Fully guided Toledo and Don Quixote Windmills tour with traditional sword workshop

Your day starts in Central Madrid where you’ll meet your guide and small group then hop into a private, air-conditioned minibus for the hour’s drive to Toledo. As you traverse the beautiful countryside, your guide will give you an intro to the history of the city and explain how it was shaped by Christians, Muslims, and Jews over some 2,000 years.

Before entering the city, you’ll stop at one of its most famous viewpoints for a few pictures then make your way to the jaw-dropping San Martín bridge, which has been Toledo’s most picturesque entry-point since the 14 century. Wind your way up medieval streets, passing the beautiful monastery of San Juan de los Reyes before stepping inside an artisanal sword-making workshop. Toledo has been a center of steel-working since roughly 500 BC, outfitting real warriors, and literary ones like the famous Don Quixote, whose adventures take place throughout the region surrounding the city. In the workshop, you’ll go behind the scenes to see how modern artisans are still using centuries-old techniques to produce functional works of art.

Your next stop is the Toledo Cathedral, the finest Gothic church in Spain and one of the most impressive in Europe. Your guide will give you a full tour of this architectural masterpiece, including paintings by masters like El Greco, then you’ll head over to the Tower of San Ildefonso - the highest viewpoint in Toledo - for stunning, 360-degree views over the city and nearby Alcázar.

Lunch is not included, but your guide will give you recommendations on where to go to sample Toledan specialties like lamb, partridge, and marzipan.

After lunch, you’ll get back in your private minibus and head out into the countryside to see the famous windmills of La Mancha. These windmills became famous in the 17th century when they were attacked in fiction by the knight errant, Don Quixote. You’ll get to step inside the only working windmill in the area and learn about its literary importance as well as the function it once served in the town.

After your tour, we’ll stop off at the tiny restaurant inside the windmill and treat you to a tasting of manchego cheese with a glass of wine, beer, or a soft drink. Then you can step out onto the patio for lovely views over the surrounding countryside.

Relax and indulge yourself - It’s a quick hour and a half back to Madrid where you’ll arrive with plenty of time to prepare for a late Spanish dinner.

Sites Visited:

• Mirador del Valle (viewpoint)
• Cathedral of Toledo (inside)
• Toledo center
• Sword Factory visit
• Highest viewpoint Tower climb
• Consuegra windmills