Gill’s Spanish safari starts in Toledo, and this bookable six-day Madrid and Toledo itinerary is built around the same part of Spain. You begin in Madrid with a bike tour, then take a short train ride to Toledo’s old town. The link at the end opens the full trip, where you can change, edit, or lengthen any part of it.

A Madrid Welcome

Madrid is Spain’s capital, a big, lively city of wide boulevards, grand squares, and late dinners. The itinerary eases you in. A taxi meets you at Madrid Airport and takes you to Boutike Cibeles, your base for three nights, so you go from the plane to your hotel without any planning.

Once you are settled, the Zoo-Aquarium makes an easy first outing. Your ticket gives you the full day with the animals and aquarium exhibits, set in Casa de Campo, the large park on the edge of the city. It suits anyone traveling with kids, and anyone who just likes watching animals.

Madrid by Bike

The bike tour is the part that shows you the city. A guide leads you on a three-hour ride that covers far more ground than walking and still lets you stop whenever something catches your eye. You roll through Plaza Mayor, the grand arcaded square at the heart of the old city, then on to the Royal Palace and Plaza de Cibeles, one of Madrid’s best-known squares. The ride finishes at El Retiro Park, a big green space where you can slow down under the trees and catch your breath.

Add the Reina Sofia Museum afterward and you have Spanish art to round out your time in Madrid. It is Spain’s national museum of modern art and home to Picasso’s Guernica.

By Train to Toledo

When you are ready to leave Madrid, you board the train at Madrid Puerta de Atocha, and about 35 minutes later you are in Toledo. The city sits on a hill above the Tajo River, and its old town is packed with history. Within a few streets you will find a citadel, Roman and Arab baths, a Gothic cathedral, Mudejar churches, synagogues, and mosques. It is a city where Christian, Jewish, and Muslim history sit side by side, which makes a walk through it feel like a tour of Spain’s past.

You stay two nights at Medina de Toledo, which gives you time to see the old town without a rush. A 24-hour Hop-on Hop-off Bus pass makes it easy. Ride the route, hop off wherever something catches your eye, and hop back on when you are ready. When it is time to head home, a taxi takes you from the hotel to the airport in about 50 minutes.

Add the Spanish Safari

Gill’s Toledo leg includes a Spanish safari, and you can add the same outdoor spirit to your own trip. Think horse riding through the countryside, clay pigeon shooting, and rowing on the water. It is a good way to balance the old stone streets with a day of fresh air and activity.

Open the trip below to see the full itinerary, then adjust the stops and extras to fit the way you want to travel.