Madrid is a busy capital city full of world-class museums, culture, historic sights and galleries. It’s unlikely to become your peaceful destination, although I managed to capture some quiet spots around the city. Follow my Madrid 5 days itinerary which will entertain you with a list of top attractions and memorable places to visit in the city – like Plaza de Mayor at night time or Madrid from one of the rooftop bars.
Memorable Madrid 5 days itinerary.
Just like everywhere in Spain there is one thing you’ll definitely get to enjoy – the buzzing street life, tapas bars and unbeatable nightlife. Walk Gran Via – the most famous street and shoppers spot. Skip the main Avenida for smaller cobblestone walkways and incredible architecture.
The main historical squares:
- Plaza Mayor,
- Plaza de Espana,
- Puerta del Sol (with the famous monument of the bear licking the strawberry).
Apart from their historical importance and beautiful architecture, you might find them noisy and chaotic but these places are a great cultural heritage. Plaza de Mayor is the oldest part of the city and the square will leave you breathless at night time.
Travel kit for Madrid.
CITY PASS: You may want to get your GO CITY PASS, which allows to save 50% of the Madrid attractions.
CAR RENTAL: Rentalcars.com – I only use this platform to get the best rental deals.
AIRPORT TRANSFER: For pre-booked transfers I recommend: GetTransfer.com.
Where to stay in Madrid?
Madrid is a busy city, make sure your accommodation is close to any of the metro stations. Madrid has amazing metro network and this is the most reliable and efficient way of getting around Madrid. Map of Madrid Subway with 13 lines & routes is available at major stations. Browse all the accommodation options here.
Mercado de San Miguel - top attraction in Madrid!
Spanish cuisine is one of the top-rated in the world. That’s why a famous local market – Mercado de San Miguel is a fantastic option to try a number of traditional dishes, served in small portions (tapas). You have to place Mercado de san Miguel on the top of your Madrid 5 days itinerary, as you may want to come back for more 😉 The place is not only a great spot to taste some delicious food but also to meet local traditions and customs. The place is probably a little overpriced but offers different kinds of amazing Spanish cuisine. The market offers fresh and well-cooked seafood specialties (great fresh oysters and scallops are must try!)!
All the small stands offer tiny portions of different snacks, which is a very good option to try lots of local flavours. Everything looks colorful and smells delicious. You’re eating the place with your eyes 🙂 Don’t forget to drink it over with lovely Sangria! Or try one of the best city tours: Madrid Tapas and Wine Tasting!
Madrid from the above – the best rooftop bars in Madrid.
One of the most amazing attractions in Madrid are rooftop bars with incredible terraces and restaurants set up. There are a number of them in the city center but make sure to book a table in advance. Rooftop bars are a must-attractory in your Madrid 5 days itinerary. Madrid from above is absolutely stunning with a number of monuments and important historical landmarks on the roofs of the city buildings.
Terrace Circullo de Bellas Artes Rooftop bar.
To experience incredible city view from the top you need to visit Terrace Circullo de Bellas Artes. The entrance to the top floor costs around 5 Euro. Upstairs restaurants will spoil you with fabulous coctails, champagne and food served to your comfortable canopy or sunbed. There is also a museum on the first floor. Check what’s in the house, as you may be very lucky to discover world-class exhibitions. I missed Picasso exhibition, which was showed in few Spanish cities over the summer.
Principal Madrid Hotel or Heritage Hotel Rooftop bar.
The other stunning rooftop bar is the Principal Madrid Hotel or Heritage Hotel. Casa Suecia is more private than the rest of the top bars. It will welcome you with comfortable sofas and a beautiful 360d view over the city.
The sculptures of two chariots pulled by four horses on the roof of BBVA Bank (Banco de Bilbao) illustrate the strength of the banks in previous centuries. The two sculptural sets weight 25 tons. Originally covered in golden color but during the Spanish Civil War the sculptures were coated with dark paint and finally moved to Madrid.
Art Giant - Museo del Prado!
There’s one place you absolutely can’t miss on your Madrid 5 days itinerary – Museo del Prado – a world-class art museum. The only place for Picasso, Goya, Rubens, Caravaggio, Velázquez and many more great artists..!
If you are looking for free tickets – let me explain how it works. Free tickets are available from 6.00 pm. If you have to place yourself in the queue around 5.30 pm. you’ll probably be able to collect your free ticket at around 6.15 pm. It means you’ll have an hour to explore the museum, as it closes at 8 pm, which is definitely not enough to explore two levels of the most magnificent art.
A very good option is two-day general admission ticket. That means you don’t have to explore everything in one day, as I’ll be honest – I struggled after 3.5 hours with back pain, so it’s a very good option to split this attraction across two days. Of course, no photos are allowed inside. Here’s the characteristic monument of Velazquez, the symbol of the museum. Goya’s famous black paintings were extremely touching..
Enjoy quick access to any of the most famous heritages with most popular city tours:
Royal Palace – Palacio Real.
Built for King Philip V in 18th century. It’s the largest royal palace in western Europe. There are also works by Goya, Caravaggio and Velázquez, as well as amazing displays of furniture, porcelain, silverware and sceptre of course.
Skip the line tickets with Madrid Walking Tour and the Royal Palace.
Parque del Buen Retiro.
Take a walk through Retiro Park, it’s an interesting and very relaxing place, so you might be able to squeeze it into your Madrid 5 days itinerary. There’s an amazing monument of Alfonso XII located on an artificial lake. Further, you can enjoy green valleys and have some rest from the heat. There’s an interesting monument of Jacinto Benavente, one of the foremost Spanish dramatists of the 20th century. When sightseeing in Madrid I noticed that ram horns must be a very important symbol in Spanish history. The royal jewel I saw in the Royal Palace had a gold hanging ram. In Retiro Park, the marmoreal elements had elements of ram’s horns. It must be related to the beaten bull, a symbol of strength and power.
Enjoy the streets of Madrid.
Have great fun sightseeing the city in an open-top double-decker bus or a private eco tuk tuk and join Spanish cultural events.
One of the enjoying moments for me was walking Calle de Atocha. This tourist free street is full of small shops of local merchants, designers and dress-making workshops. It took me directly to Anton Martin Metro station with a monument of killed lawyers in Atocha massacre in 1977.
Best tips where to eat in Madrid.
Everyone knows Spanish cuisine is one of the best in the world. Madrid is still relatively cheap comparing to the rest of Europe. And also most famous for it’s tapas. Tapas – it’s simply a small portion of a main dish, a snack or appetiser.
Tapas play an important part of Spanish culture and social life, which spins around restaurants, cafes and never ending conversations. Small portions – tapas allow you to taste few different options, instead of having one big meal.
Best tip – always ask for Menu del Dia/meal of the day. Usually available from 12-3 pm lunchtime at fixed price 10-14 euro. It gives a possibility to choose one starter from all positions and one main course, usually with a drink and coffee included.
Learn how to make paella and famous tapas in one of the amazing Morning Paella Cooking Class and Market Visit – Classes.
If you’re thinking of renting a car in Madrid – I would highly recommend RentalCars.com – the world’s largest car rental company with 24/7 customer support and great deals with free cancellation. Every time I used it in Spain it was hassle-free and a really good service quality.
Cars are restricted from the city center. The city speed limit is 50km/h. Emergency number is 112.
Public transport Madrid.
Madrid has a great old underground. With 13 lines it’s possible to explore the whole city by the fastest and most efficient public transportation. The underground map is available at major stations. I always recommend getting to the closest tourist information (there are many in Madrid) for a city map and useful tips. Spanish underground is noisy, people laugh, talk, and play instruments. So different Japanese regulations, which say: no talks, no phone allowed.
Ticket machines are available in all metro stations. You’ll probably spend a few minutes trying to figure out how to buy a ticket but you should be successful at the end. You can always ask the metro staff for help.
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