10 ESSENTIAL PLACES TO VISIT IN MADRID

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This list of places to visit in Madrid It will help you prepare a getaway to one of those cities that should be enjoyed day and night.
During the day you can get lost in the squares and streets of the most charming neighborhoods, visit its famous museums and palaces, see its historical monuments, climb its fantastic viewpoints, go shopping or relax walking through the green spaces and when night comes , you can not stop making a tapas and cane route through the neighborhood of La Latina, Chueca, Malasaña or the covered markets of San Miguel and San Antón, to finish in a trendy place until dawn and have a good hot chocolate breakfast with batons

Based on the many times we have traveled to Madrid, for leisure and work, in the last one we wrote this guide of what to do Madrid in 4 days, we have made a list of what we think, are the 10 essential places to see in Madrid. We start!

1. The Gran Vía

The Gran Vía is the most famous street to visit in Madrid and an essential walk for all who visit the city. Its construction dates back to the early twentieth century, in which large buildings such as Grassy, Telefónica or the Metropolis Building were built, one of our favorites to see in Madrid.
This street where you can not stop looking everywhere while you walk, is also famous for its great theaters, which represent some of the best works and musicals of the moment such as the Lion King, Billy Elliot or Anastasia.
In addition, the Gran Vía is one of the main commercial hubs of the city, in which clothing and footwear stores of large national and international brands are located.
In case you like shopping, if you don't have enough stores on Gran Vía, you can turn off Fuencarral Street, another of the most commercial in Madrid.

A good option to see the Gran Vía and the whole center with the best illuminated buildings is to book this night tour of Madrid by night with a guide, located among the best excursions in Madrid.

Gran Via

2. Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor, located in the heart of the city a few minutes walk from the Puerta del Sol, is another place what to visit in Madrid essential.
This rectangular square of 129 meters long and 94 wide, is surrounded by buildings and prominent places such as the Cuchilleros Arch, the Bakery House, the most important building in the Plaza Mayor and the Statue of Philip III, a gift from the Duke of Florence
One of the best things to see and do in Madrid is to sit on one of its terraces to have a good cold beer or eat the traditional squid sandwich in the popular Bar La Campana.
If your visit to Madrid is at Christmas time, you can not miss the Christmas market, which is mounted in this point of the city, where in addition to the typical Christmas stalls you can find the joke articles so characteristic in these dates, in the Spanish capital .
Another recommendation and participate in this tour that begins in this square at dusk, the ghost tour, where you will discover corners with secrets and the dark side of the city, in addition to many of the places to visit in Madrid.

Main Square

3. Museums of Madrid

Madrid is one of the European cities with the greatest cultural offer thanks to having one of the most important museums in the world.
Among the best museums in Madrid are:

The Prado Museum: this museum of more than 200 years has masterpieces of art such as The Three Graces of Rubens, The Knight of the Hand in the Chest of El Greco, La Maja Nude and On May 3 in Madrid de Goya, The Garden of the Delights of El Bosco and Velázquez's masterpiece, Las Meninas. The best way to visit the museum is to book this guided tour with an expert in art and history so you don't miss out on any details and with which you will also skip the long lines. If you do not want to take a guided tour we recommend you book this ticket in advance to avoid queues and for the same price as at the ticket office.
Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 8pm and on Sundays and holidays, from 10am to 7pm. Free admission in the last two hours.
Reina Sofia Museum: This museum is the most visited in the city with more than 4 million visitors a year. Although he has great works by Dalí and Miró, among many eight, his jewel is the painting by Guernica de Picasso, one of the great masterpieces in the history of painting. To understand this painting and others of the museum we advise you to book this guided tour in Spanish with an expert or take this offer that also includes the visit to the Prado. If you want to visit the museum on your own you can book the ticket online for a cheaper euro than at the box office.
Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 9pm (Tuesday closed) and Sundays, from 10am to 7pm. Free admission in the last two hours and on Sundays from 1:30 p.m.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum: This pinoteca has works by great masters such as Picasso, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Munch, among many others, most come from the old private collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family and others are provided by Carmen Cervera, widow of Baron Thyssen. To visit the museum you can book this guided tour with an art expert or buy the ticket online for the same price.
Visiting hours of Thyssen-Bornemisza: from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm. Admission is free on Mondays from 12 noon to 4 pm.

Prado Museum

4. El Retiro, one of the places to visit in Madrid

El Retiro, a historic park located near the city center, is perfect for disconnecting from the noise of the city, playing sports, walking or just sitting on a bench to read or be in touch with nature.
Although you can visit at any time of the day and week, we recommend you do it on a Sunday to enjoy a much more lively atmosphere in which there will be no lack of musicians, different shows for children and adults and even sighted, which you can always ask How long will it take you to return to this amazing city?
Within the Retreat you can not miss a visit to the Crystal Palace and the pond, one of the most famous images of the park, where if you come in spring or summer, the stations preferred by tourists visiting Madrid and in good weather, you can rent a Boat to enjoy the surroundings.
To leave or enter the park we recommend you do it through the Puerta de Alcalá, the most famous of the five old royal gates that gave access to the city and another of the essential places to see in Madrid.
Near this door, going down Alcalá Street, is the Cibeles Fountain, one of the most emblematic of Madrid next to Neptune.

Retirement

5. Neighborhoods of Madrid

Strolling through the streets of the most charming neighborhoods, having a drink on the terraces of your squares or shopping at your local stores, is one of the best things to do in Madrid.
Among our favorite neighborhoods to visit in Madrid are:

Chueca: reference for the LGTB collective, it is a perfect neighborhood for shopping in original stores, enjoying art in galleries or having a drink on the terraces and taverns that are located around the squares of Pedro Zerolo and Chueca.
Malasaña: separated from the Chueca neighborhood by Calle Fuencarral, this trendy neighborhood has a young atmosphere in which you can go from having a drink in its trendy stores to entering one of its stores and bookstores. The most famous streets and squares are Calle Manuela Malasaña, Calle del Pez and Plaza del Dos de Mayo.
La Latina: This neighborhood has a great atmosphere when it starts to get dark and the taverns of Cava Baja street are filled. A route through the neighborhood should also include Cava Alta Street, San Andres Square, the Plaza de la Puerta de los Moros, the Plaza de la Cebada and the Plaza de la Paja with a beautiful garden.
The letters: historic neighborhood in which the streets have famous names like Cervantes or Lope de Vega. In addition to touring these two streets, it is worth taking a long walk to find places such as Jacinto Benavente Square, Calle de las Huertas, Plaza Santa Ana and stop for tapas in local taverns.

Malasaña, one of the neighborhoods to visit in Madrid

Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish in Madrid by travelers:
- Full day Toledo excursion
- Excursion to the Escorial on the train of Felipe II
- Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Tour
- Excursion to Ávila and Segovia
- Excursion to Toledo and Segovia
- More excursions and tours here

6. Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace or Palacio de Oriente, was the official residence of the kings of Spain until they moved to the Palacio de la Zarzuela, and another of the essential places to visit in Madrid.
This huge palace, the largest in Western Europe, is currently used for tourist visits and is closed for state ceremonies and official events. The Palace is surrounded by the gardens of Campo del Moro and Sabatini, where from the latter you get magnificent photos with the Royal Palace in the background.

It is worth entering inside to see the halls and royal rooms, the Royal Pharmacy and the spectacular Royal Armory, one of the most important in the world.
A good option to not miss anything about the palace and skip the long lines that form in the access is to book this visit with a guide in Spanish or this offer that also includes the guided tour of the Prado Museum, another of the places to visit in Madrid .
If you prefer to visit on your own, we recommend you book your ticket online in advance, you will save time.
For more information you can read this specific post about the Royal Palace of Madrid.
Visiting hours: every day from 10am to 8pm from April to September, in the other months it closes at 6pm.

Royal Palace from the Sabatini Gardens

7 Puerta del Sol

The Puerta del Sol, located in the heart of Madrid, is one of the most famous squares in Spain and one of the most beautiful places to see in Madrid. Some of the main and most commercial streets of Madrid end or pass through this square, so for sure, you will see it several times during your visit to the capital of Spain.
In this square, active 24 hours a day, there are several points of interest such as the Statue of the Bear and the Madroño, the Clock of the Post Office, that place that we have all seen at some time in the retransmission of the last bells of year, where millions of locals meet that day to celebrate the start of the new year, and the "kilometer 0"from Spain, located in front of the City Hall.
A few meters from this square you can have a delicious hot chocolate with batons at the San Ginés Chocolatería, one of the historic ones in Madrid.
A good way to start your visit to this amazing city, knowing its history and curiosities, is to book this free tour of Madrid with a guide in Spanish for free!
If you have little time another option is to book the tourist bus that stops at the main points of interest and has comments recorded in Spanish of each of them.

Sun Gate

8. Viewpoints of Madrid

Between the places to visit in Madrid You can not miss the best viewpoints of the city that in addition to good views are a perfect place for a drink.
Here you have our favorites:

Circle of Fine Arts: from its roof you can make one of the typical photos of Madrid with the Metropolis Building and the beginning of the Gran Vía.
Hotel Riu Plaza Spain: the latest news in viewpoints, offers 360-degree panoramic views of all of Madrid at high altitude and where you can cross a glass walkway.
The English Court of Callao: From this viewpoint you will get the best views of the Gran Vía with the famous Schweppes sign and the Madrid Tower building in the background.
Cibeles Palace: It offers panoramic views of the city, where you can see from the Retiro Park to the skyscrapers of the financial area.

Madrid from the Circle of Fine Arts

Our recommended accommodation in Madrid
Two good options to stay in the city are the Room007 Select Sol and the One Shot Prado 23, both located near the Puerta del Sol and with an excellent quality / price ratio.
For a more special occasion we recommend Room Mate Óscar, a hotel with an original design, a fantastic terrace and located in the lively Chueca neighborhood.
For more information on the best hotels and neighborhoods you can consult this post of where to stay in Madrid.

9. Almudena Cathedral

Considered the most important religious building in Madrid, the Almudena Cathedral was the first cathedral that was consecrated outside Rome in 1993 by Pope John Paul II. The cathedral is located in the historic center of Madrid, in front of the Royal Palace and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
It is worth entering to see its exquisite interior, very different from the rest of religious buildings and with a color that takes center stage in the stained glass.
You can also climb the dome of the cathedral that has a platform from where you will get good views of the surroundings.
Visiting hours: every day from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Almudena Cathedral, one of the places to see in Madrid

10. Debod Temple

The Temple of Debod, located in the west of the Plaza de España, is another of the great places to visit in Madrid. This ancient Egyptian temple of more than 2,200 years old was a gift from Egypt to Spain for the help it gave at the time to save Abu Simbel from the waters of the Great Aswan Dam.
The Debod Temple has become a beautiful place to enjoy tranquility and relaxation, especially in the late afternoon, from where you can contemplate a unique sunset that you will surely not forget.
A few meters from the temple at the back is a viewpoint overlooking the Casa de Campo, the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral.

Debod Temple

Madrid gastronomy

Yes, we know, this is not exactly a place to visit in Madrid, but we could not stop including it in this list and more considering that in many occasions gastronomy is one of the best ways to know a place. You dare?
Madrid's gastronomy is a real delight for the palate, consisting of consistent and flavorful dishes, among which Madrid's stew, starred eggs, pavia soldiers, Santa Clara donuts, squid sandwich or snails are highlighted. The Madrid.

But if you are looking for something lighter, one of the best things to do in Madrid is tapas, since many of its most characteristic dishes are served in small portions, as a cover, with which you can taste much of the Gastronomy in one place. You should not only go for tapas in the bars and terraces of neighborhoods such as La Latina, Chueca or Malasaña, since covered markets such as San Miguel, San Antón and San Ildefonso are also authentic temples of Madrid's cuisine with fresh quality products.
A good option is to book this tapas tour through some of the best bars in the city.
For more information about our favorite restaurants, which many have become essential to visit in Madrid, you can check this post of where to eat in Madrid.