Madrid Tours &
Things to Do
Discover the best Madrid tours, Royal Palace and Prado Museum skip-the-line tickets, flamenco shows, tapas and wine tours, city walks and day trips to Toledo and Segovia. Compare top-rated activities and plan your perfect Madrid itinerary.
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Explore Madrid by interest
Whatever brings you to Madrid — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
Royal Palace
Europe’s largest royal palace and its state rooms.
ExplorePrado & museums
Velázquez, Goya and the Golden Triangle of Art.
ExploreFlamenco
Passionate tablao shows with tapas or dinner.
ExploreTapas & food
Jamón, markets and paella cooking classes.
ExploreCity tours
Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and the old town.
ExploreBernabéu
The home of Real Madrid and its trophy room.
ExploreToledo
The medieval City of Three Cultures.
ExploreSegovia & Ávila
The Roman aqueduct and the walled city.
ExploreTop attractions in Madrid
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Royal Palace
Europe’s largest royal palace and its state rooms.
Prado Museum
Velázquez, Goya and European masterpieces.
Flamenco
Passionate tablao shows in the capital.
Tapas & markets
Jamón, vermut and the San Miguel Market.
Plaza Mayor
The grand old town and Puerta del Sol.
Toledo
The medieval City of Three Cultures.
Segovia
The Roman aqueduct and fairy-tale Alcázar.
Ávila
The perfectly preserved medieval walls.
Madrid in 1 day
- 1Royal Palace
- 2Old town & Plaza Mayor
- 3Prado Museum
- 4Tapas & flamenco
Madrid in 2 days
- 1Day 1: Palace & Prado
- 2Tapas & flamenco
- 3Day 2: Toledo day trip
- 4Retiro & Bernabéu
Madrid in 3 days
- 1Day 1: Palace & Prado
- 2Day 2: Toledo
- 3Day 3: Segovia or Ávila
- 4Tapas & flamenco evenings
Madrid with kids
- 1Retiro Park boats
- 2Royal Palace
- 3Bernabéu stadium
- 4Segovia castle
Madrid art day
- 1Prado at opening, skip-the-line
- 2Thyssen-Bornemisza after lunch
- 3Reina Sofía & Guernica
- 4Sunset stroll in the Retiro
Tapas & flamenco night
- 1Aperitivo at Mercado de San Miguel
- 2Tapas crawl in La Latina
- 3Flamenco at a classic tablao
- 4Nightcap on Cava Baja
30 min awayToledo
The medieval City of Three Cultures above the Tagus.
30 min awaySegovia
The Roman aqueduct and the fairy-tale Alcázar.
1 hr awayÁvila
The perfectly preserved medieval city walls.
1 hr awayEl Escorial
The vast royal monastery and palace of Philip II.
50 min awayAranjuez
The royal palace and its riverside gardens.
Full day awayThree cities in a day
Toledo, Segovia and Ávila on one full-day tour.
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Madrid visitor asks before booking.
The sweet-spot months
Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) bring warm, pleasant weather — the best times to visit.
Spring (Apr–Jun)
Sunny, mild days and blossoming parks make spring ideal for sightseeing and terraces.
Summer (Jul–Aug)
Very hot and dry, often over 35°C, with many locals away; sightsee early and rest at midday.
Autumn (Sep–Oct)
Warm, golden days and a lively city as Madrid returns from summer — a top time to visit.
Winter (Nov–Feb)
Cold but often sunny, with crisp days and festive lights; the quietest, cheapest season.
San Isidro (May)
Madrid’s patron-saint festival in mid-May fills the city with music, traditional dress and celebrations.
One day
Enough for the Royal Palace, the old town and the Prado, with tapas and flamenco.
Two days
Add a Toledo day trip and the Retiro Park or Bernabéu.
Three days
The sweet spot: the city, Toledo, and Segovia or Ávila.
Four to five days
Add the Reina Sofía and Thyssen, El Escorial or Aranjuez.
A week or more
Use Madrid as a base for central Spain’s historic cities and beyond.
Travelling with kids
Mix the Retiro boats, the Bernabéu and a Segovia castle day at a gentle pace.
The metro
Madrid’s vast, cheap and efficient metro reaches everywhere; a multi-trip or tourist pass is great value.
On foot
The compact historic centre — from the Royal Palace to the Prado — is very walkable.
Tuk-tuks & bikes
Eco tuk-tuks and bike tours offer a fun way to cover the old town and parks.
Hop-on hop-off bus
The tourist bus links the spread-out sights with commentary, handy for first-timers.
Day-trip transport
High-speed trains reach Toledo and Segovia in 30 minutes; tours bundle transport for Ávila and El Escorial.
From the airport
Barajas Airport links to the centre by metro, the Cercanías train or the Airport Express bus in about 30–40 minutes.
Book the palace & Prado
The Royal Palace and Prado get busy — book skip-the-line tickets, especially in peak season.
Free museum hours
The Prado and Reina Sofía offer free entry in the last hours of the day, but queues are long; timed tickets are easier.
Currency & tipping
Spain uses the euro; cards are widely accepted, and tipping is modest and optional.
Eat late & local
Madrileños eat late — lunch from 2 pm, dinner from 9 pm; head to La Latina and Huertas for authentic tapas.
Beat the heat
In summer, sightsee early and late and rest at midday; carry water and sun protection.
Book the Bernabéu
Stadium tours sell out and access changes on match days — book timed tickets ahead.
Royal Palace & Prado
Skip-the-line tickets save long queues — book ahead.
Flamenco shows
The best tablaos are intimate and sell out nightly — reserve for good seats.
Bernabéu tour
Timed stadium tickets sell out, especially around match days — book early.
Toledo & Segovia trips
Popular day trips fill up in high season — reserve ahead.
Tapas & cooking
Small-group tapas tours and paella classes fill up — book a few days ahead.
Spring & San Isidro
Spring and the May festival fill hotels and tours — plan early.
Palace & Prado
Around €20–45 for skip-the-line entry or a guided tour of each.
Flamenco shows
Roughly €25–50 for a show, more with tapas or dinner.
Tapas tours
About €55–90 for a guided tapas and wine crawl with tastings.
Bernabéu tour
Around €30–40 for the stadium and museum tour.
Day trips
Roughly €45–90 for Toledo or Segovia; more for combined multi-city tours.
How to save
Use a metro pass, enjoy free museum hours, and join group day trips.
Madrid through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
- Best for
- Sunny, mild days and blossoming parks — ideal for sightseeing.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- A top time with pleasant weather.
- Best for
- Long days and lively nights, though very hot and dry by day.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Sightsee early and rest at midday in the heat.
- Best for
- Warm, golden days and a lively city back from summer.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- A great time as the heat fades.
- Best for
- Cold but often sunny, with festive lights and the lowest prices.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Pack warm layers; days are crisp and clear.