One day in Madrid

Day by day

1. Day 1: Prado Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

   Prado Museum, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, CaixaForum Madrid and Reina Sofía Museum, then Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Prado Museum

      Head first to Las Meninas in the central Velázquez room, then to the Goya rooms on the lower floor; the free final hours of each day bring long queues. Allow 3–4 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

      Start on the top floor and work down to follow the collection in chronological order. Allow 2–3 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Churros con chocolate

      Chocolatería San Ginés in a lane off Calle Arenal, serving since 1894, and traditional churrerías across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      CaixaForum Madrid

      Pass by on the way between the Prado and the Reina Sofía; the vertical garden is free to see. Allow 30 minutes–1.5 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Reina Sofía Museum

      Go straight to the Guernica room on the second floor early in the visit, then explore the cloister garden. Allow 2–3 hours.

   6. Evening

      Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía

      Look up rather than at the shops; the best view of Gran Vía and the Metrópolis dome is from the Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop.

Before you go

• Prado Museum: Buy timed tickets online, especially for weekends and holiday periods.

If it rains

• Swap in Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio): Visit the Almudena Cathedral opposite and the Sabatini Gardens and Campo del Moro beside the palace, which are free.
• Swap in Mercado de San Miguel (Centro): Visit mid-afternoon on a weekday to avoid evening crowds; for local prices, try the Mercado de San Fernando or Antón Martín instead.
• Swap in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium tour (Chamartín): Book a slot online and avoid match days, when tours are limited or suspended.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–14 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. Twelve metro lines run from about 6am to about 1:30am, with Sol, Gran Vía, Atocha and Ópera stations covering the main sights.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Madrid
• 3 days in Madrid
• 4 days in Madrid
• 5 days in Madrid
• 7 days in Madrid

Questions travellers ask