Madrid was one of our stops on our 4-month European Adventure, and even though we only spent a couple of days here, we found Spain’s capital to be vibrant, walkable, and full of things worth exploring. In our Madrid travel guide, we’ll share the highlights we enjoyed. From iconic plazas, historic streets, and neighbourhoods worth wandering, to tips for planning your visit. We also include more to do if you’re staying longer, are interested in going into the museums and/or galleries, or if you want to take any day trips. Whether you’re wandering historic squares like Puerta del Sol, strolling through El Retiro Park, or exploring Madrid’s vibrant neighbourhoods, this guide will help you make the most of your visit.
There is a map of all our suggestions at the end of this post. If you want to check out where we ate during our 3 days, our gluten free guide is here.
In this guide you will find:
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When to visit Madrid
We travelled to Madrid in early April and had beautiful weather. We have friends who have travelled there in October with similarly wonderful weather. Most travel websites will say to visit in the fall or spring, (from March to May or from September to November). May and September are considered the “high season” due to the particularly favourable weather and cultural events happening across the city.
The summer can be hot (think 40 degrees Celsius), and you will find the city somewhat closed as locals take their summer holidays and head to the coast. August is typically the slowest month due to these closures. The winter remains quite sunny, but cold so be prepared to bundle up. Rain isn’t overly common in any of the seasons, though winter is probably when it rains the most.
Where to stay in Madrid
We stayed at the Petit Palace Tres Cruces near Gran Via metro station, in the Sol-Gran Via neighbourhood. It was easy to walk everywhere we wanted to go, and to find great restaurants and shopping nearby. The only time we required transportation was to and from the airport and train station. However, the exact location of our hotel wasn’t great due to noise of a club right next door into the wee hours of the morning, and it was a bit of a sketchy street at night. The hotel itself was fine, so we’d consider staying at a different Petit Palace in the future, but our specific hotel we wouldn’t necessarily recommend. We had family recommend Blume Cruz Suites and friends recommend Hotel Emperador, so those might be worth checking out (and we sort of wish we had looked at one of them for our stay).
In general, most popular clubs, bars, and plazas will be bustling until the wee hours of the morning. This means if your hotel is near any of these, it’s bound to be loud. As such, make sure you’re reading reviews to see if that’s a problem at your desired accommodation. If so, you can try asking for an interior room to minimize the disruption to your sleep.
In terms of location, there are a couple of cool neighbourhoods that will be easy to get around from. If you’re just looking for the most central option, staying near Gran Via will be your best bet. However, this is not a “charming” location, it is just super central and close to most of the historical sights and shopping. If you’re looking for charm with cute shops and restaurants, check out Malasana (just keep in mind the previous warning about noise). For a more affordable location, you can stay closer to El Retiro park in the Barrio de las Letras neighbourhood, which will be a good mix between being central and being charming.
Explore Madrid hotel availability below:
Here is an awesome neighbourhood guide with which areas are best for different types of visits (family, nightlife, romance, etc).
Best Things to Do in Madrid
If you’re planning to visit several paid attractions in Madrid, like the Royal Palace or the Prado Museum, take day trips, or do tours, costs can add up quickly. It’s worth comparing your booking options: individual timed-entry tickets for specific attractions or bundled passes that include multiple entries. Options include a flexible Go City Madrid Pass (pick your attractions), and skip-the-line tickets and tours available through GetYourGuide. Always check official ticket sites directly to compare prices. If you choose the Go City Madrid Pass, you can use our code CAPTURENCRAVE5 for 5% off any city’s passes.
1. Temple of Debod
Situated near Plaza de Espana, you can visit this Egyptian temple and surrounding park for free. You can also enter the temple, but advance tickets are recommended unless you’re prepared to wait in a bit of a line. Most of the photos and blogposts show it all lit up at night, with a beautiful pond around it. However, when we went there was no water and it didn’t light up at night, so be prepared for that possibility.
2. Mercado de San Miguel
A bustling covered market with tons of food options! You can find tapas, wine, baked goods, seafood, fruit – really whatever you’re in the mood for. It can get quite busy, so be prepared to eat your food while standing.
3. Catedral de la Almudena
A Catholic cathedral with colourful chapels that requests a small optional donation of 1 Euro per person. Very beautiful, though not as grand as say the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona or the Seville cathedral.
4. Royal Palace of Madrid
This is the official residence of the Spanish royal family that is used for state ceremonies and is one of the larges palaces in the world. While walking past and through the nearby parks and squares is free, you do need tickets to enter.
We didn’t book in advance and then it was sold out! The cost is 15 Euro per adult, and we highly recommend booking ahead if you’re dying to go inside. You can also book guided tours that include Skip-the-Line tickets.
5. El Retiro Park
A massive public park in the center of Madrid, we highly recommend setting aside a couple of hours here – it is beautiful and so tranquil. The park is also massive if you want to explore it in its entirety. There is the Palacio de Cristal (closed for renovations until 2027, but still worth passing by), the Monument to Alfonso XII which sits on a small pond (lake?) where you can rent rowboats, and the stunning Rose Garden. There are of course many more nooks and crannies to stumble upon throughout the park, with many more statues and such hidden throughout.
6. Teatro Real
This is a large opera house near to the Royal Palace. Tours happen a couple of times a week but weren’t on the days we were in Madrid. You can also find frequent performances here, so look on their website in advance if you’d like to attend one while in Madrid.
Top Neighbourhoods, Squares, & Plazas
1. Gran Via
Sort of hard to miss, this is both a neighbourhood and a major street running through central Madrid. There are tons of unique buildings, many with interesting tops or sculptures (look UP!). This is a major shopping street, with many European and Spanish chains. You will also find Broadwayshows and giant billboard screens along this street.
2. Plaza de Espana
A very clean square at the end of Gran Via, with a big monument in the middle. It was very clean, with paved walkways leading in and out, as well as signage telling you how far and in which direction different points of interest are.
3. Malasana
We spent quite a bit of time wandering through this charming and colourful neighbourhood. Here is where you’ll find more unique shopping, like boutiques and vintage shops, as well as cool cafes and restaurants with bustling patios. Malasana has such a cool vibe and is a much different feel to the Gran Via area.
4. Puerta del Sol
A massive semi-circular square with lots of restaurants surrounding it, a fountain, and a couple of statues (including one of a bear). Neat streets branch off in all directions. This is a busy area so do keep your wits about you.
5. Plaza Mayor
One of the largest plazas in Madrid, this is a bustling area where many events are held (including the Christmas market). You’re bound to find street artists or musicians in the square, as well as many cafes and restaurants.
6. Plaza de Oriente
Right outside the Palacio Real de Madrid (ie. Royal Palace), this square is lined with statues and fountains. Quite central in the city, so you’re bound to pass through it on your way to or from some of the major landmarks.
7. Puerta de Alcala
This is a massive arch in the center of a roundabout not far from El Retiro park. Don’t make a special trip to see it, but worth stopping to look at if you’re nearby.
8. Plaza de Cibeles
A large square on a major road, which is surrounded by intricate buildings and sculptures. There is also a major bus stop here. The walk here along Gran Via and towards the plaza is surrounded by intricate buildings (locals were laughing as we took pictures of “mundane” buildings like the bank because they were so beautiful).
Museums in Madrid
While we did not enter any museums, we had read ahead of time that Madrid has excellent options. Here are a few that came up on many “what to do in Madrid” lists as we researched, which we considered as options if we were in a museum mood or had bad weather. Again, Buying tickets to multiple experiences can add up, so consider the Go City Madrid Pass.
- Museo Nacional del Prado (paintings – can get tours too)
- Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (contemporary art – can get tours too)
- Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum (art)
- National Archaeological Museum (history)
- Banksy Museum (art)
Extra Things to Do
If you’re looking for more to do in Madrid, here are some activities that came up frequently during our research but we didn’t personally do during our short stay in Madrid:
- Explore Santiago Bernabeau Stadium
- Take a Paella and Sangria workshop
- Take a food & wine tour
- Attend a Flamenco show
Madrid Map
HOW TO USE THE MAP: Click on the Wanderlog logo in the bottom right corner to open the full-size map up in a new tab. There, you can choose to just look at one type of activity at a time or see all the activities on the map at once (click the 3 squares in the top right to choose). You can also export the map to Google Maps, share the map with others, or save the map.
Day Trips
We did not take any day trips from Madrid, as we were only there for 2 days. Additionally, we were already spending 2 weeks road tripping around Andalusia to the south. However, in our preliminary planning we did consider staying longer and adding in some day trips. Many blogs and travel planning sites suggested the following as good options:
- Toledo (about 1 hr drive, 1 hr by train)
- Segovia (just over 1 hr drive, 1 hr by train)
- Avila (1hr 15min drive, 1.5 hrs by train)
- Salamanca (2hrs 15min drive, 2hrs 45min by train)
- Cuenca (1hr 46min drive, 1.5 hrs by train)
- Royal site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (50min drive, 1hr 10min by train)
If you aren’t someone who likes to drive in foreign countries or do self-guided day trips, there are a number of group tours available, including:
Helpful Planning Tips
I rely on these tools when planning my trips:
- Get Your Guide – book skip-the-line tickets for the Royal Palace, Prado Museum, or Santiago Bernabeau Stadium
- Go City Pass – if you’re planning multiple attractions, compare passes for savings
- Airalo eSIM – get Spanish mobile data instantly, without roaming charges
- Stay22 – compare hotels in central neighbourhoods like Gran Via, Malasana, or Sol
- Wanderlog – keep track of your trip details, map your itinerary, and plan your Madrid days efficiently
