Madrid, Spain: travel guide
Grand boulevards, great galleries and late-night tapas
Capital of Spain, home to the Prado, Royal Palace and the Golden Triangle of art museums.
About Madrid
Madrid is Spain's capital, a high-plateau city of wide boulevards, grand squares and a daily rhythm that runs late into the night. It is energetic yet easy to enjoy, with neighbourhoods that each have their own personality.
The Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen form the Golden Triangle of art, while the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor show the historic centre. The Retiro Park, the Rosaleda rose garden, the Parque del Oeste and Casa de Campo give green space, and venues such as Matadero Madrid add contemporary culture. Tapas bars fill the old streets from the evening on.
Madrid suits art lovers, food fans and city-break travellers. Spring and autumn are the best time to visit Madrid, as summers can be very hot.
- Country
- Spain
- Currency
- EUR
- Time zone
- Europe/Madrid
- Nearest airport
- MAD
Last updated
Top places to visit in Madrid
Parque El Retiro Rosaleda
Nature · 4.7 rating · about 0.8 h · free entry
The Retiro's celebrated rose garden with over 4,000 rose varieties arranged in formal parterres and arches — the setting for the annual Madrid Rose Contest in May.
Puerta de Alcalá
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.3 h · check the fee at the gate
The neoclassical triumphal arch commissioned by Charles III in 1778, one of Madrid's most recognisable landmarks, standing at the edge of the Retiro.
Casa de Campo Park
Nature · 4.4 rating · about 2 h · free entry
Madrid's largest park — a 1,722-hectare former royal hunting forest with a lake, zoo, outdoor pools and the cable car arrival point from Parque del Oeste.
Paseo de la Castellana
Cultural · 4.3 rating · about 1 h · free entry
Madrid's grand north-south boulevard — a 10km axis lined with corporate towers, embassies, fountains and the Nuevos Ministerios complex.
Descalzas Reales Monastery
monastery · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h · entry €6 (≈ ₹640), Adult €6; access only by guided tour; limited daily slots
A 16th-century royal convent still inhabited by Franciscan nuns, with one of Spain's most extraordinary collections of Flemish tapestries and Renaissance art.
CaixaForum Madrid
Museum · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · entry €6 (≈ ₹640), Adult €6; exhibitions change regularly — check programme
A striking contemporary art museum built into a converted 1899 power station, with a living vertical garden facade and strong rotating exhibitions.
Teleférico de Madrid
Activity · 4.1 rating · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
A cable car crossing 2.5km from Parque del Oeste to the Casa de Campo, offering aerial views of the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral and the city skyline.
Campo del Moro Gardens
Nature · 4.6 rating · about 1 h · free entry
The sweeping formal gardens below the Royal Palace with a long reflecting pool, peacocks and the best views of the palace rising above the Manzanares valley.
Prado Museum
Museum · 4.7 rating · about 2.5 h · entry €15 (≈ ₹1,600), Adult €15; free Mon–Sat 18:00–20:00 and Sun 17:00–19:00
The world's finest collection of Spanish painting, with Velázquez, Goya and El Greco masterworks in a neoclassical palace on the Paseo del Prado.
El Retiro Park
Nature · 4.8 rating · about 2 h · free entry
Madrid's great urban lung — a 118-hectare UNESCO-listed park with a rowing lake, rose garden, the Crystal Palace and the velodrome beneath ancient trees.
Bernabéu Stadium
Activity · 4.6 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate
The legendary home of Real Madrid, recently expanded to 85,000 seats with a retractable roof and a 360° exterior LED screen — one of football's greatest arenas.
Plaza Mayor
Cultural · 4.5 rating · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
Madrid's grandest 17th-century square, enclosed by uniform arcaded buildings, with the equestrian statue of Philip III and popular terrace cafés beneath the colonnades.
Things to do
- Prado Museum Skip the Line Museum · 3 h · from EUR 14 per person
- Royal Palace of Madrid Heritage · 2.5 h · from EUR 14 per person
- Day Trip to Toledo Imperial City Day Trip · 6 h · from EUR 33 per person
- Reina Sofia Museum Guernica Museum · 2.5 h · from EUR 11 per person
- Flamenco Show in Madrid Show · 1.3 h · from EUR 33 per person
- Madrid Tapas Walking Tour Food Tour · 3 h · from EUR 41 per person
- Day Trip to Segovia Roman Aqueduct Day Trip · 6 h · from EUR 33 per person
- Spanish Cooking Class with Paella Cooking Class · 3 h · from EUR 41 per person
Where to stay in Madrid
Hotels
- Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid 5-star · INR 45,000 to INR 180,000 per night
- Four Seasons Hotel Madrid 5-star · INR 42,000 to INR 165,000 per night
- Rosewood Villa Magna Madrid 5-star · INR 40,000 to INR 150,000 per night
- Westin Palace Madrid 5-star · INR 22,000 to INR 65,000 per night
- Gran Hotel Inglés Madrid 5-star · INR 15,000 to INR 40,000 per night
- Bless Hotel Madrid 5-star · INR 18,000 to INR 50,000 per night
Where to eat
- Sobrino de Botín spanish, castilian, traditional · about EUR 55 per person
- La Mallorquina spanish, pastry, bakery · about EUR 5 per person
- Mercado de San Miguel spanish, tapas, market · about EUR 25 per person
- Chocolatería San Ginés spanish, dessert, traditional · about EUR 6 per person
- Café Comercial spanish, european, cafe · about EUR 30 per person
- Casa Dani spanish, traditional, breakfast · about EUR 12 per person
- Casa Labra spanish, tapas, traditional · about EUR 10 per person
- Casa Lucio spanish, castilian, traditional · about EUR 55 per person
Getting to Madrid
Airport: Madrid (MAD)
Getting around
- Metro
- Transit Pass
- Walking