Madrid

Flamenco! Tapas! Plaza Mayor! Ole!

Three Days in Madrid

The three-day itinerary below is designed as a series of walks through the most rewarding parts of the city, with the major museums and sights integrated into each route. Day One covers the historic heart — Plaza Mayor, the narrow streets of Old Madrid, Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía. Day Two focuses on the great art museums and Retiro Park. Day Three takes in the Thyssen-Bornemisza, the Royal Palace, Plaza de España and the upscale Salamanca district, finishing with flamenco.

Capital of the Spanish-speaking world, Madrid is a feast of fascinating sights and remarkable side-trips. Your visit could take a month, but as usual, we squeeze the main highlights into three days so you can get the most out of your limited time.

Four spectacular attractions put Madrid high on the list of great places to visit:

The Prado Museum
The Royal Palace
Old Madrid
The modern shopping zone

Throw in unique shops, great strolls in town, more museums, exciting nightlife, and you have something to remember long after the bills are paid. Combine these with day trips out of town to Toledo, Segovia and El Escorial.

This majestic city was created when Philip II established Madrid as capital in 1561

This majestic city was created for various political reasons, including Spain's increasing power from the fabulous wealth plundered from the New World. King Philip II, who moved the government from Toledo to this geographic center of the nation, established Madrid as capital of Spain in 1561, making it one of Europe's youngest capitals. Before Philip, only a small village of little importance stood here, without Gothic cathedrals or medieval castles — after Philip, Madrid became a showcase for Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The Spanish Empire was at its peak and the Renaissance was blossoming in literature, architecture and the fine arts.

Grand buildings created within the compact area of Old Madrid

During the next century many grand buildings were created within a relatively compact area inside the protective walls of what is now called Old Madrid. Those original walls have long since vanished, but many 17th century buildings are still clustered in this compact zone, which will be a major focus of the visit.

Walking is ideal for exploring the central historic district

Walking is ideal for exploring this central historic district, so it is no surprise that locals have enshrined strolling as the cherished paseo, in which the goal is not necessarily to get somewhere but simply to move about, enjoying the fine art of seeing and being seen. Our pedestrian approach will reveal Madrid's treasure chest of small streets and take you deep into the character of the place, where you can wander about soaking in the atmosphere.

Famous for its reputation as a late-night city, Madrid keeps some odd hours that you need to work around, including the mother of all siestas that shuts the city down every afternoon, with shops closing from around 2:00pm and reopening at 5:00pm. At night, prime dining for locals begins at 9:30 or 10:00pm and many clubs don't open until after midnight. Scholars are still trying to figure out when the young people sleep.

Day Trips from Madrid

Madrid's central location makes it one of the best bases for day trips

Madrid's central location makes it one of the best bases in Spain for day trips to extraordinary historic cities.

Toledo, an entire medieval city preserved almost intact

Toledo, an hour away by high-speed train, is an entire medieval city preserved almost intact, with a Gothic cathedral, synagogues, a Moorish mosque and El Greco's greatest painting all within walking distance of each other.

Segovia with its Roman aqueduct and fairy-tale Alcazar fortress

Segovia, reachable in 30 minutes by train, combines a Roman aqueduct in near-perfect condition with a fairy-tale Alcazar fortress and the last great Gothic cathedral built in Spain.

El Escorial, Philip II's vast monastery-palace in the Sierra foothills an hour from the city, is a sobering monument to the man who launched the Armada and once administered the largest empire on earth.

Any one of these deserves a full day. If your schedule allows only one, Toledo is the most rewarding — though Segovia is the easiest to combine with a half-day in the city. See our separate pages on each destination for full details.

Madrid

Three Days in Madrid

Day Trips from Madrid

Three Days in Madrid

Map of Madrid

Madrid Video from the Archives