A Fairytale Day Trip to Segovia from Madrid

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Segovia, Spain is a World Heritage City with some of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. My husband and I both agreed that this was the highlight of our week in Spain. So a day trip to Segovia from Madrid is a must on your trip to Spain!

The city is filled with gorgeous gothic architecture, historic homes and churches, and one of the largest Roman Aqueducts still standing. Not to mention the fairytale castle is said to have inspired Disney’s Imagineers! If you are a photography lover (like me), you’ll definitely want to keep reading to discover how to get the best photos on it on your day trip to Segovia.

a snow capped mountain in the distance over the red tiled roofs of the colorful houses in Segovia Spain — Segovia, Spain

What you need to know about Segovia

General:

Segovia is in central Spain, about an hour’s drive outside of Madrid. But you can take a high speed AVE train on your day trip to Segovia and get there in about 30 minutes (more on that below).

Money Stuff:

Credit cards are accepted, and the currency in Spain is the Euro.

Language:

You def need to know some Spanish here. There were a few people who spoke decent English, but most spoke very little (at least that we encountered).

Safety:

I felt safe when I was with Andrew. We separated for about 30 minutes at the end of our day because I wanted to photograph some of the buildings before we left. During that time, I was verbally harassed by one man and followed by another. Use common sense and stick to the more public streets if you are traveling alone. I recommend learning Brazilian jiu jitsu to all travelers with anxiety, and you can read here about why it is so helpful for anxiety.

the historic iglesia de san martin in segovia spain has gorgeous architure and is a must see on your day trip to segovia — Iglesia de San Martin

How to get to Segovia from Madrid for a day trip

The high speed AVE trains that leave from Madrid are the perfect way to get to Segovia on your day trip. You can get there in about 30 minutes, and as a bonus you get gorgeous countryside views on the way! Book your tickets in advance so you’re guaranteed a seat.

But there are a few things you should know:

If you are staying in Madrid, you will need to get to the Centro station to get on the high speed train. Make sure to plan enough time to catch the subway, metro, or taxi to the station because…
You have to scan everything you are bringing with you like you would at the airport. We didn’t realize this and the line was SO long. Thankfully we were able to communicate with one of the security people that we were going to miss our train and they pulled us and a few others out of the line to scan our bags and go before we missed our train.
The train station in Segovia is a little outside the city, so once you are there you will have to take a bus up to the city. Look for the one headed to the Aqueduct! And make sure to plan enough time to take the bus back to the train station before your return train leaves.

I recommend taking an early train to Segovia because you want to be the first in line at the Alcazar. We had it all to ourselves for about half an hour (we also went on a weekday).

If you’re a traveler with anxiety and this all feels like too much for you, check out a guided day trip to Segovia from Madrid. As a bonus, you’ll stop in the historic walled city of Avila!

What to do on your day trip to Segovia

You can see everything on one day trip to Segovia, but if you wanted to stay one night there I would say go for it. Especially if you are into photography, you can catch two golden hours to shoot the Alcazar and other beautiful spots around the city!

Alcazar de Segovia

The Alcazar was definitely the draw to me on this day trip to Segovia! It has a rich history dating from the 12th century filled with royalty, military battles, artillery fortress, and lots of reconstruction. The castle today was rebuilt in the late 1800s after an artillery fire destroyed much of it, which is why it has the romantic architecture seen in castles built much later than the original Alcazar.

You definitely want to book your ticket in advance, and make sure to include time to visit the Torre de Juan, where you will have jaw dropping views of the city and countryside. If you go in the winter, you can even see snow capped mountains in the distance!

But the most fabulous spots to take photos of this ship-like castle is across the canyon and through the woods. More on how to take the best photos of the Alcazar de Segovia below!

Roman Aqueduct

Other than the Alcazar, Segovia is most known for its Roman Aqueducts. They are one of the best preserved elevated Roman Aqueducts. It has 167 arches, with no mortar holding it together. Talk about impressive for something built in the first century! Once you get off the bus, the Aqueducts are right there. I recommend seeing these at the end of your day trip to Segovia to be efficient with your day! Make sure to take the stairs to the top so you can get breathtaking views of the aqueduct with the snow capped mountains in the distance.

the tall gothic spires on cathedral de segovia look like a fairytale and are a must see on a day trip to segovia — Catedral de Segovia from Plaza Mayor

Catedral de Segovia

The Cathedral was one of the last ever built in Spain in the gothic style after the old one had a fire. You can tour the inside, which has famous works of art and chapels. We opted to admire the outside because we wanted to dedicate as much time as possible to exploring around the city. You can get some amazing photographs of it from the square in front of the Alcazar!

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor is the best place to grab lunch and admire the city! You can sit right next to the Catedral de Segovia and soak in the gothic architecture while sipping on a glass of delicious Spanish wine. This is also where the Christmas market is held in Segovia.

We ate at La Concepcion, which has outdoor seating with the best view! We had a 3 course meal plus a bottle of wine for 27 EUR per person! The food was amazing, and Andrew (who is not a huge steak fan) said his was one of the best steaks he'd ever eaten.

segovia cathedral, spires of other churches, and rows of red tiled roofs trail off into the distance where there are snow capped mountains in segovia spain — View from Torre de Juan

Viewpoints around the City

I mean, this city is GORGEOUS from every angle. There are so many spots to take photos of the Cathedral, Alcazar, historic homes, and surrounding landscape. You can’t go wrong! Google Maps has most of them marked, but if you want more inspiration, check this out.

How to get THE BEST photos of Alcazar de Segovia

I love being out in nature, especially while traveling. The hike we took to get the best photos of the Alcazar de Segovia was a much needed respite from the hustle and bustle of Madrid! You can totally do this on your day trip to Segovia, but you do need to set aside a few hours to make it happen.

the woods around the alcazar de segovia where the best view points to photograph the castle are — You need to head this way to get to the viewpoints!

From the Alcazar, you want to head down into the gardens until you hit the river that flows around the castle. Cross the river and head uphill until you reach the main road. Cross the road (you should see somewhat of a trail) and head uphill along the path. You will be doing a lot of uphill walking in rough terrain, so wear sturdy shoes (you don’t necessarily need hiking boots) that you don’t mind getting dirty.

There are several great spots along the way, but the absolute best one is Mirador del Alcázar y los dos Valles (you can find it on google maps). You get the Alcazar, Cathedral, city, and mountain views all in one shot.

Remember to leave the area better than you found it, and take all trash with you!

If you are looking for some fairy princess vibes, head toward Mirador de la Pradera de San Marcos next. It is a wide open field where you can be a total basic and put on a pretty dress and run towards the castle (#guilty).

alcazar de segovia view from the mirador de la pradera de san marcos, the green field leads up to the floating fairytale castle — View of Alcazar de Segovia from Mirador de la Pradera de San Marcos

Then, head back to the main road leading into the city. You are basically making one giant loop around the castle to catch it from every angle!

Final Thoughts on a Fairytale Day Trip to Segovia from Madrid

I hope you enjoyed this day trip to Segovia from Madrid inspiration! It was my favorite part of our trip to Spain, and I loved the chance to photograph this gorgeous World Heritage City. If you have questions, drop them in the comments or send me a DM on Instagram!

If you want to know more about visiting Central Spain at Christmas, check out this post.

A Fairytale Day Trip to Segovia from Madrid (+ how to get the best photos of Alcazar de Segovia!)