# Sunday in Alcalá de Henares: the university, Cervantes' house and Complutum

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.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/alcala-de-henares/itineraries/university-cervantes-and-complutum-from-madrid · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:45 · Salida: 30 min by car (via the A-2, exit 23, or Cercanías to Alcalá de Henares)
- 11:00 · Guided visit to the old University of Alcalá (1 h guided tour · €6 · book ahead) · CompluTour, From €16 per adult, tickets included
  - 3 min on foot
- 12:15 · Calle Mayor, Plaza de Cervantes and the Santa María tower (Plaza de Cervantes, Torre de Santa María and Calle Mayor)
  - 4 min on foot
- 12:30 · Antezana Hospital (Sunday 12:30 tour, no booking)
  - 1 min on foot
- 13:00 · Cervantes Birthplace Museum (free · 45 min)
  - 8 min on foot
- 14:00 · Hostería del Estudiante (Cervantes-style cooking · €€€ · Sundays, lunch only) · Hostería del Estudiante, €€€
  - 5 min by car, 2,3 km
- 16:15 · Roman city of Complutum and the House of Hippolytus (free · 16:00 to 18:00 from October to April) · CompluTour, From €15 per adult
- 18:00 · Vuelta (You reach Madrid around 18:45)

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.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
On the A-2 to exit 23 and a public car park on the edge of the old town. For Complutum, five minutes by car.

### Without a car
Cercanías C-2 or C-7 from Atocha or Chamartín; the C-7 runs every 10 minutes. From the station to Plaza de Cervantes, a quarter of an hour on foot, and to Complutum, an urban bus.

## Consejos

### Book the university and lunch
Both have limited capacity and are the backbone of the day.

### Do not count on the cathedral
It does not open on Sundays; if you want to see it, go on a Saturday.

### In summer, change the afternoon
In July and August Complutum only opens from 10:00 to 14:00.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.