By rail
Madrid Atocha, the high-speed rail hub
Europe · Spain
Madrid, Spain
Great art, late dinners and royal parks
Getting there
By air
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas (MAD), ~13 km
Best time to visit
April to June and September to November — mild
Don't miss
The Prado Museum
The Royal Palace
The Plaza Mayor
The Retiro Park
Things to do
The Prado
The Retiro park
A flamenco show
A day trip to Toledo or Segovia
Where to eat
What to pack
Layers, comfortable shoes
A quieter corner
The Temple of Debod at sunset
Questions travellers ask
What time of year suits a Madrid trip?
April to June and September to November, when the weather is mild. Bring layers and comfortable shoes.
What are the top things to do in Madrid?
See the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace, wander the Plaza Mayor and the Retiro Park, and catch a flamenco show. Add a day trip to Toledo or Segovia, and see the Temple of Debod at sunset.
What should I eat in Madrid?
Churros with chocolate, a browse through the Mercado de San Miguel and tapas in La Latina. Dinners run late here, so plan your evenings around that.
Where do flights into Madrid land?
At Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas (MAD), about 13 km out. Coming by rail, Madrid Atocha is the high-speed rail hub.
About Madrid
- Inland
Where it is
Madrid, the capital of Spain, stands on the Manzanares river in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, on the high Meseta plateau at about 660 m, with the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains to the north.
History
Madrid began as a fortress built by the Umayyad emir Muhammad I in the 9th century and was taken by Alfonso VI of Castile in the late 11th century. Philip II settled his royal court here in 1561, and the Habsburg and Bourbon kings who followed gave the capital the Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace and the Prado.
People
Madrileños speak Spanish, and the capital draws people from every region of Spain and from Latin America. In May the festival of San Isidro, the city's patron saint, brings out the chotis dance and traditional chulapo costumes, while tapas bars fill the old quarters of La Latina and Lavapiés.
Known for
- The Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums
- The Royal Palace and the Plaza Mayor
- The Retiro Park and the Paseo del Prado
- Cocido madrileño and churros with chocolate
- Real Madrid and the Santiago Bernabéu stadium
Did you know?
The Temple of Debod in the Parque del Oeste is a genuine ancient Egyptian temple, given to Spain by Egypt in thanks for Spanish help in saving the temples of Abu Simbel when the Aswan High Dam was built.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.