Best tours of Oviedo

Visiting the different museums, monuments and attractions in the city are usually activities you can do during your trip. But in addition, among the best things to do in Oviedo you will find a series of guided and free tours that you can take to make the most of your stay.

You will have the opportunity to walk through the streets of the old town to visit the Museum of Fine Arts, the Cathedral and other monasteries. You will also enjoy the natural monuments and a series of statues in the city's squares. Such is the case of a sculpture of Father Fray Benito Feijo, "El Viajero" (The Traveller), Quino's friendly Mafalda and many more.

If you have 1 day in Oviedo, then your aim should be to see as many destinations as possible in the shortest time possible. In this sense, a good option is to join a guided tour of the old part of the city. This way, you will pass outside the different sites of historical, architectural and cultural interest.

You will walk through the streets of the old town with a local guide, who will tell you the history of each monument. For example, you will see:

• The Cathedral of Oviedo, a construction dating back to the 8th century and with a predominantly Gothic style.
• The Monastery of San Pelayo, a Catholic worship site built in the early Middle Ages and representative of Romanesque art.
• The Palace of Valdecarzana, built at the beginning of the 17th century in the Baroque style.

You will also see the Medieval Wall of Oviedo and the façade of some interesting houses:

• Casa del Deán Payarinos, built in 1900 by the religious figure Benigno Rodríguez.
• Casona de Regla, an 18th century building.
• Casa de los Campomanes, considered one of the first baroque style buildings in the city.

The itinerary of this type of tour usually includes a walk through Plaza de Feijoo, where you will see the statue of Father Fray Benito Feijo and Plaza Porlier, known for its sculpture called "El Viajero" (The Traveller).

Interesting details

• Price: 459€ for groups of 8 people (group activity).
• Duration: about 2 hours.
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: as this is a private activity aimed at groups of eight people, you can take the tour in the company of your group of friends or family.
• Disadvantages of this option: the tour does not include entrance to the monuments, you will simply walk around the outside of each one.

If you want to enjoy one of the most stunning places in Asturias, you should connect with one of the day trips from Oviedo to the lakes of Covadonga in the Picos de Europa National Park. This is a gentle hiking route, which is ideal if you are in Oviedo with children.

Once you arrive at the Picos de Europa National Park, the itinerary followed by the guide is usually as follows:

• Lake Enol, whose waters stand out for their beautiful emerald green colour.
• Lake Ercina, whose size and depth is smaller than Lake Enol. In fact, during the winter you will be able to see it frozen.
• Entrelagos viewpoint, from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of both lakes.

Afterwards, you will continue through the park to visit other places of interest:

• Santa Cueva, where you will be amazed by the rock excavation that gives rise to the cave that houses the image of the Virgin of Covadonga.
• Basilica of Santa Maria la Real. This is a 19th-century neo-Romanesque temple, where you can take amazing photographs.
• The Chapter House, which houses the famous museum of Covadonga.

Interesting details

• Price: from 75€ per person.
• Duration: 8 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: minibus to the Picos de Europa National Park.
• Advantages of this option: you will escape from the hustle and bustle of the city to discover stunning landscapes and natural monuments.
• Disadvantages of this option: this type of activity is not suitable for people with limited mobility.

During your 2-day visit to Oviedo you can take part in a day tour to Cudillero, Vidio, Catedrales and Luarca Beach. This way, you will discover a picturesque fishing village and many other interesting places.

The activity starts in the centre of Oviedo. There, you will connect with the guide and get into a car that will take you to Cudillero, where you will go on a walking tour around the whole town.

You will see:

• The Amphitheatre: made up of a series of terraced houses with colourful facades, whose layout creates a huge terrace.
• The Plaza de la Marina: this is the main square and is located inside the amphitheatre, creating a beautiful setting.
• The Old Town, with narrow cobbled streets. There is also a curious house whose façade is covered with shells (Caracolas de Teixera).

The tour of Cudillero will also allow you to enjoy beautiful panoramic views from its viewpoints:

• El Baluarte viewpoint: you will get a privileged view of the Plaza la Marina.
• La Garita viewpoint: you will see the lighthouse and the town's port. You will also see the amphitheatre in the distance.

In addition, the guide will take you to other destinations of great tourist and historical attraction in the region:

• Cape Vidio, with beautiful landscapes.
• Playa del Silencio, where you will enjoy amazing quartzite cliffs.
• Playa Catedrales, with a series of rock arches made squalid by nature.
• The picturesque fishing village of Luarca.

Details of interest

• Price: from 375€ (groups of 4 people).
• Duration: 6 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: private car or minibus.
• Advantages of this option: you will explore a fishing village of great historical and cultural importance.
• Disadvantages of this option: the adventure does not include any food or drink.

Oviedo is a city where statues share their place with visitors, and you can find them as you pass by as if they were just another local. Therefore, if sculptural art is of interest to you, you should take a tour through the streets of the city to get to know each of the works in detail.

This route of statues can be done on your own or you can connect with a guided tour. Whichever you choose, you will enjoy the works that have become real tourist attractions in the city. You'll also find out about their history, style (ancient, contemporary, abstract, figurative) and the materials used to make them, among other things.

For example, some of the statues you'll see are:

• Vendedoras del Fontán, in Plaza de Daoiz y Velarde.
• Botero's Maternity, in Plaza Escandalera.
• Mafalda, sitting on a bench in Calle Uría.
• Woody Allen, in Milicias Nacionales street.
• Friends, in Plaza Juan XXIII.
• El Diestro "Berrocal", in Palacio Valdés Street.
• La Regenta. This is a bronze statue, located in the Plaza de Alfonso II.

Without doubt, if you visit Oviedo in summer, autumn or spring, this activity will be ideal to complement your itinerary. You will be able to take advantage of the good weather in these seasons to explore the streets freely in search of the hundreds of sculptures that decorate the city.

Details of interest

• Price: from 10€ per person (guided tour) and free if you do it on your own.
• Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes (Approx.)
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will walk through the streets of Oviedo to discover the sculptural art of the city.
• Disadvantages of this option: this activity does not include transfer to and from the hotel.

Visiting Oviedo Cathedral will allow you to get to know part of the architectural, artistic and cultural aspects of the city. Moreover, this type of guided tours are ideal if you are in Oviedo in winter, as during the tour you will be sheltered from any change in the weather.

Inside the Cathedral

Once you enter the Cathedral, you will start to walk around its interior, thus accessing several of its rooms. For example:

• Cloister: with a predominant Gothic style and some Romanesque details of the ancient construction on which it was erected.
• Pantheon of Kings: this is located in the interior area of the chapel of Our Lady of the Chaste King and features a bust of King Alfonso II, the coat of arms of Spain in a large square, reliefs and much more.
• High Altarpiece: built during the 16th century in the Hispano-Flemish Gothic architectural style.

Side chapels

During the tour through the Epistle nave, you will observe several religious and historical objects inside the chapels that make up this area. Some of them are:

• Chapel of Santa Bárbara or San Miguel.
• Chapel of San Martín de Tours.
• Chapel of San Antonio.
• Chapel of Santo Cristo de Velarde.

Holy Chamber

This pre-Romanesque chamber is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here you will have the opportunity to see a series of objects of great religious importance:

• The Holy Shroud, in which Jesus' head was wrapped after his death.
• The Agate Box and the Holy Ark.
• The Victoria Cross and the Cross of the Angels, which are a pair of symbols that reiterate the power of Christianity in the face of Islam.

Details of interest

• Price: from 7€ per person.
• Duration: 2 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will be accompanied by a guide accredited by the chapter to take you on a tour of the Cathedral.
• Disadvantages of this option: you will have to buy the ticket on the day of the visit, so you will have to arrive in good time to wait your turn.

In the Asturian capital you won't just see natural and historical monuments. You'll also find restaurants and patisseries where you can sample delicious cuisine during your stay. You should therefore include a culinary route in your itinerary for at least 4 days in Oviedo. In this way, you will come into contact with traditional preparations and drinks.

You will meet a local guide in the city centre and start the walking tour through the main streets. In this way, you will visit several restaurants and pastry shops, where you will taste a series of sweet and savoury preparations, while listening to the history of each one of them.

Restaurants

You can start the tour with a visit to three of Oviedo's traditional restaurants, frequented daily by locals and tourists:

• Casa Fermin: this is a family restaurant with a history dating back to 1924. You will taste traditional food with seasonal ingredients.
• La Corte de Pelayo: in this restaurant you will have a varied menu, including the famous cachopos (a couple of veal steaks with ham and cheese among them).
• La Taberna del Zurdo: with a wide variety of tapas, wines and craft beer.

Pastry shops

Certainly, in Oviedo you will find several pastry shops, but Rialto, is one of the most famous in the whole city. Therefore, this is a must on your gastronomic tour. There, you will be able to try a couple of traditional Asturian sweets:

• Moscovitas: this is an Asturian recipe consisting of delicious chocolate biscuits with a delicate coating of caramelised almonds.
• Carbayones: this is a traditional sweet from the city of Oviedo, consisting of a puff pastry base with egg yolks and almonds. It is oval in shape and is completely covered in sugar.

Details of interest

• Price: from 75€ per person.
• Duration: 3 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: with this tour you will not only taste the traditional gastronomy of Oviedo and Asturias, but you will also learn about the history of each preparation.
• Disadvantages of this option: this type of activity does not usually allow pets.

A kayaking experience during your stay in Oviedo is an ideal activity if you are a water sports enthusiast. Join a guided tour on the waters of the Nalon River and enjoy a different kind of adventure.

The activity starts with a pick-up at your hotel or in the city centre, at your convenience. Afterwards, you will travel approximately 20 minutes by car to the Nalón River, where you will get into the kayak. But first, the guide will give you some basic instructions to avoid any inconvenience during the route.

You will immediately start paddling and descend the section of the river that is connected to the town of Trubia and Caldas. During the route you will come across at least six rapids, areas where the water is calm and others with waves.

Also, before finishing the tour and returning to the city centre, you will have free time to swim, take pictures and contemplate the surroundings.

Details of interest

• Price: from 40€ per person.
• Duration: 4 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: private car.
• Advantages of this option: you will enjoy a high intensity aquatic experience just a few minutes from the city.
• Disadvantages of this option: the activity does not include any food or drink.

When you take a tour of Oviedo you will see many sites of historical, cultural and architectural interest. Such is the case of the old part of the city, where you will see the Valdecarzana palace, the San Pelayo monastery, the cathedral and some large houses.

You will also find a large number of ancient and contemporary statues distributed throughout the streets of the city. All of them are perfectly integrated into the urban landscape. You may come across little Mafalda, Woody Allen or the famous Regenta, among others.

Furthermore, if you take a tour of some of the nearby villages (Cudillero) or the Picos de Europa National Park (Covadonga lakes), you will discover beautiful natural landscapes.

Tours of Oviedo are recommended because they are done in the company of a local guide, who will take you directly to each attraction, without you running the risk of getting lost in the streets of the city. This way, you will save significant time, which you can use for other activities on your itinerary.

Also, by joining a tour of Oviedo you will enjoy some benefits. Of course, that will depend on the route you choose. For example:

• Queue-free access to the attractions visited.
• Transfer to and from the hotel.
• Breakfast or lunch.
• Tastings on the gastronomic tours.
• Admission to some natural and historical monuments.