Guides ·Itineraries

Day one morning: the aqueduct and Plaza Mayor

Start at the Aqueduct of Segovia on Plaza del Azoguejo around 8am before the tour buses arrive. The 28-meter-high granite structure is free to view and photograph from every angle. Walk the perimeter, then head up Calle de Cervantes toward the old town. Stop at Café La Colonial on Calle de Juan Bravo for coffee and a croissant, around €4 total. The café opens at 8am and has outdoor tables facing the street.

Continue to Plaza Mayor, the heart of Segovia. The 17th-century arcade houses a weekend market on Thursdays and the tourist office on the north side. The cathedral dominates the square with its 88-meter tower. Entry is €5, open 9:30am to 6:30pm. Climb the tower for another €7 if the line is short. The views reach the Sierra de Guadarrama on clear days. Budget 90 minutes for the cathedral and plaza circuit, then walk east on Calle de Daoíz toward the Jewish quarter.

Day one afternoon: Alcázar and lunch

The Alcázar sits on a cliff at the west end of the old town, a 15-minute walk from Plaza Mayor. Entry is €10, or €15 with the tower climb. The tower has 152 steps and no elevator. The interior rooms display armor, tapestries, and a throne room used in the 15th century. The Hall of the Galley has a gilded ceiling shaped like an inverted ship hull. Go early afternoon when midday groups have moved on. The palace closes at 6pm in winter, 8pm in summer.

For lunch, walk back to Mesón de Cándido on Plaza del Azoguejo, the most famous cochinillo spot in Spain. A quarter suckling pig runs €28 per person, served with bread and a simple salad. The restaurant has been family-run since 1786. If the line is long or the price too steep, try Restaurante José María on Calle Cronista Lecea, equally traditional and €5 cheaper per portion. Both open at 1pm and fill by 1:30pm on weekends.

Day one evening: city walls and dinner

Walk the northern ramparts from the Alcázar east to the Puerta de San Andrés, about 30 minutes at a slow pace. The path is uneven in places but the views over the Eresma valley justify the effort. In summer, the walls stay open until 9pm. Pack water because there are no vendors on the circuit. Exit at Puerta de San Andrés and walk south into the Barrio de San Millán, a quiet residential zone with good tapas bars on Calle de San Millán.

Dinner at Bar El Sitio on Calle de San Millán offers local wines and small plates for €15 to €20 per person. The jamón ibérico is €9 for a generous portion, and the chorizo a la sidra is €6. The bar opens at 8pm and stays busy until 11pm. After dinner, walk back through Plaza Mayor for an evening view of the lit cathedral, then return to your hotel via Calle Real, the main pedestrian street that connects the square to the aqueduct.

Day two morning: churches and markets

Start at the Church of San Martín on Plaza de San Martín, a 12th-century Romanesque building with a porticoed exterior. Entry is free and the church opens at 10am. The neighboring plaza hosts a small artisan market on Sunday mornings, selling ceramics and leather goods. From there, walk north on Calle de los Leones to the Monastery of Santa María del Parral, a 15th-century complex outside the old town walls. The walk takes 20 minutes through quiet streets.

The monastery is free to enter but donations are requested. Mass is held at noon on Sundays. The cloister and chapter house have carved stone capitals and a small museum of religious art. The monastery closes at 1pm for siesta and reopens at 4pm. After your visit, walk back via the Casa de los Picos on Calle de Juan Bravo, a 15th-century palace with a facade covered in pyramid-shaped stones. It now houses an art school and exhibition space, free to enter weekdays from 11am to 2pm.

Day two afternoon: lunch and Jewish quarter

For lunch, head to Restaurante El Fogón Sefardí on Calle de Isabel la Católica in the former Jewish quarter. The menu features Sephardic-influenced dishes like lamb stew with chickpeas and honey-glazed eggplant, mains around €16. The restaurant is small, reserve ahead or arrive right at 1pm when it opens. After lunch, explore the streets around the old synagogue site, now a small park on Calle de la Judería Vieja. Plaques mark historic buildings.

Walk to the Museo de Segovia on Calle Socorro, a five-minute walk from the Jewish quarter. Entry is €3, free on Sundays. The museum covers local archaeology, medieval art, and 19th-century folk costumes. It occupies a renovated slaughterhouse with modern lighting and good English labels. Budget an hour for the collection. The museum closes at 7pm except Mondays.

Day two evening: sunset and departure

For your final Segovia sunset, walk to the Mirador de la Pradera de San Marcos, a viewpoint south of the aqueduct with a direct sightline to the Alcázar and cathedral silhouette. The viewpoint is a 10-minute walk from Plaza del Azoguejo down Avenida de Fernández Ladreda. There are benches and a small bar, Chiringuito San Marcos, that serves beer for €3 and bocadillos for €6. Sunset in summer is around 9:30pm, in winter around 6pm.

If you have time before your evening train or bus, return to the old town for a final drink at La Tasquina on Calle de los Leones, a local wine bar with Ribera del Duero by the glass for €4. It opens at 6pm and the regulars gather at the bar, not the tables. The Segovia train station is a 20-minute walk or €8 taxi from Plaza Mayor. Buses to Madrid leave from the station on Paseo de Ezequiel González, a 15-minute walk from the aqueduct.

Where to stay for 48 hours

Hotel Infanta Isabel on Plaza Mayor puts you in the center for €90 per night in a double room. The building is historic but the rooms have been updated with air conditioning and modern bathrooms. Ask for a plaza-facing room if you can tolerate early morning noise from delivery trucks. The hotel has no restaurant but breakfast is available at the café next door for €7.

For a quieter option, Hostal Fornos on Calle de Infanta Isabel is a family-run guesthouse two blocks from the cathedral. Rooms start at €55 per night with shared bathrooms or €70 with private facilities. The owners speak limited English but are helpful with directions and restaurant tips. There is no elevator, so request a lower floor if stairs are a concern. Both hotels book up on weekends from April to October, reserve a week ahead.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask before they set off on this one.

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