Quick answer
A five-day Mallorca itinerary covers Palma, the Serra de Tramuntana, Sóller and one coast, and it needs a hire car.
A 5-day Mallorca itinerary gives 1 day to Palma, two to the Serra de Tramuntana and Sóller, and two to one coast, and it needs a hire car, because the buses do not reach the coves. For a week, split the stay between two bases. The island is bigger than it looks: Palma to Formentor is about 80 km of winding road, which is a full day.
The five days at a glance: the car and the base
The plan runs from the city to the mountains to one coast, and it depends on two decisions made before the trip.
| Day | Where | Car needed? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palma: La Seu, the old town, Bellver Castle | No |
| 2 | Tramuntana: Valldemossa and Deià | Yes, or a tour |
| 3 | Sóller and Port de Sóller | No, the 1912 train |
| 4 | One coast: north or east | Yes |
| 5 | The same coast: Formentor or the coves | Yes |
Those two decisions shape every Mallorca itinerary more than any sight on it: whether you have a car, and where you sleep.
- Without a car you get Palma, the train to Sóller, and whichever beach the bus reaches. That is a city break, not an island trip.
- With a car you get the Serra de Tramuntana, the hill villages and the calas on the east coast.
- Parking in Palma is difficult and mostly paid. If you start in the city, pick the car up on the day you leave it.
- For five days, one base can work. For a week, two bases — one near the mountains, one on a coast — save hours of driving.
- Picking one coast beats moving hotels twice: the north, the east and the south are genuinely different holidays.
Where to sleep on this route
A plan built one area at a time only works if you sleep near those areas. The map shows the same property across Booking.com and Agoda, with prices live from them.
Day 1: Palma
Palma is more than the airport. It is a real city with a real old quarter, and it deserves a full day before you pick up the car.
- Morning: La Seu, the cathedral on the seafront, unusually tall for its footprint, with a Gaudí-altered interior.
- Late morning: the old town behind it — lanes, courtyards and patios, best walked without a plan.
- Lunch: in the old town, from about 2pm.
- Afternoon: Bellver Castle, a circular castle on a wooded hill above the city, with the best view over the bay.
- Evening: back in the old town for dinner.
Days 2 and 3: the Serra de Tramuntana and Sóller
The mountain range along the northwest coast is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape, and it is the part of Mallorca that looks nothing like the resort strip. The roads are narrow, steep and slow: 40 km can take ninety minutes.
- Day 2 morning: Valldemossa, a stone village on a terrace above the valley — the busiest of the three, because the coaches stop here. Arrive early.
- Day 2 afternoon: Deià, smaller and steeper, and the one that keeps its shape late in the day once the coaches have gone.
- Day 3 morning: Sóller, by car or by the narrow-gauge railway from Palma, which dates from 1912 and climbs through tunnels above the valley.
- Day 3 afternoon: down to Port de Sóller — a flat walk of about forty minutes, or the tram if the queue is short.
- Day 3 alternative: Fornalutx, a village of stone steps above Sóller and the quietest of the group.
Treat the Tramuntana as a daylight activity. The mountain road is not a route to drive tired or in the dark, so plan to be back down before dusk.
Days 4 and 5: one coast
The coasts are three different islands, and two days on one of them beats a day on each.
| Coast | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| North (Alcúdia, Pollença) | Long sand bays, shallow water | Families, and Formentor as a drive |
| East (the calas) | Small coves between headlands | Swimming — but only with a car |
| South (Palma bay) | The resort strip and the city | Nightlife, and staying near the airport |
- North: one day on the beaches, one on the Formentor peninsula — a full day, not an afternoon.
- East: two days of coves, arriving early, as the small ones fill by late morning in summer.
- Sa Calobra, if you want the famous road: a series of hairpins including a bend that loops under itself, about an hour each way. Worth doing once, not in a hurry.
On the north coast, plan Formentor around the summer road rule: the last stretch, from Formentor beach to the lighthouse, is closed to private cars during the day in summer, which in 2026 meant mid-May to mid-October from 10:00 to 22:00. Park in Port de Pollença and take the bus, or drive up early.
On the east coast, Cala Mondragó, inside a natural park near Santanyí, is the easiest of the coves to combine with a coastal walk; its car park fills around midday. For the full list, see things to do in Mallorca.
A week in Mallorca
Seven days is the length at which Mallorca stops being a resort holiday and becomes an island trip. The key is two bases.
- Days 1-3 — base in or near Palma or Sóller: Palma, then the Tramuntana villages, then Sóller and its port.
- Day 4 — Sa Calobra, as a full day from the mountain base.
- Days 5-7 — move to the north or the east: beaches, Formentor or the coves, and one unplanned day.
Moving once in the middle of the week saves more driving than it costs, because the island is far larger than the map suggests.
Three days in Mallorca
Three days is enough for Palma and the mountains, not for the coasts as well.
- Day 1 — Palma: the cathedral, the old town and Bellver Castle.
- Day 2 — the Tramuntana: Valldemossa and Deià.
- Day 3 — Sóller by the 1912 railway, and down to Port de Sóller.
- Without a car, this is the one itinerary that works almost entirely on the train and on foot.
How the season changes the itinerary
The same itinerary needs a different shape in different months. These are the 1981-2010 climate normals for Palma de Mallorca Aeropuerto from AEMET.
- July and August average highs of 31.2°C and 31.3°C: put the Tramuntana drives in the morning and the coves in the afternoon.
- September has 3.9 thunderstorm days, the most of any month — keep an exposed mountain walk for a clear morning.
- April, May and October, at highs of 19.8-23.9°C, are the months for walking in the Tramuntana.
- From November to March much of the coast closes. Build the itinerary around Palma and day trips from it.
- January averages 5.1 frost days at Palma airport — pack for cold nights in winter.
What not to build a day around
- An island itinerary without a car. You will see Palma and whichever beach the bus reaches, not the Tramuntana or the calas.
- Formentor and Sa Calobra on the same day. Each is a full day of winding road.
- Mountain drives after dark. The Tramuntana roads are narrow, steep and slow, and not a route to drive tired.
- A coastal base between November and March without checking what is open. The hotel may be trading while the restaurants around it are shut for the season.
Common questions
How many days is enough in Mallorca?
Five days is enough in Mallorca for Palma, the Serra de Tramuntana, Sóller and one coast, with a hire car. A week lets you add a second coast or the Formentor peninsula and works best with two bases. Three days covers Palma and the mountains only, and is the one plan that works without a car.
What not to miss on Mallorca?
Do not miss La Seu cathedral in Palma, the Tramuntana villages of Deià and Valldemossa, the 1912 railway from Palma to Sóller, and one of the coves on the east coast, such as Cala Mondragó. With a week, add the Formentor peninsula in the north, early in the day.
Do you need a car in Mallorca?
You need a car in Mallorca for an island trip. Without one you get Palma, the train to Sóller and whichever beach the bus reaches; the Tramuntana villages and the coves need a car. If you start in Palma, pick the car up on the day you leave the city, because parking there is difficult.
Where should I stay for a week in Mallorca?
For a week in Mallorca, use two bases: three nights near Palma or Sóller for the city and the mountains, then four in the north, around Pollença or Alcúdia, or on the east coast for the beaches. Moving once saves more driving than it costs, because the island is larger than it looks.
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Where to next
Things to Do in Mallorca
The main guide — how long to stay and what is worth the time.
Best Time to Visit Mallorca
When to go to Mallorca, month by month.
Where to Stay in Mallorca
Which part of Mallorca to sleep in, and who each area suits.
Keep planning Mallorca
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