Madrid itinerary for first-timers
The classic neighborhoods in an order that works, with a 4K street walk for every stop. Watch your trip before you take it.
Day 1: Old Madrid
Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel, the Royal Palace and the cathedral, the Puerta del Sol, and tapas in La Latina.
- 1
Morning
Plaza Mayor & the Mercado de San Miguel
The great arcaded square of Habsburg Madrid, closed on all four sides, with the glass-and-iron Mercado de San Miguel a minute away for a first taste of the city.
- Plaza Mayor arcades
- Casa de la Panadería frescoes
- Mercado de San Miguel
Go early; the market gets packed from midday on.
Walk west along Calle Mayor, about 10 min.
- 2
Late morning
The Royal Palace & the Almudena Cathedral
The largest royal palace in Western Europe, with more than 3,000 rooms, facing the cathedral across a wide square on the edge of the old town.
- Royal Palace
- Almudena Cathedral
- Sabatini Gardens
Book palace tickets online to skip the queue; the gardens are free.
Walk back east along Calle Mayor or Calle del Arenal, about 15 min.
- 3
Afternoon
Puerta del Sol
The square at the centre of Spain, with the Kilometre Zero marker, the bear-and-strawberry-tree statue and the old post office clock that rings in the New Year.
- Kilometre Zero
- Bear and strawberry tree
- Tío Pepe sign
Walk south-west through the old streets, about 15 min.
- 4
Evening
La Latina
Madrid's oldest neighbourhood, a knot of small squares and sloping streets lined with tapas bars, busiest on Sunday after the Rastro flea market.
- Plaza de la Paja
- Cava Baja
- San Francisco el Grande
Day 2: The Prado, El Retiro & Salamanca
The Prado in the morning, an afternoon in El Retiro park, Calle Serrano in the evening light, and the Gran Vía at night.
- 1
Morning
The Prado
One of the world's great painting collections, with Velázquez, Goya and Bosch, on the leafy Paseo del Prado between the Thyssen and the Reina Sofía.
- Las Meninas
- Goya's Black Paintings
- Paseo del Prado
Book a time slot; entry is free in the last two hours of the day, with a queue.
Walk across the Paseo del Prado into the park, about 5 min.
- 2
Afternoon
El Retiro Park
The city's green heart, once the royal gardens: a boating lake under the Alfonso XII colonnade, the glass Crystal Palace and a rose garden.
- Boating lake
- Crystal Palace
- Rose garden
Walk north along the park and the Paseo de Recoletos, about 20 min.
- 3
Early evening
Calle Serrano, Salamanca
The elegant grid north of the park: wide boulevards, 19th-century apartment houses and the luxury shops of the so-called Golden Mile, calm in the evening light.
- Plaza de Colón
- Calle de Serrano
- Ortega y Gasset
Metro from Serrano to Gran Vía, about 10 min, or walk about 25 min.
- 4
Night
The Gran Vía at night
Madrid's Broadway, a 1910s boulevard of theatres, cinemas and rooftop bars, at its brightest after dark around Plaza del Callao.
- Plaza del Callao
- Metropolis building
- Rooftop terraces
Day 3: The Gran Vía, Malasaña & the Temple of Debod
The Gran Vía by day, an afternoon in Malasaña, sunset at the Temple of Debod, and a night out in Chueca.
- 1
Morning
The Gran Vía by day
The same boulevard in daylight, when you can see the domes, statues and carved facades of its early-20th-century buildings.
- Edificio Metropolis
- Telefónica building
- Plaza de España
Walk north from Callao, about 10 min.
- 2
Afternoon
Malasaña
The neighbourhood of the 1980s Movida, still Madrid's most alternative quarter: vintage shops, cafés, murals and the square of Dos de Mayo.
- Plaza del Dos de Mayo
- Calle del Pez
- Corredera Baja
Walk west along Calle de la Princesa, about 15 min.
- 3
Sunset
The Temple of Debod
A real Egyptian temple, given to Spain in 1968 and rebuilt in a park on the western edge of the centre, where the whole city comes to watch the sun go down.
- Temple of Debod
- Sunset over Casa de Campo
- Parque del Oeste
Arrive half an hour before sunset for a spot by the water.
Walk or take the metro back to Chueca, about 20 min.
- 4
Night
Chueca
The lively, friendly quarter just north of the Gran Vía, with terraces on Plaza Pedro Zerolo and bars along Hortaleza and Fuencarral.
- Plaza Pedro Zerolo
- Calle de Hortaleza
- Calle de Fuencarral
Travelling with someone?
Send them this 3-day Madrid plan, videos included.
Planning your first trip to Madrid
How many days?
Three days covers old Madrid, the museums and the park, and the neighbourhoods. Two days is enough for the highlights if you pick one museum.
Where to stay
Sol and the Gran Vía put you in the middle of everything; La Latina and Huertas are old, lively and full of tapas bars; Malasaña and Chueca are the nightlife quarters; Salamanca is elegant and quiet. Compare areas →
Getting around
Walk the centre; take the metro for Salamanca, the Temple of Debod and the park. Single tickets and a rechargeable card are sold at every station.
Madrid's centre is a tight cluster of squares and old streets between the Royal Palace in the west and El Retiro park in the east, with the Gran Vía cutting across the top. Almost everything on this plan is within half an hour's walk of the Puerta del Sol, and the metro covers the rest. The city lives late: lunch is at two, dinner rarely before nine, and the neighbourhoods of La Latina, Malasaña and Chueca are at their best after dark.
Every stop comes with a walking video filmed on those streets, so you can see the squares, the park and the boulevards before you arrive. Use the buttons under each video to jump to the landmark, or press Preview to watch a whole day in a row.
Madrid itinerary: common questions
How many days do you need in Madrid?
Three days is a good first visit: one for the old town, one for the Prado and El Retiro, and one for the Gran Vía, Malasaña and the Temple of Debod. Two days covers the highlights if you choose one museum.
Is Madrid a walkable city?
Yes. The centre is compact and mostly flat, and every stop on this plan is a short walk or a few metro stops from the next. The only real climbs are the slopes of La Latina and the way up to the Temple of Debod.
What time do people eat in Madrid?
Later than almost anywhere in Europe. Lunch runs from about two to four, and dinner starts around nine or later. Tapas bars fill the gap in the early evening.
When is the best time to visit Madrid?
April to June and September to October are the most pleasant. July and August are very hot, with many locals away in August; winter is cold but sunny, with short queues at the museums.
Travel times are approximate. Check opening days and any booking requirements before you go.
Where to stay in Madrid
6 areas compared, each with a street walk so you can see the neighborhood before you book.
Read the guide →Keep exploring Madrid
More 4K walking videos, top sights, food markets and dishes to try.
Madrid city guide →