Spain · Community of Madrid

Madrid travel guide

World-class art by day, tapas until 2am

The Metropolis Building, Gran Vía. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2hflight from London

MADnearest main airport

25° in Julwarmest month

4° in Jancoolest month

Spain's capital is less about one big landmark and more about how it lives: grand boulevards, three of Europe's great art galleries within a short walk, and neighbourhoods where dinner starts at ten.

It's high and inland, so summers are baking and winters are crisp and sunny. Spring and autumn are the sweet spot for walking the city.

Good forCity breaksArtFoodNightlife

Top things to do in Madrid

1
The Prado
Velázquez, Goya and Bosch in one of the world's great galleries. Free entry in the last two hours of the day.
2
Retiro Park
Row a boat on the lake, then find the glass Palacio de Cristal among the trees.
3
Royal Palace
Europe's largest working royal palace by floor area, with the cathedral next door.
4
Reina Sofía
Picasso's Guernica and modern Spanish art, a short walk from the Prado.
5
Mercado de San Miguel
A glass-and-iron market hall for a tapas crawl, near Plaza Mayor.
6
La Latina on a Sunday
The El Rastro flea market in the morning, then tapas and vermouth along Cava Baja.

Tours and tickets in Madrid

Where to stay in Madrid

Sol and the Centro
Right in the middle of everything, and walkable to all the sights.
Barrio de las Letras
Literary streets between Sol and the Prado, with good bars.
Malasaña and Chueca
Independent shops, nightlife, and the centre of Madrid's LGBT+ scene.

Find a hotel in Madrid

Best time to visit Madrid

Best value: Mar–Jun, Sep–Oct. April to June and September to October. July and August are very hot, and many locals leave.

Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Madrid, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Getting there and around

About 2h from London to MAD, and flights from most UK airports.

The metro reaches almost everywhere, including the airport (about 30 minutes to the centre). The centre is compact and flat enough to walk.

Search flights to MAD

Day trips from Madrid

Toledo
A hilltop city of churches, synagogues and mosques, 33 minutes by high-speed train.
Segovia
A Roman aqueduct and a fairy-tale castle, under 30 minutes by fast train.
El Escorial
A vast royal monastery in the hills, about an hour by local train.