If you are reading this article, it means that you probably love the Mediterranean countries as much as we do. That’s right, we’ve never made it a secret that we’re big fans of Mediterranean countries, Spain being one of them.
Spain is one of the largest countries in Europe and also one of the most famous. Well deserved, because few countries can offer their visitors as much beautiful and varied scenery, as beautiful a language, as fascinating a cultural experience and as unique a sense of life as Spain. If you’ve never been to Spain, now is the time to experience on your next trip what Spain has to offer.
So far we have spent more than 1 month in Spain. We’ve been on a couple of road trips, e.g. the Andalusia tour, the East Coast tour and most recently a two-week tour of almost the whole of Spain.
In this post, we present a two-week Spain itinerary covering the most important Spanish cities and attractions.
However, there are a few things you should pay attention to if you want to do this two-week trip to Spain.
If you want to see nearly all of Spain in two weeks, the pace will be quite brisk. So if you have more time than two weeks, of course plan more.
Of course, add in the journey there and back (by car or plane in most cases), because it’s a completely different time for everyone.
You can, of course, start your trip anywhere you like, depending on where you can start based on your arrival. We planned to start in Barcelona, because by car you usually arrive in Catalonia first in Spain, and several flights land in Barcelona.
We definitely planned it for a car road trip, unfortunately it is quite difficult to do this with anything else. But don’t worry, although the Spanish driving style may seem chaotic at first, you can actually get used to it quickly.
If you are thinking about renting a car, we recommend you check the comparison site of Rentalcars.
Two-week Spain itinerary
If you have only two weeks, but want to get around almost all of Spain, we think the best way to do it is to follow the two-week itinerary below.
So here’s the itinerary for a two-week road trip in Spain.
Day 1: Barcelona
The first day of our two-week Spain itinerary is dedicated to Barcelona. As there are so many things to see, plan 2–4 activities in advance and book your tickets online. For example, in the morning you can visit the Sagrada Familia, in the afternoon the Park Güell and in the evening before sunset you can take one of Barcelona’s Big Bus companies to visit the famous Casa Batlló and Casa Mila.
Be careful, because most of Barcelona is in a low emission zone (ZBE), where you need a permit to drive your car. We recommend public transport instead, or the best option is to hire an electric scooter to get around the city easily. This will also save you the hassle of finding a parking space in Barcelona, where parking is quite difficult.
Where to stay in Barcelona
We can recommend some good hotels in Barcelona where you can book good value for money.
One of our big favorites among Barcelona hotels is the Hotel SOFIA Barcelona near Camp Nou, a five-star hotel at an affordable price.
Another very good hotel near the Sagrada Familia is the Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, which has a fantastic outdoor terrace, Sagrada Familia views and a private underground garage if you arrive by car.
And if you are looking for a different hotel for your trip to Barcelona, you can find it below.
Day 2: Barcelona
On the second day in the morning, if you are a football fan, visit Barcelona’s popular stadium, the Camp Nou.
The Montjuic or La Rambla are also interesting sights if you have time for them.
In the evening, it’s worth continuing on to Valencia.
Day 3: Valencia
We plan the third day of our two-week Spain itinerary in Valencia.
In the morning, check out the Turia Garden (Jardin del Turia) and the City of Arts and Sciences from outside, where you can take some great photos. If you have more time, visit the Valencia FC stadium.
In the afternoon, it’s worth visiting Serranos Gate (Torres de Serranos), which you can even climb to the top. Later, take time to explore the city center, one of the most authentic Spanish downtowns. Here you will find many beautiful buildings (e.g. Plaza del Ayuntamiento) with small narrow streets and a real Spanish atmosphere.
Parking in Valencia is one of the easiest, the city has solved it very well, and the bike path network is also one of the most developed that we have seen in Europe.
Where to stay in Valencia
Hotels in Valencia are generally cheaper than in other major Spanish cities.
One of the best hotels we can recommend is the centrally located MYR Puerta Serranos.
If you’d like to spend more time in the area, we recommend this 3-day Valencia itinerary to find out more about the city and its attractions.
Day 4: Alicante
In the morning, let’s continue towards Alicante.
On the way, you can stop for a while in Benidorm, where the Balcon del Mediterraneo offers a wonderful view of the sea. To the east of it, from the La Creu de Benidorm viewpoint, you can see the city of Benidorm, with amazing photo opportunities.
Spend the afternoon in Alicante. Two of its main attractions are the Santa Barbara Castle and the famous patterned promenade called passeig Esplanada d’Espanya. The latter is very photogenic, if you go out at dawn the next day you can take excellent photos for your social media pages without the crowds.
Where to stay in Alicante
In Alicante we found the Port Alicante City & Beach to be one of the best hotels, good value for money and close to the beach.
Day 5: Alicante, Granada
Day five of the two-week Spain itinerary could be a bit hectic.
In the morning, if you missed any of Alicante’s attractions, it’s worth a look. Then continue to Granada, one of the most popular cities in Andalusia.
The road between Alicante and Granada can be long and a little boring, but there are places where you can enjoy the scenery. If you plan to stop, it’s worth stopping near Murcia, where there are more shops and restaurants than on the deserted highway. You can arrive in Granada in the afternoon or evening.
In Granada, it is worth seeing the viewpoints, e.g. the Mirador de San Nicolás (the best) or the Mirador de San Miguel, from which you can see Alhamra and the Sierra Nevada behind it. If the lights are good that day, you can take wonderful photos at these viewpoints, but it’s definitely worth going up for the view, the city of Granada can be seen from here in the most impressive position.
Where to stay in Granada
We can recommend two hotels in Granada. One is the Hotel Granada Center, which is usually available at a very affordable price.
The other is a five-star hotel close to the Alhambra, which has magnificent Alhambra-style interiors, the Alhambra Palace.
Day 6: Granada, Malaga
On the sixth day of the two-week Spain itinerary, the real Andalusian experience starts. Even though you arrived in Granada only the day before and have already seen some of Andalusia, the next few days may be the time you have to explore some of the best places in Andalusia.
It’s best to book a ticket to the Alhambra for the morning. In any case, you must book a ticket to the Alhambra, because it is difficult to buy a ticket locally. Parking is relatively easy, the parking lot is large, and you can drive almost to the entrance. Plan about 2-4 hours to see the Alhambra, you can see most of it in that time. Wear comfortable shoes, because you have to walk a lot!
In the afternoon, continue to Malaga. The afternoon and evening are free to explore the city of Malaga and its coastline.
The Malagueta beach (Playa de la Malagueta) is a less time-consuming, yet pleasant, way to spend an afternoon. You can also go to the beach here in summer if you like.
In the evening, a walk on P.º del Muelle Uno, where you can see the productions of local Spanish dancers and enjoy a fantastic Spanish beach dinner with Spanish music playing in the background.
Malaga is the most important tourist destination in the famous Costa del Sol. If you want to find out more about the Costa del Sol, you can read an article with first-hand information from an expat living in Costa del Sol by clicking on the link.
Day 7: Malaga
In the morning, see the sights of downtown Malaga. This is time-consuming and involves a lot of walking, so be prepared with comfortable shoes and adequate supplies (e.g. water). The main three attractions are the Cathedral, the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro Castle. You can buy a joint entrance ticket to the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro castles, so they can be viewed at the same time. An elevator leads up to the Alcazaba, which is also marked on Google Maps. However, you have to walk up to the Gibralfaro Castle or you can park your car on the top of the mountain in a large roundabout, so you don’t have to climb the mountain. Which one you choose is up to you.
In our opinion, the best photos can be taken from the Alcazaba. You can see the entire port of Malaga with the bullring (called Plaza de Toros La Malagueta) next to it.
Where to stay in Malaga
Hotels in Malaga tend to be a little more expensive, due to the popularity of the city and the Costa del Sol.
A centrally located hotel, for example, is the Molina Lario, which offers spectacular view of the nearby Malaga Cathedral.
In the higher category, we recommend the five-star Vincci Selección Posada del Patio, especially because of its charming interiors.
Day 8: Benalmadena, Ronda
On the eighth day of the two-week trip in Spain, you can visit the very best places in Andalusia.
In the morning, continue from Malaga towards Ronda. On the way, it is definitely worth planning a stop in Benalmadena at the Colomares Monument. In our opinion, the castle is one of the most picturesque and Instagrammable locations in Spain. We have been here twice so far, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. We experienced much better light for photography in the morning, so we recommend that. There are always plenty of tourists, especially in summer.
The opening hours of the Colomares Castle are quite strict, so the visit requires precise planning. You can park close to the castle entrance. It is not necessary to buy an entrance ticket in advance (usually).
Pro tip: either go in first when it opens, so you have a few minutes free to take photos, or be the last one in. It can be a bit cheeky, we stayed until the last minute, so everyone walked out of our pictures.
Another increasingly popular destination on the Costa del Sol is Casa de los Navajas in Torremolinos. Especially from the outside, it’s a wonderful sight, you can definitely take great photos here for your social media pages.
Continue to Ronda in the afternoon. The town of Ronda is set in the mountains of Andalusia, so there is a steep mountain road from the coast to the town. At some rest stops, you can see the sea for tens of kilometers.
In the afternoon, visit the town of Ronda. For the best things to do in Ronda, usually, an afternoon is enough. If you want more, spend the next morning here too.
The most famous is the bridge in the center of Ronda called Puente Nuevo de Ronda. From the bridge, the scenery and the bridge itself are worth taking a photo.
Another landmark in Ronda is the stone gate called Puerta de Almocábar. Also famous is the local bullfighting arena of Ronda, and the Plaza del Socorro, a square close to it.
Where to stay in Ronda
In Ronda, you can find hotels in the old town at a pretty good price. Our recommendation is the Catalonia Ronda hotel, which has an unrivalled rooftop terrace with a swimming pool and stunning views.
Day 9: Gibraltar
After Ronda, travel on to Gibraltar.
Gibraltar is a rocky peninsula at the junction of the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas. It belongs to the United Kingdom and is an autonomous territory in its own right.
Here, the Rock of Gibraltar is the biggest attraction. In Gibraltar you can also meet the macaques, which are said to be very cheeky and thieving. If you want to make friends with them, take some food with you. The city is not part of Spain, it’s part of the UK, so be prepared with a passport, it’s the safest bet (an ID card might be enough, but don’t risk it). The access road is bisected by the airport runway, so you may have to wait to enter Gibraltar.
Continue on to Seville in the evening.
If you would rather leave Gibraltar out of your two-week itinerary, spend the day in Ronda and travel from Ronda to Seville.
Day 10: Seville
Day 10 of our two-week Spain itinerary is planned to explore the capital of Andalusia, Seville.
Seville has numerous tourist attractions, so it would actually take several days, not just one. However, that’s all we could fit into this two-week Spain itinerary. But you can see the most important things in a day.
In the morning, you can start with Plaza de Espana, one of the most famous landmarks not only in Seville but in Spain as a whole. You can certainly plan to spend 2-3 hours here, as it’s a very photogenic but huge place and if you want to take great photos, you’ll need a lot of time. You can get to the square on foot or by horse-drawn carriage. Parking is only a long way away.
The other famous landmarks in Seville are the cathedral with the tomb of Columbus and La Giralda next to it. Both require admission tickets, which you can buy at the venue or online. You can get up to the tower, La Giralda, not via a spiral staircase but via winding little walkways. Getting up there is time consuming, so only do it if you have enough time. The views from the top are, of course, spectacular.
Also very famous are Seville’s Real Alcazar and the Torre del Oro. The Torre del Oro stands on the banks of the Guadalquivir river and is a wonderful photo spot which you can quickly see from the outside. The Real Alcázar is a Moorish Renaissance royal palace, which is huge, so it takes a long time to visit the inside. Its style is similar to the Alhambra in Granada. We would mark it as an optional programme. It is a fascinating place, but very time consuming.
In the evening, enjoy the atmosphere of downtown Seville. This is the perfect place to sit down to a Spanish dinner, listen to Spanish music and watch Spanish dancers.
Where to stay in Seville
We can recommend two good hotels in Seville. One is the value-for-money Monte Triana, and the other is the 5-star Eurostars Torre Sevilla, located in the Seville Tower, one of the city’s modern landmarks.
If you would like to extend your Iberian tour to include Portugal as well, the easiest way to do so is from Andalusia.
For the addition of Portugal, we recommend a two-week Spain and Portugal itinerary that can be found by clicking on the link.
Day 11: Cordoba
Travel on to Cordoba. Cordoba is a wonderful town in Andalusia what is worth a day trip.
Its most popular attraction is the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, which you can enter with a ticket, dressed appropriately of course. Also worth a visit is the Roman Bridge of Cordoba, located nearby.
And if you still have time left in Cordoba, check out the so-called Jardines del Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, where you can stroll through a beautiful park with stunningly beautiful alleys and good photo opportunities.
If you walk through the streets of Cordoba, you can see narrow streets of white houses with decorated walls and colorful flowers, which also offer excellent photo opportunities.
Parking in the town centre is easier than in other Andalusian towns.
Where to stay in Cordoba
Cordoba is one of the cheaper Spanish cities in terms of hotel prices.
For modern luxury, we recommend the five-star Eurostars Palace.
If you’re looking for good value for money, Sercotel Córdoba Delicias is a good choice.
And if you’re looking for a truly Spanish place to stay, choose Apartamentos Casa del Aceite.
Day 12: Madrid
From Cordoba, head towards Madrid. You can spend the afternoon in Madrid.
Madrid is one of the most pleasant Spanish cities we have visited. It’s very tidy, everything is well maintained.
Luckily, Madrid city centre is an easy walk around once you’re nearby. The Royal Palace of Madrid and the Cathedral opposite is one of the most beautiful places in Madrid. From the square between them you can see a magnificent sunset. Around them are several great parks with interesting sculptures and beautiful fountains.
Another great attraction in Madrid is the Plaza Mayor. It is very crowded almost all day, so it is difficult to get a good photo. But the buildings are so impressive that it’s worth sitting on the terrace of one of the restaurants there and admiring the Spanish architecture. But the square is full of street vendors and, unfortunately, pickpockets, so there’s not much peace for tourists. Maybe try it in the morning, it might be calmer then.
If you still have time, visit Plaza de Espana and Gran Vía. The Gran Vía is a street in central Madrid. The street, sometimes referred to as the “Spanish Broadway”, is one of the city’s most important shopping areas, with a large number of hotels and large movie theatres.
One thing to keep an eye on: You must have a permit before you can enter certain parts of Madrid by car. The outer zone is called the ZBE, where you can only enter if you have a sticker on your car certifying that it complies with the emissions standards. In the innermost zone (ZBEDEP), there is a 99% chance that you will not be allowed to enter because you would need a special permit.
Pro tip: In the centre of Madrid, take public transport. We were unable to obtain a sticker during our 2022 trip – even with Spanish language skills. Unfortunately, the authorities are not prepared for cases where some cars with foreign plates want to enter Madrid. So, after several hours of agonizing, we still had no answer from anyone as to what to do with our otherwise regulation compliant (but foreign) car.
Where to stay in Madrid
When we were in Madrid, we stayed at the five-star Barceló Imagine hotel and were very satisfied. There is an extremely wide choice of breakfast, the place has its own garage and easy access to the sights. So this is the one we recommend most.
If you prefer to stay closer to Madrid’s attractions, the four-star Hotel Liabeny is a good choice.
Day 13: Madrid, Zaragoza
Don’t miss the programs you missed from the previous day. If you are a football fan, visit the stadium of Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid. However, you have to plan with the fact that the Santiago Bernabeu stadium will definitely be under renovation until the second half of 2023, so you can only see a little on the stadium tour. The Civitas Metropolitano stadium, on the other hand, can be visited, but it is very much on the outskirts of the city, so you have to plan your visit there well.
In the afternoon continue towards Zaragoza. The scenery around the highway between Madrid and Zaragoza is so beautiful that I couldn’t resist taking photos. Red rocky mountain landscapes, as if I were in Arizona or Utah.
In the afternoon, it is worth a detour of a couple of hours in Zaragoza. The riverside part of the city is amazingly beautiful, especially at sunset.
Another attraction of Zaragoza is the palace called Aljaferia. There is only time to admire this from the outside on the way, although we also saw impressive pictures of the inside. If you can spend more time here, buy a ticket for the interior as well.
Continue to Barcelona in the evening, probably with a late arrival.
Day 14: Barcelona
The last day again in Barcelona. If you missed any Barcelona activities during the first days of your road trip, now is the time to make up for it. If you want to take better photos somewhere, now is your chance to do it again. Barcelona has plenty to offer, so we don’t think you’ll get bored.
In a two-week Spain itinerary, we think we can fit in so much to see. These two weeks will be quite active and we can promise you will see the most popular places of Spain.
We hope you enjoyed our two-week itinerary in Spain and that it gave you enough ideas and inspiration to plan a similar road trip to Spain. If you have any questions about the itinerary, feel free to email us.
