La Madrid In recent years it has become a very attractive tourist destination for both Spanish and international tourists.
Beyond the monuments that can be visited in Madrid, the charm that is experienced in its main squares and streets, with emblematic places such as the Plaza Mayor or the reborn Gran Vía, is one of its main attractions.
But above all, those who visit Madrid appreciate the very welcoming spirit of the city, always with a great cultural, leisure and gastronomic atmosphere.
And they also value the artistic wealth that contain their museums, with a special prominence of those who form what is known as Art Triangle, with the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza y Reina Sofia.
All the information in detail
- 1 What to see and do on your visit to Madrid: a local's experience
- 2 What to see in the Madrid of the Austrias
- 3 Madrid museums
- 4 What to see on Paseo del Prado and surroundings
- 5 What to see on Gran Vía and surroundings
- 6 What to see in Retiro Park and surroundings
- 7 Other interesting places to see in Madrid
What to see and do on your visit to Madrid: a local's experience
Facing your tourism trip to Madrid, here is a list of articles with tips, recommended visits and interesting topics which will surely be useful to you., with the experience of being from Madrid.
In this list you will find all the information about the most important corners and monuments of the capital, as well as tips and practical information for visiting them.
In this regard, at the outset we advise you to read this article with a route to visit the best of Madrid in two days, and you can only do one express visit from the capital, here are our best tips on What to see in Madrid in 1 day.
On the other hand, on a tourist trip to Madrid you should reserve time to take an excursion to some of the most interesting places near the capital.
- In this article you have extensive information with the 25 best places to see and visit near Madrid, and here you can book Tours and excursions in Madrid and its surroundings.
That is the case of the historic cities of Toledo o Segovia, or of El Escorial Monastery, Aranjuez o Alcalá de Henares.
And if shopping is one of your great motivations for visiting the capital, it will be useful for you to know When do shops and shopping centers open on Sundays and holidays in Madrid.
We hope they're useful to you.
Tips for visiting Madrid
What to see in the Madrid of the Austrias
In our opinion, Madrid de los Austrias is the most beautiful area of Madrid, as well as being the most historically important in the capital.
How to have unlimited Internet on your trip
If you are travelling from outside the European Union, before starting your trip, do not forget to buy the Holafly eSIM (which we always take on our international trips), so that as soon as you arrive in the country Where you travel you already have the unlimited 4G data connection that will allow you to use Internet tools as useful as Google Maps.
Here you can buy the data eSIM with a 5% discount using code TRAVEL GUIDES, and here you have an article in which we detail the advantages of using said eSIM and how to do it
This area is where the city's key monuments are located, as it was the area where the Habsburg dynasty developed the city.
When visiting the historic city center, the key points are the Plaza Mayor, the Puerta del Sol and Plaza de Oriente, where you will find some of the capital's most important monuments.
Plaza Mayor and surroundings
- What to see in the Plaza Mayor of Madrid
- Centenary and traditional shops in the centre of Madrid
- Botín centenary restaurant on Cuchilleros street
- Tapas and gastronomy at the San Miguel Market
Puerta del Sol and the Literary Quarter
- This is the renovated Puerta del Sol in Madrid, its history and monuments
- Traditional pastries in Puerta del Sol and surrounding areas
- Plaza de Santa Ana, the heart of the Barrio de las Letras
- How to visit the Lope de Vega House Museum
- Lhardy Restaurant, a historic establishment on Carrera de San Jerónimo
- Chocolatería San Ginés, a New Year's Eve tradition in Madrid
Plaza de la Villa
Church of San Ginés
On your trip to the capital, you may be interested in taking a tour accompanied by a specialized guide, such as a Guided tour of the Royal Palace or by the Museo del Prado, and if you have time, it is well worth doing one excursion to Toledo.
In addition, here you can choose and reserve the Best guided tours and excursions in Madrid with other alternatives Tours and excursions in English and other languages
Plaza de Oriente
- 10 corners to enjoy during your visit to Plaza de Oriente
- These are the guided tours of the Royal Theater in the Plaza de Oriente
- Equestrian statue of Felipe IV in the Plaza de Oriente, the most important in Madrid
- The curious history of the statues of Spanish kings in the Plaza de Oriente
Madrid's Royal Palace
- Most interesting curiosities from the history of the Royal Palace of Madrid in the Plaza de Oriente
- The Royal Palace of Madrid and its gardens, the best things to see
- How to visit the Royal Armory of the Royal Palace of Madrid
- When to see the Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace of Madrid
- Tips for visiting the Royal Palace: schedules, ticket prices
- How to visit the Royal Palace of Madrid for free
Cathedral of the Almudena
- Tips for visiting the Almudena Cathedral
- These are the guided tours of the Almudena Cathedral Museum and climbing to the terraces and dome
La Latina neighborhood
- Bishop's Chapel, great monument from the 16th century in the Plaza de la Paja
- This is the visit to the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande and its great dome
- This is the Palace of the Marquis of Villafranca: how to visit it for free
Madrid museums
If there is one characteristic that defines the city of Madrid, it is its museums, the most important of which are those that make up the so-called Art Triangle, specifically, the Museo del Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofía Art Center.
ORGANIZE your TRIP
- Don't forget your TRAVEL INSURANCE with a 5% discount
- Book the HOTEL for your trip
- eSIM card to have INTERNET at a discount
- The best TOURS and EXCURSIONS in Spanish
- TOURS and ACTIVITIES in English and other languages
- NO-LINE TICKETS for museums and monuments
- RENT a CAR for your trip
- Has your flight been cancelled? How to claim compensation
- Book your TRANSFER from the airport
Museo del Prado
- What is essential to see at the Prado Museum
- How to visit the Prado Museum, schedules and ticket prices
- How to visit the Prado Museum for free
Museo Thyssen Bornemisza
- The best things to see at the Thyssen Bornemisza museum
- How to visit the Thyssen Bornemisza museum: schedules, ticket prices
- How to visit the Thyssen Bornemisza museum for free
Tours and excursions in the surroundings of Madrid
Reina Sofía Art Center Museum
- Museum where you can see Picasso's Guernica
- How to visit the Reina Sofía Museum, schedules and ticket prices
National Archaeological Museum
Sorolla Museum
Museum of Romanticism
Cerralbo Museum
Museum of America
Lázaro Galdiano Museum
Other museums in Madrid
- This is what a visit to the Museum of Illusions in Madrid is like.
- This is what a visit to the Madrid Wax Museum is like.
- This is what Legends, the football museum in Madrid, is like.
- This is what the visit to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando looks like.
What to see on Paseo del Prado and surroundings
Plaza de Cibeles
Palace of Cibeles
Linac Palace
- Legends of the Marquises of Linares and the ghosts of the Linares Palace
- How to visit the Linares Palace in Cibeles: schedules, ticket prices
Neptune Square and surroundings
What to see on Gran Vía and surroundings
Circle of Fine Arts Terrace
House of the Seven Chimneys
Metropolis Building
Commercial Circle Building
Plaza de España
- The best things to see and do in the new Plaza de España
- How to go up to the Terrace of the Riu Plaza de España Hotel
- Casa Gallardo, modernist building in the Plaza de España
- Visits of the Senate on Open Days and throughout the year
Temple of Debod
What to see in Retiro Park and surroundings
- What to see on a walk through Retiro Park
- Crystal Palace, the most beautiful corner of Retiro Park
- Monument to Alfonso XII in Retiro Park
Other interesting places to see in Madrid
- How to visit the Moncloa Lighthouse viewpoint: schedules, ticket prices
- Rose Gardens in Parque del Oeste
- Goya's frescoes and pantheon in the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida
- Madrid Río Park, places to see and activities to do
- How to visit and what to see in the El Capricho artistic garden in Alameda de Osuna
- How and when to see the almond trees in bloom in the Quinta de los Molinos park in Madrid
For me one of the most impressive places is the Plaza de Oriente. It has a lot of secret corners where you can spend an afternoon with good weather. And the best thing is the views. Everywhere you look is worth it: Royal Palace, Opera, royal sculptures, Almudena, etc. 100% recommended 🙂
One of the secrets that this city has is the Arab Wall, it is next to the Almudena.
A very complete article about Madrid! I didn't know the Quinta de los Molinos park. I'm writing it down for when the almond season starts. Thank you so much!!
I've been to Madrid several times but I wanted to go back and discover new places and the truth is that I think this post is wonderful! What an abundance of corners and activities that can be done in Madrid. Very saved!!