As two of the most important cities in Europe, Madrid as the central capital of Spain and Lisboa as the coastal capital of Portugal, proved to be capital cities filled with a lot of unique history, culture and beautiful landscapes that will make you wnat to come back for more.

I had the oportunity to visit both countries in a special package of seven days recently, in land package that moved from Madrid to Lisboa via bus, doing the route shown above, with the tour operator VPT (which give amazing services). And let me tell you, 3 nights in Lisbon and four nights in Madrid are not enough to truely capture the essence of both cities.

I will tell you about what I consider the must out of the extra excursions that both cities have to offer.

In Madrid, visiting the towns of Toledo and Segovia, both an hour outside the city, via train or by booking it through a tour operator (they are always located on the lobby of the hotels). It depends on the kind of experience you’re looking for. If you priority is comfort, then book the tour through an agency in your hotel; but if you’re feeling more adventurous (want to spend a little less money) and want to immerse yourself in the Madrid culture by exploring the town by your own rules, go by train.

Toledo is a majestic medieval city, declared World Heritage by UNESCO, originally founded by the Romans. Is incredibly beautiful, I 100% recommend visiting.

Segovia, another medieval town, located and hour outside of Madrid. Segovia counts with the the best preserved Roman Aqueduct in Europe, with it’s construction dated to the second half of first century and the beggining of the second century! This engineering masterpiece records more that 2,000 years of history.

Also the town of Trujillo, was one of my favorites stops in this trip.