Casa Ojeda Restaurant
What to order: the lamb, the dish the house puts first; ask about portions when you book.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 42.34° N · 3.70° W
Burgos on a Sunday: the cathedral, the castle and wood-fired lamb.
The cathedral first thing, the merchants' churches, the castle reopened in 2026 and its viewpoint, roast lamb at Casa Ojeda and a stroll along the Espolón before heading home.
Leaving from
Part of Burgos
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car1 h each way
Walking4 km · uphill to the castle
DifficultyEasy
Cost€45–70 pp
Best timeApril – June · September – October
With childrenYes
With dogsIn the streets, yes; not in the monuments
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Palencia 1 h by car
via the A-62 from Palencia or Valladolid, via the AP-1 or the A-1 from Vitoria and Bilbao
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1
Cathedral of Santa María de Burgos
Chapel of the Constable, Golden Staircase and the Cid · 2 h · €11
- 3 min on foot
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2
Merchants' Route: San Nicolás de Bari, San Gil and the Museo del Retablo
San Nicolás and San Gil · joint ticket €7
- 15 min on foot
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3
Burgos Castle and the San Miguel Hill Viewpoint
Medieval well, Cueva del Moro and viewpoint · free
- 15 min on foot
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4
Casa Ojeda Restaurant
Lamb in an earthenware dish · €€€ · booking and wait for confirmation
Calle Condestable, 2, Burgos · +34 947 20 90 52
Restaurant €€€Book - 10 min on foot
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5
Paseo del Espolón, Arco de Santa María and Plaza Mayor
Casa del Cordón, Plaza Mayor, the Arco and the Espolón · free
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Back home
in Palencia or Vitoria around 19:15
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
Cathedral of Santa María de Burgos
A full Sunday in Burgos without touching the car from the moment you arrive until you leave. The cathedral first thing, when there are fewer groups; the upper town of the wool merchants; the castle, reopened in August 2026 after three years of works, with the best view of the spires; a long lunch of lamb in a house dating from 1912, and a walk along the Espolón to work it off. From Palencia it is a little over an hour; from Valladolid, Vitoria or Logroño, a good hour and a half.
The day, hour by hour
8:00 · Set off. From Palencia or Valladolid on the A-62; from Vitoria or Bilbao on the AP-1 or the A-1. Park in a car park in the centre and do not touch the car again.
9:30 · The cathedral. It opens at 9:30. Allow two hours: the Constable's Chapel, the Golden Staircase, the Papamoscas and the tomb of El Cid. €11; ages 8 to 18, €3; up to 7, free. Buy your ticket online the day before.
11:45 · The upper town. Leave by the Puerta de la Coronería and go into San Nicolás de Bari, with its stone altarpiece, and San Gil. A €7 ticket opens both and the Altarpiece Museum.
12:45 · The castle. Climb the streets behind San Nicolás to the hill of San Miguel, a quarter of an hour uphill. The castle is free and open every day; go down to the medieval well and the Cueva del Moro, and lean out at the viewpoint, which has the outline of the monuments on the railing.
14:15 · Lunch at Casa Ojeda. Go back down to the centre and cross to Calle Condestable, opposite the Casa del Cordón: twenty minutes on foot. Suckling lamb roasted in a wood-fired oven, in an earthenware dish, and Burgos black pudding to start. On Sundays it opens at midday only: book and wait for confirmation.
16:30 · Casa del Cordón, Plaza Mayor and Espolón. From the Plaza de la Libertad, go up to the arcaded Plaza Mayor and continue to the Arco de Santa María and the Espolón promenade, beside the river.
18:00 · Head home. In Palencia around 19:15; in Valladolid, Vitoria or Logroño, around 19:30.
With children
The castle is what they like most, with the well and the cave, and it is free. If they are small or you have a pushchair, swap the climb for the tourist train, 40 minutes with a stop at the viewpoint. In the cathedral, look for the Papamoscas when the hours strike.
With dogs
In the streets and along the Espolón, on a lead, no problem. Dogs are not allowed in the cathedral, the churches or the castle.
Time2 h
Change the route
With small children, instead of walking up to the castle: 40 minutes with a stop at the viewpoint:
Burgos Tourist Train with a Stop at the Castle Viewpoint
If you prefer to eat opposite the cathedral: on Sunday it opens 11:00 to 17:30:
Puerta Real Restaurant
If it interests you more than the castle: on Sunday it opens 10:30 to 15:00, with a guide:
Monastery of Santa María la Real de las Huelgas
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Puerta Real Restaurant
What to order: tapas at the bar if you are in a hurry between visits; the dining room for a long lunch after the cathedral.
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 Burgos
Any Sunday of the year. In winter the castle closes at 18:00 and it gets dark early, so climb it before lunch. Las Huelgas is open on Sundays only until 15:00.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Cathedral ticket online
You save the queue at the ticket office. On Tuesday mornings it is free, but that is another day.
- 2Castle before lunch
In winter it closes at 18:00 and by then it is already dark.
- 3Book Casa Ojeda ahead
Sunday lunch is the first to fill up.
If it rains
The cathedral, the churches of the upper town and the castle are indoors or nearly so. Swap the Espolón for the Museum of Human Evolution, open on Sundays until 15:00.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Valladolid?
An hour and a half on the A-62, about 125 km.
What is open in Burgos on a Sunday?
The cathedral, the castle, San Nicolás and San Gil all day; Las Huelgas and the Museum of Human Evolution, until 15:00.
How much does the day cost?
Between €45 and €70 per person: about €18 in tickets and lunch.
Is it a good plan with children?
Yes: the castle is free and the cathedral costs €3 for ages 8 to 18.
Do you need to book lunch?
Yes, at Casa Ojeda on Sundays it is wise to book days ahead.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos/itineraries/cathedral-castle-and-roast-lamb
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.