Madrid in 4 Days: everything you need to know

Although there is a lot to see and do in Madrid, four days is enough time to get to know the most important parts of the city and a bit more. The secret is the right organisation, which is why I share with you my ideal itinerary for four full days in the Spanish capital.

The first day of your four-day tour of Madrid will be spent exploring some of the most important squares and palaces in the heart of the city.

Puerta del Sol and the Bear and Strawberry Tree Statue

In the centre of Madrid lies one of the most important squares in the city, a favourite spot for locals and a must-see for tourists, the Puerta del Sol. Besides being a large square, it is surrounded by important buildings with historical architecture.

Here you will also find two super important points that every tourist should know: the kilometre zero of Madrid, which serves as the origin of the radial roads of the urban fabric, and the statue of the Bear and the Modroño, placed in 1967. A photograph next to the statue is a must on any visit to this city.

Plaza Mayor and San Miguel Market

From Puerta del Sol walking down Calle Mayor, the Plaza and Mercado de San Miguel are only 5 minutes away.

The Plaza Mayor is a beautiful meeting place surrounded by gothic style buildings. If you visit Madrid at Christmas time, there is a fantastic Christmas market here that you should not miss.

The Mercado de San Miguel is located directly on the Plaza Mayor, a fantastic iron and glass structure where you will find an enviable gastronomic offer.

My recommendation? Take an early lunch break here, enjoy the views of Plaza Mayor and then relax with a coffee.

Almudena Cathedral

The city's most important religious building is located just a 6-minute walk from the Mercado de San Miguel. After lunch on the afternoon of your first day is the best time to visit the temple and the museum inside.

• Opening hours: From 09h to 20:30 Monday to Sunday. If you want to visit the museum area and the dome the opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 10am to 2.30pm.

• Admission fee: Free to visit the cathedral; about €6 to go up to the museum area and the dome with a fantastic viewpoint.

• Duration of the visit: 1 hour is usually enough, 1.30 hours if you want to go up to the dome to take photographs.

Take a tour of the Royal Palace of Madrid

What was once the home of Spanish royalty is now one of the city's most important cultural and historical centres. If you want to find out why it's on Madrid's must-see list, spend the rest of the afternoon of your first day touring the grounds.

The best way to visit the Royal Palace and see everything important is, without a doubt, to hire a guided tour.

Practical information

• Opening times: Between October and March the palace is open from 10am to 6pm; from April to September from 10am to 8pm.

• Admission fee: Admission without a guide to the palace costs a minimum of €11 for an adult ticket.

• Length of visit: You need about 2 hours to see the most important areas.

Sabatini Gardens at sunset

Sabatini is the name of the gardens of the Royal Palace and are located on the north side of the structure. Designed in the purest Neoclassical Garden style, this green lung is one of the best places to watch the sunset in Madrid.

After touring the site and the imposing fountains and sculptures, you can take beautiful photos of the Palace as the sun sets.

In the evening take a gastronomic tapas tour in the centre of Madrid.

One of my favourite things to do in Madrid after sunset is a wine and tapas tour of the city; as you'll soon realise options abound to suit different styles of travellers.

The second day of your tour of Madrid is dedicated to the Paseo del Prado area with its museums, gardens and numerous monuments.

Cibeles Square and Palace at dawn

Start the morning of your second day in Madrid by watching the sunrise over one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. The Palacio de Cibeles currently houses the city' s town hall and is one of the most loved and cared for buildings in Madrid.

It is worth a trip inside to climb up to theviewing terrace from where you can see the square in its entirety and the beginning of the Gran Vía.

Fountain of Neptune

Leaving Plaza de Cibeles behind, take the beautiful Paseo del Prado avenue to head to the next important photo spot in the city of Madrid: the Neptune Fountain, located in the famous Plaza de Cánovas.

Here you will find a fantastic neoclassical monument with a marble carving of the famous Roman god. The square, in turn, is surrounded by beautiful architecture dating back to the 18th century.

Visit the Prado Museum

Follow your route along the Paseo del Prado avenue to reach the most important museum in the city. Famous the world over for housing one of the most impressive collections of paintings from the period from the 16th to the 19th century.

Due to the size of the space, the best way to visit the Prado Museum is with a guided tour, which takes you through the most important works. If you want to buy a souvenir, the Prado Shop has some really attractive curiosities for art lovers.

Practical information

• Opening hours: From 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday; Sundays from 10am to 7pm.
• Entry fee: Approximately €15 for an adult ticket.
• Duration of the visit: You will need about 3 hours to visit the most important rooms and works of the museum.

Lunch in the surroundings: The gastronomic offer in this area is really varied; after your visit to the museum I recommend you to take a lunch break in some of the restaurants near the Prado Museum.

Spend the afternoon in the Retiro Park.

After spending a few hours inside the museum, the best plan to clear your mind and breathe some fresh air is to take a stroll through the most beautiful and famous park in the city: the Retiro Park.

With a surface area covering 118 hectares, the park is not only beautiful but also immense, so my advice is to focus on the most interesting areas:

• Visit the Palacio del Cristal: In its beginnings it was used as a greenhouse, however nowadays this fantastic structure is used to exhibit temporary exhibitions of the Prado Museum.
• Visit the Paseo de las Estatuas: On a beautiful walk through the greenery of the Retiro you can explore the statues representing important Spanish monarchs.
• Take sunset photos at the Retiro Lake: The beautiful artificial lake of the Retiro Park is considered one of the best places in Madrid to take sunset photos. You can't miss it!

Practical information

• Opening hours: From October to March the park is open from 6am until 10pm; the rest of the year until midnight.
• Entry fee: Free of charge
• Length of visit: As long as you like.

At night attend a flamenco show

One of the best things to do in Madrid atnight is to attend one of its famous flamenco shows. Live performances of this electrifying traditional Spanish dance can be enjoyed at numerous entertainment venues in the city's old town, always by talented local artists.

Practical information

• Price: Between 30€ or 60€ if you choose the show only or show and dinner option.
• Duration: From 1 to 3 hours depending on the option you choose.

Spend your third day shopping in the centre of Madrid and get to know the most exclusive areas of the city.

Make a stop at Plaza Callao

The best way to start a morning of sightseeing in the northwest area of Madrid is undoubtedly the Plaza del Callao. Considered a symbol of Madrid, it is the Madrid equivalent of the famous Time Square in New York.

Three of the city's most important streets converge here: Preciados, Calle del Carmen and Gran Vía. Take the opportunity to snap a few iconic photos before continuing your exploration.

Coffee morning and shopping on Gran Via

No tour of Madrid would be complete without a visit to the city's most important and famous boulevard and shopping street. Whether you're into fashion, food, history or architecture, there's something for everyone on Gran Via. Here is a sample of what you can find on your exploration.

• Cafés on Gran Vía: Faborit San Bernardo, Celicioso Hortaleza,Granier, Prioritè Art Coffee Shop, Noma
• Fashion shops on Gran Vía: New Balance,Stradivarius, ZARA, Salsa Jeans, Grassy España
• Famous buildings on Madrid's Gran Vía: Edificio Metrópolis

and the Carrión Building

In the afternoon, visit the Plaza de España and the Cervantes Monument

If you walk along the Gran Via to the end you will find the Plaza de España and the famous Monument to Miguel Cervantes, where he is accompanied by his two mythical characters: Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

Around the Plaza de España you will find some important buildings, such as the Compañía Asturiana de Minas, the Edificio España and the Torre Madrid.

Go to the Debod Temple at sunset

It's only a 10-minute walk from the centre of Plaza de España to the Debod Temple, so my recommendation is to explore this important Madrid gem and wait for the sunset by strolling through its gardens.

The structure that makes up the monument is over 2000 years old and was a gift brought to Spain from Egypt as a gift from that nation. Needless to say, the historical peculiarity and aesthetics make it a totally unusual monument in the group of structures that make up the Madrid landscape.

Practical information

• Timetables: Closed Mondays; Tuesday-Sunday from 10am-8pm.
• Entry fee: Free.

At night go up to the roof of the Círculo de Bellas Artes

From the Templo Debod take the Madrid bus along the Gran Vía to reach the Círculo de Bellas Artes, a journey that will take approximately 20 minutes.

This important Madrid building, built in 1920, is clearly influenced by neoclassical architecture; however, the best part is its panoramic terrace which offers fabulous views of Gran Vía, Plaza de Cibeles and the entire historic centre of Madrid.

Practical info

• Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 12:00h to 01:00h; Fridays and Saturdays 10:00h to 02:00h and Sundays 10:00h to 01:00h.
• Entry fee: approximately €5.

The fourth day is to see the rest of Madrid's iconic monuments and sites, as well as the city's second most important art museum.

Start at Puerta de Alcalá

The last day of your tour of Madrid starts at one of the city's most iconic monuments. Go early in the morning to take the obligatory photos of the Puerta de Alcalá before continuing with your day's route.

Visit Madrid's Botanical Gardens

From Alcalá take the Paseo del Prado avenue to reach the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid on a journey that will take approximately 15 minutes.

The Garden is especially beautiful and pleasant if you visit the city in summer or autumn. Today it houses approximately 5000 different species of plants and trees and four beautiful terraces where you can sit and relax.

Practical information

• Opening hours: The opening hours of the Botanical Garden are seasonal. It always opens at 10am; from November to February it closes at 6pm; from May to August it closes at 9pm; from March to October it closes at 7pm and from April to September it closes at 8pm.
• Admission fee: €6 for an adult ticket.
• Duration of visit: As long as you think it's worthwhile.

Get to know the iconic Atocha Station

Just 10 minutes from the Botanico de Madrid you will find the Atocha Station, one of the most beautiful train stations you will find in a city, thanks to its dazzling tropical garden that is perfectly maintained and where you can count more than 500 species of plants.

Once you've toured the station, you can take a lunch break at any of the restaurants located in the vicinity of the Prado Museum.

Take a tour of the Reina Sofía Museum

The second most important museum in the city is the Reina Sofia Museum. If you like art, especially of recent times, spend a few hours of your afternoon exploring this important historical monument and the works on display here. The collection mainly comprises works by Spanish artists such as Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró.

Possibly the best way to get to know the museum is to hire a guided tour that will take you through the most important works in the museum.

At the end of your visit, don't forget to visit the beautiful Reina Sofía Museum shop to pick up a few souvenirs.

Practical information

• Opening hours: From 10am to 6pm or 9pm depending on the time of year; in summer there are usually extended opening hours.
• Entry fee: Approximately €10 for an adult ticket.
• Duration of the visit: Spend 2 to 3 hours exploring the museum's works.

Segway or Bike Tour at sunset

Say goodbye to Madrid in the most fun and peculiar way you can imagine: taking a bike or segway tour at the end of the day.

Being one of the best excursions you can do in the city, they are very popular among tourists and a last chance to see and get to know the monuments or places that, for one reason or another, you were unable to see on your four-day tour of Madrid.

Practical Information

• Price: From 26€.
• Duration: Depending on the itinerary and company you hire, minimum one hour and maximum three hours.

Please note that this activity plan does not include the day of arrival in the city nor the day of departure, if you want to know a little shorter itineraries I recommend you take a look at the following guides:

• Itinerary to see Madrid in 3 days
• Itinerary to see Madrid in 2 days