Is Madrid guide in two days It is perfect for travelers who have a weekend or for your first two days in the city. With it you will be able to know much of the city and its places of greatest tourist interest, which can also be easily explored on foot or by subway.
If on the first day in Madrid you visited the historic center and its best known monuments, on this second day you will enter the Prado Museum, one of the most important in the world and you will visit several of the city's historic neighborhoods such as the Barrio de las Letras , Malasaña and Chueca, among many other things that will take you to know the capital of the country.
Based on the experience of our various visits to the capital, we have made this guide to enjoy Madrid on a weekend. We start!
Where to sleep in Madrid
Although there are many options, our two hotels recommend sleeping in Madrid in 2 days They are:
- Room007 Select Sol, very well located near Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace. This hotel also has very close to the Opera and Sol metro stops and has a good quality / price ratio.
- Room Mate Óscar, located in the Plaza de Pedro Zerolo in the Chueca neighborhood, about 10 minutes walk from the Puerta del Sol and 5 minutes from the Gran Vía metro. It stands out for the fantastic views from its terrace bar.
For more information on the best hotels and neighborhoods you can consult this post of where to stay in Madrid.
How to go from the airport to the center of Madrid
To get to the center or your hotel from Barajas airport you have different options:
- Train: You can arrive in about 20 minutes to the Puerta del Sol, Nuevos Ministerios and Atocha stations, taking the train at the T4 terminal for less than 3 euros.
- Meter: You can arrive at the station in half an hour New Ministries taking the subway at the 4 terminals of the airport, for less than 5 euros. From this station you can connect with metro lines 6 and 10, or with the suburban train, which will take you to the Atocha or Chamartín stations.
- Cab: Taxi prices have a flat rate of 30 euros and the journey is around 40 minutes, depending on traffic.
- Bus: The Express Airport It is the only public transport that has 24-hour service, departs from T1, T2 and T4 and is priced at 5 euros. Stop at Plaza de Cibeles and Atocha.
- Private transport: This would be the most comfortable option when waiting for a driver at the airport with a sign with your name, which will take you directly to the hotel. You can book it here.
For more information about the transfer you can consult this post on how to go from Madrid Airport to the center.
First day in Madrid
The first day of the route through Madrid in two days Start having breakfast with chocolate churros at the Chocolatería San Ginés, located very close to Puerta del Sol and then take the metro in Sol to the bus stop. Retirement.
When you leave the subway you will find yourself inside the most famous park in the city, El Retiro, where we recommend you to get lost and enjoy some of its best known spots such as the famous Crystal Palace.
After the pleasant walk through the park, you can exit through the popular Puerta de Alcalá and go down to Plaza de Cibeles, where the Cibeles Fountain and several historical buildings such as the Palacio de Cibeles stand out, from which you can enjoy good views of the city from the viewpoint of his last floor.
A good option to learn more about the history of the city is to book this free tour of Madrid with a guide in Spanish. Free! or take the city tour bus.
The tour of the first day continues along Calle de Alcalá, where we recommend you stop at the building of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, located on the left before entering Gran Vía and where there is a roof terrace, with a large terrace, with the one that is for us, the best viewpoint in Madrid.
Views from the roof of the Circle of Fine Arts
The route through Madrid on a weekend continues to arrive at the Plaza del Sol, the Post Office stands out, the Statue of the Bear and the Madroño, and the plaque of the kilometer 0.
Near Sol is also the Plaza Mayor, the prettiest and one of the essential places to visit in Madrid where you can not miss the visit to the Arco de Cuchilleros and the Bakery House.
Taking advantage of the fact that you are in this area of the city, we recommend stopping for tapas in the San Miguel Market or devour the typical squid sandwich in the The bell, followed by a dessert in the form of homemade ice cream in Mistery.
A good option to get to know some of the best tapas bars in the city is to book this tapas tour.
In the afternoon you will arrive at the Plaza de Oriente through Calle Mayor, stopping before in the beautiful Plaza de la Vila, an area where the magnificent Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral are also located.
To enter the palace and save your queues you can book this guided tour in Spanish or this offer that also includes the guided tour of the Prado Museum.
Royal Palace
After touring the royal halls we recommend you to take a walk through the Sabatini gardens, with a good view of the Royal Palace of Madrid, and then follow the route to the Temple of Debod, one of the most frequented places in the city at this time of the day.
A good option to know the history of this whole area known as the Madrid de los Austrias is to book this tour with a guide in Spanish.
As we mentioned, nothing better to see the sunset than to approach the Temple of Debod and the viewpoint of the Mountain, which is located behind this ancient Egyptian temple, from where you can enjoy some of the best views of the city.
The Madrid in two days It ends with a night walk on the Gran Vía from Plaza de España, where in addition to seeing its historic buildings, you can not fail to climb to the last floor of the English Court of Callao with magnificent views of the avenue and a good place to dine .
Another good option to dine and try the typical Madrid food is the nearby GastroVía 61, another of the many gastronomic references in the city.
And if you're not tired yet, you can see a play or a musical in some of the famous theaters of Gran Vía or just stroll along this great avenue, as a finishing touch to a perfect day in the capital of Spain.
Map of the route of the first day of Madrid in two days
(Extended information on the first day of Madrid here)
Second day of Madrid on a weekend
The second day of Madrid in two days start having a typical Neapolitan cream or chocolate breakfast at La Mallorquina, a historic bakery in Plaza del Sol, where it is a pleasure to start the day.
After a good breakfast you will visit the Barrio de las Letras, the literary heart of Madrid, an area located between the Plaza de Santa Ana and the Paseo del Prado, where illustrious characters such as Lope de Vega, Quevedo or Cervantes, came to life during the Spanish Golden Age
Stroll through its streets full of buildings with history, enter the typical Madrid taverns such as The cats or sitting on the terraces to have a good beer, is one of the best things to see and do in Madrid and we recommend you not to get lost to get to know the city up close.
Santa Ana Square in the Barrio de las Letras
The first stop on the route through the neighborhood will be at Jacinto Benavente Square where you can see the historic Calderón Theater. Following the Calle de las Huertas, an emblematic street of the Barrio de las Letras, full of tascas and phrases of illustrious writers, you will reach Plaza Santa Ana, the nerve center of the neighborhood that stands out for the Spanish Theater building and Garcia statues Lorca and Calderón de la Barca.
In addition to touring Calle de las Huertas, it is also worth walking through Calle Cervantes and Calle de Lope de Vega, other well-known streets in the neighborhood, where the Basilica of Jesus of Medinacili is located, of great devotion to Madrid and in which large queues are formed to enter.
In this neighborhood there is also the Congress of Deputies, located in a magnificent neoclassical building with an entrance flanked by two bronze lion sculptures, well known in the city.
Congress of Deputies
The route through this neighborhood ends at the Fountain of Neptune of 1786, in which the followers of Atlético de Madrid celebrate their titles and that if you are a follower of the team, you can not get lost.
The Madrid on a weekend Continue with the visit to the Prado Museum, the most visited museum in Spain and with one of the most important painting collections in the world. Among the best works to see in the Prado Museum include: The Knight's Hand on the Chest from El Greco, The Naked Pestle and the May 3 in Madrid from Goya, The Three Graces from Rubens, The Garden of Earthly Delights of El Bosco and Velázquez’s masterpiece, Las Meninas.
Prado Museum
A good option to visit the museum without queues and learn more about the most interesting works is to book this guided tour with an expert in art and history. If you do not want to do a guided tour we recommend you book this ticket in advance to avoid the queues and for the same Price than in lockers.
If you have more time and you intend to visit other museums without queues like the Reina Sofía or the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, you can book the offer that includes the guided tour of the Reina Sofía and El Prado or this offer that includes the three most important museums from Madrid.
After the visit of the Prado Museum, one of the best museums in Madrid, we propose two plans to eat. The first is to return to the Barrio de las Letras to eat in the typical Maceiras Tavern from Calle Jesús or take the subway to eat in the original Streetxo from the famous chef Dabiz Muñoz, located on the top floor of the English Court of Calle de Serrano. We chose this second option and we have to say that we loved it, since it is an amazing place, as well as gastronomically delicious.
If you decide on this option and taking into account that you cannot book, we recommend you go during the week and before 1:30 p.m., at which time they open, since there is usually not much queue.
The croquettes of the Pedroche in StreetXo
The Madrid route in two days Continue with a walk through Chueca, a small neighborhood full of life and one of our favorites of the city, where you can arrive by hand or by subway going down at the stop Chueca.
This neighborhood, like Malasaña, is more for walking, entering original stores, having a drink in its design and typical premises, than to see historical buildings and monuments, so it is interesting to keep a good tour in mind, which could start in the Plaza del Rey, with its House of Seven Chimneys, continue to the beautiful Plaza de Pedro Zerolo and after a while strolling around the area stop at the Plaza de Chueca, the perfect place to sit on some terraces, such as from Ángel Sierra and have a drink.
Pedro Zerolo Square
After restoring strength on Madrid on a weekend the route continues through the neighborhood of Malasaña, icon of the Movida Madrileña in the 80s. This alternative neighborhood where the most traditional Madrid coexists with the latest trends, is another of our favorites in the city where you can find restaurants of all over the world, vintage shops, markets, bookstores, designer bars, young people and nightlife, which will make the time you aces here fly by.
Stores of the Malasaña neighborhood
An itinerary through this neighborhood may also include Fuencarral Street, commercial street and another of the main arteries of the city, the San Ildefonso market, the famous Plaza de Dos de Mayo, Manuela Malasaña Street and Pez Street, between Many other things.
Plaza de Dos de Mayo
For dinner we recommend approaching the Chueca neighborhood again and entering the San Antón Market, where on the last floor you will enjoy a good tapas with quality products. Another option that we love in the area is the restaurant Kuoco 360, with a letter of delicious fusion food, in which our palate was excited about steak tartar.
San Anton Market
After dinner you can finish this tour by Madrid in two days doing this night tour of the best illuminated places in the city, considered one of the best excursions in Madrid.
The Gran Vía
If you have more days you can follow the Madrid guide in 3 days.
Map of the Madrid route in two days
Do you want to organize a trip to Madrid on a weekend?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to Madrid here
The best hotels at the best prices in Madrid here
Book the best tours and excursions in Madrid in Spanish here
Book your Airport⇆Madrid transfer here
Madrid guide in one day
Rent your car in Madrid at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
The best offers of Flights to Madrid here
The best hotels at the best prices in Madrid here
Book the best tours and excursions in Madrid in Spanish here
Book your Airport⇆Madrid transfer here
Madrid guide in one day
Rent your car in Madrid at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
