Season guide · Madrid · Spain
Madrid in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Matt Joseph, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cold, often sunny days and frosty nights, with Christmas lights, the Three Kings parade and the January sales. Expect highs up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 17 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 3°C (37°F) to 12°C (54°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 17
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10°C (50°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 6 | 9.6 h | 2/5 |
| February | 12°C (54°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 5 | 10.6 h | 2/5 |
| December | 10°C (50°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 6 | 9.3 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 11°C (52°F) against a yearly 20°C (68°F), and 17 of the year's roughly 54 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Three Kings parade — Cabalgata de Reyes through the centre (5 January)
- January: January sales (from early January)
- February: ARCOmadrid contemporary art fair (usually late February or early March)
- February: Carnival parades and costume events (February or March)
- December: Christmas market in Plaza Mayor (usually late November to late December)
- December: New Year's Eve twelve grapes at Puerta del Sol (31 December)
Good choices for winter
Experience · Centro
Flamenco at a tablao
Choose a small tablao with a strong reputation over a large dinner show, and sit near the front.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- After dark
- Couples
- Rainy day
Museum · Salamanca
National Archaeological Museum
Spain's main archaeology collection runs from prehistory to the Middle Ages, with the Iberian bust of the Lady of Elche, Roman mosaics, the jewelled Visigothic votive crowns of the Treasure of Guarrazar and Islamic art from al-Andalus.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
- Kids
Religious site · Sol
Monastery of las Descalzas Reales
Tours are small and often in Spanish; book in advance through Patrimonio Nacional.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Architecture · Paseo del Prado
CaixaForum Madrid
Herzog & de Meuron converted an old power station into this cultural centre, lifting the brick shell off the ground and adding a rusted iron top.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
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Museum · Paseo del Prado
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.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Day trips in winter
- Ávila (About 1.5 hours by train) — Ávila is enclosed by complete medieval walls with dozens of towers, parts of which you can walk along.
- Aranjuez (About 45 minutes by train) — The Bourbon kings' spring residence has a Royal Palace and vast riverside gardens along the Tagus, part of a UNESCO cultural landscape.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Madrid?
It is a trade-off: Cold, often sunny days and frosty nights, with Christmas lights, the Three Kings parade and the January sales. The best months overall are April–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Madrid in winter?
Highs of up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 17 rainy days over the season.