Things to do in Madrid: the must-sees and our tips

In short: Madrid is a city of great museums and tapas. Visit the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen, stroll from the Plaza Mayor to the Royal Palace, take a break in Retiro Park, then go out in La Latina or Malasaña at night. Add Toledo or Segovia as a day trip.

The Golden Triangle of Art: the Prado, the Reina Sofía, the Thyssen

• The Prado Museum: Velázquez (Las Meninas), Goya, El Greco, Bosch… one of the world’s great painting museums.
• The Reina Sofía: Spanish modern art, with Picasso’s Guernica, Dalí and Miró.
• The Thyssen-Bornemisza: a collection covering seven centuries of European painting.

All three museums are a few minutes’ walk apart, along the Paseo del Prado.

The historic centre: Plaza Mayor, Sol and the Royal Palace

The arcaded Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol are the heart of Madrid. Walk on to the Royal Palace, one of the largest in Europe, and the Almudena Cathedral, then to the Temple of Debod for sunset.

Retiro Park

A former royal garden, Retiro has a large pond with rowing boats, the Crystal Palace and tree-lined avenues: the perfect break between museums.

Markets and tapas

• The Mercado de San Miguel, an early-20th-century glass hall full of gourmet counters.
• Cava Baja, in La Latina, and its tapas bars.
• El Rastro, the big Sunday-morning flea market.
• Chocolate con churros, a Madrid institution.

Neighbourhoods to experience

Malasaña and Chueca for bars and shops, Huertas for terraces and its writers’ streets, Salamanca for upscale shopping, and the Gran Vía for its theatres and musicals.

For football fans

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium offers a tour of its stands and museum: book ahead.

Day trips from Madrid

• Toledo, the city of three cultures, on its hilltop above the Tagus.
• Segovia, its Roman aqueduct and its Alcázar.
• El Escorial, the royal monastery, and Ávila, with its walls.

Getting around

The metro is fast and dense; the historic centre is walkable. From the airport, a private transfer takes you straight to your hotel. Madrid dines late, rarely before 9 pm.

Where to stay in Madrid

Sol for a first visit, Huertas for the museums, Malasaña for nightlife, Salamanca for calm: every area is detailed in our guide Where to stay in Madrid. For the rest of your trip, see Travel in Spain.