Hostería del Estudiante
What to order: Alcalá sopa boba or duelos y quebrantos, and cocido croquettes to share
geocalia
Day itinerary · 40.48° N · 3.36° W
Sunday in Alcalá de Henares: university, Cervantes and a Roman city.
A guided visit to Cisneros' university, Calle Mayor to Cervantes' birthplace, a Cervantes-themed lunch at the Hostería and the Roman city of Complutum in the afternoon.
Leaving from
Part of Alcalá de Henares: university, Cervantes and ComplutumScenic train journeys in Spain
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car30 min each way
WalkingAbout 5 km over the day
Tickets€6 the university; everything else free
DifficultyEasy
Cost€40–65 pp
Best timeOctober – May
With a dogIn the streets, on a lead
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Madrid 30 min by car
via the A-2, exit 23, or Cercanías to Alcalá de Henares
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1
Guided visit to the old University of Alcalá
1 h guided tour · €6 · book ahead
+34 634 55 04 60
- 3 min on foot
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2
Calle Mayor, Plaza de Cervantes and the Santa María tower
Plaza de Cervantes, Torre de Santa María and Calle Mayor
- 4 min on foot
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3
Antezana Hospital
Sunday 12:30 tour, no booking
- 1 min on foot
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4
Cervantes Birthplace Museum
free · 45 min
- 8 min on foot
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5
Hostería del Estudiante
Cervantes-style cooking · €€€ · Sundays, lunch only
Calle Colegios, 8, 28801 Alcalá de Henares · +34 918 88 03 30
Restaurant €€€Book - 5 min by car2,3 km
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6
Roman city of Complutum and the House of Hippolytus
free · 16:00 to 18:00 from October to April
+34 634 55 04 60
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Back home
You reach Madrid around 18:45
Approximate cost
About €65–90 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 old University of Alcalá
Sunday in Alcalá is organised by opening times: the university can only be seen with a guide and its tours end at 13:00, the archaeological museum closes at 15:00 and the cathedral does not open. So the morning is for the old town, lunch at the Hostería del Estudiante, and the afternoon for Roman Alcalá, which from October to April opens from 16:00 to 18:00.
The day, hour by hour
9:45 · Set off. From Madrid, about 35 minutes on the A-2 to exit 23, or on the Cercanías C-2 or C-7. From Guadalajara, half an hour on the A-2 or on the C-2. Park at the Recinto Ferial or at El Silo, less than ten minutes from the centre.
11:00 · University. A one-hour guided tour of the Colegio de San Ildefonso: the three courtyards, the Paraninfo where the Cervantes Prize is awarded and the chapel with Cisneros' tomb. €6; book on the university's visits website. If you prefer to combine it with a guided walk round the old town, CompluTour does it in 2 h 30 for €16.
12:15 · Plaza de Cervantes and Calle Mayor. Climb the tower of Santa María, free until 14:00, and come down through the arcades of Calle Mayor.
12:30 · Hospital de Antezana. A hospital from 1483 that is still working; on Sundays there is a tour at 12:30 with no booking.
13:00 · Cervantes' birthplace. Free, about 45 minutes. Outside, the photo with Don Quixote and Sancho on the bench.
14:00 · Lunch at the Hostería del Estudiante. In the Colegio Trilingüe, next to the university: cocido croquettes, sopa boba alcalaína, duelos y quebrantos. On Sundays it serves lunch from 13:30 to 15:30; book.
16:15 · Complutum. By car or on the urban buses L-1A, L-1B and L-6 to El Juncal: the forum, the House of the Griffins and the House of Hippolytus. Free; in the afternoon, from 16:00 to 18:00 from October to April.
18:00 · Head home. To Madrid, about 35–45 minutes.
If it rains or you are with children
The Museo Arqueológico Regional is free, indoors and has a guided tour on Sundays at 11:30 and 13:00: swap it for the tower and Antezana. With small children, Cervantes' house and the Roman site work best.
Time1 h
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Mesa 12 Restaurant
What to order: On weekdays, the €26 daily menu with a drink; Friday and Saturday nights, the Noches de Mesa 12 tasting menu (€37.50)
La Cátedra Restaurant
What to order: Raciones to share: Iberian ham croquettes (€10), broken eggs with small prawns (€14) and grilled sirloin (€29); for dessert, Alcalá costrada (€5.50)
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 Alcalá de Henares: university, Cervantes and Complutum
All year. From October to April Complutum also opens from 16:00 to 18:00; in July and August only in the morning, so then swap the afternoon for a stroll.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the university and lunch
Both have limited capacity and are the backbone of the day.
- 2Do not count on the cathedral
It does not open on Sundays; if you want to see it, go on a Saturday.
- 3In summer, change the afternoon
In July and August Complutum only opens from 10:00 to 14:00.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day cost?
Between €40 and €65 per person, with the university ticket, lunch and transport.
Can you do it without a car?
Yes, on Cercanías, and on an urban bus to Complutum.
What is open on Sundays in Alcalá?
The university until the 13:00 tour, Cervantes' house until 19:00, the archaeological museum until 15:00 and Complutum morning and afternoon from October to April. The cathedral is not.
Is it a good plan with children?
Yes: everything is flat and what they like best, Cervantes' house, the museum and the Romans, is free.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/alcala-de-henares/itineraries/university-cervantes-and-complutum-from-madrid
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.