4 Hand-Crafted Itineraries to Determine How Many Days in Madrid is Enough For Your Next Trip
Traveling to Spain and trying to decide how many days in Madrid to spend? Madrid is the perfect intersection of vibrant culture, historical landmarks, and beautiful parks and architecture. There is plenty to experience which can make it difficult to determine how much time to spend in Madrid.
Last month I visited Madrid for the first time. With limited time to squeeze in as much as possible, this meant a jam-weekend packed with tours, sightseeing, shows, and food. While it was a busy weekend, I felt that three days was a perfect introduction to this magnificent city.
If time wasn’t a factor, I would have loved to spend closer to a week in Madrid. However, many of us don’t have the luxury of time on our side! For those trying to see Madrid in a short amount of time like me, I’ve put together itineraries for trips between 2 and 4 days so you can best decide how many days in Madrid are best for your trip.
Day 1 Itinerary: Bike Tour, Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral
Bike Tour
To ease into your first day in Madrid, I highly recommend grabbing a bike tour of the city! A bike tour is a great way to get a lay of the land, familiarize yourself with the different neighborhoods that comprise Central Madrid, and learn a bit about the city and its history.
Our bike tour began just outside of Retiro Park where we met our guide and about 10 others riders in our group. Our tour was three hours long and our tour guide did an excellent job of balancing our time riding on the bikes with stopping to provide context about the neighborhoods and landmarks we were seeing.
Though Madrid is a very busy city, having a tour guide to navigate us through traffic was key in feeling safe. Not once did I worry about the surrounding traffic or getting lost from the group because our guide was constantly checking in on all of us. This made for not only a safe, but fun journey throughout the city- he even stopped at a café to grab the group churros and chocolate!
Royal Palace of Madrid
After your bike tour, grab a bite to eat and then head over to the Royal Palace of Madrid. With over 3000 rooms, get ready to be astounded by the grandeur this palace has to offer. Besides being the official residence to the Spanish royal family, the Royal Palace of Madrid serves as a place to host ceremonies, greet important world leaders, and open its doors to over 2 million tourists every year.
I highly recommend booking a guided tour of the palace, as its quite large and a lot to digest without an expert guiding the way. I booked this tour and our guide did a wonderful job at explaining the history of the palace, what each of the rooms were used for, and providing modern day context as to how the palace is used today.
Royal Armoury of Madrid
Within the grounds of the Royal Palace of Madrid, you can find the Royal Armoury. Your ticket to the palace grants you access to this museum that houses the personal arms of the kings of Spain alongside other weapons, armour, and artwork.
La Almudena Cathedral
Next door to the Royal Palace of Madrid stands the primary Cathedral of Madrid: La Almudena. Unlike many centerpiece churches in Western Europe, this Cathedral is relatively new- having been built throughout much of the 20th century with completion in 1993 when it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II.
You have two options when visiting the Cathedral. First you can enter through the main entrance of the church at no charge where you are free to roam and look at the various pieces of artwork, stained glass windows, and dedications that adorn the interior.
Alternatively, you can opt to visit the Cathedral Museum which grants you access to otherwise restricted areas of the Cathedral as well as the ability to climb to the top of the Cathedral Dome. From the top of the dome, you will have stunning views overlooking Madrid.
Day 2 Itinerary: Prado Museum, Retiro Park
Prado Museum
On to day two of our itinerary to determine how many days in Madrid are enough! We are going to start by heading to not only to the largest collection of art in all of Spain at Spain’s national art museum, Museo del Prado.
This museum spans multiple floors with dozens of collections from world renowned artists. Some highlights include pieces from Francisco Goya, Diego Velazquez, Raphael, El Greco, and Rembrandt. Given the magnitude of this museum, I recommend paying 8€ for a headset at the entrance to walk you through the museum.
As you are leaving the museum, keep your eye out for local artists selling art pieces outside the museum for a unique souvenir of your trip!
Retiro Park
Just a short walk away from the Prado Museum is Madrid’s largest public park, El Retiro. At approximately 350 acres, this recently named UNESCO World Heritage site is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Madrid. Complete with gardens, sculptures, fountains, monuments, and even an artificial lake, this is the perfect place to spend a laid back afternoon in Madrid.
Looking for the highlights of the park? Check out the following:
- Row Boats on the Lake: For only a couple euros, you can rent a rowing boat and take it out on the lake.
- The Florida Terrace: This rooftop terrace offers incredible views and the opportunity to order a drink while enjoying the park.
- La Rosaleda: If you are visiting in May or June, this rose garden features over 4000 roses in full bloom.
For more highlights, read on here.
Day 3 Itinerary: Reina Sofia Museum and a Flamenco Show
Museo Reina Sofia (Reina Sofia Museum)
For our final museum stop in our multi-day itinerary to determine how many days in Madrid is enough, we are headed to Museo Reina Sofia. This art museum is home exclusively to 20th-century art. The museum is known for its vast collections of art from world renowned artists, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.
Featured in the museum is one of Pablo Picasso’s most famous works, Guernica. Painted following the German Bombing of Guernica during WWII, this piece is known for its controversial reception from its audiences throughout the years.
Flamenco Show
A trip to Madrid isn’t complete without paying a visit to one of the Flamenco shows throughout the city. A staple of Spanish culture, Flamenco is a beautiful dance form with deep rooted heritage in the country providing for a unique cultural experience to close out your trip. Often the shows are quite intimate, with only a few rows of seats and a stage.
On my visit, we visited La Cueva de Lola and I cannot recommend it more highly. The show was set inside a 17th century “cave” located on the lower level of a building just outside Plaza Mayor. Everyone was seated at tables alongside the walls with capacity for only 60 guests.
The performers danced for 90 minutes while servers brought out drinks and food throughout the show. At La Cueva de Lola, they ask you to limit your camera to only a couple pictures and no videos. I appreciated how this allowed the audience to be fully immersed in the show in real time.
Day 4 Itinerary: Choose Your Own Adventure
When deciding how many days in Madrid is enough for your next trip, its important to consider if you would like to have some extra time to branch out beyond the major tourist spots. I highly recommend adding some time in to further dip into the culture with either a food and wine tour, a trip to El Rastro (Madrid’s world renowned flea market), or perhaps a stroll through the shopping district.
Here are my top recommendations for a fourth day in Madrid:
Food Tour
By day four of your trip to Madrid, you will likely discover that food is an integral part of Spanish culture. Unlike much of the world, they take the time to prepare and enjoy long lunches, dinner starts after the sun goes down and goes into the late hours of the night, and the Spaniards heavily value time spent enjoying the presence of family and friends over a meal.
Since food is such an essential part of Madrid, a food tour is an excellent way to further immerse yourself into the culture. Here are some food tours to check out to get you started:
- What is more Spanish than bopping around and tasting tapas? Check out the Madrid Tapas Night Walking Tour for a guided experience to some of the best places.
- Want to sprinkle some history into your restaurant hopping? Try Madrid Tapas, Taverns & History Tour for a more informational experience
- Want to have a more formal lunch or dinner included? Check out Madrid Food Tour: Gastronomy & History with Lunch or Dinner
El Rastro
If you are visiting Madrid on a Sunday, make sure you carve time out to visit El Rastro. El Rastro is Madrid’s open-air flea market that takes place every Sunday year round. The flea market spans many different blocks of the city and is jam packed with vendors selling anything from art, to jewelry, clothes, antiques, food and more.
The atmosphere in and around El Rastro was one of my favorite parts of visiting Madrid. The smell of delicious food wafting through the air, street performers playing Spanish classics, and the overwhelming number of stalls with so many different items to peruse through was an incredible experience. However, I will warn you that it does get very crowded in the afternoon. For a slightly more leisure experience, I highly recommend getting there in the morning to beat the rush.
Wine Tour
Looking to get a true “taste” of Madrid? Consider taking a wine tour in or around the city! There are a number of walking tours within the city to different wine bars, or you can catch a tour from city center to the vineyard in the countryside surrounding the city.
The following are walking tours within the city:
Looking for an adventure outside of the city? Check out these tours that take you to local vineyards:
- Madrid Countryside Wineries Guided Tour with Wine Tasting
- Toledo City Tour, Winery Experience & Wine Tasting from Madrid
- Ribera del Duero Wineries Guided Tour & Wine Tasting from Madrid
Don’t Stop Exploring Here!
Check out my other city guides below!
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- How Many Days in Rome is Enough? The Perfect Itinerary for 2, 3, or 4 Days
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- Ultimate NYC 4 Day Itinerary
Gluten Free like Me?
It’s uber important to always travel prepared! No matter where you are going, its important to always travel with some gluten free snacks on hand!
Click here to learn more about my favorite gluten free travel snacks!
Looking for more gluten free travel inspiration? Check out my other posts!
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