5-Day Spain Itinerary: Madrid + Barcelona

Best for: first-timers happy to move fast, splitting five days between two cities by AVE and mixing headline art and architecture with long tapas evenings.

Day 1 — Madrid Old Town & Prado

Land at Madrid-Barajas and ride the Metro Line 8 into the centre (about €5 / roughly $5.50 with the airport supplement, 30–40 minutes). Drop bags near Puerta del Sol, Spain’s literal kilometre-zero, then wander into Plaza Mayor and the tapas warren of La Latina. Book an afternoon slot at the Museo del Prado (general admission about €15 / roughly $16; free 6–8pm Mon–Sat) to stand before Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Goya’s black paintings without the queue. Refuel at the century-old Mercado de San Miguel beside Plaza Mayor, though prices there run high — locals grab a cheaper bocadillo de calamares (fried-squid roll, about €4) at the counters just off Plaza Mayor instead. Planning note: Madrid dines late, so ease into the 9pm rhythm rather than fighting it.

Day 2 — Royal Madrid & Retiro

Start under the glass roof of Estación de Atocha, then walk to the Palacio Real, Europe’s largest functioning royal palace by floor area (about €14 / roughly $15; arrive at the 10am opening to beat tour groups). Cross to the Catedral de la Almudena next door before strolling the Gran Vía. Spend the afternoon in Parque del Retiro, renting a rowboat on the lake beneath the Alfonso XII monument (about €6 / roughly $6.50 for 45 minutes) and finding the glass Palacio de Cristal tucked among the trees. For dinner, head to the Chamberí or Malasaña neighbourhoods where cocido madrileño, the city’s hearty chickpea-and-meat stew, is a genuine local staple. Planning note: Sunday mornings, browse the sprawling El Rastro flea market in La Latina before the crowds peak.

Day 3 — AVE South to Cordoba

Catch a morning AVE high-speed train from Atocha toward Andalusia; book ahead on Renfe (fares from about €30 / roughly $33 if reserved early). Break the journey in Córdoba, just 1h45 south, and store bags at the station. Walk 15 minutes to the Mezquita-Catedral, the astonishing 8th-century mosque with its forest of red-and-white double arches and a cathedral built inside (about €13 / roughly $14; free most weekday mornings early). Lose yourself in the whitewashed Judería, the old Jewish quarter, and the flower-filled Calleja de las Flores. Try salmorejo, Córdoba’s thick chilled tomato cream topped with jamón and egg. Planning note: the Mezquita’s courtyard, the Patio de los Naranjos, is free to enter — a shaded orange grove ideal for the midday heat. Continue by train to Seville (about 45 minutes) for the night.

Day 4 — Seville by River

Devote the day to Seville, Andalusia’s sun-drenched capital. Begin at the Catedral de Sevilla, the world’s largest Gothic cathedral, and climb the Giralda bell tower via its 34 ramps, not stairs (combined ticket about €12 / roughly $13; book a timed slot online). Next door, the Real Alcázar dazzles with Mudéjar tilework and gardens (about €15.50 / roughly $17; reserve ahead as slots sell out). Cross into Barrio Santa Cruz, the maze of the former Jewish quarter, then out to the vast half-moon of Plaza de España in María Luisa Park. As evening cools, catch a tablao flamenco show in Triana, the neighbourhood across the Guadalquivir that claims flamenco’s roots. Planning note: order tapas standing at the bar in the buzzing Alfalfa district, where a plate of espinacas con garbanzos (spinach with chickpeas) costs a couple of euros.

Day 5 — Granada & the Alhambra

Travel from Seville to Granada by direct Avant/AVE train (about 2h35) or Alsa bus (around 3 hours, fares roughly €20–30 / about $22–33). The unmissable prize is the Alhambra, the Nasrid hilltop palace-fortress overlooking the city (about €18 / roughly $20). Critical: book the timed Nasrid Palaces entry weeks ahead on the official site, as slots sell out and you must enter at the exact time printed on your ticket. Wander the honeycombed halls, the Court of the Lions, and the terraced Generalife gardens. Afterwards, descend into the Albaicín, the old Moorish quarter of steep lanes, and climb to the Mirador de San Nicolás for the classic sunset view of the Alhambra against the Sierra Nevada. Planning note: many Granada bars still serve a free tapa with every drink — a genuine local custom that makes dinner nearly free.