La Ventana, the Los Claveles café in Ibeas
What to order: bravas the Ventana way (€3.50) and a fried Burgos morcilla bocadillo (€6), or a portion of morcilla to share.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 42.35° N · 3.52° W
Atapuerca on a Sunday: the Trench in the morning and the fossils in Burgos.
The first guided visit of the Sunday to the Railway Trench, the Museum of Human Evolution before it closes at 15:00 and lunch opposite Burgos cathedral.
Leaving from
Part of Atapuerca
Add to my trip
Total time8 h
By car30 min each way
Walking2 km · flat
DifficultyEasy
Cost€40–65 pp
Best timeMarch – June · September – December
With childrenYes, from age 8 at the Trench
With dogsNo: dogs are not allowed on the visit or in the museum
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Burgos 30 min by car
from Burgos via the N-120 towards Logroño to Ibeas de Juarros
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1
Guided Visit to the Atapuerca Sierra Sites
Departure from the Ibeas CAYAC · 1 h 45 · €8 · booking compulsory on 947 421 000
- 15 min by car15 km
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2
Museum of Human Evolution, in Burgos
Original fossils · €6 · closes at 15:00 on Sunday
- 10 min on foot
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3
Puerta Real Restaurant In Burgos
Opposite the cathedral · €€€ · on Sunday it opens until 17:30
Plaza del Rey San Fernando, 9, bajo, 09003 Burgos · +34 947 26 52 00
Restaurant €€€Book - 3 min on foot
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4
Paseo del Espolón, Arco de Santa María and Plaza Mayor In Burgos
Arco de Santa María and the Espolón · free
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Back home
Approximate cost
About €35–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Guided Visit to the Atapuerca Sierra Sites
The Atapuerca sites and the Museum of Human Evolution are best understood together: in the morning you see the Trench where the fossils came from and at midday you see them for real in the museum, in Burgos, a quarter of an hour away. The order matters on a Sunday, because the museum closes at 15:00. From Burgos it is half an hour away; from Palencia or Logroño, an hour and a half, and from Vitoria or Valladolid, a little more.
The day, hour by hour
9:15 · Set off. From Burgos, on the N-120 towards Logroño to Ibeas de Juarros, about 15 km. If you are coming from Palencia, Logroño or Vitoria, leave around 8:15.
10:00 · The Railway Trench. The guided visit leaves from the CAYAC, the access centre at Ibeas, and lasts between an hour and a half and an hour and three quarters: the Sima del Elefante, Galería and the Gran Dolina. €8; free for under-8s. Booking is compulsory, by phone on 947 421 000 (on Sundays, until 14:00) or by email. Bring a coat: it is in the open air.
12:15 · The Museum of Human Evolution. Go back to Burgos, about 20 minutes, and park near the museum, beside the river. Two hours for the original fossils and the reconstructions. €6; ages 8 to 18, €4. Buy your ticket online.
14:30 · Lunch at Puerta Real. Cross the river by the Santa María bridge: opposite the Sarmental Door of the cathedral. On Sundays it opens from 11:00 to 17:30. Book ahead.
16:15 · Arco de Santa María and the Espolón. A stroll along the Arlanzón to finish.
17:15 · Head home.
With children
The Trench means standing for an hour and three quarters: better from 8 or 9 years old. With younger children, swap the museum or the Trench for the CAREX, in the village of Atapuerca, where they teach how to light a fire and carve stone, or for the bison at Paleolítico Vivo; both require booking.
Time1 h 45
Change the route
With children, instead of the museum: fire and stone carving in the village of Atapuerca, with booking:
CAREX, Atapuerca Experimental Archaeology Centre
With small children, a bison afternoon in Salgüero de Juarros, with booking:
Paleolítico Vivo, Prehistoric Safari in Salgüero de Juarros
If you prefer roast lamb: on Sunday it opens at midday only:
Casa Ojeda Restaurant
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Comosapiens, in the Village of Atapuerca
What to order: whatever is in season that day; ask which dishes are gluten-free, because a good part are.
Los Claveles restaurant, in Ibeas de Juarros
What to order: the olla podrida with Ibeas red beans and all the trimmings (€24), to share, and Burgos morcilla to start.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Atapuerca
Any Sunday from February to December, with the 10:00 visit booked beforehand by phone. In January there are no visits to the sites. The museum closes on Sundays at 15:00.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book before you set off
Without a booking there is no visit to the sites. In November and December the phone line is answered until 14:00.
- 2The museum, before 15:00
On Sundays it closes at 15:00 and the last entry is half an hour earlier.
- 3A coat and comfortable shoes
The Trench is in the open air and in winter the sierra is cold.
We'd skip it
In January, because there are no visits to the sites, and on Monday, because the sites, the museum and the CAREX are closed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to book the visit to the sites?
Yes, always, by phone or email. There is no online booking.
What time do the visits leave on Sundays?
In November and December, at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00 from the CAYAC at Ibeas.
How much does the day cost?
Between €40 and €65 per person: €14 in tickets and lunch.
Is it a good plan with children?
Yes, from 8 or 9 years old for the Trench; with little ones, the CAREX and the museum are better.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/trench-with-guide-and-human-evolution-museum
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.