Is Segovia Worth Visiting? How to Visit Segovia From Madrid in a Day
Wondering, is Segovia worth visiting? Yes, I 100% recommend visiting Segovia from Madrid.
If you’re visiting the Spanish capital, then I highly recommend taking this easy day trip to Segovia. The medieval city of Segovia is one of the best day trips from Madrid.
Segovia is one of the prettiest places to visit in Spain, and you’ll find an abundance of things to see in the city including the iconic El Aqueducto and the beautiful Alcazar.
My Segovia itinerary guide is packed with tons of practical information about visiting Segovia. I’m going to tell you everything about getting to Segovia from Madrid, the best things to see and useful tips for visiting and more. Let’s go!
Meet Me In Departures contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.
Is Segovia Worth Visiting?
Yes! I absolutely recommend visiting Segovia, Spain. Especially if you’re interested in fairytale castles and medieval cities.
If you’re planning to visit Madrid, then add on an extra day for this easy day trip.
The city of Segovia gained its UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1985. The three iconic things to see when you visit Segovia from Madrid are the famous Roman Aqueduct, the Cathedral and the Alcazar.
However, there’s a lot more. It’s also worthwhile visiting the old Jewish quarter, exploring the cobbled streets, city walls, stately homes and courtyards. If you look out over the city walls, you’ll see more ancient buildings scattered about the rolling hills – if you have longer then it’s also worth exploring these and the miradors (the viewpoints) of the city.
What to See in Segovia, Spain
- Roman Aqueduct
- Segovia Cathedral
- Segovia Alcazar
- Jewish Quarter
- Cobble Stone Streets of the Walled City
- Miradors
- City Walls
- Plaza Major
- Puerta de Arevalo
- Mirador Del Alcazar Y Los Dos Valles
- Mirador Del úLtimo Pino
- Romulus and Remus Statue
- Casa de Los Picos
Overall Best Tour to Segovia
- Segovia Day Trip with Guided Walking Tour From Madrid
If you want someone else to do the legwork for you then why not book a day tour to Segovia from Madrid? Here’s the best day tour to Segovia from Madrid.
This Segovia highlights tour includes a round trip by private bus from Madrid to Segovia. After the guided tour, you’ll have free time to explore the city at your own pace giving you time to soak up the atmosphere and visit attractions that interest you.
After free time in this UNESCO World Heritage city, you’ll head back to your transportation for the journey back to Madrid.
Other Day Tours from Madrid to Segovia
If you’re looking for other Segovia day trip ideas, here are some other great recommendations.
Experience the thrill of a Hot Air Balloon ride over Segovia. Enjoy door-to-door transfer from Madrid, capture photos and videos, savour a Spanish breakfast with a Cava toast, and receive expert commentary from the tour crew. Discover Segovia’s beauty from above in this unforgettable adventure.
You can also go on a guided tour of Segovia, Ávila, and Toledo. Led by a professional guide, visit impressive sites such as Segovia’s Roman aqueduct and Spain’s first Gothic cathedral. Explore Avila and tour the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo. Indulge in the three medieval cities. Lunch is included.
How to Visit Segovia From Madrid – Know Before You Go
So, we’ve discussed Is Segovia, Spain worth visiting, next step is figuring out the best way to get there. If you’re not opting for a guided tour, this section is filled with useful tips about planning your trip.
Where Is Segovia?
The province of Segovia is located about 100km northwest of the Spanish capital, this makes it an easy day trip from Madrid. Segovia’s old town is the capital of this province.
There are several options to take this day trip to Segovia from Madrid. If you want to explore the area in more depth – which I highly suggest you do – then stay overnight in the historic old town and make a two-day trip to the region.
If you’re planning to visit Madrid during winter, then Segovia becomes an enchanting winter wonderland – it’s certainly worth a visit.
Getting to Segovia
Wondering how to get to Segovia from Madrid? If you aren’t going as part of an organised day tour from the capital, then you have three options, by bus, train or car. Here’s the lowdown on each.
Madrid to Segovia by Bus
The cheapest option to do a day trip to Segovia from Madrid is by bus. The main bus companies that do the Madrid to Segovia route are La Sepulvedana and Avanza. From Madrid pick up the bus at Moncloa Station.
The journey takes around 90 minutes, between the two companies, services run over 16 times a day. The bus stops at the conveniently located Plaza la Estación de Autobuses, right next to the Aqueduct.
On weekdays the earliest bus to Segovia departs at around 5.30 am, then again at 6.30 and 7.00 am. If you don’t want such an early start then there are departures around 10 am. The latest bus you can catch from Segovia to get back to Madrid is at 9.45 pm.
Times differ at the weekend and run on a more reduced timetable.
Check Omio App for bus times and prices.
Madrid to Segovia by Train
If you want a little more comfort than the bus, then think about catching the train to do this day trip from Madrid.
Various services for the Segovia Madrid route are available. The regional train takes around 2 hours It departs from Atocha Cercanias in Madrid. Alternatively, you can take the RENFE high-speed train which takes just 30 minutes to depart in Madrid at least once an hour from Chamartin.
On weekdays the earliest high-speed train departs at 5.40 am, 6.20 am and then again at 6.40. Later trains depart at about 10 am, there are connections going back to Madrid up to about 11.30 pm.
Weekend timings are 8 am for the earliest from Madrid and then 9.30 pm leaving Segovia.
Both train services arrive in Segovia at Guiomar Station which is 8km from Segovia’s old town. So, head outside the station and then catch a local bus – the number 11 does the route – which will take you to the centre of town.
Check Omio App for train times and prices
Madrid to Segovia by Car
For pure convenience, visiting Segovia from Madrid by car is the easiest option by far. The journey takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Going by car also gives you more flexibility for this Segovia day trip itinerary.
Naturally, the easiest way to get there is to SatNav it. But for a heads-up drive northwest out of Madrid and take the A6 motorway out of the city. Continue on the AP6 and then the AP61. You’ll see signs for Segovia from here.
Once in Segovia you’ll find loads of car parking options, the closer you are to the centre, the more expensive it is. However, if you visit on a Sunday, you’ll find free street parking- just remember to check the signs!
Check RentalCars for the best car deals
Where to Stay in Segovia
Although you could see the highlights of Segovia in a day, if you want to visit Segovia at a more leisurely pace, then check out some of these great accommodation options. I suggest staying close to the historic centre so everything you want to see is on your doorstep. Here are my top picks.
Boutique Accommodation in Segovia – Hotel Real Segovia
Hotel Real Segovia offers a unique and charming experience in Segovia’s historic centre. With stylish rooms and modern amenities, it combines contemporary comfort with the city’s rich heritage. Enjoy personalised service, elegant decor, and a convenient location near major attractions like the Segovia Cathedral and Alcázar de Segovia.
Budget Accommodation in Segovia – Hostal Plaza
Hostal Plaza is a budget-friendly accommodation option in Segovia’s historic centre. It provides clean and comfortable rooms with basic amenities. With a central location, friendly staff, and affordable prices, it offers a convenient base for exploring Segovia’s attractions, including the Aqueduct and Jewish Quarter, on a budget.
Related Article: The Best 2 Days in Madrid Itinerary
One Day Segovia Itinerary
These are all the best things to see in Segovia on a day trip. These sights can be blitzed in a day (it’s a long day, but totally doable if you start early).
For a more relaxed approach, it’s worth staying over for the night. This will give you time to explore some of the surrounding countryside or explore two other historical cities in the region – Avilla and Toledo.
Aqueduct of Segovia
Start your day at this impressive Spanish landmark, the Aqueduct of Segovia. Exploring this marvel of engineering is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Segovia, Spain – after all, the aqueduct is the city’s claim to fame!
Depending on which story you want to believe, the iconic Aqueduct of Segovia was formed by Hercules, the son of Zeus. Another legend claims that it was built by the Devil himself!
However, as cool as those mythologies are, the Aqueduct of Segovia was actually built by the Romans around the 1st Century AD! It was built to transport water from Rio Frio, (Cold River) which is in the mountains located more than 15km away.
The Aqueduct at Segovia is a section of a much larger network of other aqueducts and underground canals.
You can’t help but notice and then be in awe of how massive the structure really is. Check out some of these stats!
- The Aqueduct has approximately 220 pillars and between 160-170 arches!
- It is made up of no less than 25,000 granite blocks each one weighing up to two tons.
- There is no mortar to hold the granite blocks together! Gravity is doing its own beautiful job here.
- It measures over 813 metres in length (which is made up of 4 straight sections).
- The tallest point of the Aqueduct is at Plaza del Azoguejo, standing at around 29 metres high.
- The Aqueduct is still in full working condition and is still used today to deliver drinking water.
- The Aqueduct has a 1-degree decline which makes water flow along it.
One of the best places to photograph the Aqueduct is to head up the Postigo steps to the lookout point. The steps are to the side of the Information Centre (Centro Recepción de Visitantes) on Plaza del Azoguejo.
If you catch the sun in the early morning or late afternoon the Aqueduct casts a fantastic shadow over the Plaza del Azoguejo.
Romulus and Remus Statue
From the viewpoints, head back into the city.
You may have seen bronze or stone statues similar to this dotted all over the world. The slightly bizarre sculpture of the mythical twins, Romulus and Remus suckling off of a Capitoline She-Wolf links back to the legend of how Rome was founded.
It was placed here in 1974 to signify the bimillenary of the Aqueduct. (the inscription on the statue reads ‘Roma a Segovia en el bimilenario de su acueducto MCMLXXIV’…. basically, it’s the Aqueduct’s 2000th year Birthday present.
Alcazar of Segovia
From the Aqueduct, your Segovia in one day itinerary heads into the city and towards the Segovia Alcazar. Fun Fact: The name Alcazar comes from the Arabic word ‘al-qasr’
The castle was first documented in 1122, and over the centuries went through rebuilds until 1862 when the castle was destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt again! Despite it being destroyed by fire, the castle remains undefeated.
Like all quintessential fairy-tale castles, the Alcazar of Segovia is built high upon a rocky outcrop between two rivers, the River Erasma and the River Clamores. It’s got two courtyards, Rapunzel-style towers topped with witch-hat-like roofs and a keep.
You might be thinking that Segovia Castle looks familiar. You’re not wrong, loads of castles’ name claim to be Walt Disney’s influence on Cinderella’s Castle and Alcazar of Segovia is one of them! Another contender to this claim is Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.
You can admire the castle from the outside for free, or pay a small fee to enter. It’s worth going for the audio guide option, or a guided tour of the Alcazar which will fill you in on loads of information about the history of the castle – the actual signage is minimal in places.
If you want to go up the tower for the views, then it’s a 153-step spiralling climb. The views are pretty epic from the top, you’ll be able to see the mountains in the distance.
If you want to learn more about the city, you might like this Segovia guided walking tour with Alcazar entry
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is the central hub of old Segovia. This is the perfect spot to sit and people-watch while admiring the Segovia Cathedral, and the pretty connecting cobbled lanes whilst nursing a glass of locally produced wine.
The open square is surrounded by a multitude of cafes, restaurants and bars so you won’t be short on places to try out. One, in particular, stood out when we visited. Limón y Mente.
Limón Y Mente to Eat Ponche Segoviano
Stop off for a mid-morning break in one of the best cafes in Segovia; ‘Limón y Mente’. It’s located on Calle Isabel la Católica, just off the Plaza Mayor.
Order the local sweet treat called a Ponche Segoviano. Essentially, it’s a sweet sponge cake, layered with a syrupy and sticky filling inside and then covered in marzipan before being dusted with icing sugar.
Don’t fall for the eyes-bigger-than-belly feeling which I regrettably did by ordering one for myself and my sister – in hindsight, we should have shared one between us – I’m sure I could feel my teeth rotting as I ate it, and I don’t even want to know the calorie count – it was amazing and worth every mouthful.
They also serve ice cream, pastries, and good coffee.
Segovia Cathedral
Next, you’re going to head towards the dominating Cathedral of Segovia.
The 16th Century Segovia Cathedral is covered in gargoyles, carvings and loads of intricate details and if you’re into your technicalities of historic buildings the style of this Cathedral is Basque-Castilian Gothic architecture.
Inside, spend some time wandering about the decorative altarpiece, and the elaborate Choir stalls. You’ll also find the Tomb of Saint John of the Cross. The stained glass windows create a gorgeous play of light and colour.
Book Here: Segovia Cathedral Entrance Ticket
Related Article: 36 Must-See Landmarks in Spain
Wander the Cobbled Streets
Because of its UNESCO status, the streets within the old city walls of Segovia are still pretty authentic or at least have been renovated to appear how they would. If the peak-of-the-day crowds are getting just a bit too much, then I recommend heading off into some of the side streets branching off the main centre.
Off the main central area, you’ll also stumble across some quieter cafes and restaurants if the main drag is too hectic.
Casa de Los Picos
You’d be hard-pushed to miss this unusual-looking building. This aptly named 15th-century building – Casa de Los Picos translates to House of the Peaks, is covered in 617 granite pyramid-shaped blocks.
Today it houses the Segovia Art School, an exhibition hall and a Renaissance courtyard. I didn’t go inside the building on this visit to Segovia; I was more interested in the strange look from the outside and I didn’t get time. If you’re staying overnight in Segovia, then you could add this to your Segovia itinerary.
The Jewish Quarter
Built in 1120, the Puerta de San Andreas is the only gate remaining out of the original seven. These were the entrance to the Jewish Quarter of Segovia.
At this gate, you can also access a section of Segovia’s Old City Walls and walk along the top of them. The views from here include the Alcazar and surrounding countryside as well as the rooftops of the Jewish Quarter including the cemetery.
Walls of Segovia
The Walls of Segovia at the time of completion stretched around the entire perimeter of the city. At 3km in circumference, containing eight towers along with five gates and a multitude of doors they are undoubtedly impressive.
The blocks used to build the walls are mostly granite, but they also contain recycled parts from the old Roman Necropolis even reusing gravestones!
Puerta de Arevalo
The Arevalo Gate is located outside of the walled city.
The Arevalo Gate straddles the main road; the CL-607. This road runs to the northwest outside of the old city walls. The pretty arch looks a little bit out of place and just stands alone against a rock face to one side and the river to the other.
This is a great spot to take photos of Segovia from the outside before going on to explore some of the miradors.
Mirador Del Alcazar Y Los Dos Valles and Mirador Del úLtimo Pino
These are where you’ll find some of the best views of Segovia. The old city of Segovia is surrounded by swathes of countryside, so if the weather is fine it’s worth taking full advantage of this.
Two of the best spots to get decent panoramic photos of Segovia Castle and the walls of Segovia are from Mirador Del Alcazar Y Los Dos Valles and Mirador Del úLtimo Pino.
This is also a great opportunity to walk off that Ponche Segoviano you’ve just eaten as the walk does involve a reasonably steep climb down the hill (and then up again) via the steps outside the city walls.
From the Puerta de Arevalo, take the signpost to Mirador del Alcazar y Los dos Valles and a little further along the trail, Mirador del Último Pino to find the best panoramic views of the town of Segovia.
Segovia Itinerary Map
This route will take you past all the must-see attractions in Segovia. Be sure to check out my map of Segovia for a more visual guide.
Starting Location: At the appropriately named Avenue Aqueducto or Plaza Azoguejo.
For the perfect day exploring Segovia, follow this itinerary to see all the highlights. More details on each of the locations can be found earlier on in this article.
- Starting at the Plaza Azouguejo, the first of Segovia’s main attractions will be the Aqueduct of Segovia (1). Spend some time earlier in the day photograph the stunning arches before the crowds get too big. Look out for the statue of Romulus and Remus (2) located near the Aqueduct on Plaza Azouguejo.
- Get a different perspective of the Aqueduct by climbing up the stairs next to the Tourist Information point to the Look Out Points (3) there is one located on each side of the Aqueduct.
- From the lookout point, head away from the Aqueduct and find Plaza Mayor (4), you can’t miss Segovia Cathedral (5) looming over the Plaza. If you’ve got time, head into the Cathedral.
- Exit the Cathedral and head round the corner to Limón y Mente (6) to try the local cake Ponche Segoviano…. you’ll need to sit and digest this for a while.
- Keep heading in a north-west direction until you end up at Alcazar of Segovia (7) allow a couple of hours here to fully explore the Castle and climb the tower.
- Exit the Alcazar and head out of the walled city. Take the steep steps down and head out to the Puerta de Arevalo (8) from here take the little footpath and trail to see the views looking back at Segovia at the Mirador del Alcazar y Los dos Valles (9a) and Mirador del Último Pino (9b)
- Head back towards the walled city, depending on how much you enjoy walking, you have two options. Either retrace your footsteps or continue along the walking trail through the countryside. Once back in the main Old Town, head towards the Jewish Quarter (10) where you’ll find the only reaming gate called Puerta de San Andreas. From here, you can walk along the Segovia City Walls (11)
- To finish off the day, take time to Wander the Cobbled Streets (12) stopping off to try some of the local foods and a glass of wine, be sure to pass the quirky facade of Casa de Los Picos (13) en route before heading home.
Visiting Segovia From Madrid – FAQs
I’ve gone into plenty of detail already about what to see and do in this Segovia 1 day itinerary. The next section has useful information and answers to questions about planning your trip.
is Segovia in Madrid?
No, Segovia is not in Madrid. It is a separate city in the Castile and León region of Spain, located about 90 kilometres northwest of Madrid.
Is Segovia Worth Visiting?
Yes, Segovia is definitely worth visiting. With its rich history, stunning architecture, and UNESCO World Heritage status. This Segovia travel guide covers all the highlights of the city.
What’s the Easiest Way to Visit Segovia From Madrid?
The easiest way to visit Segovia from Madrid is by taking a high-speed train or a direct bus. The train journey takes around 30 minutes, while the bus ride typically takes 1 hour. Check the best prices and time on the Omio App.
Which Is the Best Organised Day Trip to Segovia?
There are several Segovia one day itinerary tour options. I talked in more detail about the best guided tour of Segovia earlier in this article. It includes round-trip transportation, a walking tour of the city’s main attractions like the Roman aqueduct and Alcázar, free time to explore, and an optional visit to the Segovia Cathedral.
How Many Days in Segovia Is Good?
Spending 1 to 2 days for a Segovia visit is typically sufficient to explore the main attractions and get a sense of the city’s charm. This allows enough time to visit landmarks and wander through the picturesque streets of the old town while enjoying the local cuisine.
What Should I See on a One Day in Segovia Itinerary?
If you’re not sure what to do in Segovia for one day, then make sure to see the impressive Roman aqueduct, explore the Alcázar, visit the stunning Segovia Cathedral, and wander through the charming old town.
When Is the Best Time of Year for Visiting Segovia?
The best time to plan your Segovia travel is during spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) when the weather is pleasant, and the city is less crowded. Summer can be hot, and winter can be cold, but each season offers its own unique experience.
How’s Your Segovia Day Trip Shaping Up?
Is Segovia worth visiting? It is!
Visiting Segovia from Madrid is an easy and cultural day trip option, allowing you to explore the city’s iconic landmarks and immerse yourself in its mesmerising atmosphere.
If like me, you’re a fan of historic city centres, photogenic alleyways and fairytale castles, the city of Segovia is an absolute must if you visiting Madrid.
Looking for more great things to add to your Spain itinerary?….