Madrid itinerary
7 days, hour by hour · SpainOctober–May
- Days
- 7
- Stops
- 34
- Per day
- ≈ €93
- First stop
- 09:00
Short answer
The TripWalkers Madrid itinerary runs 7 days and lays out 34 stops, hour by hour, for October–May. The first three days:
- Day 1 Prado and Retiro
- Day 2 Habsburg Madrid and the Royal Palace
- Day 3 Malasaña, Chueca and Gran Vía
Staying less? Start with the first days — TripWalkers uses the opening days of this plan for shorter trips too. Days 4 and 5 are day trips out of the city. Food, entry fees and local transport come to about €93 a day (excluding accommodation and flights).
Day 1 · 10:00–20:00
Prado and Retiro
Culture
Museo del Prado
Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya, Bosch. Book a timed slot online (15 EUR); entry is free 18:00-20:00 but crowded.
≈ €15 per personNature
Parque del Retiro
The lake (rowing boats 6 EUR), the Crystal Palace and the Fallen Angel statue.
FreeFood
Casa Alberto
A tavern dating from 1827 in Huertas; try the rabo de toro (oxtail stew) and vermouth.
≈ €25 per person- 1 h 30 min · travel, break, free time
Culture
Museo Reina Sofía
Picasso's Guernica; free on Saturdays after 14:30.
≈ €12 per personLandmark
Barrio de las Letras
Cervantes' neighbourhood, with verses written in the streets and Plaza Santa Ana.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Museo Thyssen-BornemiszaThe third museum of the Golden Triangle of Art; an alternative to the Reina Sofía.
- Mercado de San MiguelTapas stalls in an iron-framed market hall; touristy but worth seeing.
Day 2 · 09:00–15:30
Habsburg Madrid and the Royal Palace
Landmark
Plaza Mayor
The square is empty in the morning; try a bocadillo de calamares (fried squid sandwich) at Casa Rúa.
Free- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Culture
Royal Palace of Madrid
Western Europe's largest palace; book a timed slot online. See the Throne Room and the Sabatini Gardens.
≈ €14 per personCulture
Almudena Cathedral
Opposite the palace; look up at the colourful ceiling.
FreeFood
Chocolatería San Ginés
Churros con chocolate served around the clock since 1894.
≈ €5 per person- 45 min · travel, break, free time
Food
La Latina Cava Baja Tapas
A tapas crawl along Cava Baja: Casa Lucio (huevos rotos), Juana la Loca (tortilla), Txirimiri.
≈ €25 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Casa BotínThe world's oldest restaurant (1725); order the cochinillo (roast suckling pig) and reserve ahead.
- Temple of DebodAn Egyptian temple, famous for its sunset; an alternative to the cathedral.
Day 3 · 10:00–21:00
Malasaña, Chueca and Gran Vía
Landmark
Gran Vía
Madrid's Broadway, with the Metropolis Building and the Schweppes sign.
FreeShopping
Malasaña Streets
Vintage and record shops, plus Plaza del Dos de Mayo.
FreeFood
Mercado de San Ildefonso
A street-food market on Calle Fuencarral.
≈ €12 per personLandmark
Chueca
A colourful neighbourhood; head up to the rooftop bar at Mercado de San Antón.
Free- 5 h 15 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Círculo de Bellas Artes Terrace
A rooftop terrace above Gran Vía, with sunset views and Calle de Alcalá below.
≈ €5 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Lamiak MalasañaBasque pintxos.
- Museo de Historia de MadridThe city history museum in Malasaña; free entry.
Day 4 · 09:30–16:00Day trip
Toledo
Culture
Toledo Cathedral
AVE train from Atocha, 33 minutes. Spain's largest Gothic cathedral, with works by El Greco.
≈ €12 per personCulture
Iglesia de Santo Tomé
El Greco's The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.
≈ €4 per personCulture
Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca
A Mudéjar synagogue in the Jewish quarter.
≈ €3 per personFood
Cervecería El Trébol
Bombas (stuffed potato croquettes) and carcamusas (pork and tomato stew) in Toledo; a local favourite.
≈ €18 per person- 1 h · travel, break, free time
Nature
Mirador del Valle
The Toledo skyline seen across the river. Take the tourist bus or a taxi, and head back by 17:00.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Alcázar of ToledoAn army museum with city views; an alternative to the mirador.
- Mazapán Santo ToméToledo's marzipan.
Day 5 · 09:30–16:00Day trip
Segovia
Landmark
Aqueduct of Segovia
AVE train, 27 minutes. A 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct built without mortar, 28 m high.
FreeCulture
Segovia Cathedral
The last Gothic cathedral built in Spain, on Plaza Mayor.
≈ €4 per personCulture
Alcázar of Segovia
Said to have inspired Disney's castle; the tower has 152 steps.
≈ €9 per personFood
Mesón de Cándido
Cochinillo (suckling pig) beneath the aqueduct since 1898, carved at the table with a plate.
≈ €40 per personNature
Mirador de la Pradera de San Marcos
The view of the Alcázar like a ship's prow, from the riverside.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- José María SegoviaThe other classic for cochinillo.
- Royal Palace of La Granja de San IldefonsoA Versailles-style palace 11 km from Segovia; an alternative to the mirador.
Day 6 · 10:00–18:30
Salamanca and Bernabéu
Culture
Museo Sorolla
The painter's home, with an Andalusian-style garden; quiet in the morning.
≈ €3 per personShopping
Barrio de Salamanca Calle Serrano
A luxury shopping street, near the Platea gastro-theatre.
FreeFood
Platea Madrid
A food market in a former cinema, near Colón.
≈ €20 per person- 45 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Tour
Real Madrid museum and stadium tour; go when there is no match.
≈ €30 per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Culture
National Archaeological Museum
Home of the Lady of Elche, in Salamanca district; a good escape from the heat.
≈ €3 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- LhardyA restaurant dating from 1839; try the cocido madrileño (Madrid chickpea stew), served Monday to Wednesday.
- Parque de El CaprichoA romantic park, open at weekends; an alternative to the stadium.
Day 7 · 09:00–14:00
Rastro and Lavapiés: a gentle farewell
Shopping
El Rastro
A huge flea market on Sundays (Ribera de Curtidores); on other days, antique shops.
FreeLandmark
Lavapiés
A multicultural neighbourhood with murals and the Tabacalera arts centre.
FreeFood
Casa Revuelta
A tapa of bacalao rebozado (battered cod), eaten standing up near El Rastro; open since 1966.
≈ €12 per personLandmark
Puerta del Sol Kilometre Zero
Spain's zero point and the Bear statue. Take the metro to Atocha; the airport is 30 minutes by Cercanías.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Taberna La Concha La LatinaVermouth and tapas.
- Museo CerralboAn aristocratic mansion; an alternative to Lavapiés.
Good to know: 6 things that make a Madrid trip easier
- A 10-trip metro ticket costs 12.20 EUR; the airport is 30 minutes by metro or Cercanías. Toledo and Segovia are 30 minutes by AVE (Atocha/Chamartín); buy tickets in advance.
- The Prado, the Palace and the Reina Sofía require timed online tickets. The Prado is free 18:00-20:00 and the Reina Sofía on Saturday afternoons (expect queues).
- Winter is sunny at 5-12°C. In December there is a Christmas market on Plaza Mayor; January brings the sales and it is cocido season.
- Tapas cost 2-4 EUR, a menú del día 13-16 EUR and cochinillo 30-40 EUR; churros at San Ginés cost 5 EUR. Round up the bill as a tip.
- Visit El Rastro on a Sunday morning; Lavapiés and Malasaña are best in the evening. Watch for pickpockets around Sol and on the metro.
- If Real Madrid are playing, buy tickets months ahead; stadium tours run daily.
Spending: ≈ €650 per person for 7 days
- Food€350
- Entry and tours€160
- Local transport€80
- Other€60
Excludes accommodation and flights. 2026 price estimate, per person.
On world lists: 2 places in this city
We did the planning. You just pick the dates.
TripWalkers rebuilds this route around your number of days, budget and pace — on a map, day by day, in your pocket.
Download on the App StoreFor iPhone · English and Turkish · Free to download
Your next trip
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Madrid?
This itinerary is built for 7 days. With 3 days, do the first 3 — TripWalkers uses the opening days of the plan for shorter trips too. The day trip is on day 4 and 5; skip it on a short stay.
How much does a day in Madrid cost?
In this plan, food, entry fees and local transport come to about €93 per person per day. Accommodation and flights are not included. Figures are 2026 estimates.
What time should you start the day in Madrid?
The first stop is at 09:00. Most days start early so you arrive before the crowds, and evenings end with dinner.
Which season is this itinerary for?
This page covers October–May. There is a separate plan for June–September: opening hours, the sea and the weather change the route.