Ávila is a lesser-known city that should be on the radar for all passionate about Spain. Located less than a 1h30 drive from Madrid, Ávila is often chosen as a day trip for those visiting the Spanish capital. Thus, in this post, you will find a 1-day itinerary with what to visit in Ávila.

Like many of the cities surrounding Madrid (and even Madrid itself), winters tend to be quite cold and summers hot. This means that April to June and September to October are the best months to visit Ávila.

However, you can also visit Ávila during one of its festivities:

• Carnival (February/March)
• Holy Week
• San Segundo Festivities (2nd May)
• Summer Festivities (July)
• Medieval Market (September)
• Santa Teresa Festivities (15th October)

Ávila is a very small city and most of the points of interest are located inside the city wall or pretty much close to it. This way, 1 day is perfect enough to get to know this city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ávila is often a day trip option for those visiting Madrid due to its proximity. However, apart from the obvious option of renting a car in Madrid, there are other ways to get to Ávila:

• Bus (tickets cost between 8€ and 11€): Flixbus, ALSA, AvanzaGrupo
• Trains (tickets between 7€ and 10€): RENFE

Alternatively, you can also check out some Get Your Guide tours:

Depending on the number of paid monuments you intend to visit in Ávila, it may make sense to get the AvilaCard, available for purchase at the Visitors Reception Centre. The pass is valid for 48 hours from the time of purchase and costs 15€. However, it does offer some discounts on entry to emblematic sites such as the Cathedral, the San Vicente Basilica or the City Wall. Find out more here 😊

Although I did not stay overnight in Ávila, I have some recommendations for you:

• Hostal Restaurante Puerta del Alcázar: Despite the relatively modest conditions, the location is very central and housed in a 17th-century building.
• Palacio de Monjaraz: although slightly more expensive, it is still a very affordable option and is just 300 metres from Ávila’s Cathedral. It is also housed in a 16th-century building that has since been renovated and is very cosy.
• Palacio de los Velada: Located in what used to be an ancient palace, the hotel offers great value for money. The interior of the hotel is nicely decorated and very cosy.
• Hotel Sercotel Cuatro Postes: a more “commercial” 4-star hotel. It is outside the city centre, but it has panoramic views over Ávila.

Before we start the itinerary with what to visit in Ávila, I want to share with you a map with the list of its main points of interest.

Located in Plaza del Mercado Grande, still outside the walls of Ávila, the San Pedro Church is a Romanesque-style church that dates back to 1100.

After visiting the San Pedro Church, it’s now time to enter the walled city of Ávila. I suggest you do it through the Alcázar Gate, one of the most impressive gates along the walls of Ávila.

For a small city like Ávila, its cathedral is still quite big. In fact, although it started out being built in Romanesque style, it ended up being the first Gothic cathedral in Spain.

Ávila’s Cathedral was even part of the defensive system of the city, since part of the Cathedral is attached to the wall itself.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: Ávila’s Cathedral is open every day, although the hours vary depending on the day of the week. The entrance ticket costs 7€. You can consult the most up-to-date information here.

Let yourself get lost in the narrow streets of Ávila until you reach one of the most relevant squares in the city – Plaza Mayor. Plaza Mayor, also known as Plaza Mercado Chico, is a space where you can find the city’s Town Hall, as well as the Church of San Juan Bautista.

We continue our visit to Ávila with Torreón de Los Guzmanes. This building, built at the beginning of the 16th century, is currently an administrative building that also has an exhibition hall.

Built in the 17th century under the care of the Discalced Carmelite Order, the Santa Teresa Church is supposedly built on the birthplace of Saint Teresa of Jesus.

Currently, there is also the Santa Teresa Museum, where you can learn more about the life of this saint. It’s open from Tuesday to Sunday and its opening hours vary according to the time of year (April to October: 10 am to 2 pm; 4 pm to 7 pm and November to March: 10 am to 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm). And, while you’re here, also take a peek at the Santa Teresa Gate 😊

If you are following this itinerary, you will probably pass through the San Vicente Gate to reach San Vicente Basilica.

One of the best examples of Romanesque construction in Spain, the San Vicente Basilica is probably the second most important religious monument in Ávila. It took about 2 centuries to be built and, for this reason, it also incorporates some elements of Gothic style.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The ticket to visit the inside of the Basilica costs 3€ and visiting hours vary depending on the day of the week. From Monday to Saturday, the religious temple is open from 10 am to 2 pm and then from 4 pm to 7 pm. However, on Sundays, it is only open from 4 pm to 6 pm. Find all the most up-to-date information here.

We continue this itinerary to probably one of the highlights of the day – Ávila’s city walls. This city wall is not just any wall… in fact, it is one of the most well-preserved city walls to date in Europe.

It started being built in the late 11th century and is over 2.5 km long, having 9 entrance gates. In fact, it is one of the most impressive walls I have visited, and it is certainly worth setting aside part of your day to walk on it 🥰

Yes, you read that right! In addition to walking around the entire wall from the outside, it is also possible to walk along a small section of Ávila’s city wall. There are several places to access the top of the wall (the ticket costs 5€):

• Casa de las Carnicerías
• Porta do Alcázar
• Adaja
• Porta del Carmen

Needless to say, you can hardly get more privileged views of Ávila than those from the top of the city wall.

Our Ávila itinerary may be ending, but let’s end it in an excellent way 😊 Grab the car and drive just a few minutes to the 4 Postes Viewpoint. Without a doubt, this is the place where you get the best views of the walled city of Ávila 😊

If you have some extra time available, and you don’t know what else you can visit in Ávila, I leave here some other options:

• Carmen Gate
• Palaces of Ávila: Verdugo; Velada; Polentinos; Superunda
• Monastery of Incarnation
• Santo Tomás Monastery
• San José Convent
• Museum of Ávila
• Mosen Rubí Chapel

Ávila is a city with many typical dishes and you will hardly be able to try them all in just 1 day. But in case you are curious to try some of these, here is a small selection:

• Ávila’s Chuletón: a kind of beef chop
• Patatas Revolconas: mashed potatoes seasoned with sweet pepper and served with cracklings
• Sopa Castellana: garlic, bread and ham soup
• Judiones del Barco de Ávila: a kind of bean stew
• Cocido Morañego: also a kind of stew where chickpeas are the main ingredient
• Yemas de Santa Teresa: egg and sugar-based dessert

If I found “yemas de Santa Teresa” too sweet, I can’t say the same about the chuletón, which I thought was divine. I tried it at the restaurant La Bodeguita de San Segundo (€€). A traditional restaurant, but with affordable prices, friendly service and, above all, high quality products.

Disclaimer: this post may contain some affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you buy something through my links. This doesn’t represent any additional cost to you and you’ll be supporting my work here on the blog😊