Toledo Half Day Tour with Cathedral, St Tome Church & Synagoge
Description
Upon your arrival in Toledo, you will start the tour with a panoramic bus tour around the wall with a stop at the Mirador del Valle, there you can take the best photos of Toledo. You will continue with a great walking tour through the old town to visit the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and visit the interior of the impressive Primate Cathedral, one of the most impressive monuments in Toledo and unique in Spain, the "Great Cathedral of Santa María de Toledo", magnum opus of the Gothic style of Spain, You will continue towards the old Palace of Justice and you will enter the old Jewish quarter with its alleys to visit the Church of Santo Tomé and the famous painting by El Greco "The Burial of Count Orgaz". Then you will visit the Old Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, which remains as a symbol of the coexistence of the "Three Cultures" between Christians, Muslims and Jews. On your tour you will discover places that are only possible with the assistance of the best tour of Toledo from Madrid.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Before it was an Arab market and until a few years ago there was a street market called "popularly" on Tuesday, it was Enrique IV who granted Toledo a market every Tuesday, a tradition that comes from far away and is currently held in the Parque de la Vega. Zocodover comes from Arabic, it means market of the beasts, and this square was also used to publicly execute the condemned.
The church of Santo Tomé or Santo Tomás Apóstol is located in the historic center of the Spanish city of Toledo, and was founded after the reconquest of this city by King Alfonso VI de León.1 It appears cited in the twelfth century , as built on the site of an old 11th century mosque.2 This mosque, together with others from the city, were used as Christian churches without major changes, since no buildings were destroyed in the capture of the city. However, at the beginning of the fourteenth century, due to being in a dilapidated state, it was completely rebuilt by Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo, Lord of Orgaz, and the old minaret of the mosque was transformed into a bell tower in Mudejar style.3 Its fame is due to all for housing inside, the painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz by El Greco, which can be seen by accessing the back of the church.
Beyond its concrete historical and artistic value, the Cathedral Church has a value and a theological significance as a reference for the pastoral life of the whole diocese, for priests and for the lay faithful. In addition, the cathedrals have been the forge place of our Western and European culture; they were the embryo of the current universities, they anticipated welfare work and they were art workshops. Today the cathedrals are witnesses of that culture and message of transcendence and values for the people of today.
Santa María la Blanca is a temple located in the Spanish city of Toledo. Built in 1180 as a synagogue and, having functioned as such for 211 years, it was expropriated and transformed into a church as a result of the pogrom of 1391. At present the building belongs to the Catholic Church, but there is no cult in it. It is open to the public and functions as a museum or center where both cultural and educational activities take place.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infant seats available for children over 1 year old. Children under 1 year old must sit on laps.
Reviews(278)
Spectacular Toledo. The experience was unbeatable.
Estimada Marta, Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia. Nos alegra enormemente saber que disfrutó de su visita a Toledo y que la experiencia fue inmejorable. Toledo es una ciudad única, llena de historia, arte y patrimonio, y nos encanta saber que pudo disfrutar de todo su encanto. Agradecemos mucho sus amables palabras y la confianza que depositó en nosotros para descubrir esta maravillosa ciudad. Esperamos tener el placer de darle la bienvenida nuevamente en otra de nuestras experiencias. Un cordial saludo, Fun and Tickets Team
We did not get the tour we booked, so we were disappointed. We had booked the tour with 3 hours of free time and the panoramic train, but instead, we were placed with a more structured walking tour, and no panoramic train. We were looking forward to a large block of time to explore on our own, but instead we had to stay with the group for most of the tour. The guide was lovely, and tried to offer us the opportunity to visit the cathedral, at an extra charge, which we did not want to do. However, this meant that we had to sit and wait near the cathedral for 45 minutes while the rest of the group went inside. I wanted a large block of time to explore on our own, rather than being in a large group the whole time. While the guide was very kind and knowledgeable, this was not the tour that I booked.
Good day Melissa, We are glad to hear that your guide was very kind and knowledgeable. We are sorry about the misunderstanding, we had booked your panoramic train, however, you were kindly given the option, if willing, to do instead of taking the panoramic train, taking the panoramic bus, plus a visit with tickets to two monuments with our 30 people group, and you decided to change your tour booked to this second option. You had a total of nearly 3 hours free time in different parts of the city, including those 45 minutes in the Cathedral area. We understand that because of the heat, you preferred just to sit in a bar instead of exploring that picturesque area on your own. We apologize for not having met your expectations, the choice was given to you with the best intention of giving you a second option, being of course not mandatory, but optional. We look forward to welcoming you back in future tours and activities. Warm regards, Fun and Tickets Team
Our tour was very knowledgable, accommodating and had a lovely personality. Toledo was well worth the time to visit it.
Thought the timing of the trip and schedule was the perfect amount of sight seeing and free time. Our guide was super knowledgeable about the history and sights.
Dear Danielle, Thank you for your kind words. It’s great to hear that the balance between sightseeing and free time felt just right. In a half-day visit to Toledo, that timing is key to enjoying both the guided insights and a bit of personal exploration. We’re also glad the guide helped bring the city’s history and landmarks to life. Best, The Fun and Tickets Team
Beatrice & Israel were fabulous tour guides & driver. The trip was so informative, interesting and fun. We would definitely recommend.
Dear Hazel, Fabulous is a great word to read, thank you. It’s lovely to hear that Beatriz and Israel made the experience both informative and enjoyable. That mix of learning and having a good time is exactly what we aim for. We really appreciate your recommendation. Best, The Fun and Tickets Team
Toledo is beautiful, so much history to see and experience. I did the half day trip which was wonderful, but the cathedral isn't a part of this due to so much else to see. While I recommend the half day, to see the cathedral with the full day tour would have been even better.
Dear Clint, You summed it up perfectly, Toledo has so much to offer that it’s hard to fit everything into just a few hours. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the half day tour and found it worthwhile. And you’re absolutely right, the Cathedral is an incredible highlight and choosing the full day option is a great way to experience it without missing anything. Thanks for sharing your insight, it will definitely help other travelers when deciding which option suits them best. Hope to see you again on another visit! Best, The Fun and Tickets Team
This is an 8 hour trip but was advertised as 5.5 hours. Travelers should know there is a lot of waking. There isn’t a lot of free time other than the lunch hour but an hour for lunch was sufficient time to eat. The earphones and listening device provided was great to hear the tour guide throughout the tour. Very informative about synagogue and cathedral. My 15 year old liked it too.
Dear Gabriela, It’s great that you and your son liked the tour and that you were given the opportunity on that day to stay in Toledo a bit longer to enjoy some free time. Thanks for joining our tour. With regards, Fun and Tickets Team
My family had a wonderful tour from Toledo. Our guide Arancha, was wonderful. Just know this is a half day tour, but you leave Madrid at 9:00 and come back at 5:00. Also, it is bilingual in Spanish and English so that adds a little to the time but in no way negatively impacted the positive experience. We loved it!
Dear Lauren, Thanks for your wonderful words about our bilingual tour. It’s great that you were given some extra time on that day to enjoy some free time. We look forward to welcoming you back in your future tours. Warm regards, Fun and Tickets Team
Our guide, Arantxa was amazing! So knowledgeable and kind. She treated my family with such kindness and we had such great time!
Dear kp3o, Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour of Toledo and that Arantxa’s knowledge and kindness made your visit so memorable. It is wonderful to know that she was able to make your family feel welcome and ensure you had a great time. Your feedback motivates our team to continue providing high-quality and memorable experiences for all our guests. We hope to welcome you again on a future tour. Kind regards, The Fun and Tickets Team
Overall an amazing visit! Super knowledgeable, very sweet and made the experience such a blast filled us with so much information and very warm and kind Arantxa Thank you
Dear Barbara, Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. We are thrilled to hear that Arantxa made your visit so personal, enjoyable, and informative. It is wonderful to know that her knowledge, warmth, and attention contributed to making your tour such a memorable and engaging experience. Comments like yours inspire our team to continue providing high-quality, personalized experiences for all our guests. We hope to welcome you again on another tour in the future. Kind regards, The Fun and Tickets Team
