Spain rewards curiosity. From imperial boulevards to medieval alleys that smell faintly of orange peel and espresso, the country is a tapestry of regions, languages, and recipes. In one week you can taste Madrid’s royal grandeur and Barcelona’s Catalan creativity—two cities that tell different chapters of the same story.

Madrid’s center hums around elegant plazas and three blockbuster museums, while taverns plate up croquetas, cod, and gildas alongside vermouth on tap. Barcelona bends toward the sea, where Gaudí’s mosaics mimic nature’s curves and the Gothic Quarter hides sun-drenched courtyards and wine bars.

Practical notes: trains are fast, frequent, and easy to book. Watch for pickpockets in crowded areas, keep dinner times flexible (locals eat late), and learn a few words of Spanish and Catalan. Coffee is excellent, tapas are a ritual, and Sundays move at half-speed.

Madrid

Spain’s capital is equal parts stately and spontaneous. Mornings belong to galleries and green spaces; nights unfold in tapas bars where waiters still chalk your bill on the counter. You’ll walk between palaces, Habsburg plazas, and neighborhood taverns that haven’t changed their recipes in a century.

• Top sights: Prado Museum, Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Retiro Park, Reina Sofía (home to Picasso’s Guernica), Thyssen-Bornemisza, Gran Vía.
• Food scene: classic cocido, bocadillo de calamares, and updated tapas in La Latina, Chueca, and Malasaña. Don’t skip churros con chocolate.
• Nightlife: vermouth bars, traditional flamenco, and cocktail dens that go late.

Where to stay (affiliate picks):

• Splurge: The Westin Palace, Madrid or Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques (near Opera, rooftop views).
• Mid-range: Novotel Madrid Center (Salamanca, handy for Retiro).
• Budget/hostel: Room007 Ventura Hostel or Hostal Persal (steps from Plaza Santa Ana).
• Browse more: VRBO Madrid | Hotels.com Madrid

Useful transport links: Fly into Madrid (MAD). Search flights to/from Europe on Omio. For trains and buses within Spain, use Omio Trains and Omio Buses.

Curated activities (Viator):

• Three Cities in One Day: Segovia, Ávila and Toledo from Madrid

  

• Welcome Tour to Madrid in Private Eco Tuk Tuk

  

• Essential Flamenco: Pure Flamenco Show in the Heart of Madrid

  

Barcelona

Barcelona is a playground for the imagination. Gaudí turned stone into forests and rooftops into dragons; the city counterbalances with Roman walls, Gothic spires, and a Mediterranean promenade that steals sunsets nightly.

• Top sights: Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, Gothic Quarter, Montjuïc, Barceloneta Beach, Picasso Museum.
• Food scene: seafood a la plancha, Catalan tapas (bombas, escalivada), cava bars, and markets like La Boqueria and Santa Caterina.
• Neighborhoods to wander: El Born for wine bars, Gràcia for plazas and indie shops, Eixample for Modernisme mansions.

Where to stay (affiliate picks):

• Splurge: Hotel Arts Barcelona (beachfront, spa, views).
• Mid-range: Novotel Barcelona City or H10 Marina Barcelona.
• Budget/hostel: Generator Barcelona or Hostal Grau Barcelona.
• Browse more: VRBO Barcelona | Hotels.com Barcelona

Getting there from Madrid: Morning AVE/OUIGO/iryo trains take ~2.5–3 hours, often $30–80 when booked ahead on Omio Trains. Buses take ~7–8 hours ($20–35) via Omio Buses. Intra‑Spain flights are ~1.15 hours via Omio Flights.

Curated activities (Viator):

• Park Guell Guided Tour with Skip the Line Ticket

  

• Barcelona: Sagrada Familia Skip-the-Line Guided Tour and Tickets

  

• Montserrat Half-Day Tour with Tapas and Gourmet Wines

  

Day 1: Arrive in Madrid, Old Town Stroll and Tapas

Afternoon: Land at MAD, take Metro 8 or Cercanías C1/C10 to the center. Check in, then stretch your legs from Puerta del Sol to Plaza Mayor for an orientation of Habsburg Madrid. Snack your way through Mercado de San Miguel—try oysters at El Señor Martín, croquetas at Arzábal, and a vermouth at La Hora del Vermut.

Evening: Tapas crawl along Cava Baja. Start with Casa Lucio (order the famed huevos rotos), pop into Taberna La Concha for a house vermouth, and finish at Txirimiri for Basque-style pintxos. For dessert, churros con chocolate at Chocolatería San Ginés, serving since 1894.

Day 2: Madrid Icons, Tuk Tuk Orientation and Flamenco Night

Morning: Coffee at Toma Café (specialty roasts) or Misión Café (excellent pastries). Get a private overview with the Welcome Tour to Madrid in Private Eco Tuk Tuk to hit the Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral, and Gran Vía viewpoints in 2 hours.

Then walk to the Prado for Velázquez, Goya, and Bosch.

Afternoon: Picnic or row a boat on Retiro Lake; step inside the glass-and-iron Crystal Palace. Continue to the Reina Sofía to see Picasso’s Guernica and Dalí’s surrealism. Lunch tip: Casa Dani inside Mercado de la Paz for a benchmark Spanish tortilla.

Evening: Experience pure duende at Essential Flamenco—an intimate, acoustic show close to the action.

Dine at Bodega de la Ardosa (Galician-style octopus, tortilla) and end with a sherry at La Venencia, a no-frills Civil War-era bar.

Day 3: Day Trip—Segovia, Ávila, and Toledo

Join the 11-hour Three Cities in One Day: Segovia, Ávila and Toledo tour for a UNESCO triple: Roman aqueducts, medieval walls, and a hilltop city of swordsmiths and El Greco. Expect an early start, guided walks, and ample photo stops—bring comfy shoes and layers.

Back in Madrid, grab a quick bite: a bocadillo de calamares at La Campana by Plaza Mayor or crispy cod at Casa Revuelta.

Day 4: AVE to Barcelona, Gothic Quarter and the Sea

Morning: Board a high-speed AVE/OUIGO/iryo train (~2.5–3h; often $30–80) booked via Omio Trains. If you prefer budget, buses run ~7–8h via Omio Buses. Check into your Barcelona stay.

Afternoon: Lunch near El Born: El Xampanyet (anchovies, cava) or La Paradeta (choose-your-seafood counter, then grilled). Wander the Gothic Quarter—Barcelona Cathedral, Roman columns on Carrer del Paradís, and artisan shops along Carrer del Bisbe. Snack at La Boqueria—El Quim for baby squid with eggs or Pinotxo Bar for garbanzos with morcilla.

Evening: Sunset promenade in Barceloneta. Dinner at Can Solé (rice dishes, since 1903) or try bombas at La Cova Fumada. Nightcap at Paradiso (playful cocktails) or a cava bar in El Born.

Day 5: Gaudí Day—Park Güell and Sagrada Familia

Morning: Coffee at Nømad Coffee Lab (filter-forward) or Hidden Coffee Roasters. Head to Park Güell with a guide to understand Gaudí’s symbolism and Trencadís mosaics: Park Guell Guided Tour with Skip the Line Ticket.

Afternoon: Lunch in Gràcia at La Pepita (inventive tapas) or Bar Bodega Quimet (classic Catalan). Then marvel at Gaudí’s masterpiece with a timed entry: Sagrada Familia Skip-the-Line Guided Tour and Tickets for stained glass, hyperboloid columns, and the Nativity and Passion façades.

Evening: Eixample tapas at Cervecería Catalana (order the bikini truffle sandwich and bombas) or dine at Cañete (counter seating, market-fresh plates). Stroll Passeig de Gràcia’s illuminated façades.

Day 6: Montserrat Monastery and Wine Country

Escape to serrated mountains and Benedictine history with the Montserrat Half-Day Tour with Tapas and Gourmet Wines. Visit the monastery, hear the boys’ choir if timings align, and continue to a boutique winery for tastings and Catalan bites—an easy, guided logistics day out.

Back in town, dinner in El Born at Tapeo (Iberian pork, artichokes) or Bodega La Puntual (anchovies, canelons) and a leisurely stroll past Santa Maria del Mar.

Day 7: Modernisme Morning and Departure

Morning: Brunch at Brunch & Cake (hearty plates) or Forn Baluard (exceptional bread and pastries). See Modernisme icons on Passeig de Gràcia—Casa Batlló’s bone-like balconies and La Pedrera’s sculptural rooftop chimneys. If time allows, pop into the Casa Batlló immersive rooms.

Afternoon: Last-minute shopping for olive oil, tinned seafood, and saffron. Depart from BCN. For flights across Europe, compare options on Omio; for trains to other Spanish cities, use Omio Trains.

Intercity travel at a glance: Madrid to Barcelona AVE/OUIGO/iryo ~2.5–3h ($30–80) via Omio Trains. Bus ~7–8h ($20–35) via Omio Buses. Flights ~1.15h via Omio Flights.

Dining cheat sheet—local gems to bookmark:

• Madrid breakfast/coffee: Toma Café, Misión Café. Lunch: Casa Dani (tortilla), Casa Revuelta (fried cod). Dinner/tapas: Bodega de la Ardosa, Taberna El Sur, Casa Lucio. Sweets: Chocolatería San Ginés.
• Barcelona breakfast/coffee: Nømad Coffee Lab, Hidden Coffee Roasters. Market bites: El Quim, Pinotxo Bar. Seafood: La Paradeta, Can Solé. Tapas: Cañete, Cervecería Catalana. Cocktails: Paradiso.

In one week, you’ll read Spain through two dialects: the stately brushstrokes of Madrid and the sea-bright mosaics of Barcelona. Add a mountain monastery and a trio of medieval day-trip cities, and this itinerary delivers art, architecture, cuisine, and the rail journeys in between.