A Tale of Two Cities: Art, History and Heritage in Madrid and Toledo

It’s your first full day in Spain and what better way to spend it than discovering the capital in the company of a friendly local resident who knows the city inside out. The walk is relaxed and totally based around you, so before heading out you can discuss your tastes – are you a culture buff? A gastronome? A football fanatic? A fashion obsessive? Whatever it is, Madrid has plenty to fuel your passions and maybe even spark some new ones…. The rest of the afternoon is yours to play with. You can continue exploring the city at your own leisure or we can arrange for you to head out on a second walking tour, this time to discover Madrid’s fascinating history as a hub of writers, artists and intellectuals.

Today is all about soaking in Madrid’s grand cultural splendour. You’ll be armed with entrance tickets to the Prado Museum, one of the world’s most important art galleries. You can admire Velasquez’s ‘Las Meninas’ (1657), Charles V at Mühlberg’s ‘Titian’ (1547), Goya’s ‘Tres de Mayo (1814), Fra Angelico’s ‘Altarpiece of the Annunciation’ (1426), Caravaggio’s ‘David and Goliath’ (1605), Rogier van der Weyden’s ‘Descent from the Cross’ (1435), Hieronymus Bosch’s ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ (1504) and Greco’s ‘Portrait of Jeronimo de Cevallos’ (1613), just to name a few. The rest of today is yours to spend as you please, and there are plenty of other museums and sites worth visiting. We could also arrange for you to head out this evening with a knowledgeable local guide to discover the oldest taverns and tapas bars in Madrid, one of which dates back to at least 1787.

Your journey through central Spain continues today. After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, head to the beautiful and very green train station in Madrid to board a thirty-minute train to Toledo. On arrival, settle in for two nights in a characterful hotel in the heart of the UNESCO-listed historic centre. The rest of today is yours to spend getting your first taste of life in Toledo. We recommend simply getting lost in the labyrinth of bustling streets that make up the centre: admire impressive architecture before tucking into some indulgent culinary delights at one of the many inviting tapas bars.

Set atop a gorge overlooking a peaceful river, Toledo is a city that dazzles with scenic, cultural and historic delights. For centuries it was known as the ‘City of Three Cultures’ for being a place where Christians, Jews and Muslims co-lived, for the most part, harmoniously. Today you’ll be discovering the many sites that reside within the old city walls in the company of a knowledgeable local guide full of fascinating tales. Toledo’s treasures include Saint Mary's Cathedral, which dates back to the 13th century and displays a mixture of French Gothic and Spanish ornamentation; the 14th-century Santo Tomé church, with its Mudejar-style bell tower; and the 12th-century Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue (now a museum), whose name indicates the Christianization that took place here in the 15th century. The rest of the afternoon is yours to continue exploring. You could head over to the Alcazar, which was the place of iconic Civil War battles in the summer of 1936, or we can arrange for you to pair up with another local guide to discover the city’s hidden gems. For dinner this evening, follow your nose to find a classic little tapas bar in town or, once again, turn to our destination-specific Dossier for inspiration.