I’m back with a slightly more “cross-cutting” article, but one I hope will be really useful if you’re planning a trip to Spain. The country has an immense cultural and natural richness, with several iconic sights you shouldn’t miss. The problem? Their own success 🤭 Indeed, some monuments and activities can only be done by booking in advance (sometimes quite far ahead). And even when booking isn’t strictly required, showing up without one is risky.
So I thought I’d gather in a single article all of Spain’s iconic activities that require advance booking, with all the useful info to help you plan ahead. For details on what to see at each destination mentioned, I invite you to browse the blog.
A quick note before we start: this article contains a lot of booking links (makes sense given the topic 👀). I recommend the partners I usually work with, but the main goal here is really to help you avoid a disappointment once you’re there.
Alhambra in Granada
Let’s start with one of the most visited monuments in the country and, for me, the most beautiful: the Alhambra in Granada. I actually dedicated a full article to it: Visiting the Alhambra, all my tips.
The daily visitor quota is very strict (especially for the Nasrid Palaces in particular, but if you go, you can’t miss visiting them).
I recommend booking 2-3 weeks ahead, or even 1-2 months during peak season.
You can choose to visit on your own or as part of a guided tour. Having done both, I find the guided tour really interesting, and at the same time, it’s also the kind of place that invites you to wander at your own pace. So it’s up to you!
Real Alcázar of Seville
Still in Andalusia with the Real Alcázar, in Seville. 1 to 2 weeks ahead is enough for booking, but it’s still highly recommended. Even with your ticket booked, you’ll face some line — imagine without one!
Just like the Alhambra, there are 2 visit options, with or without a guide. You can easily spend 2-3 hours in this palace, it’s stunning. Personally, the gardens are what I love most!
There’s a free visit option for the Alcázar, which I talk about in my article What to Do for Free in Seville, but even there, booking is required through this link.
Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba
Still in Andalusia, but hey, it’s an incredible region, what can you do. The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba wraps up this trio of Andalusian must-sees. It’s an incredible example of the blend of Christian and Arab cultures from the Al-Andalus era.
A few days ahead is enough to book your ticket, but again, it’s much better to have it and avoid too long a wait.
There’s also apparently a really lovely night tour with a reduced number of visitors. I haven’t personally tried it.
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
Heading to Barcelona and Gaudí’s lifelong masterpiece: the Sagrada Familia. This cathedral is probably the most talked-about monument in the country, and it very often sells out days in advance!
I recommend booking 1 to 3 weeks ahead. Here, in particular, a guided tour is really worth it, because the construction and completion of the monument after the artist’s death play a big role in understanding the place.
Park Güell in Barcelona
Still in Barcelona and another Gaudí work: Park Güell. I’ve only visited once, and back then… it was free, no booking needed! 🫠 Those days are long gone, and today you need to book, and the visit is limited by time slots as well as capacity.
An important clarification: the park is actually split into two zones. The forest area, the largest part of the site, remains freely and openly accessible, and you can stroll around there any time, no ticket needed. But the monumental zone, the one with the famous wavy mosaic bench, the hypostyle room, and the lizard staircase (basically, the postcard images everyone knows), is paid and requires mandatory booking.
I recommend booking a few days ahead, even more so in high season (April-October) when tickets sell out fast.
Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid
Attention, football fans! I’m not one myself, but I get that if you love the sport, visiting an iconic stadium like the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid is exciting. The stadium tour is in high demand, especially on weekends, so it’s more than recommended to book in advance.
Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid is one of the largest royal palaces in Europe (over 3000 rooms!), and personally, I love the visit. Just arriving, the exterior of the building is already impressive, with the Almudena Cathedral right across from it. The interior is also well worth it, especially knowing that official royal events are still held there today.
I’ve never done the guided tour, always going on my own with the audio guide, and it was great. Just like with the Alcázar, there’s a free visit option, which I talk about in my article What to Do for Free in Madrid, but even there, booking is still required.
Caminito del Rey near Málaga
On my bucket list for years! I really need to do it. But it so happens that during a trip to Málaga, I wanted to go… and I hadn’t booked far enough in advance, so it was full! One more reason for you to plan ahead.
For those who don’t know: the Caminito del Rey is a walkway suspended along a cliffside, built in the early 20th century for the construction of a dam. The trail is about 8 km (one way), with 3 km of vertigo-inducing walkway clinging to the cliff face, roughly a hundred meters above the river. For a long time it had the reputation of being “the most dangerous path in the world,” after years of neglect and several fatal accidents that led to its closure in 2000.
It reopened in 2015, fully renovated and made safe! Today the difficulty is considered moderate, accessible to most people in decent physical shape, allow 3 to 4 hours.
Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
One of the most iconic museums in the country, especially for its architecture designed by Frank Gehry — it’s truly unique, I love it. Inside, you’ll mainly find modern and contemporary art, with a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions that change regularly (so there’s always a good reason to go back).
This one is also quite popular, and it’s best to book, although a few days ahead is usually enough.
Cíes Islands in Galicia
Paradise! It feels like another planet, or straight-up the Caribbean, with turquoise water and white sand beaches. It’s incredible! It’s super protected, so if you’re planning a trip to Galicia, you need to book. Booking usually includes (which is the case with the link I’m sharing) the access permit, included directly when you book the ferry.
A useful note: the permit can be requested up to 90 days in advance, and access is limited to 1800 visitors per day, so in the middle of summer, it’s really best to plan early rather than wait until the last minute.
Teide in Tenerife
Teide is THE thing to do in Tenerife!! Everyone wants to go, and it’s true that it’s the highest peak in the country. But people often think that going there means going up the volcano. Actually, you can access the national park for free and without any quota, which is already amazing! There are viewpoints, several trails, etc. However, to access the volcano itself, you really need to plan ahead.
You can go up in two ways: by cable car (booking ahead is recommended, it goes up to about 3555m) or on foot via trail 7 (booking is also required here). Either way, there’s still the final stretch to the crater at 3718m, which can only be done on foot, via trail no. 10, and which requires a separate permit, limited to 200 people per day.
And here you really need to plan far ahead: slots open every Monday at 7am (Canary Islands time) for the following 56 days, and they go fast, especially in high season.
Isla de Lobos in Fuerteventura
One of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve seen in the Canary Islands. Just like with the Cíes Islands, you go by ferry plus a permit. I’m sharing a link that handles both. It’s a tiny, super well-preserved island. You walk around it, you can swim, it’s just gorgeous. Off the coast of Fuerteventura.
If you book the boat ticket without the access permit, keep in mind that the permit only opens 5 days before your chosen date. Personally, I chose the option combining both, it was simpler.
Peñón de Ifach in Calpe
Another mishap awaiting me: when I wanted to do the hike, it was full! So it’s still on my to-do list.
Access is free, but a quota of 300 visitors per day has been set to preserve this natural park. Booking, also free, is therefore mandatory. As for the hike: the first part of the trail (up to the tunnel carved into the rock) is easy and family-friendly, but the second part becomes more technical, with uneven, slippery terrain where chains help you stay steady. Allow 2h30 to 3h round trip, for a 360° view over Calpe and the Mediterranean that, apparently, is well worth the effort.
Nerja Cave
An impressive network of natural caves near the village of Nerja, in Andalusia, discovered by chance in 1959 by some local kids. Inside you’ll find cave paintings over 42,000 years old, and the tallest stalactite in the world. The standard visit lasts about 45 minutes to 1 hour, self-guided with an audio guide.
Drach Caves in Mallorca
These caves, located near Porto Cristo in Mallorca, are famous for housing Lake Martel, one of the largest underground lakes in the world. The highlight is that you don’t just visit the caves, you also get to attend a concert! Indeed, the acoustics are extremely well regarded, and the tradition dates back to 1935.
And that’s it! I hope that if you’re planning a trip to Spain, this list will be useful to you 😊
