Things to do in Madrid
Madrid rewards visitors who mix the big museums with long, unhurried meals and wandering. Here are the experiences that consistently make a trip memorable, with tips on timing and tickets.
The Prado Museum
Opened in 1819, the Museo del Prado holds the finest collection of Spanish painting in the world. Do not miss Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings and his The Third of May 1808, or Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights. The museum is free during the last two hours of opening (usually 18:00 to 20:00 Monday to Saturday and 17:00 to 19:00 on Sundays), but the queue can be long; a timed ticket bought online is worth it if you want to spend three or four hours inside.
Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía
The Thyssen fills the gaps the Prado leaves, with early Italian works, Dutch masters, Impressionists and twentieth-century American painting, all in a former palace on the Paseo del Prado. The Reina Sofía, housed in an old hospital near Atocha, is the home of Picasso's Guernica, painted after the bombing of the Basque town in 1937, along with major works by Dalí and Miró. A Paseo del Arte card bundles all three museums at a discount.
The Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral
The Palacio Real, with more than 3,000 rooms, is one of the largest royal palaces in Western Europe, though the king does not live there. Visits cover the Throne Room, the Royal Armoury and the Stradivarius instruments. On the first Wednesday of most months (except in summer and January) there is a ceremonial changing of the guard at noon. Next door, the Almudena Cathedral was only consecrated in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, and the Gallery of Royal Collections opened nearby in 2023.
The Retiro Park
Once the private garden of the Buen Retiro palace, the 125-hectare Retiro is Madrid's back garden. Rent a rowing boat on the Great Pond beneath the monument to Alfonso XII, see temporary exhibitions in the glass Palacio de Cristal, and look for the Fallen Angel statue, often said to be one of the very few public monuments to Lucifer. Sunday afternoons bring buskers, puppet shows and families.
Eat your way through the markets and tapas bars
The Mercado de San Miguel near Plaza Mayor is beautiful but touristy; for a more local experience try the Mercado de San Fernando in Lavapiés or the Mercado de Antón Martín. Classic dishes include cocido madrileño, a hearty chickpea stew traditionally eaten in winter, bocadillo de calamares sold near Plaza Mayor, and huevos rotos. Chocolate con churros at San Ginés, open since 1894, is a rite of passage, ideally late at night. Botín, founded in 1725, is listed by Guinness as the oldest restaurant in the world still operating.
Flamenco
Although flamenco comes from Andalusia, Madrid has some of the best tablaos in Spain. Corral de la Morería, founded in 1956, holds a Michelin star for its restaurant, while smaller venues such as Villa Rosa on Plaza de Santa Ana, decorated with Andalusian tiles, and Cardamomo offer intimate shows. Book ahead and choose a show-only ticket if you would rather eat elsewhere.
Football at the Bernabéu or Metropolitano
Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu stadium on the Paseo de la Castellana reopened after a major renovation with a retractable roof, and the stadium tour is one of the most visited attractions in the city. Atlético Madrid play at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in the east. Tickets for league matches are usually available through the official club websites.
Rooftops and sunsets
Madrileños love a view. The Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop on Calle de Alcalá overlooks the Metropolis building and Gran Vía. The Templo de Debod and the gardens of the Cuartel de la Montaña are the classic free sunset spots, looking towards the Casa de Campo. The Mirador at the top of the Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid's city hall, has a small fee and great views.
El Rastro and Sunday rituals
On Sundays and public holidays from about 9:00 to 15:00, El Rastro takes over La Latina with stalls selling antiques, clothes and odds and ends. Keep valuables close. Afterwards, join locals for vermouth (la hora del vermut) around Cava Baja or Plaza de la Cebada.
Day trips
High-speed and regional trains make excellent day trips easy. Toledo, the former imperial capital, is about half an hour away. Segovia, with its Roman aqueduct and fairy-tale Alcázar, takes under 30 minutes by AVANT train from Chamartín. El Escorial, Philip II's monastery-palace, is about an hour by Cercanías line C3, and the university town of Alcalá de Henares, birthplace of Cervantes, is reached on the C2 or C7 lines.
Festivals
San Isidro (around 15 May) celebrates the city's patron saint with chotis dancing and traditional dress. The Veranos de la Villa summer festival brings outdoor concerts, and Christmas means the market in Plaza Mayor and the New Year's Eve grape-eating at Puerta del Sol, where you swallow one grape for each chime at midnight.
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