to do each of those cities justice, I recommend 3 days in Barcelona, 2 days in Madrid, 3 days in Lisbon (2 for Lisbon and 1 for a day trip to Sintra (I haven’t done the day trip as I found out about it after my trip to Lisbon and plan to do it on my next visit)), and 1-2 days in Porto. So, coincidentally that’s exactly 10 days.
They are going to need to fly between Madrid and either Porto or Lisbon. Also, they are going to need to fly between Portugal and Barcelona. So I would not recommend adding any additional overnight stops. Because the two flights will already eat into their trip time (the 1 hr flight time itself, the 90 minutes before takeoff they should arrive at the airport, the travel time between the airport and city center), I think any additional overnight stops will make the girls’ trip be a lot of time spent in trains and planes instead of actually enjoying the cities themselves.
I don’t have a sample itinerary for Spain + Portugal, but as an outline, I would recommend:
* Barcelona (3 nights) > fast train to Madrid (2 nights) > flight to Porto (1-2 nights)/Lisbon (3 nights) > bus/train to Lisbon(3 nights)/Porto (1-2 nights) > flight to Barcelona
* Barcelona (3 nights) > flight to Porto (1-2 nights)/Lisbon (3 nights) > bus/train to Lisbon (3 nights)/Porto (1-2 nights) > flight to Madrid (2 nights) > fast train to Barcelona
* the exact reverse order of either of the above
If they want to see more, I would suggest day trips. From Barcelona, they could take a day trip to Stiges (I haven’t been, but it’s a cute beach town that’s on my list). From Madrid, Toledo is a popular day trip (medieval city). But at their ages, they may enjoy more time in Madrid for its nightlife (same applies to Barcelona and any day trips).
Hope that helps!!
– Em
Em, you are absolutely terrific! Thank you sooo much for your quick reply! I love the extent of detail in your Ultimate 10-day Spain Itinerary and even the detail in your response to my personal question. No other articles / blogs I’ve read compare to That Travelista!
Thank you for your insights. I did not take into account having to check in at the airport 90 min prior for the travel between Spain/Portugal + the travel to/from the airport to the city. If they were to take out Porto from their Itinerary, which destination in Spain would you add to the list of Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon?
Also, if they might not be able to go back to Spain/Portugal anytime soon, would you encourage them to do whatever they can to fit Lisbon into their trip or would you suggest they just stay in Spain?
Please note they would like to partake in some nightlife, explore and visit must-see sights/spots/museums/etc, enjoy some local cuisine, take in picturesque scenery, spend some time at a beach spot or two (April/May weather-permitting), do some shopping, and of course take lots of pictures. They are looking for budget-friendly places to stay, so they’ll most likely be staying at hostels.
Thanks, again, Em! I really appreciate your input and insights!
Hi again JP,
I just wanted to throw in that if there’s any way they can change their flights without too large of a fee, they might want to consider it. It would save them about 1 full day of time.
If they can change their trip to be round trip to Lisbon, they can do: Lisbon (3 nights) > train/bus to Porto (2 nights) > fly to Madrid (2 nights)/Barcelona (3 nights) > fast train to Barcelona (3 nights)/Madrid (2) nights > flight to Lisbon. OR the exact opposite order.
This saves them 10+ hours of the layovers PLUS two flights between Portugal and Spain. Again, each flight is not just the “1 hr” flight itself, but also the travel time between the airport and the city center, the 1.5 hours arrival before departure, any time taxiing on the tarmac, any time collecting bags if they are checking any in, etc. So I’d really consider it to be just to Lisbon, or one to Lisbon and leave one to/out of BCN if they can!!
– Em
Unfortunately, I tried to change their flights for them, but I was told by Air Portugal that it will cost $964 USD per person to do so!
(By the way, the other post marked “anonymous” is also me. I forgot to type in my name.)
Hi JP,
Aw, thanks so much for your kind feedback again! Happy to be of help. I started traveling (minus visiting family) at their age, and I’ve learned a lot since then, so my hope for my site is to share the things I would have loved to have known back then when first traveling to new spots!
Actually, one of the things “I wish I had known” during my first trip to Spain (which was 3.5 days in only Barcelona and Madrid each, followed by 3 days in Lisbon), was to have visited Andalusia. So that’s why this 10 day itinerary recommends so much time in Andalusia. But I had never heard of it back during my first visit! I was kind of just going off the big names / capital cities.
But anyways, yikes, at that price, I agree that you should keep the flights as is, lol!
If flights were not a thing, I would say the itinerary with the best locations would be Barcelona (3 nights) > Granada (2 nights) > Seville (2-3 nights, 3 if they want one day as a day trip to Cordoba (history) or Cadiz (beach)) > Lisbon (2-3 nights, 3 if they want one day as a day trip to Sintra or a nice beach).
The problem with the above is that it requires a flight between Barcelona and Andalusia (Granada/Seville), then a flight from Andalusia to Lisbon, and then for your girls a flight back to BCN. Which, like I said, is really eating up a lot of their actual time on the ground. It wouldn’t be too, too bad if they didn’t have to fly from LIS to BCN just to turn right back around to LIS!
But if they are set on Madrid and just want to add one more Spain stop before flying to Lisbon, I’d say Seville. It’s quicker to reach by train from Madrid vs Granada, and they can day trip to a beach (Cadiz is a beloved beach city) from it.
They are going to be able to find nightlife anywhere in the overnight stops of this 10 day Spain itinerary. Also in Lisbon, and I’m sure Porto as well. The difference will just be the prevalence of the club scene vs the bar scene etc. Which I think adds nice variety. So I wouldn’t worry about them finding good nightlife. All these cities will have hostels, so also not a problem/factor.
I’m more of the type to prefer saving a city/region entirely for a return trip rather than feeling like I didn’t do it justice. So I would personally just fully do mainland Spain justice this trip and then add Portugal into a future trip. There are often cheap roundtrips to LIS with TAP airlines, and also stopover options I think, so they can always combine Portugal with other countries in Europe in the future.
But everyone’s travel style is different! Others might prefer to just get a taste of as much as possible. So I would just decide if the girls prefer to “tick more cities off” a list but then spend a lot of time in planes/trains or see each spot more thoroughly and with enough time to shop, eat, etc. and then just hope to return to the other cities. I would also consider that if they aren’t super well versed in using trains and metro/buses (to get to and from airports if trying to save money instead of using cabs), maybe too much moving around will add stress to the trip. My vote would be to keep the itinerary simpler and give them more free time to eat/shop/take perfect pics in addition to seeing attractions and navigating transport, but you know your daughters best!
– Em
Ah, such great info/insights! I love it! =)
My daughters travel a lot here in the States and are very comfortable with airports, trains, busses here. But of course taking public transportation in a whole new country would be a bit more stressful.
We plan to chat tomorrow about their itinerary, so perhaps I will present them with two itineraries, one for just Spain, and the other including Lisbon. This will be my last set of questions (I hope), so I hope you will bear with this concerned mom of young-adult daughters a little longer. 🙂
For the itinerary with just Spain, do you suggest I use the “Ultimate 10 Day Spain Itinerary” exactly as you outlined in your article above or would you suggest any modifications based on the girls’ flight schedule and interests?
For the itinerary with Lisbon, do you think a 10-day Itinerary including BARCELONA (w/ Sitges), MADRID, LISBON (w/ Sintra), and SEVILLE (w/ Andalusia) would be doable? If so, how would you set up such an itinerary?
Thank you, again, Em!
P.S.
I must have glossed over the portion of your reply that suggested:
the itinerary with the best locations would be Barcelona (3 nights) > Granada (2 nights) > Seville (2-3 nights, 3 if they want one day as a day trip to Cordoba (history) or Cadiz (beach)) > Lisbon (2-3 nights, 3 if they want one day as a day trip to Sintra or a nice beach).
I didn’t notice until now that you suggested to skip Madrid. Just curious why Granada over Madrid? Also would this itinerary be less hectic than if they were to do an itinerary that replaces Granada w/ Madrid?
Hi JP,
I love Madrid to live in, but it just does not offer much touristically compared to places like Granada, Seville, Barcelona, and even other places in Spain in my opinion, minus the nightlife (which Barcelona has a similar one to, so I don’t see the need for it in an itinerary if Barcelona is present). It’s only in this 10 day itinerary because (1) most people will want see it, the same way I thought I should see it on my own first trip and (2) it links the train path between Barcelona and Andalusia.
Granada has in my opinion the coolest palace in Europe (the Alhambra). After seeing that and Versailles, I don’t think one will find any more impressive palaces in Western Europe. I’ve been to Morocco, so I can say the Alhambra is literally like stepping into Morocco. There are also other parts of Granada that feel like you’ve stepped into Morocco, so it’s just a unique city over all.
Skipping Madrid will add a flight (from Barcelona), so it wouldn’t simplify the route, sadly. Again, a big reason why I have it here in this 10 day!
To answer your other comment, if sticking with this 10 day Spain only itinerary, they might consider removing a day from Madrid (I’ll have a one day itinerary up in a couple weeks) if they don’t mind skipping the palace and Prado, or skipping Cordoba (I loved the mosque/cathedral, it’s very instagrammable, but perhaps they have other interests), or moving some things around/skipping some entries to fit Barcelona in 2 days, in order to add a day trip to Stiges and/or Cadiz. Also, they will of course have to fly to BCN from Seville at the end (or beginning, if doing reverse order of my route).
If keeping Lisbon in, I guess I’d suggest: Barcelona (3 nights, squish Barcelona itself into 2 days and day trip to Stiges 1 day) > train Madrid (1-2 nights, just 1 would be doable if willing to skip entering palace and Prado) > train to Seville (3 nights, 1 day trip to Cadiz or other beach instead of Cordoba if they prefer) > flight to Lisbon (2-3 nights, if 3 nights then 1 day as day trip to Sintra or other beach) > fly back to BCN.
Also, maybe you have seen, but I have a housing guide for Spain that matches this itinerary, so that might help with central hostel recs. 🙂
– Em
You’ve provided such useful information and valuable insights. You have been a tremendous help and have saved me hours/days of research. Thank you so much, Em!
I will be going over everything with my daughters over the next few days and I’ll share w/ you their final itinerary once they have it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
JP,
You’re welcome! Would love to know what they end up deciding and even how the trip goes afterwards. 🙂 They’ll have a great time no matter what they choose.
– Em
Hi Em! My daughters are thankful for your suggestions and decided to do Seville, Lisbon, and Barcelona as their 3 main stops over 10 full days. What do you think of the following 10-day itinerary?
Day 0: arrive BCN 7:20pm on Fri 4/25
check-in @ a hostel/hotel in Barcelona
1-Sat: Morning in Barcelona, then fly to Seville: BCN (2:55p) to SVQ (4:40p) via Vueling
2-Sun: SEVILLE (this is Andalusia, right??)
3-Mon: SEVILLE (day trip to Cordoba or Cadiz)
4-Tue: Morning in Seville, then fly to Lisbon: SVQ (4:25) to LIS (4:35) via RyanAir
5-Wed: LISBON
6-Thu: LISBON (day trip to Sintra)
7-Fri: Morning in Lisbon, then fly to Barcelona: LIS (5:40p) to BCN (8:35p) via Vueling
8-Sat: BARCELONA
9-Sun: BARCELONA (day trip to Stiges)
10-Mon: BARCELONA
11-Tue: Depart BCN 6am (What time do they need to check-out of their hotel/hostel for a 6am flight? At that early hour, what would be the safest and most available/reliable way to get to BCN from their hotel/hostel?
Do you think that itinerary works? Is it a good itinerary? Anything you suggest we change, switch around, take out, or add? (They’d love to squeeze in Granada just to see the Alhambra, but I can’t figure out how to make that work, esp considering the flights.)
What’s the best way get to/from the airports to the city?
In general, what time is check-out at hotels/hostels? What can they do with their luggage in the time between check-out at the hotel and check-in at the airport?
Thanks, again, Em! 🙂
Hi JP,
If they are ok with that amount of moving around then yep, that itinerary works. If they want more time in Seville, Barcelona, or Lisbon or feel tired, they can always just decide to stay put and not do the day trip, but plan for it in advance in case. And yes, Andalusia is the part of Spain which contains Seville, Cordoba, Cadiz, and Granada.
As for check out, they will need to calculate backwards what time they want to arrive at the airport minus the journey there depending how they get there. They say you should arrive 90 min before departure for domestic flights, but with a flight as early as 6am, 60-75 min should be fine, but they can stick to 90 if they want to be safe.
Hotels/hostels will usually list check in and check out time before you book. They can also tell reception the day before that they will be leaving early and ask what to do with the key. They might say to just leave it somewhere.
For luggage, they can typically leave it with reception before or after check out. It is often free but there is sometimes a charge. You can often confirm this info skimming the reviews for a hotel/hostel on a booking site. In the case that the hotel/hostel doesn’t do that, there are public storage facilities/lockers they can Google search for.
For BCN and Seville, in this 10 day itinerary, I list the options for getting between those airports and city centers. For Lisbon, you can see the options on the official airport website. A cab will be easiest and most time efficient (also reduced risk of pick pockets, which can happen on metros, especially in Barcelona), but other options might be cheaper. So depends on the girls’ needs!
Hope that helps! I know they’ll love all 3 of those stops. 🙂
– Em
Hi Em
I’m wondering how to pack for my 10 days in Spain beginning on April 10-20 following your itinerary (but added a day trip to Montserrat also). Is the weather in each of the cities similar? Do people dress up for dinner or is it more casual? Any helpful hints/tips for packing during this season?
Hi Diane,
I would say to look at the daily forecast for each location in your itinerary the week before your departure (not every stop, but for example Barcelona, Madrid, Seville/Granada). That is what I always do, but I’d say to especially do so in April, since it’s spring and you never really know what you will get. Because even if the weather is typically one way, any place can always get a week of really warm or really horrible weather. Be sure to look at not just the high, but also the low, as the low will be the weather in the mornings and at night.
As for some general tips, I would say that if you like wearing leggings/jeggings as pants, perhaps wear them with a shirt and/or outerwear that will cover the bum, as using those in replacement of pants isn’t as common as for example in the US. If you plan to eat at casual place like tapas bars, you don’t need to dress up, but if you are eating at fancier places, then probably. I would just prioritize that you are comfortable during the day, wearing shoes that you are comfortable walking around in, perhaps layering so that you can remove layers depending on if a building is too hot or too cold, etc.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi Em!
1. We’ll be using your 10-day Spain itinerary for our trip in September. We could add 1-2 more days and would like to include something beachy. We are thinking Mallorca or Ibiza. What days in the itinerary would you add this (to make travel logistics make sense) and do you have other city (or beach) visit recommendations? For reference, we’re a couple in our 40’s, active, and like to stay out of the hotel and sight see!
2. Love the hotel review addition!
3. We followed your Italy itinerary and now we’re back for Spain!
4. Initially was thinking of a Portugal visit, but I told hubs Em didn’t go yet so we’ll have to wait for her blog!
Thank you for all that you do and making traveling much more possible for everyone!
Love,
Dede and hubs
Hi Dede (and hubs!),
Wow – I’m truly humbled by your comment! Thanks so much for letting me know it went well using my Italy itinerary and for your kind feedback in general.
Adding in an island sounds like a great idea. The first thought that comes to my head logistics wise is to use this to remove the one downside of this Spain itinerary as I have it, which is that it cannot start and end in a major airport without adding a domestic flight. Now that you are going to an island, which will require two domestic flights, I’d suggest to take advtange of that to now make the start/end points of your itinerary Barcelona and Madrid, instead of Barcelona and Seville.
So I’d suggest something like: Barcelona (3 nights) > flight to island (2-3 nights) > flight to Granada (2 nights) > train to Seville (3 nights) > train to Madrid (1-2 nights). OR the exact reverse. This way, you can buy a flight into BCN and out of MAD (or the reverse) on the same ticket purchase, which normally isn’t much different in price than a round trip ticket.
In this itinerary, I allocate 2 days to Madrid. That’s what I believe is necessary to see all its main attractions. However, you might have seen in the comments that while I love Madrid for living, I actually don’t think it has the most to offer touristically compared to other parts of the country, unless you are into for example the art museum scene.
SO, if you aren’t super interested in entering the Prado museum, the palace, and don’t feel too much FOMO about it, you might consider dropping one day from the two in Madrid, and just squishing what interests you into one day. With that extra day, you could take a day trip to Toledo by train from Madrid (I detail how in my one week Spain itinerary). You could also remove one night from Madrid entirely and tack it onto Seville in order to day trip to Cadiz by train (coastal city that is not as high on the international tourist radar but is quite beloved within Spain) or tack on one more night onto your island stay. Just some food for thought!
Hope that helps! I’m eying a return trip to Portugal early next fall to finally see more of it than just Lisbon, so hopefully a write up after that can help you guys visit next year. 🙂
– Em
is it possible to fly from Ibiza to Granada?
Hi Monica,
There don’t seem to be direct flights between the two. You’d have to connect elsewhere (like Madrid). But Malaga isn’t far from Granada, and so you could fly there from Ibiza to Malaga and then bus or arrange private transport to Granada. If you get a flight with a short connection time (~1hr), the flight with a connection options looks to be the faster of the two.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi Em,
Thank you for the amazing information! We are planning Spain trip Mar 20th for 10 days with a teenager and an 8 year old. Thinking of Barcelona(3), Granada(2), Seville(3), cordoba day trip, Madrid(2). Do you recommend any changes or must visit any places given the time of the year and the kids age?
Thanks
Archie
Hi Archie,
You’re welcome!
This itinerary isn’t seasonal at all (minus that summertime can get very hot, like I mention), so there’s no issue to follow it in March. Just check the forecast the week before your trip and pack accordingly (nights can get very chilly in winter).
As for the kids ages, you know your kids best. Maybe they won’t be too enthused about entering every building listed in this itinerary, so you could skip things like the Gaudi houses and Picasso museum in Barcelona, the Prado museum and/or palace in Madrid, the churches/monasteries in Granada, etc. unless those things super interest you and your partner. You could use the time freed up from that to move a bit slower so that especially the youngest one isn’t too tired, or throw in some cooking classes, food tours, enter the Real Madrid or Barça stadiums if they like soccer, etc. if your kids might enjoy those things more than museums and palaces.
Hopefully that helps!
– Em
Thank you so much Em. This really helps. My daughter wanted to go to the beach so we might squeeze in a drive fro Seville to Nerja or Ronda depending on the temperature and weather. Any recommendations on where to stay in Seville would be appreciated.
Thanks
Archie
Hi Archie,
You’re welcome!
If seeing a beach (besides the main one in Barcelona) is a priority, you might also consider switching out the Cordoba day trip for a day trip to Cadiz from Seville (doable by train if you want to skip the rental). It’s closer than Ronda and Nerja to Seville and is quite a beloved city in Spain, though I think Ronda is maybe higher up on most international tourists’ lists.
I have a guide on accommodation options for different budgets to match this Spain itinerary. 🙂
Hope that helps!
– Em
Thank you so much Em. I am blown over by your diligence and responsiveness. Much appreciated!! Will let you know how our trip goes.
Hi Archie,
Thanks for your kind words! And please do let me know how it goes – I’d love to know. 🙂
One thing off the top of my head in case you haven’t booked yet is that if you want to keep Cordoba in, I’d actually recommend taking a day off of Madrid before removing Cordoba. If I’m being very honest, I think the Andalusia leg of my itinerary is way more objectively impressive/unique than Madrid (and even Barcelona *gasp* lol). Just for some reason, Barcelona and Madrid are more “must see!” I love Madrid for living, but I think it offers the least touristically on this itinerary. So especially if you were already thinking of removing entry into the Prado museum, the palace, and not tacking on something else like the Real Madrid stadium or using it as a rest day, you could remove a day from Madrid to add in the beach day trip from Seville without removing Cordoba.
Sorry that this didn’t come to mind in my last comment!
– Em
Hi Em !
Thanks for such a great article! Looking for your thoughts on some alterations to your itinerary. We do not plan to do madrid but instead, malaga and cadiz. I was thinking of substituting malaga for madrid – either flying from barcelona to malaga or if a night time train is available taking the train. Spending a day or so in malaga and then driving to Cadiz by way of Ronda. spending a night in cadiz then driving to sevilla for 2 days and on the last 3rd -day a morning flight from sevilla to barcelona to catch our late afternoon flight back to the states.
Hi Bonnie,
I’m glad to know you like the post!
Your alterations sound fine! A flight from Barcelona to Malaga would probably be my recommendation. I’ve been to Cadiz, and it’s very nice, as well as one pueblo blanco, and it was very picturesque. And I’m actually in the midst of planning my own road trip around Malaga and Cadiz provinces for this spring! So while I haven’t experienced all the stops on the way, from my research for myself, I think you’ll enjoy Ronda and the pueblos blancos on the way to Cadiz.
If I’m understanding your plan, it sounds like Barcelona (3 days) > Malaga (1 day) > drive Malaga to Ronda to Cadiz (1 day) > Seville (2 days) > fly to BCN (1 day). If you don’t plan to return to Andalusia in the future (or visit Morocco, lol) and have even just one more day, I’d consider trying to squeeze in one more night in Malaga to be able to go on a day trip to the Alhambra in Granada. But if not, some of the architecture in Seville will have similarities, at least.
Either way, it sounds like a good plan! Hope that helps!!
– Em
Thanks! unfortunately, we cannot squeeze in another day this time… rushing to get back to make it to the last child’s HS graduation! Looking to purchase an apartment in southern spain in the next year, so we will definitely be back 😉 thanks for the input! Oh.. one more question… are there trains that leave late at night from barcelona to malaga? I understand it’s about a 5 hr trip via train and it seems the best use of our time to take that trip while sleeping.. would you be able to point me to the best website for looking at train schedules & purchasing in advance? Thanks again.
Hi Bonnie,
As long as you have plans to come back, then it’s all the same! 🙂
The official train site would be the one I link in this post, Renfe. You can also use Google Maps to just get an idea of all possibilities. Just quickly looking right now though, I’m not seeing any that are overnight.
– Em
Hi Em – thank you very much for this detailed itinerary and great options! Planning a European trip for my wife and I’s 35th anniversary – was originally looking at a trip to Southern France in May, but my wife now has a work conflict so the next best option for us to travel was toward the end of March (after the 19th) – likely we have to keep our itinerary to 7 days, allowing 2 additional days for the travel from Kansas City. I was thinking of adapting a large portion of your itinerary, but skipping Barcelona and starting in Madrid – thinking the Madrid/Seville areas might be a little warmer during this time of year and still seem to offer amazing opportunities to experience Spain for the first time! I’m hoping to be able reschedule another trip, in the next year or two, to return to the Southern France region, and possibly combine Barcelona with that trip. While I do enjoy experiencing cities, we also love the countryside and dramatic geographic features of different regions!
Do you think I will regret skipping Barcelona on this trip?
Hi Russ,
I think your thought process makes a lot of sense! Barcelona will be easy to combine with southern France via train on a future trip. And coming from outside of Europe, you would likely have to pass through Madrid on an entry flight into Andalusia anyways, so why not see it while you have to pass through it, and then just take the train into Andalusia. Unless you are really itching to visit Barcelona ASAP, you won’t regret it. It’s a lot prettier in spring than in winter, anyway!
As for the weather, I would Google “_____ monthly weather” of each city you plan to stay in, if weather is a big factor in your decision. Madrid is normally colder than Barcelona that time of year, and Granada too, but Seville should be warmer. During the afternoon, things are usually comfortable, especially if it’s a sunny day. It’s just that at night, temps do drop, so make sure to pack some jackets/coats for evenings (and early mornings).
Hope that helps!!
– Em
Hello – thanks for your great itinerary. It looks like a lot of work! I am looking at Spain for a graduation trip with my daughter in 2025, but she does not graduate until June 13th. Is going to Spain in June a bad move because of the heat? Is June bearable and July/August are hottest? Since she is taking a year off, there is no real rush to take the trip, so I was wondering if you recommend that we wait until later, like September.
Thank you.
KW
Hi Kandy,
You’re welcome – I’m glad to know you like it!
I think Sept
wouldshould be perfect weather. From my experience the past few years and from what I hear, July/Aug are the routinely unbearable ones, while June may or may not be fine lol.For example, last June in Madrid was surprisingly very bearable. The previous June, it rained a lot the first two weeks and was then very hot from then on until early Sept. The prior June, it was very hot all month, already hitting 100F/40C in May, and things only got worse in July and Aug. The Andalusia stops on this itinerary will almost certainly be even warmer than Madrid at any time. Barcelona’s often a bit diff since it’s on the sea.
So, yeah, I’m not sure if my answer helps! The thing with weather is that there can always be an insane heat wave to make things in June or Sept warmer than normal, or an intense rain storm, so it’s a bit luck of the draw with weather and travel. But from what I’ve experienced the past few summers in Madrid, Sept (esp mid-late Sept) has been the most consistently not-insanely-hot.
Hope that helps!! Sounds like an awesome way to celebrate grad! 🙂
– Em
This is super helpful! My husband and I are going in the Spring of 2025 from Denver, CO, USA and flights in and out of Madrid are much cheaper than Barcelona sadly. Is there a way to adjust this itinerary for that? Thanks in advance!
Hi Lisa,
I’m glad to know this has been helpful!
You’ll have to either backtrack or add in a domestic flight.
To backtrack: once you arrive at MAD airport, take the train to Barcelona from Atocha station (the exact reverse of the journey in this itinerary). Then, you’ll follow the itinerary as is, and take the train back to Madrid from Seville at the very end.
To add the domestic flight and not backtrack, making the itinerary a full loop: arrive at MAD and follow the 2 nights worth of itinerary I have laid out. Then, take the train to Barcelona for 3 nights > flight to Granada/Seville > train to Seville/Granada > train to Madrid. OR, go the opposite direction. So Madrid > train to Seville > train to Granada > flight to Barcelona > train to Madrid.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi! thanks for the super detailed itinerary! It helps a lot, and our family is planning a trip to Spain on 27th Jan to 5th Feb, Will the weather be really cold?
At first we’ll stay in Barcelona for 3 days, then head to Seville for 3 days, is it possible for travelling to Granada from Seville in one day? Because our flight will departure from Madrid, so we have to put Madrid as our final destination.
This will be the first time for us to travel to Europe, and we’re so exciting about all the journey
Thanks!
Hi Wang,
I’m glad to know you like the itinerary!
For me, coming from California, the places on this itinerary will all be quite cold. But if you compare them to central or eastern Europe, or central/northern/eastern North America, they will all be much warmer. So it depends on your point of reference for winter weather. I would recommend googling “[city] monthly weather” and seeing what you think of the average high and low.
For me, a day trip to Granada from Seville wouldn’t be worth it, because the train time is 2.5 hours each way, so you would be in the train 5 hours total, not to mention the travel time walking from the train stations to the city centers and arriving early at the station before the train departs.
But you can definitely add Granada as an overnight stop after Seville and before heading to Madrid. So Barcelona > flight to Seville > direct train to Granada > direct train to Madrid. You can play around with train schedules on the official Renfe site.
Hope that helps! And I hope you enjoy your first time in Europe!
– Em
My husband and I have limited flexibility on the timing of a “big trip”, which is March 19-29. We were initially looking in to Croatia, but after further research, we found that many things would be closed for the season at that time, so now we are looking in to Spain. I know we would be visiting in the off-season at this time – are there also issues of destinations / restaurants / events / activities being limited during this week?
Given your extensive travel, are there other locations that you would recommend for that time of year? We’re coming from the US and want to keep the travel time as short as possible (yet still international) to maximize the limited availability we have.
I’ve just found your site and am so excited to dive in to all the details!!
Hi Kristen,
If you don’t mind cooler temps, Spain would be a fine destination for March, especially if you are sticking to this itinerary and not, for example, visiting the Balearic islands or popular summer beach destinations on the Spanish mainland. As far as off season, you literally won’t have any issues with openings and restaurants (some restaurants actually close in August, when everyone goes on vacation!).
If you do mind cooler weather, one part of Spain that will have comfortable weather even then is the Canary islands, but I haven’t been yet and can just say that it will likely require a car rental.
Another close option that will have nice weather at that time of year is Morocco. Late March is actually the exact time I visited on my first trip there, and the weather was truly perfect. I haven’t yet seen everything in the country that I would like to, but Marrakech, Ait Ben Haddou, a desert glamping trip, Fes, Chefchaouen, and Tangier would be a lot to keep you busy! Essaouira is also worth considering. Depending on your nearest airport, you might have options to Casablanca and do a loop around the country to end up back there at the end.
Hope some of that helps! Feel free to respond back if you have more I can help with.
– Em
Hi,
I read your blogs and have planned my vacation earlier also reading your Blogs.
Can you please suggest me where to plan my vacation In Christmas time.
I was thinking of Spain but in one of your reply You have said that you are never in Spain in Christmas, Was curious to know in which all places you have celebrated Christmas vacations and which one was the best
Hi Ravi,
I’m glad to know that my blogs have been helpful in your past trips!
For me, there is no place for Christmas travel like European Christmas markets. Germany is most famous for them, because they originated there. But other countries around Germany (eastern France, Austria, Belgium, Poland, Czech Rep, etc.) are known for nice ones too. Those countries will all of course be quite a bit colder than Spain in winter, though, so I’m not sure if that will bother you!
I’ve celebrated a just few Christmases in Germany (due to having family there) and have a guide on Christmas markets in Cologne. But many famous ones are spread around the country, so you could do a little route using the trains based on which German markets interest you most after a quick online search (and maybe from some neighbor countries if you would like. For example, Austria and Prague in the Czech Rep are reachable by train from southern/eastern Germany).
That being said, if you are not looking for a particularly Christmas-y place, my Spain itineraries would be fine in December. It will just be colder, and I would just double check that the attractions you care to see are open on Christmas, New Year, and Three Kings day if you stay until Jan 6. You will find Christmas decor (lights, trees, etc.) and a lot of Spanish people strolling around the city center to see them. (I’ve spent the weeks leading up to Christmas in Madrid a couple times now, just not Christmas and NYE themselves.)
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi! I love all of your suggestions and detail! I have a trip planned with my husband and 20-something year old kids in December. We have tickets arriving in Barcelona on Dec. 22nd and leaving Madrid on Dec. 29th. We would really love to visit Seville during this time. We don’t need much time in Barcelona because our son has already been. We are thinking of spending two nights in Barcelona and then moving on either straight to Madrid or Seville. Originally we were thinking of going to Madrid and taking a day trip to Toledo, but we have been told that Seville is not to be missed. We can’t rearrange our flights, so we must be back in Madrid for our flight the morning of the 29th. I was interested to read that you feel a day and a half in Madrid is enough time. If that’s the case, then what are your thoughts on this plan…AND since it is Christmas time, what are your suggestions of things to do, or will we be very limited? Here are my thoughts for the general itinerary:
*Dec. 22 arrival in Barcelona (late morning)
*Dec. 24 train (nonstop via Iryo) to Seville
*December 26 or Dec. 27 train from Seville to Madrid (if Dec. 26th, then later train so that we have more time in Seville OR if *Dec. 27th an earlier train so that we have more daytime in Madrid)
*Dec. 29 Depart Madrid
Thank you in advance for your info!!
Hi Hannah,
I’m glad to know you like the itinerary!
If travel time were not a factor, I would recommend to spend a week in Spain seeing Barcelona, Granada, and Seville. But I realize most travelers will be curious about Madrid and will also not want to move around as much in such a short trip, so that is truly the ONLY reason that my one week Spain itinerary isn’t just Barcelona, Granada, and Seville.
So, all that to say, since you seem happy to take the time to travel between Barcelona and Seville, I am in full support, lol! Madrid can definitely be “seen” touristically in 1.5 – 2 days, which is actually what I have laid out in this very itinerary. So I’d say to take a morning train on Dec 27.
As far as things to do in Christmas time, I’ve actually never spent Christmas in Spain yet. I’ve always left a couple days before and come back shortly after the new year. You will have to double check each attraction, to see if any close on Dec 24 or 25, or close early. But my experience in Spain is that Jan 6 is the bigger holiday, and that while stores and grocery stores close for holidays, restaurants still seem available.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi Em, thank you so much for making this fantastic itinerary! It saved me a lot of time for my trip planning. Love it.
Since most attractions in Barcelona require an exact visit time slot when buying tickets online, so I’m planning my day (Saturday) like this:
9:00 – 11:00 Casa Mila (visit inside)
11:30 – 13:00 Casa Batllo (visit inside)
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch nearby
14:30 – 16:30 Visit Parc Guell
17:15 – xxx Sagrada Familia (visit inside, only this time slot available)
Would this be a good plan? Thank you.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the kind feedback! I’m glad to know this post saved you time – that was my intent! 🙂
Your itinerary for that day looks quite good! Getting from Casa Batllo to the park will be a 40ish min walk or 30ish min metro, so it might be a rushed lunch unless you grab a cab or ride share, which would be 15ish min. But as long as you keep aware of all that, I think your plan sounds good!
– Em
Thank you very much!
Hi
Amazing post!
I need to be in Murcia on around day four or five of the ten days trip.
Any suggestions on how to fit that in?
And any tips on accommodation? Hotels or airbnbs?
Thanks!!
Hi Anam,
Thanks for the kind feedback!
If you need to visit Murcia, I’d consider doing something like the below route. You won’t see Andalusia, so you can save it for a return trip, but you’ll have seen a lot of the coast and won’t have to take domestic flights:
Madrid (3 days, 1 day as day trip to Toledo) > train to Murcia (1-2 days) > train to Valencia (2 days, more if you want to day trip from there) > train to Barcelona (3 days, more if you want to day trip)
That option allows you to avoid flights. If you don’t mind flights, I would say to simply switch out Madrid for Murcia in my original itinerary:
Barcelona (3 days) > flight to Alicante + bus from airport to Murcia (1-2 days) > flight to Granada (2 days) > train to Seville (3 days, 1 day trip to Cordoba)
Depending on your needs, Murcia is day-trip-able from Alicante, so that is an option too. To stay in Alicante and day trip into Murcia, to make the flight days easier. (Murcia technically has an airport, but flights are only to limited cities with limited days.)
As for accommodation, I’m actually about a day or two away from publishing a guide on my accommodation recommendations for Spain to match this itinerary, since it’s been requested a few times. 🙂 I can respond back to your comment to let you know that it’s live.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi Anam,
As I mentioned that I would, I’m just commenting again to let you know that my my hotel and hostel guide to match this itinerary is up on the site.
Hope it’s helpful!
– Em
THANK YOU!
Ugh….well instead of reading your amazing post in total, I went ahead and booked our 30th anniversary trip ending in seville on april 17th until april 21sst…Smack in the heart of easter! I did read other places about the processions etc but like I said didn’t read your advice about changing up the itinerary. I am very nervous that most things won’t be open and that my husband and I will be stuck in a crowd and won’t get to see any sights. I have booked my flights so too late to change things.
We are staying in Triana. Do you think we aren’t going to enjoy? I am tempted to revise my flights but scared to see how it will affect the prices. Please let me know your thoughts! Thanks in advance.
Hi Diane,
Did you book your flight in the last 24 hours? If so and it’s booked from the US, you should be able to cancel it free within 24 hours of purchase. Even if not, there’s no harm just calling the airline and seeing what the change fee would be, so that you can have a specific number in mind as you weigh your options.
I was in Seville on Maundy Thursday (the 17th for you), which is apparently the biggest processions day. I remember that attractions and even department stores closed early that day (around 2 – 3 pm). The streets were packed every night in every city I visited that Holy Week, but I recall that the afternoon of Maundy Thursday was the most jam packed. In Seville, they had each side of each street be only one way, behind the rows of chairs for people with tickets to watch the processions, plus the actual street itself gets blocked off for the parade itself. So you can picture that all pedestrians are squeezed into half the sidewalk, and so you couldn’t get from point A to B efficiently, especially with the crowd and just being new to the city in general.
That being said, the procession in and of itself is an attraction. It’s so unique and authentic – it’s not just some historic thing that they keep doing just for tourists. I sat at a Starbucks with a window to the street and just watched from there a few hours. It’s cool seeing how the women wear this specific black dress and black veil (white on Easter Sunday!) all day, how the men dress in suits, how kids and teens and full grown adults are randomly walking around in the day dressed in the (somewhat spooky lol) pointy cap and gown, how people are working on decorating the floats inside their neighborhood church as you peek inside while walking by, how everyone is greeting each other as they bump into people they know, saving seats, calling on the phone to ask where they are, etc.
Friday and Sat don’t really have processions. They kinda build up starting from Palm Sunday until Maundy Thursday, die down two days, and then have a final round Easter Sunday in the daytime (that was what I observed, at least). I can see that Seville’s Alcazar says it’s closed on the Friday, but all the other ticketed attractions that I recommend in Seville say they might be closed for holidays but don’t specify. So I think you will have to decide how many entry attractions you want to enter, see one by one if they mention being closed on a specific day that week (and keep in mind they might close early on Thursday or change their hours without mention online), and decide what to do. Maybe watch some videos to see what I mean about the crowds when walking around. And restaurants were open from my experience. Just attractions, shops, and grocery stores were affected.
I imagine Triana will be less crowded than the very center, but Seville and Malaga are apparently the two Spanish cities most known for Holy Week processions.
I hope that helps you make your decision a bit! I would say if you hate crowds or NEED to enter every attraction, consider rescheduling. If you don’t mind forgoing personal space, planning ahead a bit more, and exchanging a couple physical attractions for a cultural one, you can leave your trip as is.
– Em
Thanks so very much for your response.. I think we will just go with it as I am very interested in the processions as I celebrate Easter and it seems like it would be amazing experience to see how others celebrate in a different culture. I do wonder if you know how far in advance can you buy tickets to the different places you list in the different cities. I was hoping to start buying but it seems too early.
Hi Diane,
That’s great that you’ll keep your trip as is! It really is a cool event to witness, and I knew nothing about it until moving to Spain.
Ticket sales vary from attraction to attraction. I would look up the furthest out date you can currently purchase each attraction at the moment, and note how many days from today that is. Then, I’d set an alarm for that number of days out from the day you want to purchase your ticket for. That’s what I normally do, especially for train tickets in Spain, as they can be quite affordable at the lowest fare but increase in price as availability dwindles.
Hope that helps!
– Em
So helpful!! Thanks for all your advice ❤️
You’re welcome! 🙂
Hi Em,
I stumbled across your blog today just looking for Spain recommendations and WOW am I impressed! This felt like a God send honestly. So here is my question(s). My oldest daughter is graduating from high school in May 2025. As a graduation trip we would like to do a family trip to Spain. We are a family of 4 with our daughters being 17 and 15. Do you feel like this itinerary is appropriate for a family with teens? Do you have any additional recommendations for activities that may appeal to them (classes, excursions etc.)? Also, do you know of someone who plans personalized trips for individuals or families?
Hi Dalili,
Thanks for the kind feedback on my itinerary!
If you read this itinerary and didn’t think that it would be too tiring for your family/teens, then I think that you should be fine.
I come from a family of 4 myself, and my sis and I are two years apart. At 17 and 15, we were OK with being very carpe diem on trips and seeing/doing a lot, taking pics and sharing it on social media later, etc. so we would have been fine with this itinerary. But I have some younger cousins who are currently around that age and prefer to lounge around and relax with their time off. So it more depends on the personality of your kids, but in general, I think everything on this itinerary is super entertaining to see (especially the famous sites that have made it into movies and series!). You can always just pass on the attractions your fam doesn’t care as much for, whether that be museums, churches, palaces, the day trip to Cordoba, etc. You can switch those things out for cooking classes or AirBnB experience booked online, a day trip to a beach town (Stiges from Barcelona or Cadiz from Seville, for example), a sporting match (Real Madrid or FC Barcelona) one evening, etc.
I do know of one Spain trip planner due to being in her Facebook group, so you might want to check that out.
Hope that helps!
-Em
Thank you so much!! I will take all your recommendations into consideration when planning. I saw your Portugal post as well. Do you recommend one over the other? We have been going back and forth between Spain and Portugal.
You’re welcome! 🙂
I know Spain much better than Portugal, so my answer is may be biased when I say Spain lol.
Lisbon is one of my favorite cities in Europe. But I think Spain has bigger ticket items/draws (it’s the second most touristed country in Europe!). For Portugal I would maybe do 2 days Lisbon + 1 day trip to Sintra, 1.5-2 days Porto, and the rest of your time in the Algarve (probably best to rent a car to get to the best beaches). So half seeing/doing, half beach. For Spain, the itinerary I suggest, as you already read, would be all seeing/doing. So I would probably decide which of those two descriptions sounds nicer to your fam based on what you guys enjoy, whether one can be a future trip, etc.
Hope that helps you decide!! You honestly won’t go wrong with either.
– Em
Hi Em,
I am very appreciative of your blog and Spain 10 day itinerary! We are headed there at the end of Oct. We will be heading to Granada by train on the holiday Nov 1 , Todos Santos. Will we be limited if we follow your day 6 itinerary? Wondering if restaurants will be closed that day. Will the Alcaiceria be closed ? Wondering if we should change our plan to be in Madrid? Thank you for any advice.
Hi Leigh,
I’m glad the itinerary has been helpful!
I’ve only visited Granada as a tourist, and it wasn’t during that time, so I can’t say for sure. But I have never noticed anything different on that day while living in Madrid (actually, Halloween is becoming more and more of a thing!). So I imagine it would be the same in Granada? It does seem to be a school holiday, though.
In any case, restaurants are usually open on holidays. It’s things like grocery stores, department stores, etc. that close. And, if the holiday is big enough like Christmas Day or New Years day, ticketed attractions too.
Sorry to not be of more help!
– Em
Hi, Em! We’re currently visiting Budapest, Vienna and Prague and we’re already planning our next Europe trip sometime in March/April. Being Filipino, I am definitely interested in Spain. With limited paid time of we Americans get (and me being OCD lol), your most detailed article, suggestions and answers to questions are very helpful.
We love sightseeing, but I realize with our current trip that we also like a day or 2 of relaxation, enjoying food, wine and spa. As you have mentioned, beaches are not really the best. Would there be nice vineyard or spa town we could spend overnight?
In regards to food, do you have any links for articles that tackles this? Or any other articles online you find helpful would be nice to have.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Roma,
Thanks for your kind feedback! I’m glad to know you find my itinerary and responses helpful.
You’re right to observe that this itinerary is jam-packed and leaves little down time. In order to get 2 days to just relax, you would have to remove 2 days’ worth of activities from this itinerary. If it were me, I’d remove Cordoba and 1 day from Madrid. You can use the one day from Madrid to stay in Madrid but just chill and eat (Botin is the world’s oldest consecutively running restaurant and is known for their roast pork, and San Gines Chocolateria is credited with first serving churros con chocolate).
You could use the Cordoba day trip from Sevilla to instead day trip to Jerez de la Frontera and do a bodega day at Tio Pepe, if that might interest you. Jerez is one of 3 cities that make up the sherry triangle. You can do the day trip yourself via direct train or you can book a private tour if you prefer to take off your thinking cap completely that day. You could also overnight in Jerez and either take the train from there to Madrid for the flight out, or fly to Madrid from the Jerez airport.
Granada is known for its Moorish history, so you could book a spa treatment at the hammam I mention in this itinerary.
As for other food, I don’t have too many specific recs or articles to direct you to. But some dishes to make sure you try are tortilla de patatas (con cebolla!!), croquetas, jamon, I’m sure you already have paella on your list, calamares in Madrid if you want to try a love-it-or-hate-it famous snack, and patatas bravas.
Hope some of that helps!
– Em
WOW. Your blog is insightful, informative & so very helpful. I’ve read through all of your Spain (& Morocco) posts. Thank you!
I’m planning a 10-12 day trip around October 2025 with a great group of 10-12 friends. Some have been to Spain, and others have not (including me). We are planning a coastal tour from Barcelona south, stopping along the way (Valencia, Cartagena, Granada?), and arriving in Seville. We might also do a side trip to Morocco then fly out of Madrid (or, reverse order). We do enjoy meeting/interacting with local people & getting off the beaten path once in a while. Can you give me any advice for a coastal tour or reasons not to tour along the coast? Are there enough interesting and varied sites to see? In your opinion, do you think we’re trying to do too much in under 14 days? Thank you, Em!
Hi Teri,
Thanks for the kind feedback on my blog! I’m glad it’s been helpful.
Yes, I would say that is a bit too much in under 14 days. If you visit just, let’s say, Tangier in Morocco, since it’s closest to Spain, that’d be 7 different cities. So with 14 full days, that makes 2 days in each stop, and that’s accounting for zero travel time (which is a lot to exclude lol).
Spain is a lot larger than it seems, and it does take a lot of time to move around if not using the high speed trains (or planes, but those require extra time getting to the airport, arriving early there, and getting out of the next airport). The high speed train network isn’t really along the coast. So that is the reason I would have in response to “why not to tour the coast” – that it takes a lot of time to move up/down the coast and most people have limited time. With enough time, I think touring the coast is a lovely idea!
Depending on what you want to see in Morocco, I’d consider saving it for another trip. It could justify it’s own entire vacation, between Marrakech, Fez, Chefchaouen, Tangier, Ait Ben Haddou, a desert glamping experience, and even more.
Will this be a road trip, or do you guys prefer public transport? The rest of my recommendation depends on that!
– Em
Hi Em. Normally we prefer road trips, but we have used public transportation in some larger cities (Amsterdam, Prague, Rome) to avoid driving & parking issues. Looks like my group will need another planning session to discuss your reply. As you said, Spain is much bigger than we thought. Valencia, Cartagena, Granada were just random cities along the coast to give you an idea of the path we’d like to take. Maybe we can tailor this down but still travel along the coast. Thanks again. Your thoughts are very helpful.
Hi Teri,
That’s good, because you can use public transport for Barcelona to Valencia, but from there on south, it’s hard to stay along the coast and not move at a glacial pace unless you have your own set of wheels. Your trip will be a lot better with a rental. So I would just use google maps to see driving time between each of the stops you all would like to see (make sure you are looking at the option hugging the coast, because the one first-suggested by google can go inland to save time), consider how much time you would like to overnight in each place, and then make the decision from there!
I’m sure you guys will figure out something nice! There are a lot of cute stops to choose from. 🙂
– Em
Hi! Thank you for this great information. I’m in Spain starting 10/26 departing 11/8 which comes out to like 11 full days. I fly in and out Barcelona so i’m trying to figure out how to adapt this itinerary. I think the city I’m least interested in is Madrid and I also want to take a bit of a slower pace. this is a bit full for me. Any thoughts? I guess I am interested in Toledo which would bring Madrid back in. Ah.
Hi Gabby,
With 11 days, you can easily do this itinerary and fly back to Barcelona from Seville in the end. If you don’t care for Madrid, you can use the full day in Madrid that I have here as a day trip to Toledo.
If you prefer to omit Madrid, you can just fly to Granada from Barcelona instead of passing through Madrid first by train. This second option would allow you to tack on 3 extra days (maybe one more night in each of your remaining stops?) and thus go slower.
Hope that helps!
– Em
My husband and I were planning a trip to Italy next May and decided against it last night due to Jubilee and were thinking about Spain instead and I said “let me see if I can find a 10 day itinerary ” and yours popped up! We read through it, loved all the details and immediately booked following your suggestions. We are SO excited – even though it’s 9 months away – ha ha. Thank you so much!
Hi Ria,
Wow, that’s so great! Thanks for letting me know I was able to help in that way. 🙂 I definitely feel you about that excitement post finalizing the details on what is sure to be an awesome trip!
– Em
Hi Em!
Really insightful article. My wife and I are planning to be in Spain from August 23rd to September 10th and we’ve planned Malaga(2 nights) , Seville(3 nights), Madrid(4 nights) and Barcelona(3 nights) in this period. The missing 7 nights I am spending at a beautiful place in Gaucin which is in the Andalusian area. I have a couple of questions and any help would be really appreciated….I can’t find any travel options to return to Malaga from Gaucin (I am staying at Karma La Herizza), do you have any ideas? A lot of people are telling me to hire a car, but I am not too comfortable driving in a foreign land. Second, do you think 4 nights in Madrid is too much or is it good, if I decide to do day trips to some of the other close by places like Toledo, Segovia and Avila? Please drop me a line at your convenience! Thanks in advance! Cheers!
Hi Bishal,
I’m glad you like the article! When I went to google Gaucin just now, I saw that I already had it saved on my google maps for places to visit. The pueblos blancos are just so hard to get to/around without a car!
There is one train from Estación de Gaucin to Ronda (other pueblo blanco, quite popular, as you may know). From Ronda, you can take another train to Málaga. They seem to run 3x a day on weekdays and 2x a day on weekends. Just search “Gaucin” and “Ronda” on the Renfe site. I can’t find local buses between the station and the village online (though there is always more info once there at the station with these pueblos, in my limited experience), but I imagine you can grab a cab worst case or set pick up with the place you are staying.
As for Madrid, I think your idea to do 4 days if you plan multiple day trips is fabulous. If you don’t mind joining a group tour one of the days to be able to combine 2 of the 3 you listed, or if you plan to only visit 2, then you can do 2 days of day trips and 2 days in Madrid. If you want to DIY all three (I outline how for Ávila and Segovia, but haven’t published one on Toledo yet, but it’s the most straightforward), I would say consider 5 nights in Madrid to have 2 days to see the city and 3 days for day trips. If you just want to get a feel of Madrid though and don’t mind rushing around in one day, as you can see from this itinerary, it can be more or less “done” in one day without entering any attractions, if necessary.
You’re going to have a great time! Looks like a great trip that you have planned with a lot of diversity in the places you’ll visit, between the pueblo blanco and the day trips on top of the cities!
– Em
Thanks for the reply, Em! Do you have any suggestions our tour guides/companies who do the group tours for out of Madrid, as also the sights to see in the city? As always, any help appreciated tons.
-Bishal
Hi Bishal,
If you prefer to buy them in advance, you can check popular tour sites like Viator and GetYourGuide. But once in Madrid, there are tons of tourist kiosks throughout the center (especially Gran Via) all selling the same day trip tours to these places for the same prices, so you shouldn’t have much issue to book one of these once there. The prices for these tours are typically not much more than the price of DIY transport, so they’re not a bad option.
If you want something like a hop-on-hop-off bus tour for Madrid city, you can book that in advance from the hop-on-hop-off website. There are also options for private tours where the guide cycles you around, which you can also arrange once there, or try to find in advance on the two sites I mentioned above. But as I mention in this guide, assuming everyone in your group is able to walk, which may not be the case, the sites in Madrid are quite compactly located.
– Em
Thanks tons, Em! Cheers till next time! If you’re ever in India, drop me a line. Would be glad to help. Will try to drop a line when I’m in Madrid!
Ooo I’ll definitely take you up on that! I was in India for a month for work and loved it. It’s such a huge country, and I want to return to see more!
Hi,
This is a great itinerary, thank you so much for all the info! My family and I are planning to fly into Madrid and landing in the morning. We will then have 7 full days and then fly out from Madrid in the afternoon on the 8th day. What do you think is the best way to tweak this itinerary to fit our schedule? We ideally would still like to visit every city if possible.
Hi Alex,
Thanks for the kind feedback on the itinerary!
I’d say that 7 days is really not enough time to see every place I’ve recommended in this itinerary and do them all justice/not waste a lot of time moving around.
But if just checking them each off your bucket list and feeling like you at least got a taste is more of a priority to you and your fam than having enough time to truly “see everything” in each place, I guess I’d recommend: Madrid (1 day) > train to Barcelona (2 days) > flight to Granada (1.5 days days) > train to Seville (1.5 days) > train to Cordoba (day trip and find luggage storage near train station) > train back to Madrid evening of same day to flight out the next day.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi Melissa
What a comprehensive, well explained itinerary for first-timers to Spain. Thank you!
We are looking at coming through 9-10 nights end November to December. We aware of the cooler temperatures. Is there any other reason most people on this thread are NOT travelling to Spain at this time of year?
Hi Mala,
Nope! There’s really no downside to doing this Spain itinerary at that time of year except for the colder temps. (The upside is lesser crowds and lower prices!) If you don’t mind colder weather (I recommend googling the monthly average for each city and checking the low), just pack accordingly and have a great trip! 🙂
– Em
Hi! Thank you for this detailed Itinerary. My husband and I are planning to go to Europe to spend Christmas together and Spain is one of the countries we’ve been eyeing to go to. Can we still use the same itinerary late December?
Hi,
Yes, if you are OK with cold weather, then you can totally do this same itinerary in late December. The attractions on this itinerary are all cultural and not really nature-based. Barcelona is of course on the coast, which is part of its appeal, but its beach isn’t one I’d particularly recommend going out of your way to swim at, so you’re not loosing anything itinerary-wise. I would just do a google search of “[city name] monthly weather” for each stop on this itinerary and double check you are fine with the avg temps (lows too, for evenings) and avg rainy days in December.
The other thing to consider is attraction closures on Christmas Day and New Years. So I would click through the links I have in this guide for each attraction, head to their pages on hours, and make sure the date you plan to see them doesn’t fall on a date the attraction is closed.
I hope that helps!
– Em
Hi Em..I have the utmost respect for you in answering all these questions. Thank you so much. My hubby and I plan on visiting Spain maybe Sept/Oct. One of the main places I want to visit is the Rock Of Gibraltar. We are thinking about coming for 9 days and would like to fly in and out of one airport since it’s more cost effective for us. If we fly into Madrid or Barcelona how can we get to the Rock of Gibraltar and can this be a day trip. Also if we are interested in doing Day Trips to Seville and other cities should our Base be Madrid or Barcelona. Thank you so much and I thoroughly enjoy your articles. Best of luck to you !
Hi Fran,
I’m glad to know you enjoy my articles!
I’ve never been to Gibraltar, but I understand Malaga to be the entry point many visitors use to day trip in. Madrid and especially Barcelona are quite far from this southernmost part of Spain. So if your main destination is Gibraltar, I would suggest focusing on the region of Andalusia and leaving Madrid and Barcelona for another visit. You could teeeeeeechnically day trip from Madrid to Seville (the train is 3 hours), but that would mean a very short amount of time in Seville, and it deserves more than one full day anyways, let alone less than one full day.
Off the top of my head, I would personally recommend moving around at least between Malaga, Seville, and Granada as bases in Andalusia. From Seville, you can day trip to Cordoba (as I suggest in this itinerary), as well as to Cadiz, Jerez de la Frontera, etc. From Malaga, you can day trip to Gibraltar, Nerja and Frigiliana (as a combined day trip), Ronda, etc. Depending on whether you are flying from within Europe or not, you could try to fly into Malaga or Seville. If you need to fly into either Madrid or Barcelona, you can fly into Madrid, spend 1-2 days there, and then train south to Andalusia, coming back via train to Madrid to fly back out.
Hope some of those suggestions help!
– Em
Thank you for all the tips Em !
We are considering delaying our Trip for now since we’re seeing so much coverage of tourists not being welcome in Spain and I can respect that. I know i’s not everywhere in Spain but we just need to do some more research. You’re the best !
Hi Fran,
That’s really awesome of you and your party to consider the opinion of residents when planning your trip!
Whenever you do decide to visit Spain, I know that the main dislike is of AirBnb stays and touristic rentals in general, as opposed to hotel stays, which don’t spill over into the local housing markets around Spain and price locals out of their homes while mostly only pumping money into the hands of a small group. The other issue in cities with reputations for partying is the noise, drunkenness, and trash from tourists partying. Tourists who avoid contributing to those two issues seem, at least to me, to still be happily received.
Happy travels wherever you go!
– Em
Hi! Thank you so much for this itinerary! It’s very detailed and will help me with planning for my 9-10 day trip this October. How would you adjust the itinerary given that I am flying in and out of Barcelona? Would you recommend just taking a flight from Seville back to Barcelona? Or other ideas? Thanks!
Hi Erin,
I’m glad this itinerary has been helpful! And, yep, that’s exactly what I’d suggest to do – a short domestic flight from Seville to Barcelona. (Or from Granada to Barcelona, which is also an option, in case you like those flights better. In that case, you would go from Madrid > Seville > Granada instead of Madrid > Granada > Seville.) 🙂
– Em
Hi Travelista,
This was quite a good read, & we’re planning our trip on similar lines, just a quick question? We’re a bunch of friends visitng the country during Aug end/Sept 1st week & are planning on visitng Ibiza, how is it to best fit in the above itinerary? We plan on staying for 3 nights in Ibiza, however our overall stay in spain is for 12 days, so if you had to which of the above place would you crop depending on logistics issues? Thanks in advance.
Hi Alay,
Based on logistics, I would cut out Cordoba, because it sounds like you only need 1 less day, and Cordoba on this itinerary only occupies 1 day. Also, this allows you to keep Madrid and Barcelona as your airports of entry/departure, which is logistically easiest. So I would do something like fly into Barcelona > fly to Ibiza > fly to Granada/Seville > train to Seville/Granada (whichever you didn’t fly into) > train to Madrid > fly out of Madrid OR the exact reverse.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi Em,
Your itinerary is perfect for the amount of time we have to explore the country. Can I ask if you know anything about trains over the Pyrenees from France? I was hoping to enter Spain by train from Toulouse and wanted to try to line up a trip on the Little Yellow Train as well. However, although it looks possible to go from Toulouse to Latour de Carol by train, then hop on the Little Yellow Train to Villefranch-de- Conflent and then change to a commuter train to Barcelona. I cant actually find any connecting trains. The other problem I’m having is trying to book trains for October 2024, seems to be too far in advance as zero information shows for the dates I enter into the booking system.
I’d be very appreciative if you’re able to shed any light on this
Hi Bron,
I unfortunately don’t know too much about the Pyrenees, though I would love to explore them someday!
As for the train tickets, I usually try to see the furthest out day from today that I am able to view tickets for the journey I want to purchase. That lets me know how far out in advance I can purchase them and also gives me an idea of what might later be available on my travel date. Then, I set an alarm for that number of days out before my travel dates, reminding me to go check tickets, now that they should be available. So if I can see tickets for, let’s say, 60 days out from today, but starting at 61 days out from today, I can’t, I’ll plan to check tickets again 60 days prior to the date I want to travel on.
I hope that makes sense!
– Em
Hi! My boyfriend and I were thinking about planning a trip at the end of January 2024. Do you think January is a time that would be worth visiting Spain still? We are planning for 8 or 9 nights. Is there anything you would modify with your itinerary for January?
Hi Nickey,
If you are OK with cold weather, then you can totally do this itinerary in late January without modifying it. The attractions on this itinerary are all cultural and not really nature-based. Barcelona is of course on the coast, which is part of its appeal, but its beach isn’t one I’d particularly recommend going out of your way to swim at, so you’re not loosing anything itinerary-wise. I would just do a google search of “[city name] monthly weather” for each stop on this itinerary and double check you are fine with the avg temps (lows too, for evenings) and avg rainy days.
I hope that helps!
– Em
Hey Em,
Wow, this itinerary is so well detailed and thought out. Thank you for taking the time to put all of this together.
We are planning a trip to Spain and Portugal towards the end of June. 10 days in Spain and a few days in Portugal. Portugal will either be at the beginning or the end of the trip. We haven’t decided on that yet. We’ve left things a bit late and your itinerary has helped SOOOO much.
Hi Scotty,
Thanks for taking the time to let me know how helpful for you it’s been! I’m glad to know that. 🙂 Portugal + Spain together is a great idea!
Have a nice trip!
– Em
Thank you so much for sharing this! I was just wondering what would you suggest if we wanted to squeeze Donostia? We are willing to forego Granada or even Madrid if we have to. We are also look at about 12 days in September and will be flying all the way from Hawaii. Thank you for any insight you can share!
Hi Ayie,
Since my itinerary is 10 days and you have 12, you could just add two days minus the travel time to Donostia. If you need more time there, which I’d probably recommend, I’d recommend having Madrid as first on the chopping block. I am saying this as someone who has voluntarily been living in Madrid for two years now. It’s a very nice city to live in, but I think the other spots on my itinerary offer more touristically. (I would put Cordoba as second on the chopping block.)
So, if removing Madrid, I would recommend something like Barcelona > fly to Donostia > fly to Granada > train to Seville (1 day trip to Cordoba).
That would give you 4 nights in Donostia. If you’re willing to just have 3 nights there, you could squeeze in some Madrid and also make things easier for your flights from the US. You could do Barcelona > fly to Donostia > fly to Grandada > train to Seville (1 day trip to Cordoba) > train to Madrid in the morning before final night in Spain, and fly out of Madrid.
Hope that helps!
– Em
I loved reading your 10 day trip to Spain. We are going in July – we are flying into Madrid and out of Barcelona. So I was thinking of doing it in the order – Madrid, Seville, Granada and then Barcelona. Do you think that works well? Also – any hotel suggestions? we are traveling with two adult children (ages 20 and 24) – will need two room every night. would love suggestions and restaurants too.
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for letting me know you love the itinerary! I’m glad it’s been helpful.
The way I have it laid out in this itinerary (or the exact reverse) is the most ideal in terms of efficiency and not requiring any additional flights, but you can just fly from Granada (or Seville) to Barcelona to make your itinerary work.
I don’t have hotel suggestions, as I tend to just book the most reasonably priced thing that is walking distance to the train station available at the time I am booking, especially since I tend to travel solo. As for restaurants, if you like history and meat, Botin in Madrid is the oldest consecutively running restaurant in the world. It will require reservations in advance online. San Gines in Madrid is accredited with being where churros *con chocolate* was first sold. I didn’t enter El Rinconcillo in Seville and just passed by, but it’s supposed to be the oldest tapas bar in Spain.
I hope some of that helps!
– Em
thank you!
You’re welcome! 🙂
I will finish the Camino Frances on September 15 and spend two nights in Santiago de Compostela. My husband and I are then planning to travel in Spain until our flight out of Madrid on September 25. We love culture, art, history and nature and tend toward smaller towns instead of really big cities. How would you recommend doing your itinerary if we have September 17-25 to see parts of Spain? We can travel via train, bus, plane or car during that time. By the way, I love your information on Spain!
Hi Beth,
If you don’t prefer really big cities and are fine passing on seeing Barcelona and Madrid, you might consider just doing the Andalusia part of my itinerary, and then adding some more day trips! I always tell people that I don’t understand why this region isn’t the main touristic draw in the country instead of Barcelona and Madrid.
The north of Spain isn’t as well connected on the high speed train network, so I would recommend flying into Seville from there. You can do some day trips from there in addition to the one I recommend in this itinerary to Cordoba. By public transport, you could see Cadiz, and also Jerez de la Frontera which is part of the sherry triangle and home to the famous Tío Pepe bodegas, if sherry tastings interest you. If you rent a car, you could visit a couple of the famous pueblos blancos in a day (I’m sure you could also find a group tour, if you don’t want to rent the car). Then, continue the itinerary through to Granada. If you want to fly out of Madrid, you can take the train there on your final evening.
There is also the option to add on Malaga instead of Cadiz/Jerez. I haven’t been because the timing’s not worked out for me yet, but it’s high on my list! In that case, you could then also fly into Malaga. You could do a pueblos blancos day trip from there, too (Ronda + Sentenil de las Bodegas is a popular one you can book as a group tour). You could also day trip to Nerja and Frigiliana, or do the Caminito del Rey hike. Then, from Malaga, you can take the train to Granada and follow the rest of my itinerary from that point on. OR do the exact reverse (start in Seville and end in Malaga). You can fly out of Seville/Malaga with a likely connection in MAD or BCN, or train to Madrid on your final evening for a flight out of MAD the next morn.
I hope some of those ideas help! September is a great time to visit Spain, and I know you’ll have a great time!
– Em
Hi Em,
Such an excellent, detailed guide!! I’m wondering if you have a suggestions for accommodations while in each of these locations? Specific hotels would be welcome or even suggestions for good locations within each city. Thanks so much!!
Hi Kristin,
Thanks for letting me know that you like my guide!
I unfortunately don’t have specific recommendations, but I can add that to my to-do list and let you know when the post is live, if your trip isn’t for some time. Otherwise, I can say that I usually use Booking.com to search, because I like that their interface allows you to filter criteria and then move to a map view, which allows me to see where the accommodation is relative to the train and attractions. I’m not currently affiliated with Booking.com.
As far as location, it’ll depend on if you’re prioritizing walkability from the train stations, or if you plan to take cabs/the metro to reach your accommodation once arriving in the city via train to get to the trendiest area, or most historical area, or most upscale area, or whatever your preference would be. For Madrid, where I currently live, you don’t lose much by booking near Atocha station, because it’s just on the border of the city center, and the center is quite compact. In the other cities on this itinerary, there’s a bit more walking distance between the stations and the center, so you’ll have to decide if you prefer to be close to the train or in the historical center, or the trendy neighborhood, etc.
Sorry to not be of more help!!
– Em
Hello!! I’m looking to book a 10-day trip to Barcelona for my parents and I (I am 24, my parents are in their 60s) in July. I read online, as well as your other comments, that some parts of Spain are unbearably hot in July, do you think that includes Barcelona? Which parts should we stick to that time of year? Perhaps 10 days would be too long if we can only really enjoy Barcelona at that time? I would greatly appreciate any insights.
Hi Gloria,
I’ve never visited Barcelona in summer, just in spring and winter. But due to it being on the coast, I think it should be the only stop in my 10 itinerary that will be hot but bearable! And based off Barcelona’s recorded temps from last July, that seems to have been the case last year.
If you want to stick within Spain, you could add more stops along the Costa Brava. There are day trip-able places, like Stiges, Tarragona, etc. or you could stay overnight in a place like Tossa de Mar, Cadaqués, etc. They could also fly to the Balearic islands or the north of Spain, if they are willing to leave the greater Barcelona area.
I hope some of those suggestions help!
– Em
Hello Em,
I am in my early 20s and going to Spain/Europe for the first time. I am going for 11 days in late May.
We are wanting a balance of nice beach days and cool architect and cultural sightseeing. I really like your 10 day plan but want to add more beach days. Do you recommend any specific beaches off of Seville and Granada? Also would you say it is worth it to go out to the Baleric Islands as first timers? Or are the beaches on the mainland comparable?
Thank you in advance!
Jay
Hi Jay,
I haven’t been to any Spanish islands yet (the train system on the mainland is just so convenient! A car rental seems necessary to get to the best beaches on the islands), but from what I’ve experienced on the mainland coast and what I see online of the Balearic Islands, I think you will find more large sand beaches on the mainland, but not as many of those cliff/stone beaches you see in pictures of the islands. From Seville, you could day trip to Cadiz (or other beach towns), and Barcelona has some day-trip-able beach towns too, like Stiges.
I’ve of course made this itinerary with what I think are the best things to visit in Spain, but if your interests are different, you can definitely fly to an island instead of seeing everything I suggest. 🙂
Hope that helps! You’re going to love your trip!
– Em
I’m planning a trip for my mom and I (34 and 62) in Sept or October of 2024. We’ll only have about 8 days and we want to do some relaxing on a beach/tropical location while we are there. How do you recommend we tweak your itinerary?
Hi Steph,
Barcelona is the only place on this itinerary that is on the coast. But the city beaches aren’t too special in my opinion. Maybe you could just focus on Madrid and Barcelona for the 8 days, and take day trips from each (Toledo, Segovia, and/or Avila from Madrid, and some nicer beach towns like Stiges from Barcelona).
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hello, thanks for all the detailed information! I just wanted to clear up how I would switch it around if I was starting and leaving from Barcelona instead. Thanks! ☺️
Hi Flor,
I’m glad you’ve found the information helpful!
You can follow this itinerary and then take a domestic flight from Seville to Barcelona at the end. 🙂
Hope that helps!
– Em
First time to Spain in mid june. We’re cuban Americans and our parents & grandparents were born in spain. we have 10 days Starting in Madrid for 3 days of business then 7 days of vacation. what do you recommend for first timers? Father & daughter trip. We’re in our early 40s & 60s we love art, architecture & nature.
Hi Marci,
How cool to be visiting your family’s homeland for the first time soon! 🙂
Will you be returning to Spain in the future? If so, I’d consider using the 7 days to do a day trip or two from Madrid (Toledo, Avila, or Segovia) and then visit Granada, Seville, and Cordoba via train (basically this itinerary from Madrid onwards). And save Barcelona for a return trip to Spain. I say that because Barcelona only connects conveniently to Madrid via train. So you would need to take a domestic flight or double-back through Madrid to see anything else besides Barcelona and Madrid.
The other option would be to just stick to Madrid and Barcelona as bases and do day trips from there. So 2 – 3 days as day trips to Toledo, Avila, and/or Segovia. And then the remaining 4 – 5 days for Barcelona and a day trip or two from there (maybe Montserrat, Stiges, or Girona).
You will get fine art museums in Madrid and Seville. You have the Picasso museum in Barcelona, and all the Gaudi architecture around the city. You will have really amazing Moorish architecture in Andalusia. And you will have nice medieval architecture in the 3 day trip options from Madrid. Granada is at the seat of a mountain range. Barcelona is on the coast. Montserrat is in cool-shaped mountains and you take a funicular to get up. But I wouldn’t really rank any of the locations particularly high for nature seekers.
I hope some of that helps!
– Em
Hi, thank you so much for sharing your detailed itinerary, it’s super helpful.
We are going to have the first part of our trip in Ireland (October). Considering flying into Seville from Dublin, and then following your itinerary in reverse from there. We’d love to stay in an agriturismo at some point in Spain. Any ideas where that could fit in?
We will be flying back home to Australia from Barcelona.
Thanks so much!
Hi Veronica,
I’m glad this itinerary has been super helpful for you!
I haven’t done agriturismo, but from what I’ve learned about Spain while living here, it seems like a lot of agriculture is in Andalusia. So just off of that, I would think you might want to squeeze it in from either Seville or Granada (both in Andalusia)?
Sorry to not be of more concrete help!!
– Em
That really helps, thank you for the tip!
Hi,
I have 10 days in spain. Would it easier if i drive for the 10 days? I would need to get back to barcelona on the last day of my drive for my flight out?
Hi Victor,
You can typically drop off your rental car in a different city than you picked it up, usually for an additional fee.
However, if you are seeing the spots I’ve listed on this itinerary, the train is going to save you several hours. Spain’s trains are very fast and cover what would be 6 hours in the car in under 3 hours, for example.
If you want, you can rent a car for day trips (for example the pueblos blancos in Andalusia, or driving around a particular coast). But if you are sticking to the mains spots (the spots on this itinerary), the train is best in my opinion.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Thanks Em
Hi Em! Thank you for sharing all of this insight. Can you elaborate on what the day to day temperature might be for June, July, August? I hear you saying unbearable; can you share the actual temperature/ avg temp for those months. Thank you ☺️
Hi Jennifer,
You can Google the monthly average by month by city (just type “Madrid monthly weather”) and you will get the average high and low by month. However, in the few summers I’ve spent in Spain so far, the temperature has surpassed what I see online as the average (I assume because it’s recently getting worse).
But just to give you an idea of last summer, which I spent entirely in Madrid, the first half of June in Madrid was pouring, so not hot but also not nice lol. From there it was about 100-104 F degrees half the time and 94-100 F the other half until early September, with a day of 89-92 F sprinkled in once in greeeat while. The thing about Spain though is that the hottest part of the day is around 6 pm. So it feels like that “high” temperature all day, because in the late morning, the temp is not yet at its peak, but the sun is, so it makes it “feel like” the peak temp for that day already. Then, as the sun sets, you no longer have the heat from the BUT but now the temp itself has actually hit its peak. So you’re feeling that “high” temp for a good 9–10 hours straight. (Unlike where I am from, where a forecast of 100F would mean about 4-5 hours around that peak temp around 11am – 2pm). I hope I make sense lol.
I’ve never spent the summer in the south (and never plan to), but I hear it’s worse there if not on the coast.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Good Evening,
Hope you will enjoy your good days, I am from Pakistan, interested to visit Spain in the month of September 2024 or October 2024, I need an itinerary for submitting in embassy with my Visa application.
Thank you
Hi Muhammad!
How long does your itinerary need to be, and what details does it need to include?
– Em
Thank you so much for such an amazing detailed itinerary, it’s my family’s first time going and I’m super stressed about the travel plans. What is your opinion on doing Barcelona > Valencia > Seville > Granada? then last day taking a train back to Barcelona from Seville ? we found a good flight round trip from Barcelona to ewr to we are trying to leave from BCN.
Hi Sejal,
I’m glad you like the itinerary!
The reason I have the itinerary laid out the way it is is due to the high-speed train routes between the cities. It will take 4.5 hours minimum by train from Valencia to Seville, and you’ll detour through Madrid rather than going in a straight line from point A to point B. And the same is true of the train between Barcelona and Seville; it’s 5.5 hours minimum and goes through Madrid. If you are OK with those travel times, then you can definitely do the itinerary you’ve laid out!
I hope that helps!
– Em
Hi! We are going 8 nights in/out of Barcelona in April. I saw that you recommend skipping madrid if only one week in Spain. Any suggestions? Two adult travelers one has visited Barcelona a long time ago!
Hi Catie,
If Madrid piques your interest, by all means follow my itinerary through there and just cut out two days from what interests you least in the rest of the itinerary! 🙂
Just for me personally, who has been living in Madrid for 2 years now by choice (so I definitely like the city!), Madrid doesn’t offer things as touristically impressive as the 3 cities in Andalusia do. And that statement about skipping Madrid if you only have one week is more directed at people who might only be making one trip to mainland Spain in their lifetimes and trying to see the best of the best in that one week. But if you’ve already been and might return, you can just see Barcelona, Madrid, and do day trips from both on this trip, and then visit Andalusia on its own in the future (it definitely has more than enough to see!).
Madrid is the transfer point that connects Barcelona to Andalusia via train in my 10 day itinerary. So to do my 10 day itinerary in 8 days by removing Madrid, you’d need to take a domestic flight from Barcelona to Granada, then train to Sevilla like in my itinerary, and then a domestic flight back to Barcelona from Seville at the end (also already baked into my itinerary. That would be my suggestion if you were wanting to see as much of my 10 day itinerary with two less days.
I hope that helps!
– Em
Hello! Such a helpful itinerary! My husband and I are looking to visit in September. Do you have any advice on luggage? If traveling in the morning, do you just leave the luggage at hotels before check in ? What other options do we have?
Hi Eugenia,
I’m glad my itinerary is helpful!
Yes, I just leave my luggage with reception if I arrive earlier than check-in time, which I usually do. If I’m not leaving til the afternoon, I leave my luggage with reception after I check-out. This is pretty common in hotels and hostels, but I would double check with airbnbs or anything similar.
Other options include luggage storage. You can google “luggage storage [insert city name here]” and see what options you like. They tend to be around (or even inside) train stations.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hello, I want to make sure I understand this itinerary. Am I sleeping in Barcelona 2 nights, Madrid and Granada 1 night each and Seville 2 nights?
Thank you~
Hi Lezlie,
You’re sleeping 3 nights in Barcelona, 2 nights in Madrid, 2 nights in Granada, and 3 nights in Sevilla. So 10 nights total.
Hope that clears it up!
– Em
This is great information! We are planning a November 4-12 stay in Spain and would love your input on how to tackle or modify our plans.
I have been before, but my husband and adult daughter have not.
We would fly into Madrid from the US and were thinking of visiting Barcelona, Segovia, possibly Toledo, and Seville.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Melissa,
I’m glad the post is helpful!
Is your flight roundtrip from Madrid? If so, I would suggest something like:
Madrid (3-4 days: 1-2 days Madrid, 1 day Segovia day trip, 1 day Toledo day trip) > train to Barcelona (2-3 days)/Seville (2 days) > flight to Seville (2 days)/Barcelona (2-3 days) > train to Madrid for flight
If your flight isn’t round trip and you can fly out of Barcelona, I would suggest something like:
Madrid (3-4 days: 1-2 days Madrid, 1 day Segovia day trip, 1 day Toledo day trip) > train to Seville (2 days) > flight to Barcelona (2-3 days)
There are tour groups to Toledo and Segovia individually, or you can DIY your own day trip to Toledo by train and day trip to Segovia by bus. But if you end up short on time in the itinerary and don’t mind rushing through the two places, there are options to combine both into one tour group day trip. You can purchase the tours in person in Madrid. There are lots of kiosks all over the center that advertise them for the same price.
I hope that helps and that you love Spain!!
– Em
I loved reading this. I used to live in Spain about 20 years ago and am going back with my family for the first time. I have a question if you don’t mind helping me. I’m planning a 11 day trip to Spain early July with the family (including 3 boys ages 5-14). I am arriving in Madrid where we stay for 5 nights. I need help planning the remaining days. We definitely want to go by the water for at least a few days. I was thinking of doing Sevilla then Marbella/malaga. But now I think Sevilla will be too hot and need advice for different cities. I’d like to stay in the south. We love happening cities with nightlife, restaurant scene, (water) activities for kids, shopping (if possible), etc. Maybe a total of 3-4 cities for the 11 days, with Madrid being the first 5 nights. Any advice would be appreciated. I have been to Marbella about 20 years ago and loved it. Not sure what it’s like now. And not looking to going to the islands. Thank you.
Hi Yasmin,
I’m glad that my post was enjoyable to read! 🙂 And that you’re going to be able to go back to Spain after such a long time! I’m sure it will have changed a lot.
Seville will be unbearable in July, so good call on removing that. Even Madrid is very uncomfortable in summer (I hear it’s been getting worse over the years, so maybe it was more bearable back when you lived in Spain. But I can attest personally that last July was horrible lol), so do come prepared for that (hats, sunscreen, clothes, water spray bottles, etc.).
These might not be considered south, but they are on the Mediterranean coast, so you might consider Valencia and Alicante. Valencia is the 3rd largest city in Spain, so no shortage of nightlife there. And I haven’t been to Alicante yet (I’m going in a few days!), but it’s also in the community of Valencia and is the 8th largest metropolitan area in Spain. There are a lot of nice beach towns between the two cities, so you could do a lot of nice day trips to nice beaches. Valencia has an aquarium that people seem to like (I didn’t enter), so the kids might like that.
I haven’t been to the Malaga area yet, but there is the day trip of Nerja (on the coast) from there, and Marbella is not too far either, as you know.
Cádiz might potentially also fit the bill as one of your cities. It’s in Andalusia, on the coast, and is a fan favorite. It’s also day-trip distance from Seville, so if there’s a random day where the weather is bearable for some strange reason, you could go up for a day from there. It might not have nightlife in the way that large cities do (I only went on a day trip, so I can’t say), but I find that almost any place in Spain has people out and about at night. I find that to be even more true in summer, because the middle of the day is so hot that many people hide lol (*raises hand*).
There’s a 3.5 hour Avanzabus between Cádiz Station and Marbella. So assuming no car rental, an itinerary with all the above could look something like:
Madrid > train to Valencia > bus to Alicante > fly to Cadiz > bus to Marbella > train to Malaga > train back to Madrid
or excluding Cadiz, it could be:
Madrid > train to Valencia > bus to Alicante > fly to Malaga (day trip to Marbella one day) > train back to Madrid
Valencia and Alicante both have airports, so either one can be excluded, if you just want to use one as the base while in the community of Valencia. And you could also do the exact reverse directions of what I’ve outlined above, too.
I hope some of that helps, at least as a jumping off point!! Let me know what you think. 🙂
– Em