One week in Spain: a multi-city route
Madrid's imperial squares, a 34-minute jump to Toledo, then the AVE south to the Alhambra and the sea in Barcelona.
How do you spend a week in Spain?
A one-way route from Madrid through Toledo and Andalusia to Barcelona, moved almost entirely by high-speed train. Madrid carries the Wayside walking tours and the fastest connections; the southern stops are the Alhambra, the Mezquita, and the tapas bars between them, and Barcelona is the airport-and-sea finish.
- Day 1 to 3
The capital and the museum mile
Start in Madrid because every rail line and both main airports meet here. Spend the first morning on the Habsburg Heart walk from Puerta del Sol to Plaza Mayor and San Ginés, then take the Landscape of Light route down the Paseo del Prado past the Prado and Reina Sofía. Eat late and tapas-crawl the Mercado de San Miguel before noon, when it is still walkable; the Sunday El Rastro market at Ribera de Curtidores is the city at its most alive.
- TransitThe Avant train to Toledo leaves Madrid Puerta de Atocha and takes about 34 minutes, with one-way fares from €13.90.SourceTrainline
- Day 4, day trip
The three-culture city, one ride away
Wayside tour coming soonCome as a day trip from Madrid and you get the imperial city in miniature: the Gothic cathedral with its treasury, the Alcázar on the ridge, and El Greco's altarpieces in Santo Tomé. The Avant deposits you below the walls; take the escalators up to Zocodover and just walk. If you stay overnight, the streets empty once the day trippers leave.
- Getting thereTo continue south, take the AVE from Madrid Puerta de Atocha to Sevilla, about 2 hours 39 minutes on the fastest services.SourceTrainline
- Day 4 to 6
Oranges, patios, and flamenco
Wayside tour coming soonSevilla earns two nights for the cathedral and Giralda, the Alcázar's patios, and the Barrio Santa Cruz you can cross on foot in an afternoon. Keep an evening for the tapas bars of the Arenal and Triana; in spring the orange trees are in flower. Book the Alcázar's timed entry ahead, because the queue at the Lion Gate is the one line that does not move fast.
- TransitThe AVE to Córdoba takes about 40 minutes, with advance one-way fares often under €10.SourceTrainline
- Day 6 to 7
The striped arches of the Mezquita
Wayside tour coming soonOne night is the right amount for Córdoba. The Mezquita-cathedral is the reason: a forest of red-and-white double arches inside a mosque that a Renaissance cathedral was later built into. Book the early entry and go before the tour groups; then lose an hour in the whitewashed patios of the Judería, where pots of geraniums cover the walls in May.
- TransitThe direct train to Granada takes about 1 hour 32 minutes.SourceTrainline
- Day 7 to 9
The Alhambra above the Darro
Wayside tour coming soonGranada is the Alhambra, and the Alhambra is a timed-entry puzzle: the Nasrid Palaces slot is the one to book weeks out, and it is the only ticket that sells out in every season. Save one evening for the Albaicín, where the free view from the San Nicolás mirador faces the whole fortified complex above the Darro valley. The food is free with a drink in many old bars, so eat standing up.
- Getting thereThe direct train to Barcelona runs about 7 hours 20 minutes at its fastest; low-cost Avlo seats can start around €11 in advance, though AVE fares run higher.SourceTrainline
- Day 9 to 12
Gaudí and the sea
Wayside tour coming soonEnd in Barcelona for the sea and the grid. The Sagrada Família is the one monument to pre-book, with timed entry; then walk the Gothic Quarter's lanes and finish on a Gaudí rooftop, at Casa Batlló or La Pedrera. El Prat's nonstop flights make it the natural departure city, and the Barceloneta beaches are the reward at the end of the loop.
- Getting thereIf you fly out of Madrid instead, the AVE from Barcelona to Madrid takes about 2 hours 29 minutes on the fastest services.SourceTrainline
Less time?
One week? Keep Madrid, Sevilla, and Barcelona. Do Toledo as a day trip from Madrid, drop Córdoba and Granada this time, and take a direct AVE or a short flight from Sevilla to Barcelona on the middle day.
Planning your route
Can I do this route by train only?
Yes. Every leg has a direct train: the Avant from Madrid to Toledo, the AVE from Madrid to Sevilla and Sevilla to Córdoba, and AVE or Avant from Córdoba to Granada and Granada to Barcelona. The Granada to Barcelona run is the long one at about 7 hours 20 minutes, so some people fly that single jump.
SourceTrainlineDo I need to book trains in advance?
For the cheapest fares, yes. Renfe releases AVE seats roughly three to six months before travel, and the lowest Avlo and iryo prices go first. If your dates are loose, the Spain Rail Pass is a fallback at €220 for four standard journeys.
SourceThe Local SpainWhat should I book before I leave?
The Alhambra's Nasrid Palaces timed entry, the Sagrada Família, the Sevilla Alcázar, and any long AVE legs. Those are the four that sell out or jump in price; the rest you can sort on the ground.
Is this route right for a first-time visitor?
It is the classic first loop because it hits the country's biggest monuments and two of its best food cities without a rental car. If you have only one week, cut to Madrid, Sevilla, and Barcelona and save Córdoba and Granada for the return.
More of Spain
- Walking toursWalking tours in SpainSpain is the country of the late dinner, the high-speed AVE, and the empty afternoon streets. A first visit works best as a single line from the center to the south and east: Madrid, where our Wayside walks thread the Habsburg squares and the museum mile; Toledo, the hilltop capital of three cultures 34 minutes away; then Sevilla, Córdoba, and Granada, where Moorish arches and flamenco share the same cobbles; and Barcelona, which ends the trip with Gaudí and the sea. Trains link every stop, the food changes by region and by the hour, and the planning comes down to two things: booking the Alhambra and the AVE early.
- Know before you goSpain essentialsThe national basics for Spain: entry rules, the euro, trains between cities, plugs, holidays, and when to go.
Do it yourself
Follow it in the app
Walk Madrid's imperial squares with a local's map in your pocket, then reuse the same app to plan the Andalusia loop and Barcelona.
Provenance · last verified August 20, 2026
Researched and routed by Wayside, with inter-city detail checked against the source.
SourcesINE, Tourist Expenditure Survey, December 2025INE, Tourist Expenditure Survey, May 2025The Local SpainTrainlineTrainlineTrainlineTrainlineTrainlineTrainline