Attraction
Museo Nacional del Prado
Spain's national art museum, opened in 1819 on the Paseo del Prado, with masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Bosch, Titian and Rubens.
There are so many things to do in Madrid that most visitors run out of time before they run out of ideas. Spain's capital is built for walking: the old Madrid de los Austrias around the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace, the literary Barrio de las Letras, Gran Vía with its theatres, and the Paseo del Prado, where the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza form one of the greatest concentrations of art in the world. The Retiro park, a UNESCO World Heritage site with the Paseo del Prado, is the city's green escape, and neighbourhoods such as La Latina, Malasaña, Chueca and Lavapiés each have their own character.
Food is a major reason to come. Madrid has historic taverns serving cocido and fried salt cod, markets full of tapas counters, chocolate and churros at any hour, and Michelin-starred tasting menus. Evenings start late and run later, from sherry bars and jazz clubs to rooftop terraces and big clubs. Three days covers the main sights; four or five allows time for day trips to Toledo or Segovia.
Attraction
Spain's national art museum, opened in 1819 on the Paseo del Prado, with masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Bosch, Titian and Rubens.
Attraction
The official residence of the Spanish royal family, built from 1738 on the site of the old Alcázar, with 3,418 rooms and a lavish state apartment…
Attraction
Spain's national museum of modern and contemporary art, home to Picasso's Guernica, with major works by Dalí, Miró and Juan Gris.
Attraction
A former private collection in the Palacio de Villahermosa that traces European painting from the Gothic period to Pop Art, from Duccio and Van Eyck to…
Attraction
Madrid's best-loved park, a former royal garden of around 118 hectares with a boating lake, the Crystal Palace and a rose garden, part of a UNESCO…
Attraction
Madrid's arcaded 17th-century main square, finished in 1619, with 237 balconies, the painted Casa de la Panadería and a statue of Philip III.
Café
Madrid's most famous chocolatería, serving thick hot chocolate with churros and porras in a lane off Calle Arenal since 1894.
Café
A pastry shop on Puerta del Sol since 1894, the original of a small Madrid group, selling traditional cakes, pastries and seasonal sweets.
Café
One of the pioneers of Madrid's speciality coffee scene, opened in Malasaña in 2011, roasting its own beans and baking pastries on site.
Café
A Madrid speciality coffee roaster with a café on Calle del Doctor Fourquet near the Reina Sofía, serving its own roasts every day.
Café
A pastry shop on Calle Mayor founded in 1855 by a baker to the royal household, with a preserved 19th-century interior and a tea room at…
Café
Madrid's oldest bakery, open since 1830 on a small street near Puerta del Sol, known for puff pastry, cream bartolillos and roscón de Reyes.
Hotel
Madrid's grand Belle Époque hotel, opened in 1910 at the request of King Alfonso XIII and reopened in 2021 as the Mandarin Oriental Ritz after a…
Hotel
A 200-room luxury hotel opened in 2020 in seven restored historic buildings at Centro Canalejas, between Puerta del Sol and the Barrio de las Letras.
Hotel
A landmark luxury hotel on the Paseo de la Castellana since 1972, relaunched by Rosewood with 154 rooms and suites, a spa and four places to…
Hotel
A 96-room design hotel near the Congress of Deputies with a glass atrium, a collection of tribal and ancient art, a rooftop pool and the Michelin-starred…
Hotel
A four-star hotel on a quiet street between Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía, with a restaurant serving Mediterranean and traditional cooking.
Hotel
A colourful design hotel in the heart of Chueca, with a rooftop terrace offering 360-degree views, Balinese beds and a pool in summer.
Bar
Spain's first cocktail bar, opened on Gran Vía in 1931 by Perico Chicote, with an Art Deco interior and a guest list that once included Hemingway…
Bar
Diego Cabrera's creative cocktail bar in the Barrio de las Letras, known for inventive drinks, a playful neon-lit interior and a food menu.
Bar
Madrid's best-known jazz club, founded in 1982, which moved in April 2026 from the Plaza del Ángel to new premises in the Ateneo de Madrid.
Bar
A large nightclub in a former theatre near Atocha, with several floors of different music, from mainstream dance and reggaeton to karaoke and cocktail bars.
Bar
A time-worn sherry bar in the Barrio de las Letras that serves only sherry from the barrel, with tabs chalked on the bar and a strict…
Bar
A Malasaña tavern dating from 1892, known for its tortilla, salmorejo, house vermouth and early imported beers, with a back room reached by ducking under the…
Restaurant
A historic Castilian restaurant beside the Plaza Mayor, listed by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest, known for roast suckling pig and lamb.
Restaurant
A classic Cava Baja restaurant opened in 1974 by Lucio Blázquez, famous for its huevos estrellados, fried eggs broken over chips.
Restaurant
A Madrid institution founded in 1839, with a delicatessen on the ground floor and historic dining rooms upstairs known for cocido and classic cooking.
Restaurant
Dabiz Muñoz's three-Michelin-star restaurant inside the NH Eurobuilding, serving a theatrical, globally inspired tasting menu.
Restaurant
A family-run tavern near the Royal Palace that has served cocido madrileño, slow-cooked in individual clay pots over charcoal, since 1870.
Restaurant
A tavern near Puerta del Sol open since 1860, where the Spanish Socialist Party was founded in 1879, famous for fried salt cod and croquettes.
Thing to do
A 1916 iron and glass market beside the Plaza Mayor, reopened in 2009 as a gourmet tapas hall with more than 20 stalls open until late.
Thing to do
Madrid's historic open-air flea market, held on Sunday and public holiday mornings around Plaza de Cascorro and the Ribera de Curtidores.
Thing to do
One of Madrid's oldest flamenco tablaos, open since 1956, with two nightly shows and a separate Michelin-starred restaurant led by chef David García.
Thing to do
The rooftop terrace of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, a 1926 Antonio Palacios building, with wide views over Gran Vía and central Madrid, a bar and…
Thing to do
Madrid's 18th-century botanical garden beside the Prado, laid out on three terraces by Sabatini and Villanueva, with about 90,000 plants and 1,500 trees.
Tour operator
Food and tapas tours of Madrid's historic taverns, markets and neighbourhoods in small groups, plus cooking classes and Prado tours with a meal at Botín.
Tour operator
Historian Stephen Drake-Jones's society, founded in 1979, offering characterful history walks in Madrid and day trips to Toledo, Segovia and beyond.
Tour operator
A Madrid bike tour pioneer cycling since 1999, offering small-group city rides, private e-bike tours and cycling day trips such as El Escorial.
Tour operator
Madrid's official hop-on hop-off bus, running since 2011 on three routes with 34 stops and an audio guide in ten languages.
Tour operator
Walking tours of Madrid starting from the Plaza Mayor, including a tips-based tour of the historic centre, an evening dark-side tour and private tours.
Three days covers the Royal Palace, the Plaza Mayor, the big three art museums and the Retiro; four or five days allows time for neighbourhoods such as Malasaña and La Latina and a day trip to Toledo or Segovia
Sol and the Madrid de los Austrias are best for first-time visitors, the Barrio de las Letras suits museum lovers and evening tapas, Malasaña and Chueca are lively and creative, and Salamanca is quieter and more upmarket
Metro line 8 connects the airport with Nuevos Ministerios, Cercanías trains run from Terminal 4 to Chamartín, Atocha and other city stations, an airport express bus runs to the centre, and taxis charge a fixed fare to central Madrid
Madrid is generally more affordable than London or Paris; set lunch menus, tapas and public transport keep costs down, while luxury hotels and tasting menus are priced in line with other European capitals
Madrid is generally safe, including at night; the main risk is pickpocketing in crowded areas such as Sol, the Rastro, Gran Vía and the metro, so keep valuables secure