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So many people overlook Spain’s capital city in favour of the beaches of Barcelona, but to skip over Madrid would be missing out! It’s easy to spend 4 days in Madrid making unforgettable memories.
From world-famous art galleries to mouth-watering tapas, the thundering sound of flamenco shows to the peaceful tranquillity of Retiro Park, Madrid is a diverse and delightful city break.
I used to live in Spain, but I had never made it to the country’s capital during my time living there. I decided that needed to change, and visited Madrid for a long weekend in winter. Fortunately, I really enjoyed my time Madrid – and I’m sure you will too!
If you’re looking for the ideal itinerary for four days in Madrid, you’ve come to the right place. Today, I’m sharing my tried-and-tested 4 day Madrid itinerary that you can steal! Here’s what to see in Madrid in 4 days.
Table of Contents
How Many Days Do You Need in Madrid?
Is four days in Madrid enough?
I have good news for you – four days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Madrid to see all of the most important attractions and cover all of the best things to do in the city! With four days in Madrid, you’ll also have time to take a day trip to one of the many wonderful day trip destinations surrounding the city.
If you were in a rush, and just wanted to see the highlights of Madrid without any day trips, you could cover the top attractions in two days.
However, with four days in the city you’ll be able to explore more comprehensively, take your time, and spend hours chatting and relaxing over lunch, just like the Spanish do.
4 Days in Madrid (the Perfect Madrid Itinerary)
Day 1: Art, Flamenco and Tapas
Stop 1: Royal Palace of Madrid
Start off your four days in Madrid bright and early and head to the Royal Palace of Madrid, the most popular attraction in the city!
Standing proud since 1751, this majestic building is still the official residence of the Spanish royal family, but tourists are allowed to enter and explore.
If you’ve already been to a few European cities you might feel a bit of palace fatigue by now, but the Royal Palace of Madrid is still definitely worth a visit! The interior decoration inside is very unique, and it was cool to see a palace that doesn’t just look like all the others.
Because this is such a popular attraction I highly recommend booking your ticket in advance here, as you’ll be able to skip the ticket queue. Otherwise, you’re going to waste anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes waiting in line for a ticket.
I visited in January, the low season, and there was still a long ticket queue!
Click here to get your tickets!
Stop 2: Catedral de la Almudena
Just across from the Royal Palace you’ll find the huge Catedral de la Almudena, one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Spain.
You have two options when visiting the Cathedral – the first is just to wander around its exterior for free, marvelling at its towering structure.
The second is to pay €7 to go inside to check out its colourful chapels, frankly quite underwhelming museum, and their wonderful viewing platform, where you’ll get epic views over Madrid.
From just outside the palace and cathedral you’ll also find a ledge where you can get sweeping views over the surrounding area. On a sunny day it is super beautiful.
Stop 3: Lunch at San Miguel Market
It’s time to walk back into central Madrid for lunch, and there’s no better place to sample a variety of traditional Spanish foods than at the world-famous San Miguel Market. This place is always absolutely rammed with people, so prepare for crowds and take your time.
You may be concerned that this is a tourist trap, but rest assured – when I visited there were plenty of locals here hanging out with friends and family and feasting on delicious food.
The market is free to enter and walk around, and inside you’ll find small portions of lots of different authentic dishes. The prices here are more expensive than most other places in Madrid, but it’s worth a visit for the buzzing atmosphere and sheer variety of dishes to choose from.
Stop 4: Reina Sofia Art Museum
The Reina Sofia Art Museum is Spain’s national museum when it comes to 20th-century art. Madrid is HUGE on art and art galleries, and the Reina Sofia is one of the very best.
Inside, you’ll find works of art from some of the most famous artists of the 20th century, including the world-famous “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso.
Trust me when I say this place is absolutely HUGE, so you’ll need to allocate at least three hours here. If you’re super arty, you could easily spend longer!
Just like the Royal Palace, this is one of the most popular things to do in Madrid. After all, this is one of the most famous art galleries in Europe! For this reason, once again, you can expect long lines to buy tickets.
Luckily, just like the palace, you can purchase skip-the-line tickets here to avoid wasting time queueing.
Stop 5: Watch a Flamenco Show!
You can’t visit Madrid without seeing one of its most popular exports – flamenco! Sure, flamenco is technically from Andalusia and cities like Seville, not Madrid, but many of the best dancers flock to Madrid to make their name.
This means you’ll be able to see some incredible flamenco right in the capital city!
I opted for this flamenco show, and it was truly the highlight of my four days in Madrid! I was enchanted from start to finish, and when the show ended I just wanted to go back in time to experience it all over again!
The flamenco show offers a tapas dinner option, but I just went for the show and one drink option as I knew I could eat somewhere else for cheaper. However, if you want to have the full experience dining here is an option, and the food did look really good.
The best shows do sell out, so booking your place ahead of time is essential. Click here to book your tickets!
There are countless different flamenco bars in Madrid, so it can be hard to choose where to visit, but I’m happy with the one I chose.
Day 2: Exploring the Streets of Madrid
Stop 1: Churros and Chocolate at Chocolateria San Gines
Founded in 1824, this Madrid institution has been serving up authentic chocolate and churros for close to 200 years! It’s a no-frills cafeteria-style cafe with huge queues, but it’s the obvious choice for breakfast one morning during your four days in Madrid.
Don’t have time to queue? Chocolateria San Gines is open 24 hours, so you can get your chocolate and churro fix anytime you desire.
Chocolate with 6 churros to dip into it costs €4.50. A portion of two Porras (thicker, richer churros) costs €1.80. The chocolate tastes almost bitter, and definitely not the sugary chocolate you’re probably used to, but this is the authentic way, and it’s awesome to get to try it.
Just prepare to be very full afterwards!
Stop 2: Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol & Other Highlights
Breakfast eaten, it’s time to explore Madrid from a local’s perspective on a free walking tour. I’m generally a big fan of free walking tours because you learn so much more about the history of a city than you would by exploring independently.
Madrid’s free walking tour departs every day from Plaza del Callao at 11am and lasts for 2.5 hours, guiding you around Madrid’s most iconic landmarks, including Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and the Madrid Opera.
It’s the ideal way to learn a lot about Madrid whilst checking a tonne of attractions off your list.
Although it’s called a “free” tour, it’s never actually free. These tours are tip-based, meaning you just tip your guide what you feel at the end of it. I usually pay around €10 per person on tours like this in Western Europe, but less or more is also fine.
Stop 3: Lunch at Cardeño
For lunch, get the metro out to Santiago Bernabeu for a menu del dia lunch at Cardeño. We were the only tourists in this restaurant, and the food was *chefs kiss*.
For €14 you’ll get a starter, main, dessert, bread and a drink – you really can’t beat it! Spain is famous for its menu del dia, a large midday meal set at an affordable price, and this was one of the best I’ve had.
Stop 4: Tour Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Okay, so not everybody reading this will be interested in visiting the home of football in Madrid, but if you are (or are travelling with somebody that is), the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is a must-visit.
It goes without saying that the best way to visit the stadium is by snagging tickets to a Real Madrid game and watching them play here. However, you’ll need to book far in advance if you want to get affordable tickets to a match.
If you don’t manage to snag some tickets, or just don’t want to spend €50 on a game, I recommend taking the Bernabeu Stadium tour.
I visited with my boyfriend, who is a massive football fan, and to be honest I wasn’t super excited. However, the exhibitions in the “museum” section of the tour are surprisingly fascinating, and they have a huge range of trophies, shirts and football boots on display.
The tour costs €15, and you can buy your tickets here.
Stop 5: Dinner at La Mordida
You’ll probably have time to head back to your accommodation for a quick rest before dinner, so go ahead – you’re probably exhausted!
After resting, it’s time to head out for dinner at Taquería Mi Ciudad. Yup, this is a Mexican restaurant, but decent Mexican food is unbelievably hard to find in Europe (unless you’re in a HUGE city like London).
That’s why you may as well take advantage of being in Spain to sample some!
This colourful restaurant is very popular so it’s worth booking in advance or arriving early and being prepared to wait for a table. We ordered the tacos el pastor which were delicious!
Stop 6: Mojitos at Cafe Madrid
A mojito is the drink of choice in Madrid, and locals argue fiercely over where, exactly, you can find the best mojito in the city. Obviously, I’m not a local, but I had an incredible mojito at Cafe Madrid!
So good, in fact, that I went back there the following day for another!
As well as mojitos, this cocktail bar serves up a whole range of drinks and cocktails, and the staff there are very knowledgeable. They’re more than happy to make suggestions or even create custom cocktails, and the vibe here is very hip and cool.
Day 3: Day trip to Toledo
On day three of your four days in Madrid I recommend heading out of the city to get a taste of more traditional Spain.
There are loads of day trip options, which include Segovia, Salamanca and Cordoba, but I opted to visit Toledo, and I highly recommend that you do the same.
This stunning ancient city is known as the “city of three cultures” due to the mediaeval Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments in the city.
Toledo’s old town is one of the most magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain, and you should allocate the morning to strolling around its ancient walls, exploring its steep alleyways, and marvelling at the panoramic views over the hillsides that Toledo offers.
In the afternoon, head to the impressive Alcázar de Toledo, a huge 16th-century complex that was once a fortified royal palace. The views from up here over the rest of Toledo are stunning!
Inside the Alcázar de Toledo you’ll find a comprehensive museum dedicated to military history. You could easily spend all afternoon here – there’s just so much information!
Entry to the Alcázar de Toledo costs €5, but is free on Sundays!
Getting to Toledo from Madrid
Toledo is super easy to visit on a day trip from Madrid. You have two options: take the train or join a tour.
The direct train from Madrid departs from Madrid’s Puerta De Atocha station and takes around 30 minutes. It costs €22.20 for a return ticket.
You’ll need to arrive at the train station in Madrid with plenty of time as you need to go through “airport style” security to be allowed on the train platforms.
The other option is to combine a trip to Toledo with a trip to another very popular day trip destination, Segovia. To do this, you’ll need to join this top-rated tour, which covers both famous cities in just one day.
It’s surprisingly affordable, costing €51 for the entire day, and is the perfect option if you want to see as much of Spain as you can during your 4 days in Madrid.
Day 4: El Retiro Park and the Prado Museum
The final day in this four days in Madrid itinerary focuses on Retiro Park, one of Madrid’s top attractions and most photographed locations.
This vast, sprawling park is a green haven away from the busy city and the perfect way to round off your four days in Madrid.
Stop 1: Puerta de Alcalá
The first stop on your visit to Retiro Park is Puerta de Alcalá, a huge arch monument marking the entrance to the park. There’s not a whole lot to say about it, but it’s worth entering the park via the Puerta de Alcalá since it’s one of Madrid’s famous landmarks.
Stop 2: Retiro Park (inc Crystal Palace)
Next up is Retiro Park itself, where I recommend you wander around to check out local life and the many interesting attractions here. The highlight of the park is the Monument to Alfonso XII, which stands behind the Retiro Park pond.
It’s one of the most photographed spots in Madrid and the pond is the best place to sit for a while and soak up the sun.
Another top attraction in Retiro Park is Crystal Palace, which took inspiration from London’s Crystal Palace. It’s an exhibition venue where you’ll often find art exhibitions from the Reina Sofia Gallery. Admission is free!
Stop 3: Lunch at Restaurant Badila
Walking out of the park and back towards town, I recommend lunching at Restaurant Badila. This place is as authentic as it gets, and the menu del dia is great value!
Be warned, though, you’ll probably struggle here if you don’t have at least beginner Spanish – there is no English menu and the staff didn’t speak English on my visit.
Their menu del dia costs €15.90.
Stop 4: Prado Museum
On the final afternoon on this Madrid itinerary it’s time to visit one of the most famous art galleries in the world, the Prado Museum. If you have even a passing interest in art this place is a must-see whilst in Madrid!
The collection spans from the 12th to 19th century and is absolutely huge. You’ll have no problem spending all afternoon here.
Since this is the most popular gallery in Madrid there are ticket queues pretty much every day of the year. You need to book your tickets online in advance to skip the queues. The cheapest price is on their website, where it’s €15 per person.
Extra Travel Information for Your 4 Days in Madrid
Madrid Travel Tips
Eat a Big Lunch
One of the best things to do in Madrid is eat, but unlike what you may be used to, lunch is the biggest and most important meal of the day in Madrid.
I recommend doing as the locals do and trying the famous menu del dia (a filling and affordable set menu offered at many restaurants) whenever possible.
People spend hours eating lunch, so don’t expect to be able to get in and out of a restaurant in a hurry.
Prepare to Eat Dinner Late
In terms of dinner, people in Madrid eat far later than elsewhere in Europe. Many restaurants won’t open until at least 7pm, and it’s not unusual to eat as late as 10pm. It’s worth bearing this in mind when making dinner plans.
Buy Your Entry Tickets in Advance
Like many capital cities in Europe, Madrid is hugely popular with tourists year-round. That means that you can expect long ticket queues for the top attractions. I have, where possible, added links to places where you can buy your tickets in advance to skip the lines.
Go Easy on Yourself in the Heat
Madrid is one of the hottest cities in Europe. If you’re planning a trip to Madrid in summer (June-September) you may want to cut out a few of the stops on this Madrid itinerary to accommodate how exhausting the heat can be.
There’s nothing wrong with slowing down if you need to!
Use Public Transport
Madrid’s public transportation system is great, and it’ll get you everywhere you need to go during your 4 day trip to Madrid. You don’t need to rent a car in Madrid, and you also don’t need to use taxis unless you have a lot of luggage or have mobility issues.
Where to Stay in Madrid
Mid-Range Hotel
Rob and I visited Madrid for our anniversary so we opted for a mid-range hotel to celebrate! Unfortunately, the hotel we stayed at has now permanently closed.
If we were to visit again we’d stay at this gorgeous hotel with a rooftop pool. Perfect if you’re visiting Madrid in the hot summer! The decor is clean, bright and airy, and it’s close to all the tourist attractions.
Click here to check availability and latest prices.
Budget Hotel
If you’re looking to stay in Madrid’s centre in a clean, comfortable and well-reviewed hotel? Then look no further, this budget hotel is the perfect solution!
Each room has a private bathroom, most of the city’s top attractions are just a short walk away and the manager gets rave reviews for being accommodating, welcoming and having a wealth of local knowledge.
Click here to check availability and latest prices.
Hostel
The biggest expense on your trip to Madrid will be accommodation. The best way to keep that cost down (especially if you’re travelling solo) is to stay in a hostel!
This is the top-rated hostel in Madrid, and has a buzzing social atmosphere perfect for meeting other travellers. A bed in a dorm will cost you around €24 – perfect if you’re travelling on a budget!
Language
Madrid’s official language is Spanish, but it’s worth noting that Spanish from mainland Spain is slightly different to the Spanish spoken in Mexico, Central and South America.
If you speak these variants of Spanish you’ll still get by easily but there may be a few words that puzzle you.
I highly recommend learning very basic Spanish before your trip to Madrid. Unlike most other capital cities I have visited in Europe, I found that not everybody I came across spoke English.
For example, almost everywhere I ate had the menu only in Spanish with waiters who did not speak English.
This was totally fine for me, as I’ve been working on learning Spanish for a while now so I knew enough to get by. Duolingo will definitely teach you enough to cover the basics at a bar or restaurant.
If you can’t speak any Spanish, I recommend downloading the Google Translate app and downloading Spanish on it. Then, you can quickly check any words you need to know.
Getting To & Around Madrid
How to Get to Madrid City Centre from the Airport
Madrid Airport has metro stations at Terminal 2 and Terminal 4. I recommend using Google Maps to work out which metro route will take you where you need to go fastest.
If in doubt you can take Line 8, which goes to the centre of Madrid (the Nuevos Ministerios Metro station) in just 12 minutes.
Tickets cost €5 one-way and include a reusable Madrid Metro card. Keep hold of this as you’ll need to reload it for journeys during your stay in Madrid.
How to Get Around Madrid with Public Transport
The best way to get around Madrid, besides walking, is using the Metro, which is generally very good. A single ticket costs between €1.50-2.50, depending on where you’re going.
You purchase tickets at the ticket machines in the metro stations and load them onto the reusable card you’ll have received at the airport.
When is the Best Time to Visit Madrid?
The best time to visit Madrid is in spring or autumn when temperatures aren’t too hot to be able to sightsee. Spain in autumn is lovely, when you’ll finally get a respite from the heat!
Unlike almost everywhere else in Europe, I do not recommend visiting Madrid in summer! Daily temperatures in the summer months stay at around 31°C (88°F) or above, with quite a few days reaching 35-40°C (95-105°F).
Sightseeing in these temperatures would be absolutely unbearable!
I personally visited Madrid in January, for winter, and it was the perfect getaway from the cold winter temperatures of London. Each day the weather was perfect for sightseeing – chilly (definitely pack a jacket) but not cold, with sunny, clear skies.
Sure, you should pack an umbrella for Madrid in winter just in case, but I found Madrid’s winter to be so much milder than what I’m used to in London!
Is Madrid Worth Visiting?
I, personally, really enjoyed my trip to Madrid, and I think it’s worth visiting! However, I can understand that it doesn’t have many “heavy hitter” tourist attractions when compared to cities such as Paris, London and Rome. It also doesn’t have much in the way of jaw-dropping scenery. That could be why some people think that Madrid is “boring”.
However, I’d argue that there are still plenty of fun things to do in Madrid for four days – especially if you’re into art museums, and fabulous flamenco shows! If you’re interested in Spanish culture and food, you should definitely add Madrid to your Spain itinerary!
What Should I Not Miss in Madrid?
Absolutely unmissable attractions in Madrid are Retiro Park, the Royal Palace and the The Museo del Prado (Prado Museum). Don’t miss seeing a flamenco show in Madrid, too!
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