Madrid

Ranked by Euromonitor as the world's second most visited city destination in 2025, with the Prado, the Royal Palace and the Bernabéu, and a capital of tapas and nightlife.

Madrid is Spain's capital and largest city, set on the Meseta plateau at the very center of the Iberian Peninsula at about 650 meters above sea level, making it one of Europe's highest capitals. The core is compact and walkable. Centered on Puerta del Sol, the Habsburg old town lies to the west (Plaza Mayor, Mercado de San Miguel, the Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral). To the east, the "Golden Triangle of Art" lines the Paseo del Prado: the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, with El Retiro Park further east. To the north, the Gran Vía is an early-20th-century, Broadway-style commercial street, flanked by the Malasaña and Chueca neighborhoods, known for bars, vintage shops and nightlife; further north, the Salamanca district is the upscale shopping area, and the Bernabéu Stadium is on Paseo de la Castellana. The climate is continental Mediterranean: April–June and September–October are the most pleasant, sunny with temperatures of 18–28°C; July–August is scorching, often above 38°C (locals stay indoors in the afternoon, and many small shops close in August); winters are dry and cold but often sunny. Getting there: Barajas Airport (MAD) has direct flights from multiple Chinese cities. Metro line 8 takes about 30 minutes to Nuevos Ministerios (with a €3 airport supplement), or you can take the Cercanías C1 train or the Exprés airport bus to Atocha station. Thirteen Metro lines cover all the sights, and you can buy a 10-trip ticket. High-speed trains from Atocha reach Toledo in 30 minutes, Segovia in 30 minutes and Barcelona in 2.5 hours. We suggest 3 days. Day 1: the old town (Plaza Mayor – Royal Palace – Mercado de San Miguel – Puerta del Sol – Gran Vía). Day 2: the Prado + El Retiro + the Reina Sofía (free afternoon hours). Day 3: the Bernabéu or a day trip to Toledo. Good to know: the Prado and the Reina Sofía have free admission hours every day but with long lines, so buying tickets on the official website in advance is recommended. Spaniards keep late hours: lunch is 14:00–16:00, dinner after 21:00, and tapas crawls start from 20:00. The El Rastro flea market on Sunday mornings is worth a visit, but watch for pickpockets. Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía are crowded, so keep an eye on your belongings. Tipping is not mandatory; leaving small change at restaurants is enough.

Top sights

• Prado Museum – One of the world’s top art museums. Velázquez’s “Las Meninas,” Goya’s “Black Paintings,” and Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” are a…
• Royal Palace of Madrid – The largest royal palace in Western Europe, with 3,418 rooms. Visitors can see the Throne Room, the porcelain room and the Stradivarius Roy…
• El Retiro Park – A 125-hectare former royal garden with boating on the big pond, the Crystal Palace, and the Alfonso XII monument. It is Madrid’s weekend li…
• Puerta del Sol – The heart of Madrid and the “Kilometer Zero” starting point of Spain’s highways. The bear-and-strawberry-tree statue and the clock tower th…
• Reina Sofía Museum – Spain’s national museum of modern and contemporary art. It is anchored by Picasso’s “Guernica” and has rich collections of Dalí and Miró, h…
• Toledo – A UNESCO World Heritage old city surrounded on three sides by the Tagus River, known as the “city of three cultures” for its Christian, Jew…
• Plaza Mayor – A rectangular 17th-century square surrounded by three-story arcades. The painted façade of the Casa de la Panadería and fried calamari sand…
• Santiago Bernabéu Stadium – Home of Real Madrid, completed in 2024 after a renovation costing €1 billion. It has a retractable roof and a movable pitch, and its museum…
• Mercado de San Miguel – A cast-iron and glass market from 1916 beside Plaza Mayor, now Madrid's most famous food hall, where you can sample jamón, oysters, tapas…
• Temple of Debod – A genuine 2nd-century BC Egyptian temple gifted to Spain by Egypt, rebuilt on a hilltop park north of the Royal Palace. Its reflecting pool…
• Gran Vía – Opened in 1910 as 'Spain's Broadway'. The Metrópolis building, the Telefónica tower, and theatres line this avenue, which is Madrid's main…
• Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum – One of the 'Golden Triangle of Art', a private collection spanning the Renaissance to Pop Art that fills gaps left by the Prado.
• Almudena Cathedral – Madrid's cathedral, facing the Royal Palace across a square. Its colorful painted ceiling and dome viewing platform overlook the palace.
• Plaza de Cibeles & Cibeles Palace – Madrid's most iconic square, where the white 'Post Palace' looks like a wedding cake and its top-floor terrace offers free city views.
• Puerta de Alcalá – A neoclassical triumphal arch commissioned by Charles III and standing in Plaza de la Independencia. It predates Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.
• El Rastro Flea Market – A centuries-old open-air flea market held on Sundays, where you can browse antiques, secondhand goods and street-side bars until midday.
• Plaza de España – A grand square at the western end of Gran Vía, with statues of Cervantes and Don Quixote, and rooftop bars in the surrounding high-rises.
• Sorolla Museum – The former home and studio of “the painter of light” Joaquín Sorolla, with his beach paintings bathed in sunlight and an Andalusian-style g…
• Royal Chapel of St. Anthony of La Florida – Known as “Goya’s Sistine Chapel,” it features dome frescoes painted by Goya, and the artist is buried here.
• Metropolitano Stadium – Atlético Madrid’s modern home ground, where you can watch a La Liga match or join a stadium and museum tour.
• Teleférico de Madrid & Casa de Campo – An aerial cable car that flies from the Parque del Oeste over the Manzanares River to Madrid’s largest park, with views of the Royal Palace…
• Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales – A royal convent beside Puerta del Sol where nuns still live, housing Rubens tapestries and a rich collection of religious art.
• Malasaña – A trendy old neighborhood north of Gran Vía and the birthplace of “La Movida Madrileña,” packed with vintage shops, independent cafés and b…
• National Archaeological Museum – Spain’s most important archaeology museum, whose crown jewel is the Iberian stone sculpture “Lady of Elche.”
• Chocolatería San Ginés – A long-established café open since 1894, where churros dipped in thick hot chocolate are a classic breakfast and late-night treat for Madri…
• Segovia – A UNESCO-listed old city with a two-thousand-year-old Roman aqueduct, the castle said to have inspired Snow White’s castle, and roast suckl…
• Walls of Ávila – One of Europe’s best-preserved medieval city walls, about 2.5 km long with 87 towers, where you can walk along the top.
• Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial – A vast royal palace-monastery built by Philip II, home to the tombs of Spain’s past kings and a magnificent library.
• Royal Palace of Aranjuez – A royal spring retreat and gardens on the banks of the Tagus River, part of the “Aranjuez Cultural Landscape” World Heritage Site and the i…
• Alcalá de Henares – The birthplace of Cervantes and a UNESCO-listed university city, with 16th-century university buildings and the Cervantes birthplace museum.

Where to eat

• Sobrino de Botín – Founded in 1725 and certified by Guinness World Records, this historic establishment specializes in suckling pig and la…
• Malacatín – A family-run tavern in La Latina opened in 1895, making it one of the top choices for locals to enjoy Cocido Madrileño.
• Chocolatería San Ginés – A historic chocolate shop opened in 1894, serving thick hot chocolate with churros, open late into the night.
• Casa Lucio – A famous restaurant on Calle de la Cava Baja in the La Latina district, renowned for its broken eggs with potatoes, fre…
• Casa Labra – A historic tavern from 1860 near Puerta del Sol, where standing at the bar to eat fried cod chunks and cod croquettes i…
• Las Tortillas de Gabino – A Michelin Guide-listed restaurant in the Chamberí district, elevating Spanish potato omelets with a variety of innovat…
• DiverXO – Madrid's only three-Michelin-starred restaurant, featuring chef Dabiz Muñoz's Asian-fusion long tasting menu.

Itineraries

• Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia Rail Tour – Based in Madrid, explore the three major museums and the Royal Palace, with day trips by train to Toledo and Segovia.
• Madrid Classics for First-Timers – The Royal Palace and old town, Plaza Mayor, the Prado and the Retiro: Madrid's core landmarks in three days.
• La Mancha Windmills and Cuenca Cliffside Town – Drive from Madrid through windmill ridges and historic castles to Cuenca, ending with the magical rock formations of Ci…
• Madrid's Art Triangle and Toledo – The Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía museums explored one per day, plus a trip to Toledo for El Greco.
• Madrid Tapas and Market Food – Markets, tapas bar streets and a flea market, plus a half day in Chinchón, eating your way through old Madrid.
• Rail Journey: Madrid to Santiago via Burgos and León – Travel west by train along the Camino de Santiago, visiting three grand cathedrals and ending in Santiago de Compostela.
• Madrid and the Royal Residences – Beyond the Royal Palace and old town, use suburban trains to reach El Escorial, Aranjuez and Alcalá de Henares.
• Spain Classic Rail: Barcelona to Granada – High-speed rail connects Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Seville, and Granada—the ultimate trunk line for first-time visit…
• Castile and León Grand Loop – A self-drive loop covering Segovia, Salamanca, Sanabria, León, Burgos, and the Ribera del Duero.
• Madrid and the Old Towns of Castile – Three days in the city, plus day trips to Toledo and Segovia, then an overnight stay in the cliff-side town of Cuenca
• Iberian Peninsula: Madrid to Porto – A grand rail and bus journey from Madrid through Seville, the Algarve, and Lisbon to Porto