Madrid is a great city for a long weekend. With 3 days in Madrid, you can see the top sights, eat great food, and even do a day trip. Here’s my guide to exploring Madrid in 3 days.
Madrid is a great city to visit in Europe. It’s a great all-year-round destination, with lots of indoor and outdoor things to do. The best sights in the city are focussed around the centre, so it’s easy to enjoy the highlights of Madrid in 3 days.
Madrid really does have a great range of activities. There’s a world-class art museum, and also a truly impressive Royal Palace. There are more quirky, fun museums as well such as the Video Game Museum and the Football Museum. Madrid also has some beautiful architecture and city squares. And of course the food is great, with many tapas bars and great restaurants all around the city. You can even watch a traditional Flamenco dance show. It’s a really great city, and I loved spending 3 days in Madrid.
When is the best time of year to visit Madrid in 3 days?
You can enjoy spending 3 days in Madrid all year round. But my favourite times of year to visit Madrid are in early spring or late autumn. March and November are the best times to visit Madrid. These months have fewer crowds of tourists, so you won’t be packed into the museums and hotel prices are a bit cheaper. And you have a good chance of some warm and sunny weather.
However, there’s also a chance of some rainy days as well in Madrid in spring or autumn. So make sure you bring a rain coat. But even if it’s a bit rainy, there are lots of things to do in Madrid that are inside. So you can still really enjoy Madrid in 3 days even if it rains.
Where should I stay to explore Madrid in 3 days?
The majority of Madrid’s top sights and things to do are all in the centre of Madrid and easy walking distance from each other. So as long as your hotel is fairly central, you’ll easily be able to walk around and explore Madrid.
I recommend staying in a hotel near Plaza Mayor. I think this is the best location to fully enjoy Madrid in 3 days. Plaza Mayor is a huge, beautiful square with lots of bars and restaurants. It’s great to stay near Plaza Mayor so you can explore the area in the evenings. There are loads of tapas bars and restaurants serving great, traditional Spanish food near Plaza Mayor. And this central location is only a 10-15 minute walk to Royal Palace on one side of the city, and the Museo del Prado on the other side of the city. So you can walk to the top sights in Madrid.
The best itinerary for Madrid in 3 days
With 3 days in Madrid, you can easily explore the top sights in the city as long as you plan ahead. Here’s the best itinerary for seeing all of the top things to do in 3 days in Madrid.
Day 1: Madrid’s top museums, parks and food – and Flamenco
On day 1 of your trip to Madrid in 3 days, start by visiting Madrid’s best art museum. You can then take some time for a walk in the park, and enjoy some local food before enjoying some shopping and another museum. And in the evening, make sure you check out a Flamenco show.
Enjoy the art at Museo del Prado
Museo del Prado is Madrid’s most famous art museum. It’s a definite highlight of any trip to Madrid. Make sure you book tickets for Museo del Prado online. You can choose your entry time, and this guarantees you entry, and also means you can skip the queue.
Inside Museo del Prado, you can pick up a map to plan your route. I spent about 2 hours in the museum, and I think I saw most of it. It’s a big museum and you could easily spend longer if you want to look at each piece of art in more detail. But 2 hours in the Museo del Prado will give you a good flavour of the art, without feeling too tiring.
There are many parts of Museo del Prado where you’re not allowed to take photos. However, there are a few areas where you can take photos to remember your time there. It’s an enjoyable art museum, and a great start to your time exploring Madrid in 3 days.
Take a leisurely stroll through Retiro Park
After visiting Museo del Prado, take a leisurely walk through Retiro Park. This huge park is right next to the Prado Museum.
I visited Retiro Park on a cloudy day in early March. While the park was nice, I think it would be even nicer on a hot day in the summer. But it was still nice to walk around. I particularly liked the views across to the Museo del Prado.
There’s a beautiful lake in the park, where you can hire rowing boats. On a warm, sunny day in the summer it would be lovely to relax in a rowing boat on the lake.
Marvel at the Puerta de Acala
After walking around Retiro Park, it’s worth stopping for a quick look at the Puerta de Acala. It’s right next to one of the exits of the park. It’s a hugely impressive arch, and a great place for a quick photo stop before moving on.
Eat a Calamari sandwich at Plaza Mayor for lunch
For lunch, I recommend heading to Plaza Mayor. One of the famous foods to try in Madrid is a calamari sandwich. And there’s a place near Plaza Mayor that does the best calamari sandwiches. La Campana really is the best place in Madrid to get a calamari sandwich. You can sit inside at the restaurant, but there’s often a long queue. So for a quicker option, you can queue for a takeaway.
The calamari sandwich is really simple – just fresh, fried squid on soft bread. But it’s so delicious. It’s great to eat in Plaza Mayor as you admire the beautiful architecture of this square.
Go shopping around Puerta del Sol, and the famous bear statue
After enjoying lunch at Plaza Mayor, head to the nearby Puerta del Sol. This is another big and impressive square in Madrid. It’s also home to the famous bear statue – the statue of the bear and the strawberry tree.
The streets around Puerta del Sol are some of the best streets in Madrid for shopping. So if you’re looking for some retail therapy, spend some time exploring the shops in this area. There are lots of souvenir shops, as well as some big chain shops and also some small, quirky independent shops.
Visit Madrid’s Football museum
Puerta del Sol is also right next to Madrid’s Football Museum. This museum is a real highlight for any football fans. But it’s also interesting even if you’re not a big football fan.
The museum features a lot of exhibits of kit worn by famous football players, and tells you more about the history of football and football kits. There are also football trophies in the museum as well. To be honest, I didn’t find this museum the most interesting place – but that’s probably just because I’m not really into football. But it was still an enjoyable museum, and I could see how it would be a highlight for any football fans.
Eat a tapas dinner at Los Gatos
For your first dinner in Madrid, you have to try some of the famous tapas dishes. Los Gatos is a really quirky, fun tapas bar. It’s got some great decoration, and feels like a traditional, local tapas bar.
There are so many tapas dishes on the menu to choose from. I definitely recommend the chorizo and also the Iberian Ham – both are local specialities. There are several local cheeses as well, and some toast with various toppings. All the food was delicious, and even better with a glass of Sangria.
Watch a Flamenco show at Cardamomo Tablao
After dinner, make sure you catch a Flamenco show. Watching a Flamenco show is a real highlight of any trip to Madrid. There are several traditional ‘Tablao’ around the city, where you can watch a Flamenco dance show. I went to Cardamomo Tablao after researching the highly recommended venues, and I thought it was a great performance.
The Flamenco show at Cardamomo Tablao lasts about an hour. You get a drink included with your ticket, so you can enjoy sipping a glass of Sangria while watching the show. The show was really good. There were three main dancers – two female and one male. The dancers took it in turns to dance solo, with some really impressive moves. There was also a singing performance from a lady, and the accompanying men on guitars also sang. At the end, all three dancers were dancing together on the small stage.
It was a great show. Plus, they encourage the audience to take photos and videos throughout the show, so you’ll be able to capture the special memories. It was a great end to my first day in Madrid.
Day 2: Madrid’s Royal Palace, Cathedral and more food
On day 2 of your time exploring Madrid in 3 days, continue taking in Madrid’s art and culture. Visit the hugely impressive Royal Palace, then head over to the Cathedral for great views over the city. You can also visit the fun Video Game museum, and of course enjoy lots more amazing food and drink.
Visit the Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace in Madrid was one of my highlights of my 3 days in Madrid. It was just so beautiful and impressive inside.
Make sure you book tickets online for the Royal Palace. Even in early March, when it’s meant to be low season for tourism in Madrid, there was still a huge queue for tickets for the Royal Palace. I was really glad I’d booked my tickets in advance so I could join the much shorter queue for pre-booked tickets. Once you’ve got past the ticket queue, you can enjoy the exterior of the Royal Palace in the courtyard.
Inside the Royal Palace, I was instantly in awe of the interior decoration. It’s hard to describe – it was just so lavish and ornate and beautiful. I took so many photos, trying to capture the magic of the rooms.
The chandeliers were particularly impressive. Almost every room as a huge chandelier, that look amazing against the pictures on the walls and the decorated ceilings.
Each room had its own colour scheme and style. The dining rooms was really impressive, with a huge table.
The throne room was another highlight. The red colours were just gorgeous, with all the gold as well.
I really enjoyed the Royal Palace of Madrid. I spent about 1.5 hours inside and easily could have spent longer.
Enjoy the views from Madrid Cathedral
Just opposite the Royal Palace of Madrid is Madrid Cathedral. It’s a great place to visit after exploring the Royal Palace.
Madrid Cathedral begins with a small museum, where you can see some artefacts from the church.
The visitor route then leads you up a lot of stairs, to an outside area which gives you a great view of the Royal Palace.
The visitor route then continues up more stairs, to the top of the dome. The stairs are easy to climb – it’s just normal staircases, not narrow spiral stairs like some churches have. So it’s manageable for most people.
From the top of Madrid Cathedral, you’re rewarded with stunning views over the city. I loved the views from all angles. The viewing platform is wide and feels very safe, so even if you’re a bit nervous of heights you should still be able to enjoy the views.
I loved the views across all of the orange roofs of the city. And the views of the Cathedral itself were stunning as well.
The visitor route then takes you back down the stairs and into the actual Cathedral. It’s a really beautiful Cathedral. Madrid Cathedral was built in 1883, and finished in 1993. So it’s a slightly more modern Cathedral than some of the other Cathedrals in Spain. It’s a beautiful space, with lots of gold and colourful stained glass windows.
Eat a tapas lunch at Mercado de San Miguel
After a busy morning exploring Madrid’s Royal Palace and Cathedral, head to Mercado de San Miguel for a well-earned lunch. This market is one of the best places in Madrid to get food, with a great variety of fresh tapas.
Take some time to walk around the market before deciding what to buy. There’s a stall selling the famous Iberian ham. My favourite food here was the croquettes. The cheese ones were amazing, and the ham ones were good too.
The olives at Mercado de San Miguel were amazing as well. There were so many different types of olives to try, some of them with sundried tomatoes and cheese as well.
Eat Churros at Chocolatería San Ginés
Finish off your lunch with some of Madrid’s famous churros. You can get churros in the Mercado de San Miguel, but my favourite churros in Madrid were just a short walk away at Chocolatería San Ginés. It’s one of the oldest and most famous places to get churros in Madrid. You can choose between the traditional smaller churros, and also the larger ‘porras’ churros as well. And make sure you get the cup of chocolate to dip the churros in.
Have fun at Madrid’s Video Game Museum
After indulging in some amazing food, burn off some energy at Madrid’s Video Game Museum. It’s a really fun and interactive museum for all ages. Even if you’re not a huge fan of video games, it’s still a really enjoyable place to spend an hour or two in the afternoon.
The Video Game Museum in Madrid tells the history of the development of video games. There are lots of different video games and gaming consoles on display. And there are lots of opportunities to have a go at some as well. There are lots of games set up, where you can try some of the older, original video games such as Pacman and Snake. It’s amazing to see how much the video games have developed in such a short amount of time.
There’s a nice nostalgic feeling to look at the video games that were popular years ago in our childhoods. And it’s amazing how far the technology has come to provide the video games and consoles that are popular today.
Eat Paella and drink Sangria
For dinner, you have to try another of Spain’s most famous food: Paella. You can get delicious Paella at a restaurant called Los Galayos, which is right next to Plaza Mayor. But there are lots of other restaurants around Plaza Mayor that serve Paella.
The traditional Paella is now served with seafood. But if you’re not keen on seafood, you can also get Paella with chicken, or vegetarian Paella with vegetables. I decided to have a vegetarian Paella, and it was delicious. And of course, it goes perfectly with a glass of Sangria.
Have a drink in Plaza Mayor at night
After dinner, go for a relaxing walk around Plaza Mayor at night. It’s a really beautiful place to visit in the evenings. The bars all around Plaza Mayor are lively in the evenings, so it’s the perfect place to sit outside with a drink and enjoy the atmosphere.
Day 3: Day trip from Madrid to El Escorial
On day 3 of your trip to Madrid in 3 days, you can visit the famous market that comes alive on Sunday mornings. Of course, if your day 3 isn’t a Sunday, then you might need to swap one of the previous days’ activities so you can visit the market on a Sunday. After exploring the market, you can take a day trip out of the city to El Escorial. This huge monastery is easy to reach by train, and it’s a beautiful place to visit with one of the most beautiful libraries in the world.
Browse for bargains at the El Rastro Flea Market on Sunday mornings
The El Rastro Flea Market is a must-visit place in Madrid if you’re in Madrid on a Sunday. The market starts around 9am on a Sunday, with multiple streets filled with temporary stalls selling all different kinds of things. Head to Plaza de Cascorro, the hub of the market. And from here, just wander around wherever you feel like walking.
There are stalls selling clothes, or books, or electronics, or home decorations, and so much more. There really is something for everyone here.
Take the train for a day trip El Escorial
After spending an hour or two at the El Rastro Flea Market, you can get the train from central Madrid to El Escorial. You can get one of Madrid’s commuter trains, which you don’t need to book in advance. I recommend talking the C8a from Madrid Atocha Station. The C8a train will take you directly to El Escorial in about an hour. From the train station in El Escorial, it’s a 20 minute walk to the El Escorial palace.
El Escorial – the outside
Unfortunately, the day I visited El Escorial was very rainy. So I didn’t spend much time exploring the outside of the palace. It was torrential rain all day, so I was keen to get inside as quickly as possible. The parts of the exterior of the palace that I did see seemed really nice. And I’m sure there would be some nice gardens in the summer as well.
El Escorial – the inside
Inside El Escorial was really impressive. It’s a huge monastery, that also looks like a palace as well. I spent about 2 hours exploring the inside of El Escorial. There was beautiful religious art, and ornately decorated ceilings.
There was also a large area that were home to many tombs, including the tombs of members of Spain’s Royal Family. It was interesting to learn more about Spain’s Royal Family and the links the royal family have to this monastery.
El Escorial – the Basilica and the library
The highlights of the interior of El Escorial were the Basilica and the library. The Basilica was a really impressive Church. It was a huge space, and the altar was so beautifully decorated. The gold was really impressive.
The library was even more impressive. The library of El Escorial was one of my favourite places out of everywhere I saw in Madrid. It was just such a beautiful room.
The ceiling was the highlight, with amazing paintings covering the ceilings.
I enjoyed spending some time looking at all the books in the library. There are some on display, where you can see the beautiful calligraphy and illustrations. And the huge globes in the library were really impressive as well. It was such an amazing place, and definitely worth the day trip from Madrid.
Visit the nearby Valley of the Fallen
After visiting El Escorial, you can also visit the nearby Valley of the Fallen. It’s about a 10 minute drive away from the El Escorial Palace, so if you don’t have a car you’ll need to take a taxi. But it’s easy to reach, and it’s an impressive place so it’s worth visiting.
The Valley of the Fallen is a monument to all the people who died in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. It was constructed by Franco, and finished in 1959. It’s another hugely impressive building. The Basilica is beautiful, and it’s a really moving and beautiful place.
The outside of the monument is impressive as well. On a sunny day, I expect there would be lovely views of the surrounding mountain region. But even on the rainy day that I visited, it was still an impressive structure with the huge cross on top.
Dinner in Madrid – Suckling Pig and Sangria
Back in Madrid, you can have your final dinner near Plaza Mayor. Another local speciality food in Madrid is suckling pig. You can get this food at lots of the restaurants around Plaza Mayor, including at Los Galayos. This restaurant also does some great tapas starters as well, such as Spanish omelette and croquettes. The suckling pig is a delicious meal, with really tender and juicy meat.
And of course, it goes perfectly with a glass of Sangria. It’s the perfect way to end your time exploring Madrid in 3 days.
Enjoy your visit to Madrid in 3 days! If you’ve got longer in the area, there are other great day trips you can do from Madrid. Read my guides to visiting Segovia as a day trip from Madrid, and also a day trip from Madrid to Toledo.
You can also check out my guides to things to do in Madrid when it rains, and the famous food in Madrid and where to eat. There are lots of other great cities to visit in Spain as well. Check out my guides to Seville, Cordoba, Granada, and the Andalusia’s white villages and mountains. Or check out my guide to Barcelona and the Montserrat monastery in the mountains.
