What to do in Madrid in 4 days

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This guide on what to do in Madrid in 4 days It will allow you to organize several walking routes through one of the cities with more leisure and cultural activities in Europe.
During the first three days in the city you will have visited all its tourist attractions such as the Prado and Reina Sofia museums, the Retiro park, the Gran Vía, the Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, the neighborhoods of Malasaña and Chueca, among others many places.
On this last day we suggest you take a day trip to one of the wonders that is closest to the city such as Toledo, Segovia or Ávila.

Based on the numerous times we have visited the capital of Spain, in the last we wrote this list of tips for traveling to Madrid, we have made an itinerary to know the best of Madrid in 4 days. We start!

Practical advice for Madrid

This list of tips will help you prepare a getaway to this amazing city:

  • To make the transfer from Barajas Adolfo Suarez airport to your hotel or to the center of Madrid you can take metro, train, bus, taxi or book this comfortable private transfer. For more information about the transfer you can consult this post on how to go from Madrid Airport to the center.
  • 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 more information you can consult this post about where to stay in Madrid.
  • Booking a free tour of Madrid with a guide in Spanish is the best way to learn about the history and curiosities of this great city.
  • To move around Madrid we advise you to use the subway and save a little by buying the 10-trip ticket, which can be used by several people at once. Another good alternative if you have little time is to book the tourist bus that stops at all points of interest in the city.
  • Check if it is profitable to buy the Explorer Pass tourist card that allows you to save up to 40% on tickets to the main attractions of the city.
  • In the most recommended restaurants in Madrid we recommend you call ahead to reserve a table, especially if it is for dinner. You can find much more information about this in the post where to eat in Madrid.


First day in Madrid

The route of what to do in Madrid in 4 days Start breakfast with chocolate batons in San Ginés, located very close to Puerta del Sol. After the copious breakfast, nothing better than walking to the Retiro Park to take a relaxing walk to the beautiful Crystal Palace.
When leaving the park you can take Alcalá street passing in front of the Puerta de Alcalá, the Fountain and the Cibeles Palace, until you reach the Círculo de Bellas Artes, where we recommend you go up to your terrace to enjoy one of the best visits of the city.
Alcalá street will also take you to the popular Puerta del Sol where you can find the famous statue of El Oso y el Madroño, the sign of Tío Pepe and Kilometer Zero of Spain, in front of the Town Hall.
A few meters from Sol is the Plaza Mayor, the most beautiful in the city and another of the most essential places to visit in Madrid.

Main Square

After taking pictures of the Bakery House and the Knife Arch, you can stop along the way to eat a typical squid sandwich in The bell Although if you do not feel like a sandwich, we recommend you visit the tourist market of San Miguel to try their delicious tapas.
In the afternoon the itinerary of Madrid in 4 days Continue along Calle Mayor until you reach the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral.
To save you the long lines that form at the entrance and get to know the history of the most important palace in the city, we recommend you book this guided tour in Spanish or take this offer that includes the visit to the Prado Museum.

A few meters from the Royal Palace of Madrid are the Sabatini gardens, where you can take a pleasant walk and take a magnificent photo of the palace.
Before sunset we advise you to arrive at the Temple of Debod, located less than 10 minutes walk from these gardens and where you will enjoy the best sunset in the city next to an Egyptian temple of more than 2,200 years old.

Debod Temple

After watching the sunset nothing better than walking along the Gran Vía from Plaza de España and entering one of its emblematic theaters to see a musical like the Lion King, Billy Elliot or Anastasia.

To finish the first day you can have dinner and have a drink on the top floor of the English Court of Callao, which has fantastic views of the Gran Vía or the recommended restaurant GastroVía 61.

(Extended information on the first day of Madrid here)

Map of the first day in Madrid

Second day in Madrid

The second day of what to see in Madrid in 4 days start with a breakfast in La Mallorquina, a historic pastry shop where the Neapolitan cream is its jewel.
With energy in the body you can start a route through the Barrio de las Letras going through Jacinto Benavente Square, Calle de las Huertas, Santa Ana Square, Cervantes Street, Lope de Vega Street, the Congress of Deputies, the Basilica by Jesús de Medinacili and stopping at the typical Madrid taverns like The cats.
This route ends in front of the Fountain of Neptune located a few meters from the Prado Museum, the most important in the city to visit this museum, which has one of the most important collections in the world with masterpieces of famous painters and in which it is It is advisable to book this guided tour without queues with an expert in art and history.
If you do not want to take a guided tour you can book this ticket in advance to avoid the long queues that are formed in the access for the same price as at the ticket office.

Prado Museum

After completing this list of the best works to see in the Prado Museum you can regain strength by trying the local dishes of the Maceiras Tavern from Calle Jesús or approach one of our favorite restaurants in Madrid, the Streetxo.

You can spend the afternoon with a long shopping, tapas and good atmosphere in the Chueca neighborhood, where we advise you to have a drink on a terrace in the Plaza de Pedro Zerolo or the Plaza de Chueca.
To leave this neighborhood you can cross the commercial Calle de Fuencarral that will take you to the Malasaña neighborhood, another of the most charming neighborhoods in Madrid, in which we recommend you to stroll and enter the most original shops and premises to later stroll to the historic Plaza de Dos de Mayo.

Malasaña

The second day of Madrid in 4 days ends by eating good tapas at the Mercado de San Antón or trying the most modern cuisine in Kuoko 360, one of the most recommended restaurants in the city.
If you still want more, you can book this night tour with a guide in Spanish for the best illuminated monuments in Madrid.

Map of the second day of Madrid in four days

(Extended information on the second day of Madrid here)

Third day in Madrid

The route of the third day of what to do in Madrid in 4 days Start arriving by subway to Atocha station, to see its beautiful tropical garden of 7000 plants of 400 species.
When leaving the station you can pass in front of the original facade of the CaixaForum to reach the Reina Sofía Museum where in addition to works by great painters such as Dalí, one of the most famous paintings in the world, the Guernica from Picasso.
An interesting way not to miss anything from one of the best museums in Madrid is to book this guided tour or take this offer that also includes the Prado Museum.
If you do not want to take a guided tour, we recommend you book this ticket without queues in advance for the same price as at the ticket office.

When you leave the museum you can wander through the Plaza de Tirso de Molina, which is near the beginning of the Trail, the city's most famous second-hand street market. This street market works every Sunday and is perfect for finding a different object or an antique, so if your visit to the city coincides with this day, it is highly recommended to visit it. Remember that the best photos of El Rastro are obtained from the terrace of New Galleries, located on Ribera de Curtidores street.

The trail

After the tour of the market, Madrid in 4 days continues to make a route through the Barrio de La Latina starting at Cava Baja street where it is located Lucio House, one of the most famous places in Madrid, which has its star dish in broken eggs.
When you leave the tavern you can take a walk through the neighborhood passing through Cava Alta Street, San Andres Square, the Plaza de los Puerta de los Moros, the Plaza de la Barbada and the Garden of the Prince of Anglona.
The last hours of the afternoon can be spent shopping on Gran Vía and Calle de Fuencarral, where the great international and national firms are located.
After shopping and to finish the third day of Madrid in four days, nothing better than to try the Mexican food of Santita or the hamburgers of Steak burger.

Map of the third day in Madrid

(Extended information on the third day of Madrid here)

What to see in Madrid in 4 days

The last day of Madrid in 4 days, we suggest you make some of the best getaways near Madrid such as visits to Toledo, Segovia or Ávila.

The first recommendation is the visit to Toledo, the city of cultures and one of the most beautiful medieval cities in the country.
A good way to not miss anything about the city is to follow this guide of what to do Toledo in one day and complete this list of places to visit in Toledo essential.
To get to Toledo you can take the AVANT train at the Atocha Station that will leave you in the city in half an hour for 14 euros. You can see the schedules and book the tickets on this page.
Once at the Toledo train station you can walk to the old town by going up some escalators.
Another more interesting option when accompanied by a guide in Spanish is to book this excursion by bus or this one that also includes the visit to the fantastic Segovia.
For more information about the transfer you can consult this post on how to go from Madrid to Toledo.

Toledo

The second proposal for the last day of Madrid in 4 days It is the visit to the city of Segovia, famous for the Roman Aqueduct and the Alcazar.
In addition to knowing these two wonders we recommend you follow this guide of Segovia in one day and complete this list of places to visit in Segovia essential.
The best way to get to Segovia is by taking the AVANT train at the Chamartín Station that will leave you in the city in less than half an hour for 14 euros.
Once you arrive at the Segovia Guiomar station you will have to take bus 11 that will take you in 15 minutes in front of the aqueduct.
Another more comfortable and interesting alternative is to book this excursion to Segovia or this excursion to Segovia and Ávila, both by bus and with a guide in Spanish.
For more information about the transfer you can consult this post on how to go from Madrid to Segovia.

Segovia

The last recommendation to spend the last day in Madrid is the city of Ávila, famous for its magnificent wall that completely surrounds the city.
In addition to getting lost in its historic World Heritage Center, we suggest you follow this Ávila guide in one day and complete this list of essential places to visit in Ávila.
To get to Ávila you can take a train at the Príncipe Pío station that will leave you in the city in an hour and a half for 13 euros. Another alternative is to catch a bus at the Méndez Alvaro South Station that takes the same time and leaves for 8 euros.
Avila bus and train stations are a 10-minute walk from the old town.
If you prefer to visit with a guide in Spanish, we recommend you book this excursion to Ávila and Salamanca or to Avila, Segovia and El Escorial.
You can find more information about the transfer in the post How to get to Ávila from Madrid.

Ávila

Other considered best day trips in Madrid are:

- Excursion to the Escorial on the train of Felipe II
- Excursion to Cuenca and the Enchanted City
- Don Quijote tour of La Mancha
- Excursion to Aranjuez

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Video: Madrid Travel Guide 2018 (March 2024).