Madrid is an active city known for its late nights, historic sites, and delicious cuisine. because the capital of Spain, there’s also tons of history and art here, which you'll spend weeks discovering. It’s also bursting with beautiful architecture. There’s an endless number of things to ascertain and neutralize this metropolis.

I’ve been to Madrid numerous times. It’s a fantastic place, where little alleys reveal hidden restaurants and bars, and locals wish to start their nights late and go early into the morning. (It’s definitely a night-owl city.)

To help you create the foremost of your trip, here are my favorite things to try to to , from museums to food tours to cultural experiences and more:


1. Take a Free Walking Tour



Travelers exploring a historic plaza in Madrid, Spain

I love taking free walking tours. They’re a budget-friendly thanks to see the most sights, learn some history, and obtain a pity the town . You get access to an area guide who can answer all of your questions and provides you insider recommendations on where to travel and what to try to to . Free Walking Tours Madrid and New Europe both offer comprehensive tours. Just confirm to tip your guide at the end!

For a more in-depth tour, Take Walks offers the simplest paid tours within the city. It’s my go-to walking tour company, because its tours are super detailed and insightful.


2. Visit the Royal Palace

The palace’s construction began in 1735, and it had been home to Spain’s monarchs until the 1930s; now it's only used for official state functions. you'll explore the historic buildings and grounds via both guided and self-guided tours. The palace has over 3,400 rooms and encompasses a huge 1.4 million square feet. the inside is lavishly decorated with massive vaulted ceilings, paintings, murals, and complex wood carvings.

Oriente Square, +34 914 548 700, patrimonionacional.es. Open daily 10am–6pm (8pm within the summer). Admission is 14 EUR ($15.75 USD).


3. See the Cathedral of Madrid



The exterior of the Catedral de la Almudena in Madrid, Spain

Opened in 1993, the Catedral de la Almudena, which took over 100 years to finish , is that the main cathedral in Madrid. inbuilt the Gothic Revival style, it offers some beautiful views overlooking the town.

Almudena Square, +34 915 422 200, catedraldelaalmudena.es. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Please dress respectfully, as this is often an area of worship.


4. Relax in Plaza Mayor

Dating back to the 15th century, this square is that the heart of Madrid. It’s a well-liked place for locals and tourists to collect, eat, and shop. It’s a touch overpriced lately , but it offers some nice people-watching, and there also are usually events and concerts during the summer.


5. Take a Food Tour

Madrid may be a foodie’s dream. If you aren’t sure where to start out , I suggest taking a food tour. I took the Devour Madrid Food Tour travel by fellow bloggers and ex-pats Lauren and James. it had been informative, delicious, and absolutely filling. you'll learn more during this video here:


6. Wander the Mercado de San Miguel

This massive covered market opened in 1916. It eventually fell into disrepair but was recently revitalized with amazing restaurants and food stalls. There are tons of restaurants and stalls during which one can find affordable tapas and drinks. It’s very fashionable with the after-work crowd.

Plaza de San Miguel, +34 915 424 936, mercadodesanmiguel.es. Open daily 10am–midnight.


7. See the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales

Built in the 16th century, the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales (which means “Monastery of the Royal Barefooted”) was the previous palace of Emperor Charles V and Empress Isabel of Portugal. Single noblewomen were invited to reside here as nuns, bringing with them any wealth that they had accumulated prior. Today, it's home to only a couple of nuns who take care of the grounds and its relics, which include (alleged) pieces of Jesus’s cross, also because the bones of St. Sebastian.

Plaza de las Descalzas, +34 914 54 88 00, patrimonionacional.es/real-sitio/monasterio-de-las-descalzas-reales. Open Monday-Saturday 10am–2pm and 4pm–6:30pm, also as Sundays 10am–3pm. Admission is 8 EUR ($9 USD).


8. Visit the Naval Museum

The Museo Naval de Madrid highlights the history of Spain’s historic naval capabilities and accomplishments. It covers the 15th century to this , with information on ships, wars, and colonies and the way those all associated with Spain as a major power . The museum has all types of maps and drawings, also as weapons and navigation equipment. It also houses the oldest map of America , which was made within the year 1500. There’s an in depth section on the (failed) The Armada that I found pretty insightful too.


Paseo Prado 5, +34 915 238 516. Open Tuesday–Sunday 10am–7pm (3pm in August). Admission is 3 EUR ($3.40 USD).


9. Stroll round the Royal arboretum



The Royal Botanical Gardens in Madrid, Spain

Founded in 1755, this park is home to lakes, labyrinths, squares, fountains, and much of flowers. There are some 90,000 plants here and over 1,500 trees, also as greenhouses, sculptures, and a few immaculate gardens. It’s incredibly beautiful and serene.

Plaza de Murillo, +34 914 203 017, rjb.csic.es/jardinbotanico. Open daily at 10am; closes between 6pm and 9pm counting on the season. Admission is 4 EUR ($4.50 USD).


10. Explore the Reina Sofía Museum

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is home to the country’s national collection of art from the 20th century. it's many of Pablo Picasso’s works (including “Guérnica”), also as art by Miró, Kandinsky, Dalí, and Bacon. Named after Queen Sofía, it's the ninth most-visited art museum within the entire world!

Calle de Santa Isabel 52, +34 917 741 000, museoreinasofia.es. Open daily 10am–6pm (hours vary within the summer and winter). Admission is 10 EUR ($11.25 USD) but free from 7pm to 9pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.


11. Relax in El Retiro Park



People in rowboats on the lake in El Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain

Covering over 350 acres, this is often Madrid’s main park. It’s the right place to relax and lounge on a gorgeous day. There’s even alittle lake where you'll rent a rowboat. There’s plenty of green space for picnics, walking paths, and a monument to the victims of the Madrid terrorist bombings in 2004. The famous Crystal Palace (it’s made completely out of glass) features a rotating collection of art too.


12. Visit the Prado Museum

The Museo Nacional del Prado is that the third most visited museum within the world. Opened in 1819, it's around 20,000 works by Spanish artists like El Greco , Velázquez, and Goya; Flemish and Dutch artists, including Rubens, van Dyck, and Brueghel; Italian masters like Botticelli, Tintoretto, Titian, Caravaggio, and Veronese; and German artists like Dürer, Cranach, and Baldung Grien. you've got to go to this place!

Ruiz de Alarcón street, +34 913 302 800, museodelprado.es. Open Monday-Saturday 10am–8pm and Sundays 10am–7pm. Admission is 15 EUR ($16.90 USD); however, free entry is out there Monday-Saturday 5pm–8pm and Sundays 5pm–7pm.


13. Learn Flamenco

Flamenco may be a traditional sort of dance that originated in Spain. It’s an active , style known for its intricate footwork and hand movements. If you’re looking to require a lesson, Madrid features a few affordable classes where you'll learn the basics:


Amor de Dios

El Patio

Dance Classes Madrid

If you’d rather just absorb a performance, some venues worth finding out are:

Corral de la Morería

Torres Bermejas

Café de Chinitas

Tickets for performances usually start around 20 EUR ($22.50 USD), while classes will cost 15-30 EUR ($16.90–33.75 USD) per hour.


14. Watch a Soccer Match

Spaniards are crazy about soccer. Real Madrid, the capital’s home team, is one among the foremost famous teams within the world. They play at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, which features a capacity of over 81,000 people. Games here are super popular, and fans take them quite seriously. If they’re playing during your visit, make certain to observe a game. It’s a tremendous experience!


15. Explore the Museo de la Historia de Madrid

The Museum of History of Madrid covers the city’s evolution from the 16th century (when it became the capital) to war I. Opened in 1929, it highlights lifestyle throughout the ages. There are many artifacts, maps, paintings, and sculptures to offer you a way more nuanced understanding of Madrid.

Fuencarral street, +34 917 011 863, madrid.es/museodehistoria. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am–8pm. Admission is free.


16. Get Off the Beaten Path



The ancient Muslim Walls in Madrid, Spain

Madrid has plenty of quirky and off-the-beaten-path sights to ascertain . If you’re trying to find some more unique experiences, here are a couple of worth checking out:

Reverte Coma Forensic Museum – A macabre museum filled with deformed skeletons, torture devices, dissected fetuses, and far more. Insightful but unsettling!

The Muslim Walls – These walls go back to the ninth century when Madrid was under Moorish rule. They’re one among the oldest structures left within the city.

Rocker Grandma – Located within the Vallecas neighborhood, this statue commemorates Ángeles Rodríguez Hidalgo, who became an area heavy metal fan when she was 70.

Guanche Mummy of Madrid – This mummy is found within the National Archaeological Museum and was embalmed by the indigenous people of the Canary Islands between the 11th and 13th centuries.


17. Visit the Temple of Debod

The Temple of Debod is an Egyptian temple that dates back to the second century BCE. Originally located near Aswan in Upper Egypt , it had been dismantled and given as a present to Spain by the Egyptian government in 1968 as thanks for helping to relocate monuments from the Aswan High Dam site. 

The temple can now be found in Madrid’s Cuartel de la Montaña Park. Although the within of the temple is off-limits, you'll still walk along the surface.