My friend Hannah and I took a day trip to Malaga. Flying in from Bristol early in the morning and returning late that evening. It was so much fun. And I did so much research into the best things to see and do (and importantly the best tapas for lunch) that I thought I would share it here. Whether you’re doing an extreme day trip to Malaga from the UK like us, or just visiting Malaga for the day from Spain this is the guide for you. This 24 hour itinerary for Malaga will give you a great overview of the city and a fun day in Malaga too.
Here’s a detailed itinerary for a full day in Málaga, Spain, with alternative options for each section depending on your interests. At the end is a mini trip report of our day trip to Malaga with everything we did. We found time went really fast and as such you may want to pick and chose some of these options.
Click here for our complete guide to extreme day trips.
Table of Contents
Morning: Exploring Málaga’s history & culture
Main option: Alcazaba & Gibralfaro Castle
- 8:30 AM – Start your day with breakfast at Casa Aranda, an historic café famous for its churros and hot chocolate.
- 9:00 AM – Visit the Alcazaba, a stunning Moorish fortress with beautiful gardens and views of the city.
Get your skip-the-line Alcazaba tickets here
- 10:00 AM – Walk up to Gibralfaro Castle for a panoramic view of Málaga and the coastline.
Alternative: Picasso Museum & birthplace
- 8:30 AM – Have breakfast at Brunchit España for a more modern, healthy meal.
- 9:00 AM – Visit the Picasso Museum, which houses an extensive collection of his works. Definitely book tickets in advance – we found the queues to be long.
- 10:30 AM – Walk to Picasso’s Birthplace Museum at Plaza de la Merced for a deeper look into his life.
Get your skip-the-line Picasso Museum tickets here
Midday: Shopping & strolling in the old town
Main option: Calle Larios & Mercado de Atarazanas
- 11:30 AM – Wander through Calle Larios, Málaga’s main shopping street.
- 12:00 PM – Visit the Atarazanas Market, where you can sample fresh fruits, cheeses, and seafood. This is a great spot for lunch too as there are plenty of places to grab tapas.
Alternative: Soho District & Street Art
- 11:30 AM – Explore Málaga’s alternative side in the Soho district, filled with modern street art.
- 12:00 PM – Stop at Recyclo Bike Café for a coffee and a snack in a trendy, eco-friendly atmosphere.
Lunch by the Sea
Main Option: Beachfront Chiringuito
- 1:00 PM – Have lunch at El Tintero, a famous beachfront restaurant where waiters shout out dish names, and you grab what you want.
Alternative: Fine Dining in the Old Town
- 1:00 PM – Enjoy a refined meal at Los Patios de Beatas, offering high-quality Andalusian cuisine and an excellent wine selection.
Afternoon: Relax or sightsee more
Main Option: Beach time at Malagueta
- 3:00 PM – Head to La Malagueta Beach to relax, swim, or enjoy a drink at a beachfront bar.
Alternative: Museums & Culture
- 3:00 PM – Visit the Centre Pompidou Málaga, a modern art museum housed in a colourful glass cube.
Get your skip-the-line tickets to Centre Pompidou Málaga here
Evening: Sunset & Tapas
Main Option: Sunset at Muelle Uno & tapas in the Old Town
- 6:00 PM – Walk along Muelle Uno, the city’s modern waterfront, and watch the sunset.
- 7:30 PM – Enjoy tapas at El Pimpi, a historic and lively spot loved by both locals and tourists.
Alternative: Rooftop Drinks & Flamenco Show
- 6:00 PM – Have a sunset cocktail at La Terraza de la Alcazaba for stunning city views.
- 8:00 PM – Watch a flamenco performance for an authentic Andalusian experience.
Book tickets to watch a flamenco performance in advance here
Nightlife (Optional)
- 10:00 PM onwards – If you’re up for nightlife, check out Sala Gold for a lively club experience or La Tranca for a more local bar vibe.
Our day trip to Malaga – flying from Bristol on an extreme day trip to Malaga
An escape from a slightly chilly start to spring was ideal for our first extreme day trip. We decided on a day trip to Malaga to enjoy some tapas, a little shopping and hopefully some sunshine. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t on our side so our itinerary was somewhat different to the one above.
Getting to Malaga from the airport
A slightly delayed flight and long queues for immigration held us up a little. But as soon as we were out the other side we walked the three minutes to the train station. This is such an amazing feature of Malaga Airport. It cost us around €2 for the 12 minute journey to the centre. It was so straightforward.
Lunchtime and Atarazanas Market
As it was lunchtime by the time we arrived, we started our time at Atarazanas Market. Here we marvelled at the colourful fruits and vegetables, trying out samples of herb filled olives and salty almonds.
This was also the place we decided to stop for lunch. This is an inexpensive and lovely place to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the market. There are tapas restaurants lining the outside of the restaurant so we picked one (based on the first spot becoming available to sit at) and enjoyed a selection of dishes. Patas brava, hot honey aubergine, pardon peppers and some pepper salad filled us up. It was a great and very cheap way to enjoy some authentic Spanish food.
Picasso Museum
We then made our way through the beautiful Old Town to the Piccasso Birthplace Museum. This is a such an evocative setting and stocked full of Picasso’s work. I hadn’t realised how prolific his career had been. It was wonderful to see everything from statues to a painting he’d made of his sister when he was just 15 years old.
We loved the setting in a traditional Andalucian building too.
Shopping in the Old Town
We dodged the showers by diving into shops around the Old Town. This is such a picturesque area of the city. We picked up some traditional nougat to take home and some little souvenirs from our day.
Hop-On Hop-Off bus Malaga
As the afternoon showers were in full force at this point we jumped on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus. This is such great value and we took the longer route (there are several through the city), and sat back and relaxed. We travelled from the port up to the castle at the top, all the while listening to commentary about the rich history of this Spanish port. It was a great way to avoid the rain but also see Malaga.
Churros and a rush to the airport
By the time we disembarked the bus we were getting close to having to be back at the airport. We managed to race to Casa Aranda for some churros and chocolate. Then picking up some pastries for the family to enjoy the following morning (Spanish pastries for breakfast? Why not!), we made our way back to the train station. The trains here are so efficient (and cheap) and in no time we were back at the airport, ready for our return flight to Bristol.
Malaga Airport
There are so many great places to eat at Malaga Airport that if you don’t manage dinner in the city you won’t go hungry.
What did we think of our extreme day trip to Malaga?
We loved it. It felt like a real adventure to fly in and out on a day trip. It was lovely to enjoy some authentic tapas, hear about the history and see some of Malaga’s culture. We have plans for more day trips and even another day trip to Malaga as there is so much we didn’t see.
