Take a tour of Spain!
This post outlines a five-stop route through Spain for students and other visitors: Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Granada and Barcelona. For each stop it gives the main sights and the practical details that could be checked on official pages in October 2026, such as opening hours, ticket prices and train connections. Five days is the minimum; a week is more comfortable.
Madrid: the Prado and El Retiro
Start in the capital. The Prado Museum shows the Spanish, Italian and Flemish schools, including Las Meninas by Velázquez and The Third of May, 1808 by Goya. According to Madrid’s tourism website, it opens from 10am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 7pm on Sundays and public holidays. General admission costs €15 and the concession ticket €7.50. Entry is free for all visitors from 6pm to 8pm from Monday to Saturday and from 5pm to 7pm on Sundays and public holidays.
A short walk away, El Retiro Park covers over 125 hectares and has more than 15,000 trees. Entry is free, and the park opens from 6am to midnight from April to September and from 6am to 10pm from October to March. Rowing boats can be rented on the lake.
Toledo: a day trip from Madrid
According to Toledo’s tourism office, high-speed Avant trains leave Madrid-Atocha about once an hour and take 25 minutes. From Toledo station the historic centre is about 20 minutes on foot, using the escalators. A city bus ticket costs €1.40 and cannot be paid by card or phone.
The old town of Toledo is a World Heritage site. The tourism office’s ten essential places include:
- the church of Santo Tomé, which holds El Greco’s painting The Burial of the Lord of Orgaz
- the Cathedral, begun in 1226 and finished in 1493
- the Cristo de la Luz mosque, built in 999
- the Alcázar, which houses the Army Museum
Seville: the Real Alcázar and Santa Cruz
Seville has a high-speed train connection to Madrid that takes approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes, according to Spain’s official tourism website. Santa Justa station is a 25-minute walk from the Cathedral.
The Giralda tower, the Cathedral and the Real Alcázar stand a few metres apart. The Real Alcázar opens from 9:30 to 17:00 between 1 October and 31 March and from 9:30 to 19:00 between 1 April and 30 September. The general ticket costs €15.50. A reduced ticket of €8 applies to students aged 14 to 30 and to visitors over 65. The Cuarto Real Alto needs a separate ticket of €5.50.
The Santa Cruz quarter lies next to the palace, and flamenco can be seen in the city’s tablaos and neighbourhood peñas. See also the post on Seville.
Granada: the Alhambra
The Alhambra, the Generalife and the old Albaicín quarter of Granada are a World Heritage Site. The Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife opens the monument daily from 8:30 to 18:00 between 15 October and 31 March and from 8:30 to 20:00 between 1 April and 14 October. It closes on 25 December and 1 January.
- The general day ticket costs €22.27.
- A ticket for the gardens and the Generalife alone costs €12.73.
- Children under 12 enter free, but their tickets must be obtained together with the others.
- The Nasrid Palaces can only be entered at the time printed on the ticket.
Demand is high, and the Patronato recommends buying tickets in advance. High-speed trains between Granada and Madrid take just over three hours.
Barcelona: Gaudí and the old town
Barcelona-Sants station has high-speed train links to Madrid, Seville, Málaga, Zaragoza and Valencia. The train from Seville takes approximately 5 hours and 40 minutes.
The city is known for the architecture of Antoni Gaudí. According to the Sagrada Família’s price list, an individual ticket with the audioguide app costs €26, or €24 with a student card or for visitors under 30. A ticket that includes the towers costs €36. Children under 11 enter free. Other stops are Las Ramblas and the Boquería market, the Picasso Museum, Park Güell, Casa Batlló and La Pedrera. See also the post on Barcelona.
Planning notes for students
- Book the Alhambra and the Sagrada Família before travelling.
- Carry a student card and an identity document. The Prado, the Real Alcázar and the Sagrada Família all have reduced prices.
- Check train times and fares with Renfe before fixing the order of the stops.
Students who want to stay longer can look at the schools in Spain listed in the directory.
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