Welcome back to the Velvet Runway and this post about What to See in Madrid in three days.
Madrid is Spain’s largest city and its capital and is one of the top travel destinations in Europe, but what are the key attractions if you are only on a short break? Here are a few tips for what to do in Madrid in three days. (You can see some more tips for Madrid here. )
With beautiful parks, stunning architecture, lovely weather (mostly), world class museums (including El Prado), lots of culture, tapas and great food, Madrid is a must-visit destination. It’s a city where the old and new intertwine, and you can walk from narrow, cobbled lanes in the old district to the main modern shopping street, the Gran Via in a few minutes.
A good way to get your bearings and see which sites you want to visit is to start with a hop-on hop-off bus tour, which you can book here. (We didn’t do this, but we have been to Madrid before so know where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see). You can buy one and two day passes so it’s also a great way to get around.
Madrid in Three Days
Day One
A great starting point for a short trip to Madrid is the Royal Palace, the Palacio Real de Madrid.
El Palacio Real, or the Royal Palace, is Madrid’s largest building and also the largest royal palace in Western Europe.
It is the official residence for the Royal family, but these days they only use it for state ceremonies. The rest of the time it’s open to the public. It was built during the 18th and 19th centuries on the grounds of the Alcázar, which was burnt to the ground in 1794.
You can buy tickets here.
Start by taking a walk around the courtyard and looking at the view across the countryside, and you then have access to the Palace itself where you can choose between a guided tour or a standard ticket, where you can just wander around at your own pace.
As you enter you will come upon the main staircase, which will lead you up to the State Rooms and some of the private rooms.
Don’t forget also to visit the Royal Armoury , which has a separate entrance in the courtyard, and includes an amazing collection of armour – some of which was actually worn by Charles V. You can also see children’s’ armour and even armour for his dog!
While you are in this area, you should definitely visit the Cathedral. (Catedral de la Almudena).
The cathedral was only completed in 1993 after a hundred years of building work! The first stone was laid in 1883 but construction really got underway in 1885. Progress was initially slow due to insufficient funding and the death of the original architect. Construction was stopped entirely during the Spanish Civil War and only re-started in 1950 with a new architect.
The cloister area was finally completed in 1955 and the facade in 1960, but the project wasn’t considered finished until 1993 when the cathedral was finally consecrated by Pope John Paul II.
The cathedral was most recently the site of the wedding of King Felipe VI (who was prince at the time) to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano on May 22, 2004.
Just opposite the Palace, you can see the Royal Theatre (Teatro Real), where you can take a guided tour or attend an opera/ the ballet or a play. For the list of productions and opening times, see here.
Just next to the Palace, you can relax in the Sabatini Gardens. These gardens (Jardines de Sabatini) are part of the Royal Palace and were opened to the public by King Juan Carlos I in 1978.
They honor the name of Francesco Sabatini (1722–1797), an Italian architect of the 18th century who designed, among other works at the palace, the royal stables of the palace, previously located at this site.
The Sabatini gardens is a lovely spot to sit and relax, and in the above photos, you can see me with my new book, ‘La Psychologie des Couleurs’, which is available to buy on Book Elis and Amazon (coming shortly to Fnac and Chapitre). If you can’t promote yourself on your own website, when can you?!
From the Sabatini gardens, you can wander up to the temple of Debod, which is a, Egyptian temple (from the 2nd century BC), now in the middle of Madrid, in the Cuartel de la Montaña Park. It was donated to Spain by the Egyptian government to save it from floods following the construction of the great Aswan Dam.
Unfortunately, it is currently closed, but the views from its hilltop location are spectacular, and it’s a popular location for watching sunset.
Wander back down from the Temple de Debod via the Plaza d’España, one of Madrid’s busiest traffic intersections and home to a large monument to the famous Spanish novelist, poet and playwright Miguel de Cervantes on horseback.
Whether you choose to go on your first or last day, a visit to a football game is a fun way to spend a couple of hours. We went on our first day as Atletico Madrid were playing at home and so it seemed like the occasion to watch a match.
After the match, head back to the town for some tapas and dinner! I loved the area around San Miguel market and Plaza Mayor, or if you want a more traditional dinner, you could always try a flamenco show!
Day Two
Visiting Madrid in three days is quite a challenge, but it is worth putting aside a day to visit the cultural sites of Madrid, starting out from the lively Puerta del Sol.
Close to Puerta del Sol, you can find the ‘Chocolateria San Gines‘, a 100 year old café, known for its chocolate and churros (and it’s open 24 hours a day!)
Puerta del Sol is definitely worth checking out before heading to the other different monuments as it’s the most famous central square in Madrid. It is pedestrian friendly and you will see lots of street artists there. There are also lots of shopping streets and restaurants in the vicinity.
Head down the Carrera de S. Jerónimo towards the Reina Victoria Theatre and continue down to the Neptune Statue and the “Art Walk”, where you will find the ‘Thyssen-Bornemisza’ museum which contains a unique art collection from the 13th to the late 20th centuries, including works by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Manet, Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, and Van Gogh. You can buy tickets here
(The Prado is currently under renovation – photo from Pixabay)
From here, it’s just a 5 minute walk to Madrid’s most famous museum, El Prado, and I would definitely recommend buying tickets in advance for this, or you can buy Art Walk tickets here (with entrance to Museo del Prado + Museo Reina Sofía + Museo Thyssen), and this is a good site for ‘skip the line” tickets to many attractions.
The building itself, which is a great example of 18th century neo-classical architecture, was transformed into a museum in 1819.
With its vast collection of paintings and sculptures, it is worth spending a little time planning your visit in advance, and the Prado site gives you some suggestions according to the amount of time you have to visit.
Some of the most famous paintings are:
- Diego Velazquez. Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor).
- Hieronymous Bosch. Garden of Earthly Delights.
- Albrecht Durer. Self Portrait 1498.
- Francisco Goya. The Third of May
- Franciso Goya. The Naked Maja
- El Greco. Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest.
If you need a little outdoor break, then I can recommend a walk around the botanical gardens. The Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid is an 8-hectare botanical garden located at Murillo Square, just next to the Prado Museum. There weren’t many flowers while we were there, but it was a nice break in the sunshine and the greenhouses were worth a visit.
If you have the energy, you are right next to Madrid’s biggest and most famous park, the ‘El Retiro’ park, but if you have spent a long time on ‘Art Walk’ then you might want to head back to the centre and save ‘El Retiro’ for day three, as there is a lot to see!
Day Three
For the final day of your visit to Madrid in three days, why not start day three with breakfast in the Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s vibrant main square, with a large choice of cafés and bars? Despite it’s tourist location, you can get a good value breakfast for 5 to 6€, and soak up some sunshine and the Spanish atmosphere. (It’s also a good choice for Tapas).
From Plaza Mayor you could head up to the ‘Gran Via’, one of Madrid’s busiest and most famous tourist streets! Take time to walk down and admire the buildings, pop into a few shops and/or cafés, and soak up the atmosphere.
At the end of the Gran Via, you will come to the Bank of Spain, and it’s just a short walk beyond here to reach ‘El Retiro’ park.
This vast park, located in the heart of Madrid, used to belong to the Spanish monarchy, but it became a public park in the late 19th century. It’s a great place to relax in one of the open-air cafés, listen to music, read, take a boat ride or visit one of the frequent exhibitions. If you’re feeling energetic, its 350 acres should give you plenty of routes for a jog!
It’s best known for its focal point, the giant lake, with the famous monument to King Alfonso XII; and where you can take out a rowing boat or relax in one of the neighbouring cafes.
One of the most iconic buildings in the park is the Crystal Palace, which as its name suggests, is made almost entirely of glass. It hosts periodic art exhibitions and is in a beautiful setting on a small lake.
It’s also home to various wildlife, including these turtles who seemed to enjoy basking in the sun!
Also worth visiting in El Retiro Park are the walk of Statues (a promenade of statues of different monarchs who ruled Spain, the Cecilio Rodriguez gardens (with a lot of peacocks) and the rose garden.
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay have a look below if you’re staying a bit longer and want the comfort of a ‘home from home’, then have look here.
Booking.comObviously, this is not an exhaustive guide to Madrid, but I hope it has given you a few ideas as the basis for planning a trip to this beautiful European Capital, and have a look here for more of our travel guides. .
Best place in the world! Love Madrid!
xoxo
Silvia
https://www.elblogdesilvia.com/2019/04/09/look-invernal-en-nueva-york-fashion-blogger/
Me too Silvia xo
Amazing architecture, it must be really beautiful in real life. Love your floral maxi dress, you look phenomenal.
http://www.busyandfab.com
Thank you so much Mercy xo
Very detailed guide and lovely photos. Mardid is on my bucketlist so I’m bookmarking this.
Sam
So glad you found the guide useful, Sam xo
Thanks so much for sharing! Madrid is a beautiful place. Thanks for the tips, very useful to read when planning a next visit.
Laura xo
http://www.shehearts.net
Thank you Laura! I’m so glad you found the tips useful! xo
LOVE Madrid! Such a great guide!
~Samantha
http://goldcoastgirlblog.com
Thank you Samantha! I’m glad you like it xo
Madrid is so beautiful! I love the botanical garden and all that is there to see.
http://www.fashionradi.com
Thank you Radi! I think the botanical gardens would be even more beautiful in late Spring/ Summer xo
aah I want to you visit Madrid so bad! It seems like such a wonderful city! You photographed it beautifully!
-Didier
Thank you Didier! It really is a wonderful place to visit – very beautiful and lots to do!
It is unbelievable and very impressing what you saw in Madrin in three days! And I’m really surprised that you can find there even this beautiful temple! All your outfits are classy and beautiful. Thanks a lot for sharing!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
Thank you so much Rena! It was quite a challenge to see so much, but it’s very easy to get around Madrid and I like to see as much as possible xo
Madrid is so beaautiful <3
xx Alyssa STYLE VANITY
It really is xo
What a gorges place! you make me want to jump on the next flight to Spain to explore!! So many beautiful photos <3
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
Thank you Lizzie! I definitely recommend it 🙂
I’ve never been to Madrid before but I’d love to! It looks like such a beautiful place xx
GemmaEtc.com
Madrid is definitely worth a visit! xx
This looks like it was a wonderful experience.
Have a lovely weekend!
Thank you Nicole! It was great – wish I was still there xo
Madrid looks amazing! I love that you broke it down so you can see as much as possible! That picture with the turtles is so cool!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thank you Jill! I’m glad you liked the post and I couldn’t believe how cute all those turtles were!
Wow, Madrid looks amazing! I would love to go there!
I hope you get there, Lorna! I’m sure you will love it x
It is so beautiful Madrid. I really want to visit here eventually. This is added to my traveling list. I have been to so many places and I travel often but never Spain. Your photos are wonderful and I adore your outfits here also 🙂 I hope your enjoying the spring and summer season.
http://www.bauchlefashion.com
Thank you so much Heather! I love traveling and Spain is one of my favourite places (maybe it’s the tapas!! 🙂
I LOVE Madrid! It’s one of my fave cities!
xoxo, Vanessa
http://www.WhatWouldVWear.com
It’s such a great place to visit! One of my fave cities too! xoxo
This is great! Went to Madrid last year around this time and it was freeezing!
Asha 🙂
Oh, that’s a shame 🙁 We were so lucky with the weather this time 🙂
What a great travel review! So much to see and you worked it into a long weekend. I’ve done a trip like that to San Francisco, USA. I felt like I hit all of the top attractions but it left me wanting for more. Beautiful photos and love your traveling attire!
Ruth
Thank you Ruth! Yes, I know exactly what you mean – I could definitely go back too x
You look as if you had a fabulous time there Julia – so many things to get up to! I’m a firm chocolate and churros lover so I’d definitely be into that Chocolateria! x
Marina Rosie x
https://www.marinawriteslife.com/
Thank you Marina! Yes, I had an amazing time and can definitely recommend a visit! x
great trip. great captures!
love from the sandpit ♡
Thank you so much! Glad you liked them xo
I loved Madrid!! These are all great recommendations, so food next!!! So much delicious food!!!
Thank’s Joti! I think I must have put on a few kilos with all the tapas!! It’s soooo good! xo
stunning views! loved this
Thank you Jade x
Love Madrid! Was there last year and checked out the same sites! So beautiful!
Yes, Madrid has so much to offer! I’m glad you enjoyed your visit there too xo
Very helpful post!Thanks for sharing:-)
https://www.lostindaydreams.com/
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
un posto meraviglioso
Thank you 🙂
Sabini gardens looks enchanting, I’d love to pay them a visit. Madrid is indeed a must visit destination. I have never been, but I know it is a beautiful city full of history and culture. I hope I’ll get to visit it some day. Great tips for visiting and seeing Madrid in a three days. I just love your photos and suggestions. That floral maxi dress you got looks great on you btw.
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/
I hope you get to Madrid, Ivana. I’m sure you will love it, and I’m so glad you like the photos and suggestions xo
I’m sure I’ll love it too. I definitely have to visit it some day.
I’m sure you would love it too! I hope you get to visit x
I just love that floral dress on you! It looks light and airy and perfect for strolling the city in. I would love to see Madrid someday! My husband has been there for work.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Thank you! Next time your husband goes to Madrid for work, you should go with him !
Madrid is absolutely stunning- I want to go so bad!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
I’m sure you would love it Ashley xo
Madrid look amazing! Love all these photos Julia. El Prado museum would definitely be on my list as well. Thanks for sharing!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you Kathrine. Madrid was fantastic – I just wish we’d had more time there xo
Madrid looks so beautiful! I would love to visit.
Allurerage
Rampdiary
It really is beautiful and lots of fun too xo
Gosh…that is a lot to do in three days, but what a fabulous place to visit. We have only heard wonderful things about this city, and truly it’s on our bucket list.
If we go, hopefully, it’ll be for more than 3 days. Except there’s Portugal too ….eeek.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
We were quite busy, but thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope you get to visit (and Portugal is well worth it too!) Perhaps you should take a year abroad 🙂
Madrid looks amazing hun and thanks for the tips.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
I’m glad you liked the post, and Madrid is amazing and I will definitely go back xoxo
Madrid looks amazing.
I can tell you’ve had a blast.
xx
https://theonethattravels.wordpress.com/
Thank you, and yes, I did !! 🙂
Oh never been to Madrid but its still on our bucket list – looks like you had a great time and perfect weather 🙂
xxx
Tina
https://styleappetite.com
Yes, it was amazing Tina! I definitely recommend a trip there xxx
Looks like such a beautiful place. Loved all your photos.
Gemma x
http://www.jacquardflower.uk
Thank you so much Gemma. I’m glad you liked it x
nice traveling
Thank you 🙂