Three days is the sweet spot for a first visit to Madrid. It gives you time for the three great art museums without rushing, a morning in the royal quarter, an afternoon in the Retiro and long evenings in the tapas bars, which is where Madrid really comes alive. This plan keeps walking to a minimum by grouping sights that sit next to each other, and times the big museums around their free hours and closing days. Prices and hours were checked on official websites in November 2026.

Before you start

  • Closing days. The Prado opens every day. The Reina Sofía closes on Tuesdays, the Royal Palace’s free slots run Monday to Thursday, the Thyssen opens only its collection on Monday afternoons, and El Escorial closes on Mondays.
  • Getting around. The centre is walkable. A single Metro ticket costs €1.50 to €2 depending on distance, and a Tourist Travel Pass for zone A costs from €10.30 for one day under the 2026 tariff.
  • Eating hours. Lunch is usually from about 2pm and dinner from 9pm. Many museums are quieter at lunchtime.

Day 1: Old Madrid and the Royal Palace

Start at Puerta del Sol, stand on Kilometre Zero and find the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, then walk five minutes along Calle Mayor to Plaza Mayor while it is still quiet. Continue west to the Royal Palace, which opens at 10am. A self-guided ticket costs €18; allow about 45 minutes for the state rooms and 30 for the Royal Armoury.

Across the square, the Almudena Cathedral is free to enter. If you want the view from its dome, go before 2.30pm, when the museum closes, and not on a Sunday. Stroll through the Sabatini Gardens and the Plaza de Oriente, then head back towards Plaza Mayor for a late lunch.

In the afternoon, graze at the Mercado de San Miguel or rest before the evening. Walk north to the Temple of Debod for sunset over the Casa de Campo; the park is open at all times, but book a free slot online if you want to go inside before it closes. Finish with dinner in La Latina, on Cava Baja.

Day 2: The Paseo del Arte and the Retiro

Be at the Prado when the ticket office opens at 9.45am and head straight for Velázquez’s Las Meninas, Goya’s Black Paintings and Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. A ticket costs €15; allow two to three hours. Then step next door into the Royal Botanical Garden (€4) or walk up the hill into the Retiro.

In the Retiro, hire a rowing boat on the Great Pond, see the Alfonso XII monument and the free exhibitions in the Palacio de Velázquez. Have a late lunch in the Barrio de las Letras, around Plaza de Santa Ana.

In the evening, use a free slot. The Reina Sofía, home of Picasso’s Guernica, is free on Monday and Wednesday to Saturday from 7pm to 9pm. If you would rather see the Prado for free, it opens its doors in the last two hours of every day, from 6pm on weekdays and Saturdays. Either way, book or queue early.

Day 3: Thyssen, Gran Vía and the Bernabéu

Begin at the Thyssen-Bornemisza, the most varied of the three big museums, with everything from Van Eyck to Hopper. It costs €14, or is free on Monday afternoons from 12pm to 4pm. Then walk five minutes to the Palacio de Cibeles and ride up to the Mirador Madrid (€4, closed Mondays) for a 360-degree view.

From Cibeles, walk the length of Gran Vía past the Metrópolis and Telefónica buildings, stopping for lunch in Chueca or Malasaña. In the afternoon, take Metro line 10 to the Santiago Bernabéu for the stadium tour, from €37 online. Book ahead and check that the tour is not cut short by a match.

For your last night, book a flamenco show or a musical on Gran Vía, or simply join Madrileños for a late dinner and a drink on a terrace.

With a fourth day

Take a day trip. Toledo and Segovia are each about half an hour away by high-speed train, and El Escorial is about an hour by commuter train or bus.

Saving money

Plan around the free hours at the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen, and if you want full daytime visits to all three, compare the cost with the Paseo del Arte card, which covers one visit to each within a year.