5 days in Spain works for one region with depth.
Option 1: Madrid + day-trip
- Day 1-2: Madrid (Prado, Retiro, Malasaña)
- Day 3: Day-trip to Toledo or Segovia
- Day 4-5: Madrid neighborhoods + tapas crawl
Option 2: Barcelona + Catalonia
- Day 1-3: Barcelona (Gaudí + beach + tapas)
- Day 4: Day-trip to Montserrat or Girona
- Day 5: Sitges day-trip or Barcelona depth
Option 3: Andalusia loop
Option 4: Basque Country (San Sebastián focus)
- Day 1-2: San Sebastián
- Day 3: Bilbao (Guggenheim)
- Day 4-5: Wine country (Rioja) or coast (Mundaka)
What to skip in 5 days
- Madrid + Barcelona: Possible by AVE but rushed.
- Mallorca extension: Different trip.
- Madrid + Andalusia + Barcelona: Too much travel.
For longer Spain trips see 7-day Spain, 14-day Spain.