What to see in Zaragoza in 1, 2 or 3 days

What to book before you go

• Goya Museum. Entry is by timed ticket: you choose the date and time when you buy. A standard ticket costs €14 (official website).
• Cathedrals and the Pilar tower. Booking is not compulsory, but tickets are sold online on the Zaragoza Cathedrals website. The Pilar Tower lookout costs €6; the Cathedral ticket (La Seo, the Tapestry Museum, the Pilarista Museum and the Rosario de Cristal) is €10, and both together are €12.
• Aljafería. A standard ticket costs €7 and a guided tour €9, in Spanish only (official prices).

Arriving by plane or high-speed train? All the options are in our airport to city centre guide. For concerts, exhibitions or matches during your stay, check the Zaragoza events calendar. If you are staying in the centre, look for accommodation near the Pilar.

Day 1: the Pilar, La Seo and Roman Zaragoza

First thing. Unless it is Sunday, start at the Central Market, open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 14:00 and 17:30 to 20:00, and Saturday 9:00 to 14:30 (official website).

Morning (about 3 hours). Walk to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pilar. Entry to the church is free. According to Zaragoza Tourism's October timetable, the Holy Chapel area opens 8:00 to 20:30, and the rest of the church Monday to Saturday 7:30 to 13:30 and 16:30 to 20:15 (Sundays until 21:30). Masses are held throughout the day. Then go up the Pilar Tower lookout: a lift climbs 62 metres in 20 seconds and, after two flights of stairs, you reach a glazed viewpoint 80 metres above the ground. It opens Monday to Thursday 10:30 to 14:30 and 16:00 to 20:00, and Friday to Sunday 10:00 to 20:00.

Across the square is La Seo, the Cathedral of the Saviour, with its Tapestry Museum. It opens Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 14:30 and 16:00 to 20:00, and Sunday 10:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 20:00; last entry is 45 minutes before closing.

Afternoon. Go down into the Caesaraugusta Forum Museum, with remains of the forum of the Roman city. It opens Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 21:00, and Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 14:30; it is closed on Mondays. Entry is €4. Then step into La Lonja, a free exhibition hall, and cross the Puente de Piedra (Stone Bridge) to see the Pilar from the other bank of the Ebro.

Evening. Tapas in El Tubo, the narrow streets of the old town between Plaza de España and the Pilar, or on Plaza Santa Marta, between La Seo and calle Mayor, two of the tapas areas recommended by Zaragoza Tourism.

Note that there are works on the Goya Fountain in Plaza del Pilar: the City Council plans to start them after the October 2026 Pilar festival and finish them in the first half of 2027.

Day 2: the Aljafería, the Goya Museum and the Roman theatre

Morning (about 2 hours). Walk to the Aljafería Palace; according to Zaragoza Tourism, it is about 21 minutes on foot from the Basilica of the Pilar. It opens daily 10:00 to 18:00. From 1 November to 31 March it closes at 14:00 on Sundays, and it is closed on 25 December and 1 January. Guided tours, in Spanish only, start at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 15:00 and 16:00 (official hours).

Afternoon. Head back to the centre for the Goya Museum, open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 20:00 and Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 14:00. The ticket covers the collection and temporary exhibitions. Round off the afternoon at the Caesaraugusta Theatre Museum, with the same hours as the Forum Museum and a €4 ticket.

Evening. Stroll along Paseo de la Independencia and calle Alfonso I to Plaza del Pilar.

If you prefer a guide, there are guided tours and day trips in Zaragoza on Civitatis.

Day 3: free museums and the Ebro riverside

Morning (about 3 hours). Pick two or three:

• IAACC Pablo Serrano: contemporary art, always free. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 21:00, and Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 14:00.
• Museo de Zaragoza: the Aragon regional government's museum, always free. Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:00, and Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 14:00.
• CaixaForum: temporary exhibitions, daily 10:00 to 20:00; entry is €6, according to Zaragoza Tourism.
• Church of San Pablo: €4, and free on Mondays from 18:00 to 19:00.

Afternoon. Choose between Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta, the city's big park, or the Ebro riverside with the River Aquarium (€20 standard ticket at the ticket office, according to its website) and the Pabellón Puente bridge pavilion. To get there and back, take the tram or a city bus: a single ticket costs €1.70 in 2026, according to the City Council.

Where to watch the sunset

• The Pilar Tower lookout, which the cathedral chapter itself promotes as the place to watch the sunset. It closes at 20:00 and the last visit starts 30 minutes earlier, so in autumn and winter you have time.
• The Puente de Piedra and the banks of the Ebro, facing the Pilar.
• Torreón de la Zuda, with a free viewpoint on the fifth floor. It opens Monday to Saturday until 20:00 and Sundays until 14:00.

The exact time for each day is on our Zaragoza events calendar.

What to do if it rains

Zaragoza has plenty under cover: the Basilica of the Pilar, La Seo and its museums, the four Roman museums (Forum, Theatre, Baths and River Port), the Goya Museum, IAACC Pablo Serrano, the Museo de Zaragoza, CaixaForum, the Central Market (closed on Sundays) and the River Aquarium. Save the Puente de Piedra and Parque Grande for a dry day.

Two ways to save money

1. Use the free days and places. According to the official websites and Zaragoza Tourism:

All the free hours, day by day, are on our free museums in Zaragoza page.

2. Combine tickets. If you are not there on a first Sunday, the pass for the four Roman museums costs €7, according to Zaragoza Tourism, against €14 for four separate tickets. At the Pilar, the joint cathedrals and tower ticket (€12) is cheaper than buying them separately (€10 and €6).