Trip highlights
- 1Prado Museum — Velázquez and Goya
- 2Reina Sofía Museum — Guernica
- 3El Rastro Sunday flea market
- 4Flamenco tablaos in La Latina
- 5Mercado de San Miguel tapas
Daily spend
Want this for your exact dates?
Live hotel prices, real-time flights, and weather for when you're going.
Been before? Re-book the same trip instantly with current prices.
Day-by-day plan
Arrival & Gran Vía
Saturday, May 1
Est. spend
$120
per person
🌅 Morning
Arrive Madrid Barajas Airport
Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport
Madrid-Barajas (MAD) is 12km from the centre. Metro Line 8 (pink) goes from Terminal 4 to Nuevos Ministerios, then change for central Madrid (45min, €6). Taxi to Sol or Gran Vía is €25–30. The Metro is straightforward and well-signed.
Get a 10-trip Metro card (Tarjeta Recargable) at the airport for €2 card + €12 for 10 trips — much cheaper than single tickets.
☀️ Afternoon
Gran Vía and Puerta del Sol walk
Gran Vía, Madrid
Gran Vía is Madrid's main boulevard — 1930s movie palaces, the Telefónica building (1928), international brands, and the constant energy of a city that never stops. Puerta del Sol is the symbolic heart (Km 0 of Spain's road network).
The Metropolis Building (Gran Vía 1) has a rooftop accessible to visitors — one of the best architectural photos in Madrid from street level or from the Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop café opposite.
Mercado de San Miguel
Plaza de San Miguel, Madrid
The 1916 iron and glass market near Plaza Mayor — 33 stalls of fine tapas: Iberian ham, anchovies, oysters, croquetas, and vermouth. Best for early evening pintxos (4–7pm).
San Miguel is slightly touristy but the quality is good. For the real locals' market, La Cebada in La Latina is better value and zero tourists.
🌙 Evening
La Latina for tapas and flamenco
Calle de la Cava Baja, La Latina, Madrid
La Latina is Madrid's tapas neighbourhood — Calle de la Cava Baja has the most concentrated tapas bars in the city. Friday and Saturday nights pack the streets; weekdays are more relaxed.
Casa Lucio (Cava Baja 35) is the most famous restaurant in La Latina — the huevos estrellados (eggs broken over fried potatoes and Iberian ham) have been a Madrid staple since 1974.
🍽️ Meals
Casa Lucio
Madrileño · $45 · Juan Carlos I eats here when in Madrid. The huevos estrellados and roast suckling pig are the two dishes.
Prado & Thyssen Museums
Sunday, May 2
Est. spend
$160
per person
🌅 Morning
Prado Museum — Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco
Calle de Ruiz de Alarcón 23, Madrid
The Prado is Spain's national art museum and one of the greatest in the world — Velázquez's Las Meninas (the most analysed painting in history), Goya's Pinturas Negras (Black Paintings including Saturn Devouring His Son), El Greco's elongated religious figures, and Rubens, Raphael, and Titian. Allow 3 hours. Entry €15.
The Prado is free 6pm–8pm Monday–Saturday and 5pm–7pm Sunday. The final hour is quiet and free. Las Meninas (Room 12) is the first destination — go there immediately before the groups arrive.
☀️ Afternoon
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Paseo del Prado 8, Madrid
The third vertex of the 'Golden Triangle of Art' (Prado, Reina Sofía, Thyssen) — a private collection that fills the gaps in the other two museums. The best Impressionist collection in Spain, plus Old Masters, American realism, and European Expressionism. Entry €14.
Thyssen's Impressionist room (ground floor) — Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet — is more concentrated than any single room in the Louvre.
Retiro Park
Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid
Madrid's great public park (350 acres) — the Crystal Palace (glass greenhouse, 1887), the Estanque boating lake, and rose gardens. The park was the royal hunting ground until 1869 and retains its palatial gardens.
Rent a rowing boat on the Estanque lake (€6 for 45 minutes) — the lake with the Alphonso XII monument in the background is one of the classic Madrid photographs.
🍽️ Meals
Sobrino de Botín
Castilian · $60 · The world's oldest restaurant (Guinness Record, 1725). The roast suckling pig (cochinillo asado) and roast lamb from the original wood-burning oven are the dishes. Book 2 weeks ahead.
Reina Sofía & Malasaña
Monday, May 3
Est. spend
$280
per person
🌅 Morning
Reina Sofía Museum — Guernica
Calle de Santa Isabel 52, Madrid
Spain's national museum of 20th-century and contemporary art. Picasso's Guernica (1937) — the 3.49m × 7.76m response to the Nazi bombing of the Basque city — is in Room 206. The collection also includes Dalí's The Great Masturbator and Joan Miró's major works. Entry €14.
Guernica is in a large gallery on the 2nd floor (Edificio Sabatini). The scale is essential to understanding the painting — photographs don't convey it. The preparatory sketches displayed alongside show Picasso working through the composition.
☀️ Afternoon
Lavapiés neighbourhood
Lavapiés, Madrid
Madrid's most multicultural neighbourhood — African street food, Indian restaurants, and the contemporary art venue Tabacalera (a converted tobacco factory). The neighbourhood is gentrifying but retains character.
The Tabacalera (Calle Embajadores 53) is a free contemporary art space in a massive former factory — the best free contemporary art venue in Madrid.
Malasaña neighbourhood walk
Malasaña, Madrid
Malasaña was the epicentre of the Movida Madrileña (Madrid's cultural explosion after Franco's death in 1975) — the neighbourhood that birthed Almodóvar, Alaska, and Madrid's creative scene. Now gentrified with craft beer, vintage shops, and independent restaurants.
El Pez Gordo café (Calle del Pez 6) is the unofficial neighbourhood headquarters. The Corredera Alta de San Pablo street market on Saturdays is excellent.
🍽️ Meals
DiverXO, Madrid (splurge)
Creative Spanish · $200 · Chef David Muñoz's 3 Michelin-star restaurant. The most creative restaurant in Spain. 17-course menu. Book 2 months ahead. An experience rather than a meal.
El Rastro & Flamenco
Tuesday, May 4
Est. spend
$175
per person
🌅 Morning
El Rastro Sunday flea market
Ribera de Curtidores, La Latina, Madrid
The largest open-air flea market in Europe runs every Sunday in La Latina — 3,500 stalls covering 10 streets, 9am–3pm. Antiques, vintage clothing, Francoera memorabilia, hand-tools, and street food. The Ribera de Curtidores main street and the Calle Mira el Río Alta side streets are the best for antiques.
Sunday only. Pickpockets operate at El Rastro — front pockets only, no valuables. The bars on Calle de la Cava Baja fill with locals after the market closes at 3pm — vermouth and tapas.
☀️ Afternoon
Real Madrid Stadium tour (Bernabéu)
Avenida de Concha Espina 1, Madrid
The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium tour covers the tunnel, dressing rooms, trophy room (14 Champions League trophies), and the president's box. Entry €32.
If there's a match during your stay, attending is far better than the tour. The atmosphere at the Bernabéu for a Liga match is extraordinary even if you don't follow football.
🌙 Evening
Flamenco show at Corral de la Morería
Calle Morería 17, Madrid
The oldest flamenco tablao in Madrid (1956) — intimate venue (80 seats), serious performers (not tourist-grade), and dinner option. The show runs 1.5 hours. Entry from €45 (show only) to €85 (dinner included).
Book online at corraldelamoreria.com at least 3 days ahead. The show-only ticket (front-row minimum) is better value than the dinner which is overpriced. Eat before at La Latina, come for the show.
🍽️ Meals
Casa Revuelta, La Latina
Spanish tapas · $20 · Sunday post-Rastro standing tapas bar. The bacalao fritters (codfish, fried in batter) are Madrid's best.
Royal Palace & Departure
Wednesday, May 5
Est. spend
$100
per person
🌅 Morning
Royal Palace of Madrid
Calle de Bailén, Madrid
The Palacio Real is the official residence of the Spanish royal family (though they don't live here) — 3,418 rooms, 135,000 sq metres, and the largest royal palace by floor area in Europe. The State Rooms, the Royal Armoury (the finest in Europe), and the Royal Pharmacy are the highlights. Entry €14.
The Cambio de Guardia (Changing of the Guard) runs daily at noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Jardines de Sabatini behind the palace are free and have the best Guadarrama mountain views.
☀️ Afternoon
Airport transfer
Madrid Barajas Airport
Metro Line 8 from Nuevos Ministerios to Madrid Airport Terminal 4. Allow 2.5 hours before departure.
🍽️ Meals
La Bola Taberna
Madrileño · $35 · Family-run since 1870, the best cocido madrileño (Madrid-style chickpea stew with three courses of meat) in the city. Tuesday and Thursday are the traditional days.
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
May–June (San Isidro festival in May — the best local fiesta in Europe) and September–October. July–August is very hot (38°C+) but the city empties and accommodation drops 30%. Christmas and New Year in Madrid (cava on the Gran Vía, 12 grapes at midnight at Puerta del Sol) is one of Europe's great celebrations.
🛂 Visas
Schengen Zone. Visa-free for US (90 days), UK, EU, Australian, Canadian citizens.
💱 Currency
Euro. Madrid is cheaper than Barcelona, Paris, or London. A proper tapas dinner with wine costs €25–40 per person. Vermouth (vermut) culture at midday is cheap and excellent.
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 091
ambulance: 112
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- Lunch (2–4pm) is the main meal in Madrid — restaurants fill from 2:30pm. Dinner before 9:30pm is tourist territory; locals eat from 10pm onwards.
- Churros con chocolate is the traditional Madrid late-night or early-morning food — thick hot chocolate with fried dough batons. Chocolatería San Ginés (Pasadizo de San Ginés) has been open since 1894 and opens all night.
One thing worth not skipping
A 5-day trip to Madrid, Spain without insurance is a gamble. Medical emergencies, cancelled flights, lost luggage — cover yourself before you leave.
Comprehensive cover for 150+ adventure activities, medical evacuation, trip cancellation, and baggage. Recommended for most travellers.
Subscription-based travel medical insurance. Best for longer trips, digital nomads, or frequent travellers. Renews weekly or monthly.
Tripzeeker earns a small commission when you purchase — at no extra cost to you.
Was this useful?
Your rating helps us improve and tells other travellers what to trust.
How useful was this itinerary?
You might also like
More trips like Madrid, Spain in your inbox
Weekly hand-crafted itineraries, hidden gems, and travel tips. Unsubscribe anytime.