Plan the perfect trip to Spain with the top attraction to see. Here is the multicity Spain itinerary, which includes the top ten attractions in Spain. This itinerary showcases Spain’s diversity by including Madrid from the Central, Barcelona from the east, and southern cities like Granada, Cordoba, and Seville. It can be done using a high-speed train network in Spain. It also has the flexibility to add or remove days based on your interests and time.
Spain Itinerary in 10 days
Here is the day-by-day itinerary; click on each day to see the top things to do in each city. It is perfect for first-time visitors.
Day 1: Flight to Madrid and see the highlights
Day 2: Prado Museum, El Retiro park
Day 3: Train to Granada, Sacromonte, and Albaicin Area
Day 4: Alhambra, walk the City center
Day 5: Train to Cordoba, Mosque-Cathedral, and city center, and train to Seville
Day 6: Seville city center, Royal Alcazar in Seville
Day 7: Train to Barcelona, Walk the historical center
Day 8: Park Guell, Sagrada Familia
Day 9: Eixample area including Casa Mila and Casa Batllo
You can also do this itinerary in reverse.
We had limited vacation days to fit this into our itinerary. You can add day trips from Madrid to Avila, Segovia, and Toledo if you have more time.
You can also add other southern cities like Nerja, Ronda, Malaga
You can also add day trips from Barcelona to Montserrat Monastery, Girona
If you have less time, you can skip any or more cities. We enjoyed southern Spain cities in the Andalucia region for culture and history, so make sure to include those in your itinerary.
Flights
We had a direct flight from New York to Madrid and returned from Barcelona. I compared flights on Google Flights: https://www.google.com/flights/ and used the airline to book my tickets which works for my schedule.
Where to stay
I booked most of my hotels from Booking.com: http://www.booking.com/
We visited Madrid, Granada, Cordoba(day trip), Seville, and Barcelona.
Our accommodations were conveniently located close to the railway station or the city center, making sightseeing easier.
High-Speed Trains in Spain
We used Renfe to book all our trains. You must book the tickets 60-90 days in advance to get a cheaper rate. The trains might be sold out on the day of travel or be very costly.
You must pass through an X-Ray baggage machine at all Spain train stations, so get to the station 15-30 mins before your train departure time.
Tip: If you face any issues booking the train ticket at the Renfe website, you can also use third-party sites, but they add a booking fee. Ask your credit card company to remove security if your credit card doesn’t work. The Renfe site also has the option of Paypal, which works for us without the additional fee.
How to get from Airport
In Madrid, our flight arrived at T4S. We followed the directions to terminal 4S and took C1/C10 to get to Atocha station.
In Barcelona, we took R1/R3/R4 to get from Barcelona Sants to Pl Catalunya Station. We took the Airport Express bus from Pl Catalunya to Barcelona airport.
We used Renfe high-speed trains to get from all other cities.
Local Transport
All the cities, including Madrid, Granada, Cordoba, and Seville, were walkable. You can also use a taxi or single-trip ticket if needed. In Barcelona, we bought the T-Familiar ticket, which has eight trips and can be shared. Another popular option is T-Casual which has ten visits but cannot be shared. You can also get 2-day tickets depending on how many trips you will make and how many days you stay.
Activities
We took a free walking tour in all cities, Madrid, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, and Barcelona, using www.guruwalk.com. It was an excellent introduction to the town and helped us see the highlights and learn about the history and culture of each city.
We booked an advanced ticket for all other attractions.
Best time to visit Spain
Spring and Fall are the best time to visit when the weather is excellent and the crowd is low. Summers months can be scorching and crowded. Winters is the low season with shorter daylight. We visited in May last week, and the weather was pleasant during the morning and evening hours but got hot in the afternoon.
Covid Restrictions
Covid rules keep changing frequently, so check the rules and regulations for the country you visit. When we visited Spain, the covid test was not required for fully vaccinated people. We need to fill up a health form for Spain, which was checked to get our boarding pass. We were required to wear masks on all public transportation, including buses and trains. We need a negative covid test to board the flight back home on returning to the US.
Update: the US removed the requirement of a negative covid test to enter in Jun 2022.