24 hours in Zaragoza is just enough time to scratch the surface of this underrated Spanish city.
Zaragoza is one of Spain’s largest cities and the capital of the autonomous community of Aragon. It lacks the crowds of more famous cities and, despite its size, has a compact old town known as the Casco Antiguo.
The main sights revolve around Roman ruins, two stunning churches, and a Moorish fortress. As the artist Franciso Goya was born nearby, Zaragoza also has a museum dedicated to his work and contemporaries.
If you have a Spanish itinerary focused on northern Spain, you may consider breaking up a journey between Barcelona, Madrid, and Bilbao with an overnight stop at Zaragoza.
Trains to Zaragoza take around 1 hour and 30 minutes from either Barcelona or Madrid. It’s also possible to plan a day trip to Zaragoza from either city. Bilbao is 5 hours away by train, so at least one night is needed.
The following guide will help you plot out what to do in Zaragoza in a day.
How to Spend 24 Hours in Zaragoza
Although the Old Town isn’t huge, there are enough things to do in Zaragoza to fill two or three days comfortably. Therefore, it’s wise to plot out an itinerary.
Zaragoza’s Casco Antiguo is small enough to explore entirely on foot. There’s no need to pre-book any tickets but it’s better to arrange guided tours in advance.
If you don’t speak Spanish, you might appreciate having a guide at your side. A number of the museums have limited (or no) English translations.
This private custom walking tour is available as a two, three, four, six, or eight-hour activity. It’s fully customizable so you can include which museums catch your eye – remember you’ll need to cover the admission.
Important: if you’re aiming to see all of Zaragoza in one day, avoid Mondays when most of the museums are closed.
Another important note: museums close early on Sundays. Therefore this is also a tricky day for a day trip to Zaragoza. On the other hand, museums have free entry on the first Sunday of the month.
During the week, museums tend to close for a few hours in the afternoon – usually between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM. This 24 hours in Zaragoza itinerary is scheduled around the siesta closures.
The great thing about exploring Zaragoza in 24 hours is that most of the best things to see in the city are close to each other, so you don’t have to travel far to explore a ton!
Zaragoza in One Day itinerary
This is a realistic framework of what to do in Zaragoza in a day! If some of the attractions don’t interest you, skip them and spend longer elsewhere during your 24 hours in Zaragoza.
Breakfast in Zaragoza
Start your day with a bite to eat at Mi Habitación Favorita. This cafe serves traditional Spanish breakfasts as well as English, American, and French-inspired plates and light smoothie bowls. If you have a sweet tooth, their cakes are rated the best in town.
The cafe is located on the ground floor of Hotel Sauce, a lovely little hotel right in the heart of Zaragoza with cozy double rooms and smaller options for solo travelers.
This is a great place to stay on a budget and mere minutes from the sights on this Zaragoza in one day itinerary.
There are so many museums around Zaragoza that contain Roman ruins or historical information about this ancient city.
Museum of the Theater of Caesaraugusta
Caesaraugusta is what Zaragoza was called under the Romans and the Museum of the Theater is one of four Roman history museums. Even with one day in Zaragoza, you can easily see all four as they’re quite small.
Five minutes from Hotel Sauce, the Museo del Teatro de Caesaraugusta is the largest museum and most impressive. This theater stands in the center of the city and is overlooked by apartments and offices – residents lucked out on views.
After brushing up on the history basics in the museum, you can walk through the theater and get a good look at the foundations. The final floor of the museum is dedicated to how Jews, Muslims, and Christians influenced the modern city.
There is also a fun, interactive exhibit on ancient theater with recordings, costumes, and props.
Most of the exhibits at the theater museum are available in English, while the others are annotated only in Spanish.
It costs €7 to buy a pass to all four Roman museums. It’s worth buying the pass, even if you don’t visit all of them. Passes are sold at all four museums.
The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is well worth visiting during your 24 hours in Zaragoza!
Caesaraugusta Roman Baths Museum
The Museo de las Termas Públicas de Caesaraugusta is two minutes around the corner from the theater.
The Caesaraugusta Roman Baths Museum is very small – only one room in fact. A swimming pool lies at the heart of the room. Originally built as a bathhouse, this complex was later modified by adding an open-air pool.
It’s not clear whether the original baths were damaged or purposely destroyed to make way for the pool.
Caesaraugusta River Harbor Museum
The Museo del Puerto Fluvial de Caesaraugusta is another little museum to slip into your 24 hours in Zaragoza.
This museum occupies the old harbor and stands five minutes from the old baths. It’s particularly interesting as the exhibition shows you how the river water levels have changed over the years.
Roman Forum Museum
The Museo del Foro de Caesaraugusta completes the quartet of Roman museums. This one weaves you through the foundations of the Roman forum, hidden beneath La Seo and its plaza.
The museum recreates the columns and preserves the old drainage system. There are a couple of excavated statues and ceramics on display.
Bear in mind there is next to no English translations although the audiovisual presentation does have subtitles. As with the other museums, it’s still fascinating to see.
Aljaferia is a must-visit in Zaragoza, even if you only have 24 hours in the city!
Sala de Exposiciones La Lonja
La Lonja was once used as a center for trade. Merchants would tout their wares under the jaw-dropping vaulted ceiling which you can check out during your day in Zaragoza.
The merchant hall is now used to host temporary art exhibitions. It’s free to enter and you get the double-whammy of remarkable 16th-century architecture and modern (or not-so-modern) art.
Spend as little or as long as you wish, subject to what artist is on display during your 24 hours in Zaragoza.
Lunch in Zaragoza
After completing a lap of the Roman museums, it makes sense to take a break for lunch when most museums close for a few hours.
Cast an eye over our guide to the best restaurants in Zaragoza. Again – pay attention to the opening hours: not all tapas joints open every day and most operate a lunch and dinner shift with a gap in between.
If your one day in Zaragoza falls on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, go straight to El Trujalico.
This cozy bar offers a robust selection of fish and meat tapas at an extremely reasonable price. Service is fast and there are tables for groups or bar seats for solo travelers and couples.
An alternative option is to grab a quick coffee or lunch dish at Café 1885. This is one of the most beautiful places in Zaragoza, with 19th century neo-baroque architecture and an olde worlde feel. The hardship is choosing between the lavish interiors and the sidewalk.
A second alternative option: if you’re not planning on seeing all the museums in Zaragoza but are coming for the food, you could sign up for a lunchtime tapas tour.
This Zaragoza midday market and tapas tour takes you to markets, delis, and tapas bars in the Old Town. That includes the Mercado Central de Zaragoza, a stunning covered produce market.
As an aside – there aren’t many lunch options here, just a limited supply of tapas stalls.
The cost includes a sample of tapas and regional wines. It’s also a private tour which means it works best for couples or small groups.
The tapas bars around Zaragoza are some of my absolute favorites in all of Spain!
Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
Zaragoza’s two main churches are just as worthy of your attention as La Sagrada Família and Seville Cathedral.
Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is the headliner site in Zaragoza. Legend says that the Virgin Mary instructed Saint James to construct this church, leaving a pillar of jasper behind to store in the nave. This pillar and the church went on to become a pilgrimage site.
It’s free to visit the church and see the chapels. However, there is a fee of €5 to ride the elevator to the top of the bell tower.
Unlike the Roman museums which close between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM, the basilica is open all day until late – usually around 8:30 PM.
In fact, you could actually move this to the end of your 24 hours in Zaragoza. The church has a magical atmosphere in the evening and this is a great time to wander the plaza and see how it’s illuminated.
Cathedral of the Savior of Zaragoza
Known as La Seo, the Catedral del Salvador is just as impressive as the Church of Our Lady of the Pillar.
La Seo has taken turns to be a church and a mosque, thus showcasing a fusion of Mudejar, Romanesque, Baroque, and Gothic elements. It’s part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, the Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon.
The Cathedral of the Savior of Zaragoza also contains the Tapestry Museum.
If you want to visit both cathedrals, the bell tower, and the Tapestry Museum, you can buy a combined ticket for €10.
Goya Museum
The Goya Museum might be the busiest attraction you visit on your day trip to Zaragoza. This gallery walks you through Goya’s milestones by theme and has a whole exhibit dedicated to his engravings.
It also contains further exhibits on artists who inspired Goya and artists inspired by him.
Admission to the Goya Museum costs €8. This museum is closed for a shorter gap than the Roman ones; between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. Aim to get there at 4:00 PM.
Fire and Fireforce Museum
If you’re not too fussed about seeing the Goya or Tapestry museums, the Fire and Fireforce Museum might be a better fit.
The Museo del Fuego y de los Bomberos chronicles the history of firefighting in Aragon and exhibits old apparatus. It’s not huge and makes an unusual addition to your one day in Zaragoza.
As with all other museums, this one is closed on Mondays. However, it doesn’t close for a break in the afternoon. Admission is €3.
The Basilica is hard to miss no matter where you are in downtown Zaragoza.
Aljafería Palace
The Moors built Aljafería Palace in the 11th century. Now used as the headquarters for the Aragonese Parliament, the fortress is partially open to the public.
You can visit independently or reserve a space on a guided tour. Most tours are in Spanish with a couple of options in English. Otherwise, you can ask your private custom walking tour guide to show you around.
It takes 25 minutes to walk to Aljafería Palace from the Goya Museum (15 from the Fire and Fireforce Museum). It’s best to take the quickest route there and return via the scenic option.
Aljafería Palace is open daily but in shifts, so plan your arrival accordingly – aim for the late afternoon.
If you are planning a day trip to Zaragoza, you might prefer to start at Aljafería Palace. It’s close to Zaragoza-Delicias Train Station – you can walk there in 20 minutes or jump in a taxi for ease.
Admission costs €2 and covers any temporary exhibitions.
Stone Bridge
After leaving Aljafería Palace, make your way to the river and cross the Puente de la Almozara. From here, you can walk back to the Old Town along the north bank of the river and cut through the Parque Macanaz.
This riverside park offers a great perspective on the basilica and passes under the historic Stone Bridge – Puente de Piedra – of Zaragoza.
This is the city’s oldest bridge crossing the Ebro River. It provides a wonderful view of the basilica and city, with a different experience depending on the time of day you visit.
If you are spending one day in Zaragoza, aim to be at the bridge around dusk when the light provides a lovely opportunity for photography. The river paths continue for some time, so follow them for as long as you have time for.
Be sure to make some time in your day to get lost around the city center, there are so many beautiful streets to discover.
Dinner in Zaragoza
Conclude your 24 hours in Zaragoza by gorging on delicious tapas. Refer back to our Zaragoza restaurant guide or consider joining a tapas tour for the opportunity to mingle with other travelers.
This Zaragoza evening tapas-hopping walking tour takes you around a selection of eateries in the Old Town. Highlights include the historic Central Market and El Tubo – a street crammed with top-notch tapas spots.
The tour departs at 6:00 PM and lasts three hours.