Welcome back to the Velvet Runway and this post about What to See in Madrid in three days.

Madrid is Spain’s largest city and its capital and is one of the top travel destinations in Europe, but what are the key attractions if you are only on a short break? Here are a few tips for what to do in Madrid in three days. (You can see some more tips for Madrid here. ) 

Madrid in three days

With beautiful parks, stunning architecture, lovely weather (mostly), world class museums (including El Prado), lots of culture, tapas and great food, Madrid is a must-visit destination. It’s a city where the old and new intertwine, and you can walk from narrow, cobbled lanes in the old district to the main modern shopping street, the Gran Via in a few minutes.

A good way to get your bearings and see which sites you want to visit is to start with a hop-on hop-off bus tour, which you can book here. (We didn’t do this, but we have been to Madrid before so know where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see). You can buy one and two day passes so it’s also a great way to get around. 

Madrid in Three Days 

Day One

Madrid in three days

A great starting point for a short trip to Madrid is the Royal Palace, the Palacio Real de Madrid.

Madrid in three days

El Palacio Real, or the Royal Palace, is Madrid’s largest building and also the largest royal palace in Western Europe.

It is the official residence for the Royal family, but these days they only use it for state ceremonies. The rest of the time it’s open to the public. It was built during the 18th and 19th centuries on the grounds of the Alcázar, which was burnt to the ground in 1794.

You can buy tickets here.

Madrid in three days

Start by taking a walk around the courtyard and looking at the view across the countryside, and you then have access to the Palace itself where you can choose between a guided tour or a standard ticket, where you can just wander around at your own pace.

As you enter you will come upon the main staircase, which will lead you up to the State Rooms and some of the private rooms.

Don’t forget also to visit the Royal Armoury , which has a separate entrance in the courtyard, and includes an amazing collection of armour  – some of which was actually worn by Charles V. You can also see children’s’ armour and even armour for his dog!

Madrid in three days

While you are in this area, you should definitely visit the Cathedral. (Catedral de la Almudena).

The cathedral was only completed in 1993 after a hundred years of building work! The first stone was laid in 1883 but construction really got underway in 1885. Progress was initially slow due to insufficient funding and the death of the original architect. Construction was stopped entirely during the Spanish Civil War and only re-started in 1950 with a new architect.

The cloister area was finally completed in 1955 and the facade in 1960, but the project wasn’t considered finished until 1993 when the cathedral was finally consecrated by Pope John Paul II.

The cathedral was most recently the site of the wedding of King Felipe VI (who was prince at the time) to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano on May 22, 2004.

Just opposite the Palace, you can see the Royal Theatre (Teatro Real), where you can take a guided tour or attend an opera/ the ballet or a play. For the list of productions and opening times, see here.

Madrid in three days

Just next to the Palace, you can relax in the Sabatini Gardens. These gardens  (Jardines de Sabatini) are part of the Royal Palace and were opened to the public by King Juan Carlos I in 1978.

They honor the name of Francesco Sabatini (1722–1797), an Italian architect of the 18th century who designed, among other works at the palace, the royal stables of the palace, previously located at this site.

Madrid in three days
Madrid in three days

The Sabatini gardens is a lovely spot to sit and relax, and in the above photos, you can see me with my new book, ‘La Psychologie des Couleurs’, which is available to buy on Book Elis and Amazon (coming shortly to Fnac and Chapitre). If you can’t promote yourself on your own website, when can you?!

Madrid in three days

From the Sabatini gardens, you can wander up to the temple of Debod, which is a, Egyptian temple (from the 2nd century BC), now in the middle of Madrid, in the Cuartel de la Montaña Park. It was donated to Spain by the Egyptian government to save it from floods following the construction of the great Aswan Dam.

Madrid in three days
Madrid in three days


Unfortunately, it is currently closed, but the views from its hilltop location are spectacular, and it’s a popular location for watching sunset.

Wander back down from the Temple de Debod via the Plaza d’España, one of Madrid’s busiest traffic intersections and home to a large monument to the famous Spanish novelist, poet and playwright Miguel de Cervantes on horseback.

Madrid in three days

Whether you choose to go on your first or last day, a visit to a football game is a fun way to spend a couple of hours. We went on our first day as Atletico Madrid were playing at home and so it seemed like the occasion to watch a match.

After the match, head back to the town for some tapas and dinner! I loved the area around San Miguel market and Plaza Mayor, or if you want a more traditional dinner, you could always try a flamenco show!

Day Two

Visiting Madrid in three days is quite a challenge, but it is worth putting aside a day to visit the cultural sites of Madrid, starting out from the lively Puerta del Sol.

Close to Puerta del Sol, you can find the ‘Chocolateria San Gines‘, a 100 year old café, known for its chocolate and churros (and it’s open 24 hours a day!)

Puerta del Sol is definitely worth checking out before heading to the other different monuments as it’s the most famous central square in Madrid. It is pedestrian friendly and you will see lots of street artists there. There are also lots of shopping streets and restaurants in the vicinity.

Head down the Carrera de S. Jerónimo towards the Reina Victoria Theatre and continue down to the Neptune Statue and the “Art Walk”, where you will find the ‘Thyssen-Bornemisza’ museum which contains a unique art collection from the 13th to the late 20th centuries, including works by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Manet, Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, and Van Gogh. You can buy tickets here

Madrid in three days
(The Prado is currently under renovation – photo from Pixabay)

From here, it’s just a 5 minute walk to Madrid’s most famous museum, El Prado, and I would definitely recommend buying tickets in advance for this, either here or you can buy Art Walk tickets here (with entrance to Museo del Prado + Museo Reina Sofía + Museo Thyssen), and this is a good site for ‘skip the line” tickets to many attractions. 

The building itself, which is a great example of 18th century neo-classical architecture, was transformed into a museum in 1819.

With its vast collection of paintings and sculptures, it is worth spending a little time planning your visit in advance, and the Prado site gives you some suggestions according to the amount of time you have to visit.

Some of the most famous paintings are:

  • Diego Velazquez.  Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor).
  • Hieronymous Bosch.  Garden of Earthly Delights.
  • Albrecht Durer.  Self Portrait 1498.
  • Francisco Goya. The Third of May
  • Franciso Goya. The Naked Maja
  • El Greco.  Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest.

If you need a little outdoor break, then I can recommend a walk around the botanical gardens. The Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid is an 8-hectare botanical garden located at Murillo Square, just next to the Prado Museum.  There weren’t many flowers while we were there, but it was a nice break in the sunshine and the greenhouses were worth a visit.

three days in Madrid

If you have the energy, you are right next to Madrid’s biggest and most famous park, the ‘El Retiro’ park, but if you have spent a long time on ‘Art Walk’ then you might want to head back to the centre and save ‘El Retiro’ for day three, as there is a lot to see!

Day Three

Madrid in three days

For the final day of your visit to Madrid in three days, why not start day three with breakfast in the Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s vibrant main square, with a large choice of cafés and bars? Despite it’s tourist location, you can get a good value breakfast for 5 to 6€, and soak up some sunshine and the Spanish atmosphere. (It’s also a good choice for Tapas).

Madrid in three days

From Plaza Mayor you could head up to the ‘Gran Via’, one of Madrid’s busiest and most famous tourist streets! Take time to walk down and admire the buildings, pop into a few shops and/or cafés, and soak up the atmosphere.

At the end of the Gran Via, you will come to the Bank of Spain, and it’s just a short walk beyond here to reach ‘El Retiro’ park.

Madrid in three days

This vast park, located in the heart of Madrid, used to belong to the Spanish monarchy, but it became a public park in the late 19th century. It’s a great place to relax in one of the open-air cafés, listen to music, read, take a boat ride or visit one of the frequent exhibitions. If you’re feeling energetic, its 350 acres should give you plenty of routes for a jog!

Madrid in three days

It’s best known for its focal point, the giant lake, with the famous monument to King Alfonso XII; and where you can take out a rowing boat or relax in one of the neighbouring cafes.

Madrid in three days
Madrid in three days

One of the most iconic buildings in the park is the Crystal Palace, which as its name suggests, is made almost entirely of glass. It hosts periodic art exhibitions and is in a beautiful setting on a small lake. 

Madrid in three days

It’s also home to various wildlife, including these turtles who seemed to enjoy basking in the sun!

Also worth visiting in El Retiro Park are the walk of Statues (a promenade of statues of different monarchs who ruled Spain, the Cecilio Rodriguez gardens (with a lot of peacocks) and the rose garden.

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay have a look below if you’re staying a bit longer and want the comfort of a ‘home from home’, then have look here., and don’t forget travel insurance! 

Booking.com

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive guide to Madrid, but I hope it has given you a few ideas as the basis for planning a trip to this beautiful European Capital, and have a look here for more of our travel guides. .