Madrid's Gran Vía seen from above
  1. Home
  2. Destinations
  3. Spain
  4. Madrid
  5. 3 day itinerary

Madrid in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 8.5 km on foot
  • 16 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days is the most enjoyable plan: time for the walks, for two major museums and for neighbourhoods with a life of their own, like Lavapiés. Each day has a theme (the essentials, the history and everyday Madrid) and leaves room to sit on a terrace, with no stopwatch and no ticking off monuments like a checklist.

Day 1Squares, palaces and paintings

Open with “Madrid for the first time”: Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, San Miguel Market, the Almudena and the Royal Palace, in the soft morning light. Have a cocido madrileño in a tavern in the centre, the right dish for a day on foot. Then head down the Paseo del Prado: go into the museum and, when you cannot take another painting, the Retiro is next door for a rest under the trees until the end of the afternoon.

  1. Morning

    Madrid for the first time

    Mixed · 3 km · 2 h

    1. Puerta del SolThe symbolic centre of Spain.
    2. Plaza MayorThe city's great urban living room.
    3. San Miguel MarketIron, glass and tapas.
    4. Almudena CathedralA singular cathedral.
    5. Royal PalaceThe official residence of the Crown.
    6. Plaza de OrienteGardens, stone kings and theatre.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Afternoon

    Prado Museum

    An essential gallery, with Velázquez, Goya and El Greco as its pillars. Choose the works that speak to you and book your ticket. From there the Retiro is a short walk away.

    Directions

    Retiro Park

    Once a Habsburg garden, now open to everyone. Walk its avenues to the lake and the Crystal Palace. It is the best place to catch your breath after the Prado.

    Directions

Day 2From the Habsburgs to the 20th century

In the morning, “From Habsburg Madrid to the modern city”: Plaza de la Villa, Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and the Congress of Deputies. Finish at the edge of the Literary Quarter and have a bocadillo de calamares. The afternoon belongs to twentieth-century art at the Reina Sofía and to wandering where Cervantes and Lope de Vega lived. A terrace on Plaza de Santa Ana closes the day.

  1. Morning

    From Habsburg Madrid to the modern city

    History · 3.1 km · 2 h

    1. Plaza de la VillaThe seat of government of the old town.
    2. Royal PalacePower, architecture and monarchy.
    3. Plaza MayorMarkets, festivities and autos-da-fé.
    4. Puerta del SolKilometre zero and the heart of Madrid.
    5. Congress of DeputiesThe modern, parliamentary capital.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Afternoon

    Reina Sofía Museum

    Twentieth-century art in a former hospital. Guernica is the big stop, but Dalí and Miró deserve a while too. Check the weekly closing day and book to avoid the queue.

    Directions

    Barrio de las Letras

    The neighbourhood where Cervantes, Lope de Vega and Quevedo lived. Walk Calle de las Huertas, read the verses underfoot and step into Lope de Vega's House if you like period interiors.

    Directions

Day 3Temples, neighbourhoods and mysteries

Start early at the Temple of Debod, when it is quiet, and take the metro down to Lavapiés, Madrid's most mixed and lively quarter. Have hot chocolate and churros for lunch and rest before the finish. As evening falls, “A Madrid of shadows and secrets” takes you from the House of the Seven Chimneys to Linares Palace, San Ginés and Calle de la Cabeza, almost in Lavapiés. Dine on a tajada de bacalao in a nearby tavern and toast your three days.

  1. Morning

    Temple of Debod

    A genuine Egyptian temple, a gift from Egypt to Spain in 1968, rebuilt in a park facing the Casa de Campo. In the morning it is quiet, and the Royal Palace is in view.

    Directions

    Lavapiés and El Rastro

    A multicultural neighbourhood of taverns, theatres and street art. On Sundays and public holidays, El Rastro fills Ribera de Curtidores with stalls. Wander without a plan and try something new.

    Directions

  2. Early evening

    A Madrid of shadows and secrets

    Mysteries & legends · 2.4 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. The House of the Seven ChimneysA 16th-century building, a death shrouded in unanswered questions and the white figure that, according to tradition, walks across the roof.
    2. Linares PalaceLuxury, tragedy and voices in the drawing rooms.
    3. Plaza MayorExecutions and echoes of the past.
    4. Church of San GinésOne of the oldest parishes in the town.
    5. Calle de la CabezaA street whose name was born of a legend.

    Start the audio guide See the route

The map

Madrid in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Madrid in 3 days

  • With three days a combined museum pass can pay off if you go to the Prado and the Reina Sofía; check each museum's closing day first, as they vary.
  • If you want El Rastro, make day three a Sunday or public holiday, when the market is up; on weekdays Lavapiés is just as pleasant, only without the stalls.
  • The Temple of Debod is out on the far west side: take the metro to Plaza de España and walk back to the centre along Calle Bailén or through the gardens, all downhill.

Questions

Madrid in 3 days: your questions

How many days do you need in Madrid?

Three is a good balance: two major museums, the Retiro, all three walks and a lively neighbourhood. With less you must choose between art and the old town; with more you can day-trip to Toledo or Segovia.

How far do you walk in these 3 days?

The walks add up to about 8.5 km in total: 3.0 for the essential one, 3.1 for the historic one and 2.4 for the mystery one. Add museums, the Retiro and transfers, and expect a comfortable average of about 10 km a day.

What should I book for 3 days in Madrid?

Tickets for the Prado and the Reina Sofía, which draw the biggest queues, and dinner tables if you have a particular place in mind. The walks themselves need no booking: they are free and at your own pace.

Other itineraries for 3 days

Madrid

More or less time?

1 day itinerary 2 day itinerary All about Madrid