Madrid has an amazing fusion of tradition and history, with a modern, urban lifestyle. Because Madrid is a very large city, it can be hard to narrow down your time there. Madrid is often overshadowed by its northern neighbor Barcelona. As the capital of Spain, Madrid has so much to offer – with delicious food, affordable living, and deluxe shopping, it deserves its own spotlight of fame! Discover what many locals already know and love about their charming city: plentiful rooftop bars, nonstop nightclubs, fantastic museum exhibitions, and luscious green parks. Check out all of my Madrid travel tips in this Madrid Travel Guide.
Want to check out my full 9 day Spain Itinerary? CLICK HERE!
In total we spent about 2.5 days in Madrid. We spend the beginning of our trip in Madrid, and then ventured around the country, but ended our trip back in Madrid.
Where To Stay
We stayed at 2 different hotels in Madrid. Both on different sides of the city. We stayed at Hotel Liabeny, and we loved the location! We were close to the Plaza Del Sol, tapas bars, and shopping. The location was what really made this hotel. It was so close to the old/historic section of Madrid, which made sightseeing a breeze!
At the end of our trip, we stayed at Dear Hotel Madrid. This hotel is on the main strip of Madrid, Gran Vía. Gran Vía is one of Madrid’s most famous street, connecting Salamanca and Argüelles and full of shops, restaurants and some of the capital’s most iconic buildings. It was definitely more crowded of an area, but the main reason we picked this hotel was for the rooftop pool. I will say it was smaller than it looked in photos, but it was still very refreshing to cool off and soak in some pretty amazing views of the city.
What To Do
There is so much to do in Madrid. A trip to Spain is not complete with a stop in Madrid, so definitely try to stay 2 nights at least to explore everything. One thing Madrid is known for is their nightlife. People don’t eat dinner until 9-10pm, which means the nightclubs are open very late. We still heard people in the streets at 6am. Mostly it is just the tourists who are up early and exploring the city.
Plaza Mayor and Puerto Del Sol are probably the two most famous squares in Madrid that are a must see. Just while exploring you will find yourself in both of these places.
Book a walking tour
We like to start our first day in a city with a walking tour. We met at the Plaza del Sol, and it was very informative. Our guide was super energetic and gave us lots of knowledge about Madrid. We visited the longest running restaurant in the world, he gave us tapas bar recommendations, and we learned about the history of the city.
The Royal Palace
This was my mom’s pick, but who doesn’t like to pretend they are a princess!? This is still a working palace, and is larger than Buckingham Palace and Versailles combined. We strolled through the rooms and it was a great break from the heat! Tip: order your tickets online beforehand to skip the lines!
The palace is adjacent to the biggest cathedral in Madrid, Catedral de la Almudena. We personally did not go inside of it, but you can certainly purchase tickets to do so. We were more interested in the Royal Palace.
Tapas, Taverns & History Tour
Probably one of our favorite activities of the trip was our Tapas, Taverns & History Tour. A 4 hour night tour trying Spanish dishes, drinks, and learning more about Madrid. It is a small tour (we had 6 people), and our guide was AMAZING and the food was OUTSTANDING! Here is a quick list of what we tried:
- Casa Labra – vermouth and salt brined fried cod
- Mesón del Champiñon – famous stuffed mushrooms and Padrón peppers (these peppers were AMAZING!)
- La Casa del Abuelo – gambas al ajillo. Shrimp cooked in oil and garlic. No joke top 3 things I have ever eaten in my life! This is a MUST TRY!
- Casa Toni – We squeezed into one of Madrid’s last remaining traditional tapas institutions, a no-frills spot where locals crowd in for classic dishes. We each got to order a dish here so we tried many Spanish dishes.
El Retiro Park
I would compare this park to New York City’s Central Park—a beautiful oasis in the middle of a large, bustling city. The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century, before being opened to the public. You could get lost among the park’s paths, fountains, and monuments and get some great people watching in too!
Palacio de Cristal
Located inside of Retiro Park, the Palacio de Cristal was built in 1887 and is made almost entirely of glass, set in an iron framework. It is seriously magical! It sits alongside a large lake and is surrounded by so many trees. Perfect for a walk on a sunny afternoon!
Where To Eat
One of the best parts of Spain is the food. Tapas are arguably Spain’s greatest food invention. The Spaniards have mastered the way of bitesize meals. Eating in Spain is an event. Wandering from tapas bar to tapas bar, drinking wine and socializing. I really enjoyed this part.
The Spanish have a motto, “eat when you drink, drink when you eat,” which is where tapas come in. Not meant to be a full meal, the idea is to order a different tapa each time you get a drink. Then everyone shares and it becomes a social experience.
I know at first glance of a tapas menu, it might be a little overwhelming…there are so many options to choose from with unfamiliar names and ingredients. We learned from our guide is to take a minute and see what everyone else is ordering, usually if it is a good tapas bar they are known for one dish and everyone will be ordering it. That means you should order it too!
Here are a list of tapas bars that we visited during our time in Madrid. You really can’t go wrong picking any tapas bar, but here is a short list of the ones that I think are a must.
Chocolateria San Gines
Don’t miss this famous and historic café at Pasadizo de San Gines. Since 1894, this delicious Chocolatería has specialized in thick hot chocolate and mouthwatering, deep-fried churros. It is a must stop for breakfast, or an afternoon treat!
Mercado San Miguel
Not technically a tapas bar, but this is a must visit in Madrid. Find all the local delicacies at the Mercado San Miguel! This historic market in the old quarter is perfect to sample your way through Spanish cuisine—vermouth, pintxos, oysters, olives paella, caviar—the list goes on and on.
We had empanadas and patatas bravas (one of my favorite tapas- fried potatoes with a spicy aioli!). Paired with a Spanish beer, it made a lovely lunch.
La Campana
Right off of Plaza Mayor, this small tapas bar was our first experience in Madrid. You will miss it if you blink (common with most tapas bars), but you will want to stop here! Order the calamari sandwich and a caña and you will thank me. Their calamari sandwich was to die for! It was super simple, just a crusty roll with fried calamari and some fresh lemon to squeeze on top.
La Casa del Abuelo
We visited this tapas bar on our tapas bar crawl, but when I say it was the best shrimp of my whole entire life – that is saying something. This loud, bustling, crowded bar is known for one thing and one thing only- gambas al ajillo. Shrimp cooked in oil and garlic. No joke top 3 things I have ever eaten in my life! This is a MUST TRY!
Madrid is such a cultural city! There is so much to see, do and eat. Definitely be sure to add a day or 2 here in your Spain itinerary!
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