# Sunday in León: cathedral, the Royal Pantheon, the Húmedo and Casa Botines

The cathedral at 9:30, before the Masses, the Royal Pantheon, an aperitif in the Húmedo, León cooking at Casa Mando and Gaudí's Casa Botines in the afternoon.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/leon/itineraries/cathedral-san-isidoro-and-casa-botines · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 07:45 · Salida: 1 h 30 by car (from Oviedo via the AP-66 and the Huerna; from Zamora via the A-66)
- 09:30 · Cathedral of Santa María de León and Its Cloister (Stained glass and cloister · 1 h 30 · €8 · on Sunday closes at 11:30)
  - 8 min on foot
- 11:15 · Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidoro and the Royal Pantheon (Pantheon of the Kings · 1 h · €6 self-guided, €8 guided)
  - 10 min on foot
- 12:45 · The Barrio Húmedo and the Plaza de San Martín (Aperitif on Plaza de San Martín)
  - 6 min on foot
- 14:00 · Casa Mando (Leonese cooking · €€€ · on Sunday, midday only; booking) · Casa Mando, €€€
  - 5 min on foot
- 16:00 · Casa Botines Gaudí Museum (Casa Botines Gaudí Museum · 1 h · €10)
- 17:30 · Vuelta (in Oviedo around 19:00)

Sunday in León has a catch: the cathedral closes from 11:30 to 15:00 for Masses and San Isidoro opens only in the morning, so you need to start early. With that sorted, the day works out neatly and on foot: the stained glass in the morning light, the Royal Pantheon, a glass of wine in the Plaza de San Martín, a long León lunch and Gaudí's Casa Botines in the afternoon. From Oviedo it is an hour and a half; from Palencia or Zamora, a little more, and from Burgos, two hours.

## The day, hour by hour

7:45 · Set off. From Oviedo on the AP-66 and the Huerna; from Zamora on the A-66. Park in the Ensanche or near San Marcos and go in on foot.

9:30 · The cathedral. It opens at 9:30 and on Sundays closes at 11:30. An hour and a half for the nave and cloister, with light coming in through the apse windows. €8; free for under-12s.

11:15 · San Isidoro and the Royal Pantheon. Follow the wall for eight minutes. The museum includes the Pantheon, with its painted 12th-century vaults, the treasury and the cloister: €6 on your own or €8 with a guide, which on Sundays leaves at 11:30 and 13:00. It opens until 14:00.

12:45 · The Barrio Húmedo. Go down to the Plaza de San Martín and have a glass of wine or a small beer: in many bars it comes with a tapa.

14:00 · Lunch at Casa Mando. Five minutes away, beside the Plaza de Santo Domingo. León cooking: León cold cuts, pulses from La Bañeza and stews. On Sundays it opens from 13:30 to 17:30; book ahead.

16:00 · Casa Botines. In the Plaza de San Marcelo, opposite. On Sundays it opens from 10:00 to 19:00. An hour to go round Gaudí's building inside: €10, €13 with a guide.

17:30 · Head home. In Oviedo around 19:00.

## With children

Under-12s do not pay at the cathedral or San Isidoro. If the Húmedo means nothing to them, add the Roman León centre, at Puerta Castillo, free and with a guided visit on Sundays at 11:00: do it then and leave San Isidoro for 12:15, because it closes at 14:00.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
Oviedo to León, about 125 km and an hour and a half on the AP-66; Palencia to León, about 130 km and an hour and three quarters; Zamora to León, about 140 km and an hour and three quarters on the A-66.

## Consejos

### Cathedral first
On Sundays it closes from 11:30 to 15:00. If you arrive late, leave it until after Casa Botines: it reopens at 15:00 until 19:00.

### Book Casa Mando
It is one of the few León-cooking restaurants in the centre with a kitchen open on Sunday until 17:30.

### San Isidoro before 14:00
On Sundays it does not open in the afternoon.

## Un consejo más

### If it rains
The whole plan is indoors except the walk through the Húmedo. Add the MUSAC, open on Sunday afternoons.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### What is open in León on a Sunday?
The cathedral from 9:30 to 11:30 and from 15:00 to 19:00; San Isidoro from 10:00 to 14:00; Casa Botines from 10:00 to 19:00; the MUSAC morning and afternoon.

### How much does the day cost?
Between €50 and €75 per person: about €24 in tickets and lunch.

### How long does it take from Oviedo?
An hour and a half on the AP-66, about 125 km.

### Is it a good plan with children?
Yes: under-12s free at the cathedral and San Isidoro, and Roman León is free.