Madrid is Spain's confident capital, with the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen museums, Retiro Park, tapas bars and royal palaces. Nights start late; spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons.
Good to know
- Dinner is rarely before 9pm; shift your clock and eat a late-morning snack.
- The Paseo del Arte museums have free entry hours in the evenings; check times.
- Metro is fast and cheap; walk the center on Sundays when streets are quiet.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Hop between bars on Calle Cava Baja for croquetas, patatas bravas and a cana of beer.
Sunday street market with antiques, vintage and bargains, then lunch in a nearby bar.
Hot chocolate and fresh churros at the 1894 chocolateria open nearly around the clock.
Intimate tablao with guitar, singing and dance; book a small venue for a more authentic experience.
Velazquez's Las Meninas, Goya and El Greco in one of the world's great painting collections.
Picasso's Guernica and modern Spanish art in a converted hospital.
Opulent royal palace with a throne room, armory and gardens; the largest in Western Europe.
Green heart of the city with a boating lake, the Crystal Palace and Sunday buskers.
Arcaded square surrounded by tapas bars, plus an iron-and-glass market hall full of delicacies.
Medieval hilltop city of cathedral, synagogue and mosque, 30 minutes by high-speed train.
A 2,200-year-old Egyptian temple moved stone by stone to a Madrid park, glowing at sunset.