Madrid

Best things to do in Madrid

1. 1

   1. Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Adults

   Real Madrid's home since 1947, a retractable-roof stadium in the Chamartín district. Its renovation was completed in late 2024 and it now seats 83,186. It has hosted four European Cup and Champions League finals.

   Our sources do not cover tours or match tickets; check the club's official site.

   26,390 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Bernabéu (stadium)
2. 2

   2. A day trip to Toledo

   • A full day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • No car needed

   A historic city on a bend of the Tagus, once a Roman city and the Visigothic capital. In the Middle Ages it was a major cultural centre where Islamic, Jewish and Christian influences met.

   Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.

   22,633 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Toledo, Spain
3. 3

   3. El Escorial

   • Half a day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Rainy day
   • No car needed

   A royal residence and monastery about 45 km north-west of Madrid, built between 1563 and 1584 for Philip II. It is called the largest Renaissance building in the world and also holds a basilica, pantheon, library and museum.

   Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.

   14,439 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, El Escorial
4. 4

   4. Prado Museum

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Rainy day
   • Couples

   Spain's main national art museum, founded in 1819 and built on the former royal collection. Its highlights include works by Goya, Bosch, El Greco, Rubens, Titian and Velázquez.

   Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.

   14,324 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Museo del Prado
5. 5

   5. Royal Palace of Madrid

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Rainy day
   • Couples

   The official residence of the Spanish royal family, used mainly for state ceremonies. With 3,418 rooms it is the largest palace in Western Europe. It was built between 1738 and 1755 after the old Alcázar burned down in 1734.

   Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.

   13,801 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Royal Palace of Madrid
6. 6

   6. A day trip to Segovia

   • A full day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • No car needed

   A city in Castile and León known for three landmarks: its Roman aqueduct, its late Gothic cathedral and the Alcázar fortress. The city centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

   Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.

   9,243 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Segovia
7. 7

   7. Almudena Cathedral

   • About an hour
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Rainy day

   Madrid's cathedral, opposite the Royal Palace. Building began in 1883 and Pope John Paul II consecrated it in 1993, more than a century later.

   Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.

   5,206 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Almudena Cathedral
8. 8

   8. Reina Sofía Museum

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • Tickets needed
   • Rainy day
   • Adults

   Spain's national museum of 20th-century art, near Atocha station, with major collections of Picasso and Dalí. Picasso's 1937 painting Guernica is its most famous work.

   The museum is closed on Tuesdays. Free-admission hours exist, but you still need a ticket, which can be booked online.

   4,931 readers a month

   Sources

   • Museo Reina Sofía, visit
   • Wikipedia, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
9. 9

   9. Plaza Mayor

   • About an hour
   • No booking needed
   • Couples
   • No car needed

   Madrid's main square, first built between 1580 and 1619 under Philip III. It measures 129 by 94 metres, is lined with uniform buildings with 237 balconies, and has ten entrances.

   4,820 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Plaza Mayor, Madrid
10. 10

    10. Temple of Debod

    • About an hour
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Couples

    An ancient Nubian temple from the 2nd century BC, given to Spain by Egypt in 1968 and rebuilt in Madrid's Parque de la Montaña in 1970 to 1972. It is the only Egyptian temple of its kind in Spain.

    Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.

    4,740 readers a month

    Sources

    • Wikipedia, Temple of Debod

Just missed the list: Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (11th by readers; the third of Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art museums); Alcalá de Henares (12th by readers; a historic town for a day trip from Madrid)