If you’re looking for a fun weekend getaway Madrid is an excellent option! There are plenty of cultural sights and many culinary treats to explore. So if you’re interested to find out more about what there is to do, check out this itinerary for a weekend trip to Madrid below! 🙂
Best time to visit
Madrid is located in central Spain. During peak season in summer, it can get really hot and crowded. Given this, I’d say the best time to visit is in late spring or early fall. I personally visited in late March. At that time nights were still quite cool and during the day temperatures reached a max of 20 degrees Celsius. Hence, maybe April or May are a bit more pleasant and still not as crowded. The same goes for September and October.
Where to stay
Madrid is a large city, yet it still feels kind of small (in a good way)! All major attractions are within a 30 min walking distance in the city center. Hence, you’ll make the most out of your time there if you choose to stay as central as possible.
Accommodation options
Budget: Way Hostel Madrid
Mid-range: Hostal Oriente
Luxury: Four Seasons Hotel Madrid
How to get around
By foot
As already mentioned, Madrid is a super walkable city. In my posts, I usually go through all different types of transportation that is available. But in this case, I really believe that you won’t need any other means of transport besides your feet for seeing the city
Uber
We used Uber to get to and from the airport, since we arrived late at night and departed very early in the morning. Works great, there’s plenty of cars!
Metro
If you don’t use Uber, there’s also a Metro in Madrid that can take you from the airport to the city center. Besides that, it’s also obviously a great way to move around in the city itself if you don’t like walking too much. You can find out more about the metro and the available tickets on here.
The itinerary
Day 1
8:30 am – Breakfast at La Rollerie
La Rollerie is a cute lil brunch spot in the city center! If you’re staying at Hostal Oriente, this will be a quick 3 minute walk from your room The interior has kind of a boho, farmhouse vibe, which also attracts some digital nomads and students for hanging out and studying. The food is great and super affordable.
09:00 am – Teatro Real
Once you’re full, it’s time to start exploring! From the restaurant make your way towards the Teatro Real. Since it’s daytime, you’ll have to be satisfied with simply checking out the building’s exterior for the moment 🙂
9:30 am – Palacio Real
Next up, one of Madrid’s highlights! The Royal Palace! The palace is the largest in Western Europe and only one of the few sites where you can visit inside an official Head of State building.
The building is massive and you can admire it from all different sides. We started on the South facing side, where you can also visit the Catedral de la Almudena. The East facing side (opposite the Royal theatre) is the main façade. Coincidentally our visit overlapped with the changing of the guards, which we didn’t even know was a thing in Spain! It was a cool experience and while there was a small crowd, it’s nowhere near as touristy as the same spectacle in London. The guards change at every hour on the hour from October 1 through March 31, and every half hour from April 1 through September 30.
Pro tip
If you want to visit the inside of the palace, make sure to book your tickets ahead of time!!! We were there in the shoulder season and the line for buying tickets on the spot was already massive. Don’t make that mistake!
11:30 am – Plaza Mayor & San Miguel Market
After taking in the Royal Palace at your own pace, make your way over to the Plaza Mayor. Choose one of the many restaurants to have lunch in this beautiful and lively square. If not, at least take a break from sightseeing and enjoy a nice Aperol or Sangria in the sun and do some people watching 🙂
Alternatively, you can directly head to the San Miguel Market, which is just a couple of steps away. The San Miguel Market is not a regular groceries market. No no, here you can have actual proper, but “snack” sized meals! Take your time to first make a tour and see what they have, before committing on something. You’ll never manage to try everything, there’s just that many options to choose from 🙂 They also have fresh fruit and desserts, in case you prefer a sit down lunch at the Plaza Mayor!
1:30 pm – Shopping time
I know, I know – Shopping is not for everyone. But man, Madrid has a lot of options! My friend and I really enjoyed spending the afternoon just strolling along Gran Via and Calle de Preciados, popping in to a shop here and there when we felt like it.
Just next to the two main shopping streets mentioned above, you will find the famous Puerta del Sol. If you’ve heard of the Spanish Tradition of eating twelve grapes at midnight during New Years: The bells on this square are the bells that are televised and dictate when you should pop your grapes into the mouth. In case you’ve never heard of this – well, Puerta del Sol has a nice square!
6:00 pm – Dinner Museo del Jamon
For dinner it’s time for something typically Spanish – Jamón!! We went to a place called Museo del Jamon, which is a little misleading because it has nothing to do with museums! You can order tons of different types of ham, cheese and other tapas to go with that. So yummy!
8:00 pm – Churros for dessert
As if you’re probably not already completely full after all the ham and tapas, you HAVE to try the famous Churros from Chocolatería San Ginés. This is an establishment that goes way back to 1984, and you can really tell the place has history when you sit down. Man, that chocolate sauce they give you is some of the best chocolate sauce I’ve ever had. It’s so thick, and creamy … I’m getting hungry again just thinking about it!
9:00 pm – End the night at a bar or club
Madrid has a great bar and club scene. The moment the sun starts setting, during the weekends you’ll find promoters on the street giving you flyers for all sorts of events. Pick one and enjoy the rest of your night.
Or, you can also slowly head back to your hotel and relax. It has been a busy day, and there’s another busy day coming up tomorrow!
Step count day 1: 18’141 steps
Day 2
9:00 am – Hanso Café Breakfast
Today’s breakfast spot: Hanso Café. The café is a great brunch spot with great coffee! It’s very modern and hip, but still attracts a wide range of visitors. So no matter who you are, you’ll feel comfortable there 🙂
10:00 am – Museo Nacional del Prado
Time to start exploring! The first stop of the day is the Museo Nacional del Prado. The museum is known to have the most comprehensive collection of Spanish art. Once again, if you want to actually visit the museum and not just see the building, make sure to book your tickets ahead!!! The line will likely be huge, even in the off season!
12:00 pm – Parque del Retiro
From the Museo Nacional del Prado it’s only a couple of blocks until you reach the Parque del Retiro. The park is a beautiful green oasis in the middle of the city. The park used to belong to the Monarchy, which explains its elegance and attention to detail. Upon entering, I would recommend to first head directly to the Great Pond. There you can either walk around it for a while and visit the Monument to Alfonso XII. Or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can even rent a little rowing boat and get on the water. A rental costs 8 euros per 45 minutes.
1:00 pm – Coffee in the park
After your more active exploration of the park, it’s time for a little break. There are plenty of little cafés along the lake shore, but also in other regions of the parc. Seek one out that you like and enjoy a cup of coffee in this nice environment 🙂
1:30 pm – Palacio de Cristal
Next up, the Palacio de Cristal. As the name suggests, this construction is completely made out of glass. It looks so fairy like and precious, it’s really a must visit! Entry is free 🙂
3:00 pm – Chueca district
On our pursuit to the Palace of Longoria (which turned out to be just a very pretty building), we got to walking around an area which we hadn’t really planned originally. I’m talking about the neighbourhood around Plaza de Chueca. It seemed less touristy and there were still lots of unique boutiques and restaurants. I believe it is also an LGBTQ+ friendly area, since many of the restaurants and bars had rainbow flags at their entrances.
Also, it’s finally time for some food! We decided to go to Oven Mozzarella, which is a modern Italian place in the heart of Madrid right at the Gran Via. I had the truffle Focaccia and my friend had the Rigatoni al forno, we would recommend both!
6:00 pm – Sunset drinks at Rooftop Bar
After dinner, I’d recommend to catch the sunset from one of the many rooftop bars in Madrid. We went to Azotea del Circulo which is also right at the Gran Via. The bar is very high end and has lots of drink and seating options. Be aware that this kind of etablissement obviously does come with a certain price point, and many rooftop bars also require you to pay an “entry ticket” just for getting in.
Nevertheless, 10/10 experience, the vibes were immaculate!
Step count day 2: 21’047
I hope this itinerary gave you some inspiration for your upcoming weekend trip to Madrid! Even if you don’t follow my exact itinerary, Madrid is so walkable that you can perfectly just start wandering and see where the road takes you. We sometimes did that too, in Madrid, there’s something worth seeing wherever you turn 🙂 If you’re interested in a cost breakdown of the entire trip, check out this page here!