Madrid is the largest city in Spain. There is a lot to do here, from visiting its long list of art museums, exploring the city center, and day tripping to nearby destinations. When it comes to planning your Madrid itinerary, there several things to consider.
The first thing is how much time will you have? 3 or more days in Madrid is ideal, because this is enough time to explore the city and plan a day trip or two.
The second is how much time should you spend in Madrid and how much time should you dedicate to day trips from Madrid. There are some truly remarkable day trips to take (we loved Toledo!) and for some people, these can be overall better experiences than visiting the museums and attractions in Madrid.
We spent 8 busy days in Madrid, splitting our time between city sights and day trips, and we have a lot of information to share with you.
This guide starts with a brief overview the best day trips to take, how to spend one and two days in Madrid, and then continues with sample itineraries on a longer visit to Madrid (up to one week).
Let’s get started.
How Much Time Do You Need in Madrid?
In 24 hours, you have barely enough time to visit a few of Madrid’s most popular attractions. On this list is the Prado National Museum, the Royal Palace, and a few must-sees in the city center.
Two days gives you enough time to add in a few more important landmarks, plus add in a hidden gem or two, or a food tour of Madrid.
Each additional day you add beyond two days gives you enough time to take a day trip from Madrid (there are a lot to choose from and you can easily spend 3 or 4 days just doing day trips) or dive deeper in Madrid’s sights. Madrid is filled with art museums, so if you are an art lover, plan on spending at least three days just to visit the city of Madrid.
To get an idea of what to do in Madrid, take a look at our article Best Things to Do in Madrid.
Day Trips from Madrid
Before we list the various Madrid itineraries, it’s important to know about the many wonderful day trips you can take from Madrid. From Madrid, it is easy to visit a handful of small cities, a palace or two, or even tour a nearby wine region.
Madrid is a wonderful city to visit, but our favorite experiences were the day trips, which we found to be more interesting than spending time within the city itself.
Top 10 Day Trips from Madrid (+ Exactly How to Plan Them)
Best day trips from Madrid and everything you need to know to plan them.In our guide Best Day Trips from Madrid ↑, we cover these in much more detail, but here is a list of places to consider visiting. Many of these can combined (for example, Segovia + Ávila is a popular combination) into one day trip.
Toledo. This is our favorite day trip from Madrid. It’s easy to get to, super fun to visit, extremely photogenic, and full of unique experiences. It is best to dedicate a full day to Toledo, as there is a lot to do here.
Toledo
Segovia. This beautiful city is famous for its aqueduct, alcazar, and picturesque city center.
Segovia
Ávila. This small city is surrounded by well-preserved medieval walls. Walking these walls is the #1 thing to do here and a visit is rather quick, so it is easy to add on Segovia or El Escorial.
Ávila
The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. This is the largest Renaissance building in the world, a burial site for Spanish kings, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located near Ávila.
El Escorial Library
The Royal Palace of Aranjuez. This is one of the residences of the royal family. It is one of the easiest day trips from Madrid, being located just outside of the city. Strolling the gardens is one of the best things to do here.
The Royal Palace of Aranjuez
The Consuegra Windmills. This landscape, with twelve windmills dotting the top of Calderico ridge, is said to have inspired Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote. It is located in Consuegra, a tiny town southeast of Madrid.
Consuegra Windmills
Ribera del Duero. This wine region is located in Castile and Leon, about a 2-hour drive north of Madrid. The easiest way to day trip to this region is on a tour.
From Madrid, it is also possible to day trip to Córdoba, Seville, Salamanca, and Barcelona, but since these cities are relatively large and packed with a lot to see and do, and there is a fair amount of travel time to get to them, we think it is best to spend at least a full 24 hours in each of them.
Madrid Itinerary Suggestions
This starts off with one day in Madrid and each itinerary builds on the one before it.
24 Hours in Madrid
With one well planned day, you can visit Madrid’s top attractions. On this list is the Royal Palace, the Prado National Museum, Mercado San Miguel, and Barrio de la Latina, one of Madrid’s oldest neighborhoods.
We outline exactly how to do this in our One Day in Madrid Itinerary, but here is an overview:
9:00 am: Parque del Retiro
10:00 am: Prado National Museum
12:30 pm: Palacio de Cibeles & Mirador Madrid
1:15 pm: Azotea del Círculo
2:30 pm: City Center (Plazas, Chocolate & Churros)
3:30 pm: Mercado San Miguel
4:30 pm: Royal Palace of Madrid
7:00 pm: Barrio de La Latina
One Perfect Day in Madrid: Best of Madrid in 24 Hours
Detailed one day itinerary for Madrid, with more photos, walking route, and which tickets to purchase in advance.
Gran Via
Almudena Cathedral
The view from Mirador Madrid
Here is a map of the places to visit and a walking route through the city.
How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. To take this map with you, click the star next to the title of the map which adds it to your Google account. Next, within your Google Maps app, select ‘Saved’ and then select ‘Maps’. This map title will now appear in your list.
Choosing Which Art Museum to Visit
The Prado National Museum is Madrid’s most popular art museum to visit, and the #1 attraction in the city. It contains the largest collection of Spanish art in the world. However, there are two nearby museums that you can visit instead, if you have no interest in the Prado National Museum.
The Reina Sofia Museum contains a large collection of 20th century art, much of this being Impressionist and Expressionist paintings. The most famous work of art is Picasso’s Guernica.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum has artworks by English, Dutch, Italian, and German artists. Famous artworks include Paul Cezanne’s Seated Man, Edgar Degas’ Swaying Dancer, Edouard Manet’s Horsewoman, Van Gogh’s Les Vessenots in Auvers, and Dalí’s Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee.
Van Gogh’s Les Vessenots in Auvers in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Two Busy Days in Madrid
Adding a second day in Madrid allows you to split up the visits to the Prado National Museum and the Royal Palace onto two separate days. These are the busiest places to visit in Madrid and it is best to visit each of them first thing in the day, before they get overly crowded.
The extra time also allows you to add in another art museum or two (great for art aficionados), a food tour or tapas crawl (great for foodies), or a tour of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (great for sports fans).
Take a look at our 2 Day Madrid Itinerary for the full breakdown of each day, including how to book your tickets, where to eat, and a lot more photos.
Here is a brief overview of each day.
Day 1
Morning: Parque del Retiro and the Prado National Museum
Midday: Palacio de Cibeles, Mirador Madrid, and lunch at Azotea del Círculo
Afternoon: Madrid city center
Evening: Barrio de la Latina
Barrio de la Latina
Day 2
Morning: Royal Palace of Madrid
Midday: Almudena Cathedral and Mercado San Miguel
Afternoon & Evening: Take your pick from several options.
There are several different ways to spend this afternoon in Madrid. Those with an interest in art can visit the Reina Sofia Museum and/or the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Taking a tour of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is a popular thing to do in Madrid and you can also attend a football match or concert, depending on the schedule of events at the stadium. And finally, you have the option taking a tapas food tour of Madrid.
Royal Palace of Madrid
3 Days in Madrid
With three days in Madrid, follow the 2 Day Madrid Itinerary and then do one day trip, or spend all three days in Madrid.
3 Full Days in Madrid
Day 1: Madrid
Morning: Parque del Retiro and the Prado National Museum
Midday: Palacio de Cibeles, Mirador Madrid, and lunch at Azotea del Círculo
Afternoon: Madrid city center
Evening: Barrio de la Latina
Day 2: Madrid
Morning: Royal Palace of Madrid
Midday: Almudena Cathedral and Mercado San Miguel
Afternoon & Evening: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium or a tapas food tour
Day 3: Madrid
Morning: Cerralbo Museum, Temple of Debod, and Plaza de España
Midday: Lunch. We recommend the 360° Sky Bar at Hotel Riu Plaza España. It is a rooftop bar and restaurant with panoramic views of Madrid.
Afternoon: Reina Sofia Museum and/or the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Evening: Dinner with the option to watch a flamenco show
The view from 360° Sky Bar
2 Days in Madrid + a Day Trip
Day 1 & 2: Follow the 2 Day Madrid Itinerary
Day 3: Day Trip from Madrid
If you only have time for one day trip from Madrid, our top recommendation is to either spend one full day in Toledo (there is plenty to do here with one day) or combine Toledo with Segovia.
Toledo
4 Days in Madrid
With four days in Madrid, you can either spend 2 days in Madrid and take two day trips, or spend 3 days in Madrid and take one day trip.
3 Days in Madrid with a Day Trip
Day 1, 2 & 3: Spend three full days in Madrid, following the 3 Day Madrid Itinerary above
Day 4: Day trip to Toledo or Toledo + Segovia
2 Days in Madrid + Two Day Trips
Day 1 & 2: Spend two days in Madrid, following the 2 Day Madrid Itinerary
Day 3: Day Trip to Toledo
Day 4: Day Trip to Segovia + Ávila
The Royal Alcazar in Segovia
5 Days in Madrid
Day 1, 2 & 3: Spend 3 full days in Madrid
Day 4: Day Trip to Toledo
Day 5: Day Trip to Segovia + Ávila
6 Days in Madrid
Day 1, 2 & 3: Spend 3 full days in Madrid
Day 4: Day Trip to Toledo
Day 5: Day Trip to Segovia + Ávila
Day 6: Day Trip to the Ribera del Duero wine region or the Consuegra windmills
7 Days in Madrid
Day 1, 2 & 3: Spend 3 full days in Madrid
Day 4: Day Trip to Toledo
Day 5: Day Trip to Segovia (there is enough to do in Segovia to spend a full day here, so with the extra time you get with a full week in Madrid, it’s worth dedicating a full day to Segovia)
Day 6: Day Trip to Ávila and the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Day 7: Day Trip to the Ribera del Duero wine region or the Consuegra windmills
Walking the walls in Ávila
Where to Stay in Madrid
For mid-range travelers we recommend Hotel Moderno Puerta del Sol (great location on Puerta del Sol with a wide variety of room types), Hotel Miau, and Petit Palace Triball.
If you prefer an apartment, take a look at PlazaMayorSuites. This mid-range property offers studio and one-bedroom apartments and gets exceptional reviews. Sonder Santa Ana has one, two, and three bedroom apartments and also gets rave reviews, making this a good choice for larger families or groups of friends.
For the ultimate in luxury, we recommend the Four Seasons (prime location in the city center with several onsite restaurants and a rooftop bar/restaurant), the JW Marriott Hotel (we stayed here; it is located across the street from the Four Seasons, so it also has an excellent location but prices are much lower).
For budget travelers, we recommend Hostal Aresol and Hostal Macarena. They both get great review scores and have a convenient location in the city center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Madrid worth it?
Madrid is a cosmopolitan city that is filled with several of the top art museums in Europe, ancient historical sites, and grand palaces. For art lovers, Madrid is absolutely worth it, with its world class museums such as the Prado National Museums and its smaller, underrated gems like the Sorolla Museum and Cerralbo Museum. Madrid is worth at least a day or two on a trip through Spain, but make sure you save time to day trip to Toledo, plus time to visit Barcelona, the long list of cities and towns in Andalusia, and the cities in northern Spain.
What are the must-see sights in Madrid for first time visitors?
The top places to visit for first time visitors to Madrid include the Prado National Museum, El Retiro Park, the Royal Palace of Madrid, Almudena Cathedral, Plaza Mayor, Gran Vía, Mercado San Miguel, Plaza de Cibeles, and Barrio de la Latina.
When is the best time to visit Madrid?
Spring and fall are the best times to visit Madrid, when temperatures are mild and crowds are relatively low. Summers tend to be hot, with temperatures climbing over 39°C/102°F during heat waves. The weather is cool and wet in the winter but crowds are low, making this the least crowded and cheapest time to visit Madrid.
If you have any questions about how to plan your Madrid itinerary, let us know in the comment section below.
More Information for Your Trip to Spain
If your trip to Madrid is part of a bigger trip to Spain, don’t miss our Spain Travel Guide, which contains TONS of guides for Barcelona, Andalusia, and northern Spain.
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