Ten days in Spain is enough for the trip most people want the first time: Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Córdoba, Granada and Barcelona, with no car and just the right number of nights in each. It comes down to three decisions: fly into one city and out of another, see Córdoba on the way from Seville to Granada, and fly from Granada to Barcelona instead of spending most of a day on the train.
The route at a glance
| Day | City | What to do | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madrid | Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Gran Vía, sunset at the Temple of Debod | Madrid |
| 2 | Madrid | Prado, Retiro Park, Barrio de las Letras, flamenco | Madrid |
| 3 | Toledo | Day trip by Avant train: Cathedral, Jewish quarter, Mirador del Valle | Madrid |
| 4 | Madrid → Seville | Morning high-speed train; Santa Cruz and Plaza de España | Seville |
| 5 | Seville | Real Alcázar at 9:30, Cathedral, Triana | Seville |
| 6 | Seville → Córdoba → Granada | Mosque-Cathedral and Jewish quarter; afternoon train to Granada | Granada |
| 7 | Granada | Alhambra; Albaicín and San Nicolás at sunset | Granada |
| 8 | Granada → Barcelona | Morning flight; Gothic Quarter and El Born | Barcelona |
| 9 | Barcelona | Sagrada Família at 9:00, Passeig de Gràcia, Park Güell | Barcelona |
| 10 | Barcelona | Montjuïc or Barceloneta; fly home | — |
That's 9 nights. If your flight leaves on day 11, add the night in Barcelona and use the day for Montserrat.
Trains and flights between cities
| Leg | How | Time | Typical fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid → Toledo (return) | Avant from Atocha | 33 min | €22-26 return |
| Madrid → Seville | Renfe AVE, Iryo, Ouigo | 2 h 30-2 h 45 direct | from about €10-20 booked ahead; €60-100 last minute (approx.) |
| Seville → Córdoba | AVE, Avant, Iryo, Ouigo; about 40 a day | 40-45 min | from about €10 booked ahead |
| Córdoba → Granada | Direct train, few departures a day | 1 h 30 | from about €23 |
| Granada → Barcelona | Direct flight (Vueling, Iberia) | 1 h 25 | from about €35; average €110-120 |
| Granada → Barcelona | Direct AVE, very few departures | about 6 h 30 | €110-160 (approx.) |
| Madrid → Barcelona | AVE, Iryo, Ouigo; 20+ a day | from 2 h 30 | from €9-18 booked ahead |
Three companies now compete on Madrid-Seville and Madrid-Barcelona (Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo), so check all three before buying: two or three weeks out, under €30 is easy. The one to watch is Córdoba-Granada, with few departures: plan day 6 around that timetable.
What to book before you go
| What | Official price | How far ahead | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alhambra (timed Nasrid Palaces) | €22.27 | 3-4 weeks; up to 3 months in high season | How to visit the Alhambra |
| Sagrada Família | €26 with audio guide; €36 with tower | 4-6 weeks; about 2 months in summer | Which ticket to choose |
| Real Alcázar of Seville | €15.50 | 1-2 weeks | How to visit the Alcázar |
| Park Güell | from €18 | 2-3 weeks; non-refundable | Which ticket to choose |
| Royal Palace and Prado | €18 and €15 | a couple of days | Madrid in 2 days |
| Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba | €15 | a few days | How to visit the Mosque |
If the Alhambra is already sold out, don't change the route: see the options in Alhambra tickets sold out. Same for a sold-out Sagrada Família.
Days 1-3: Madrid and Toledo
Day 1. Royal Palace at 10:00 (€18), Plaza Mayor, lunch in La Latina, Gran Vía and sunset at the Temple of Debod. Day 2: the Prado at 10:00 (€15), Retiro Park and the Barrio de las Letras; at night, a tablao (we help you pick one in flamenco in Madrid). The hour-by-hour plan is in Madrid in 2 days.
Day 3: Toledo. Avant from Atocha (33 minutes) and at the Cathedral (€12) by 10:00, then Santo Tomé, Santa María la Blanca and the Jewish quarter; finish at the Mirador del Valle. Avoid Mondays (the Sephardic Museum is closed) and Sunday mornings (the Cathedral doesn't open to visitors until 14:00). Everything is in our Toledo day trip from Madrid. Torn between Toledo and Segovia? We compare them here.
Days 4-5: Seville
Day 4. High-speed train around 9:00 and in Seville before noon. Spend the afternoon in Santa Cruz and at Plaza de España as the sun drops; flamenco at night (see which tablao to choose in Seville).
Day 5. Real Alcázar at 9:30, the first slot (2 h 30 with the gardens), then the Cathedral and Giralda opposite (€13 online). In the afternoon, cross the river to Triana. Details in Seville in 2 days.
Day 6: Córdoba on the way to Granada
Early train (40-45 minutes), drop your bag at a luggage storage point near the station and walk 20-25 minutes to the Mosque-Cathedral (€15; allow 1-1 h 30). Then the Jewish quarter, Calleja de las Flores and the Roman bridge. Salmorejo and flamenquín for lunch and, mid-afternoon, the train to Granada (1 h 30). It's a long day, but it saves a night and a hotel change. If you'd rather sleep in Córdoba, our Andalusia 7-day itinerary does it that way. More in Córdoba in one day.
Day 7: Granada and the Alhambra
The whole day turns on your Nasrid Palaces time slot: you only get 30 minutes' leeway, and it's a 30-45 minute walk from the entrance. The Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces and Generalife take about 4 hours. In the afternoon, the Royal Chapel and the Albaicín, with sunset at the San Nicolás viewpoint and a free tapa with every drink. More in Granada in 2 days.
Days 8-10: Barcelona
Day 8. Morning flight (1 h 25) and an afternoon in the Gothic Quarter and El Born. Day 9: Sagrada Família at 9:00, the Hour of Silence (1 h 30-2 h inside), Passeig de Gràcia and Park Güell in the afternoon. Day 10: Montjuïc or Barceloneta, depending on the weather and your flight. The full plan is in Barcelona in 3 days.
Variations
- Andalusia and Málaga, no Barcelona. Madrid (3 nights), Seville (2), Córdoba (1), Granada (2) and Málaga (2): Granada to Málaga is a direct 1 h 18 Avant. Fly home from Málaga, the south's busiest airport. Ideas in Málaga in two days.
- With Valencia, no Andalusia. Madrid (3 nights with Toledo), Valencia (2) and Barcelona (4, with Montserrat): all in a line, with short legs, Madrid-Valencia in about 2 h and Valencia-Barcelona in about 3 h 10. More sea, less summer heat; Andalusia deserves its own trip. See Valencia in 2 days.
- More time around Madrid. If central Spain interests you more than the south, do Madrid, Toledo and Segovia in 4 days (itinerary here), then Seville, Granada and Barcelona.
- In reverse. Flying into Barcelona and out of Madrid works just as well. In December 2025 Ouigo launched a daily direct Barcelona-Seville train of about 6 hours, stopping in Madrid and Córdoba; check it's still running on your dates.
Rough budget per person
| Item | 10 days |
|---|---|
| Trains and the Granada-Barcelona flight | €110-280 |
| Tickets (Royal Palace, Prado, Toledo Cathedral, Alcázar, Seville Cathedral, Mosque, Alhambra, Sagrada Família, Park Güell) | about €160 |
| One flamenco show | €25-45 |
| Food | €350-500 |
| Mid-range hotels, sharing a double, 9 nights | €540-990 |
| Total | about €1,150-1,950 |
That excludes your flights in and out. Buying trains late can quietly add €150 per person.
Common mistakes
- Buying the Alhambra or Sagrada Família on arrival: in season they're gone, and they're the two visits many people make the trip for.
- Taking the train from Granada to Barcelona: about 6 h 30. By plane, 1 h 25 plus transfers.
- A return flight to the same city: it forces you to backtrack and costs you almost a day.
- Renting a car for the whole route: expensive parking and old towns closed to traffic.
- Trying to squeeze in the north, Portugal or the coast: in ten days, five cities is already the sensible maximum.
- Going in July and August: Seville and Córdoba top 40 °C. March to June or September to November is better.
In one sentence
Fly into Madrid, take the high-speed train south, fly from Granada to Barcelona and home from there, with the Alhambra, Sagrada Família and Alcázar booked before take-off: that's how 10 days in Spain covers a lot without living in train stations.
