How to Spend 7 Days At Christmas in Central Spain
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Spain is full of rich history and culture. From the Moorish influences in Southern Spain to the beautiful and unique Basque country in the North, Spain has something to offer everyone. There are 17 autonomous communities in Spain (and 2 autonomous cities), each with its own cultures, cuisines, and even distinct languages! In 2019, Spain was the second most visited country in the world. So it is a very popular tourist destination (heads up to anxious and sensitive travelers!). This post covers a 7 Day Central Spain Itinerary where you will visit Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia. Keep reading to start planning your Christmas trip to Spain!
Traveling to Central Spain
When traveling to central Spain, you will fly into Madrid's Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD). We flew from Raleigh to Miami and then Miami to Madrid. We had an 8 hour layover in Miami, so I filled up our time with reading, stretching, and some meditation to relax before our long flight.
The Madrid airport is HUGE and super spread out. You will have to do quite a bit of walking and riding trams to get around the airport. I highly recommend getting to the airport 3 hours early when you leave because it takes so long to get through all the checkpoints to leave the country!
Segovia, Spain
Things you need to know about Spain
General:
Spain is part of the European Union (EU) and Schengen Area. Starting in 2024 you will have to fill out an ETIAS application to enter the EU if you’re traveling from a visa-free country. It costs 7EUR and you will need your passport to fill out the application.
Financial:
Spain uses the Euro as its currency. We had no problems paying by card everywhere we went. Make sure you have a credit card with no international fees!
Language:
Knowing some Spanish would be very beneficial. I took Spanish all through school and was able to communicate, but if you don't know any Spanish you might struggle a bit.
Here are some helpful phrases:
Habla Ingles? - Do you speak English?
Si/no - Yes/No
Por Favor/Gracias - Please/Thank you
Donde esta el baño/el aseo? - Where is the bathroom? (I saw aseo on a lot of signs there, but I learned it as baño and you will be understood if you say it)
Donde esta...? - Where is...?
Necesito/quiero... - I want/need...
Cafe on Leche - Coffee with Milk
Safety:
I felt safe except when I was away from Andrew for about 30 minutes in Segovia. Use common sense, don't go down dark alleys by yourself, let someone know where you're going, and keep your phone/other valuables out of sight!
I highly recommend learning self-defense for travel, especially if you travel solo!
Major Cities:
The major cities of Central Spain are Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Cuenca, and Alcala de Henares. On this Central Spain Itinerary, you will visit Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia.
Where to Stay in Central Spain
Hotel Preciados in Madrid
Hotel Preciados is a 4 star hotel centrally located in Madrid. It is perfectly located and within walking distance of the Royal Palace, Opera, Prado Museum, Plaza del Sol, Plaza de Espana, and so much more.
We stayed in a Penthouse with Terrace room. It had a super comfy king size bed with luxurious linens and pillows. The front desk even brought us a bunch of extra pillows when we requested them! The bathroom with the skylight was one of my favorite parts because I could take a shower under the sun.
The on-site restaurant, Cafe Varela, is one of the oldest and most famous in Madrid! And it's also where we had our Christmas Eve dinner.
The front desk staff were absolutely amazing and took care of our every need. They helped us get Real Madrid tickets (you can’t buy them online with American credit cards), gave us directions, recommended restaurants, made reservations, and more.
I highly recommend this hotel to any anxious or highly sensitive traveler. You can’t beat the location and the service made me feel right at home ♥️ Check out my full review here!
7 Day Central Spain Itinerary
We spent 8 nights and 9ish days exploring Central Spain, including Madrid, Segovia, and Toledo the week before Christmas in 2021. I loved seeing all the Christmas Markets in each city we went to. My favorite one was in Toledo! This Central Spain itinerary only covers 7 days because we spent one whole day resting after exploring Segovia and Toledo. We were exhausted! 😂
For my anxious and highly sensitive readers, I will say that Madrid was VERY, VERY packed. The population is over 3 million people, and many Spaniards go to Madrid around Christmas for shopping, markets, and family. Friday and Saturday nights before Christmas were very difficult for me because of how packed everything was. So I recommend avoiding the city (and especially the markets) on those days if you plan a trip for Christmas. I opted to stay in our room most of those nights because it was overwhelming for me.
The weather when we went to Central Spain was in the mid-50s during the day and in the low 30s at night. Layers were my friend there! Make sure to pack a warm coat and some fleece-lined leggings, but you won't need snow boots to explore Central Spain!
Day 1 - Arrival in Madrid
Gluten Free Churros at Chocolateria 1902
We arrived really early in the morning at Madrid Airport. The airport is HUGE and takes forever to navigate. Because our hotel was in the center of Madrid, we arranged an airport shuttle with them. We checked in early to our hotel (thanks VIP perks on Expedia!) and got to rest a few minutes before we went exploring.
First, we met up with Lana of @lanastravels (Instagram) who gave us a quick tour of the center of Madrid and took us to all the best Christmas markets. We even stopped to get chocolate churros, and mine was gluten-free! I highly recommend checking out Chocolateria 1902, they were so kind and very careful about the separation between regular and gluten-free churros. Mine came on a black plate to differentiate it!
After we said goodbye to Lana, we went to have dinner at Gino's, an Italian food chain in Spain. They have a gluten-free menu, and they also put gluten-free items on special colored plates and mats. Andrew and I hung out here for a while because the place was empty at 7 PM. Dinner is usually very late in Spain (like 9PM or later), and we were still on our US schedules! Afterward, we walked the short distance to see the Royal Palace and Opera at night before returning to our hotel.
Day 2 - El Retiro Park
Fisherman’s House at El Retiro in Madrid
El Retiro is a HUGE park (300+ acres) with a lake, statues, walking trails, and so much more to see. It is like the Central Park of Madrid! It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I wanted to see the Crystal Palace most of all because of all the pretty photos I had seen on Instagram.
To get there, we took the metro from our hotel to right outside the park. The metro in Madrid is super easy to use and makes hopping around the city so easy! We got a Multi-Card with 10 trips which were valid for all metros and buses within the city. We only refilled it once and it was the perfect amount for all the activities we did.
Once inside the park, we stopped at the Fisherman's House, which was SO cute and instagrammable. It was a gorgeous sunny day, so wandering through the park was a great way to refresh from all the airplane travel. We headed towards the big lake where we saw tons of people out rowing around and enjoying the sun. Then we stopped to admire the Monument to Alfonso XII which is right next to the lake.
We kept wandering through the park until we found the Crystal Palace. At 2PM on a Saturday, it was packed! We had to wait in line to enter. There was an exhibition going on too, so I was not able to get the photos I wanted there. Check ahead of time if there will be an exhibition so you know what to expect and can plan accordingly!
After we finished up at the Crytal Palace, we went to get lunch at Patio de Leones. The menu was clearly marked with all allergen information, which I really appreciated! Andrew had the cod fritters and I had the red prawns. It was delicious! After lunch, we took the metro back to our hotel for a siesta.
We tried to go to the Christmas Markets that evening, but as I mentioned above the city was insanely busy. I got very anxious very quickly, so we decided to go back to our hotel for the night and rest instead. If you follow my Central Spain Itinerary dates, I highly recommend making other plans for this night!
Day 3 - Exploring Christmas Markets + Real Madrid Game
Christmas tree in Plaza de Espana, Madrid
In the morning, we decided to walk around and explore more of Madrid. First, we stopped in the Real Madrid store in Plaza del Sol to pick up some gear for the game later that night. And we happened to be by Chocolateria 1902, so naturally we had to stop in and eat more chocolate churros!
We made a loop around Plaza Mayor to see the Christmas Market and then through the small side streets to see Neptune's Fountain. The Prado Museum is also there, so if you wanted to check out the most amazing pieces of Spanish art, you stop in there for a few hours!
We took a nap at our hotel and then headed out to grab some dinner before the Real Madrid game. We knew it was going to be packed on the Metro to get there, so we left extra early (about 1.5 hours before the game started). And because we got there early, we got to admire the empty stadium before anyone else showed up! I seem to find busy places much easier to deal with if I can slowly warm up to them, which really helped me at the game. It was also not a full crowd either, so we got lucky!
Real Madrid played Cadiz FC, and it was exciting to see a live European futbol game instead of just on the tv! I loved the energy of the crowd. Even though the game was a draw, it was exciting to watch.
We got back to our hotel around midnight, and no one was around, which at this point you know I loved 😂. We took advantage of the lack of people and went to Christmas Markets that hadn't closed for the night yet and saw pretty lights throughout the city without having to fight the crowds to see them!
Day 4 - Temple de Debod, Literary Quarter
Temple de Debod
We slept in after being out so late (and also everything in Spain starts much later than in the US) and then decided to go to the Temple de Debod. It is an Egyptian Temple from the 2nd century BCE that was transported to Madrid in the 1970s to save it from flooding in Egypt. I wasn't particularly impressed with the temple itself, but there is a really nice view of the Royal Palace and the outskirts of Madrid from the park there.
Next, we went to the Literary Quarter where we stopped at Miguel Miranda, a rare and antique bookstore. It was small but I loved seeing all the leather-bound books in Spanish. I have been a big reader my whole life and I love seeing bookstores while traveling! The Literary Quarter has a really cool history, and some of the most famous Spanish writers wrote their books there. You can also shop, eat tapas, and admire the colorful murals that are abundant in this area!
Day 5 - Segovia
Roman Aqueduct in Segovia, Spain
Segovia is a town about 30 minutes northwest of Madrid via high-speed train. It is famous for its Roman Aqueducts, large Gothic style cathedral, and the Alcazar de Segovia (my favorite). The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site too!
You can go on a day trip via an organized tour from Madrid, but you won't be able to explore all the extra things that way. And honestly, I recommend staying a night or two in the city because it was absolutely amazing and there is so much more we didn't see in our one day there. Plus, it was way less busy than Madrid, which if you are anxious/sensitive like me is very helpful.
So here's what we did for the Segovia portion of our Central Spain Itinerary:
First, we took a very early high-speed train from Madrid to Segovia (we left about 8 AM). Once we got to Segovia, we took the bus headed to the Acquaduct and hopped off there. It was about 9 AM at that time, and we had tickets to tour the Alcazar at 10 AM. The walk from the Aqueduct to the Alcazar is about 20 minutes, so we took our time exploring the streets of Segovia headed toward it.
We were the first in line for the castle, so we actually had the place to ourselves for about 20-30 minutes before others started arriving! It helped that we went on a Tuesday as well. If you are looking to get some photos in the castle without a bunch of people, definitely get there when the gates open on a weekday!
When you buy tickets online, also include time to visit the Torre de Juan, where you will have an amazing view of the city of Segovia and the surrounding countryside. One thing I really loved about Segovia in the winter is the snow capped mountains in the distance!
After touring the castle, we had lunch at La Concepcion in Plaza Mayor. 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.
After we were thoroughly stuffed, we went hiking around the Alcazar to get photos of the outside. We spent a lot of time hiking and taking pictures around the castle, so we didn't spend much time checking out the Catedral de Segovia on our way back to the Aqueduct and train station. If you took a later train or spent several days there, I would definitely check out the beautiful gothic-style cathedral.
Once we got to the Aqueduct, we climbed the stairs to the top of it to get a better view. It is truly amazing that it still stands after all these centuries!
Alcazar de Segovia from viewpoint
How to Get Insta-worthy Photos of the Outside of the Alcazar
If you want to get awesome photos of the outside of the castle, you will need to hike a bit. So wear good, sturdy shoes! And remember to respect nature and leave no trace wherever you go.
Check out my full post on a day trip to Segovia from Madrid for the route you need to take around the castle to get the best photos!
Day 6 - Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo is another great day trip from Madrid. You can reach it via high-speed train in about 30 minutes. Its old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there are Arab, Jewish, and Christian monuments throughout the city. It was also the home to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. This city is steeped in history around every corner, so if you love history, definitely don't skip a visit to Toledo!
You can also go via an organized tour from Madrid, but like with Segovia, the high-speed train option gives you lots of flexibility to wander at your own pace and hike around the city for epic photos of it.
Here's what to do in Toledo for your Central Spain Itinerary
We arrived in Toledo about 10 AM and walked first to the banks of the Rio Tajo next to the Puente de Alacantara. The river is a gorgeous greenish blue and the water was so glassy even at 10 AM! Next we walked through the Puente de Alacantara and towards the Alcazar de Toledo. Unfortunately, we didn't buy our tickets ahead of time, and as it turns out it was closed to public entry that day. :( There is a great viewpoint of the Infantry Academy and the rolling hills surrounding Toledo there, so make sure to walk down to the park to view it!
Next we went to the Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toledo. The gothic architecture both inside and outside was breathtaking (although some of the inside decor was a bit gaudy from all the gold IMHO). If you go at Christmas, there is a cute little market right outside the cathedral. It was probably my favorite one we visited!
After, grab lunch at Lo Nuestro. It was a tiny hole in the wall type place and the food and service were both amazing! The chef personally came to ask about my dietary restrictions so he could make something that I could eat. You really can't beat that kind of service!
You definitely want to swing by (at least the outside) Iglesia de Santo Tomé, Sinagoga del Tránsito, Sinagoga de Santa María La Blanca (Sinagoga Ben Shoshan), and Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes. Lo Nuestro is right in the middle of all 4, so you can easily walk to them after you eat lunch.
The Puerta de Bisagra is the 10th Century Moorish entrance to the city, and I was very excited to see it. But there was so much traffic, it was really disappointing. You can definitely skip this, especially in the middle of the day!
Best viewpoint of Toledo
How to get the Best Photos of Toledo
To get outside the city and get to the best photo spots, you want to cross Puente San Martín and take a left onto the main road. This road runs along the river outside the city has the best photo spots. To read about the best spots and best path to take, make sure to check out my post What to do on a day trip to Toledo!
Day 7 - Royal Palace + last day of Central Spain Itinerary
Catedral de la Almudena across from the Royal Palace
We went to the Royal Palace on Christmas Eve, so it closed early that day. Make sure to check the times if you go around Christmas! But it was a lot less busy than other days too, which I appreciated. There are no photos allowed after a certain point, and you have to store your backpack, purse, and cameras in secure lockers before you enter.
We made reservations at Cafe Varela for a Christmas Eve dinner. We had 5 courses plus wine, beer, and liquor for 120 EUR per person. It was all delicious, so I was afraid we would be hungover for our flight the next day 😂
Day 8 - Departure
Unless your flight is after 5 PM, I don't think you can do much with this day! We wanted to get to the airport extra early, and I am SO glad we did. It took us almost 2.5 hours just to get to our gate! The Madrid airport is very spread out so going through security, bag drop off, customs, passport control, etc takes a while especially since you have to take a tram between each point! I recommend arriving AT LEAST 3 hours before your international flight.
What I would do differently
Madrid was so packed during our time there that I would definitely do it differently if I could do it all over again. If you are anxious or highly sensitive, here's the Central Spain itinerary I would recommend for you.
Spend 2-3 days each in Madrid, Segovia, and Toledo (depending on how much time you have). Definitely avoid Madrid the weekend before Christmas. But stay in Madrid for Christmas Eve to enjoy some fine dining and festivities!
Final thoughts on 7 Day Central Spain Itinerary
I hope you enjoyed this 7 Day Central Spain Itinerary, and let me know if you have any questions about it by emailing me or sending me a DM on Instagram. If you are an anxious traveler like me, I am happy to help you come up with other ideas or strategies if you have your heart set on being in Madrid during peak tourist times!