Madrid Tourist Attractions

This page will describe five popular Madrid tourist attractions, together with photos to give you an idea of what to expect from your visit. If you read on, you will also find out how to get to each attraction, and we’ve given additional details about entry fees and opening times. We have also taken the time to visit each attraction and provide you with feedback regarding each experience.

El Rastro - Street: Ribera de Curtidores and adjacent streets

The Rastro is Madrid’s oldest and biggest flea market

Timetable: Sundays and fiestas 09:00 - 15:00

El Rastro is an enormous outdoor market and is one of the most popular Madrid tourist attractions. There are market stalls stocking excellent value items, and you can hunt for everything from clothes and accessories to CD’s and kitchen equipment. It gets very busy, so you have to be prepared to go with the slow-moving flow of people, but it is full of colour and makes for an interesting mornings shopping.

Prado Museum- Street: Paseo del Prado

One of the most famous of the Madrid tourist attractions is the Prado Museum

Metro: Banco de España (Red Line, L2) or Atocha (Light Blue Line, L2) plus ten minutes walk.

Timetable: Timetable: Tuesdays to Sundays and public holidays
(closed on public holidays that fall on Mondays) 09:00 - 16:00
24 December, 31 December and 6 January 9:00 to 14:00
Entry fee: 6 euros
Non-EU students under 25 pay 3 euros
Free entry for Over 65s, EU students under 25, unemployed, disabled, teachers and official guides.Temporary exhibitions may cost an additional few euros.

Disabled access is available

The Prado is one of the worlds most famous art museums, containing masterpieces from the 12th to the 19th century, making it one of the most visited Madrid tourist attractions.

Visit on a Sunday when it’s free! It is also free to enter on the following days: 12th October (Hispanidad Day); 6th December (Constitution Day); 2nd May (Official Day, Region of Madrid); 18th May (International Museums Day).

There are both temporary and permanent exhibitions, and the works of Goya, Rubens and Murillo are amongst the masterpieces on display. Both audio guides and guide books are on sale within the museum. The museum is large, and art lovers will easily pass half, if not the whole day inside. There is a café and a restaurant where you can take a break. The ground floor also houses a book shop.

Reina Sofia Museum - Street: Santa Isabel, 52

Tel: (0034) 91 774 1000
Official website: http://www.museoreinasofia.es

Metro: Atocha (Light Blue Line, L1)

Timetable: Monday - Saturday 10:00 - 21:00. Sunday 10:00 - 14:30. Closed Tuesday.
Entry fee: 6 euros. Free for the general public: Saturdays: 14.30 - 21.00, Sundays: 10:00 - 14:30 and on 18 May, 12 October, and 6 December.
Click here for the official museum page detailing special offer entry cards available.

Disabled Access to Reina Sofia is available

The Reina Sofia art museum makes up part of Madrid’s ‘Golden Triangle’ of famous museums. It houses an extremely important collection of 20th and 21st century art. Picasso’s famous Guernica is well worth a look, as are the works of Miró and Dalí.

Make a day of it! There is a stunning bar and restaurant on the ground floor that has a delicious menu. It is open from 13:00 until 16:00 and provides a relaxing location to enjoy a meal. I would even visit the restaurant bar if I wasn’t visiting the museum itself, as it is a stylish and upbeat place to pass time.

Retiro Park - Plaza de Independencia

Retiro Park has a beautiful boating lake

Metro: Retiro (Red Line, L2)

Timetable: April - September 06:00 - 24:00; October - March 06:00 - 23:00

Retiro park is a wonderful oasis of calm to the East of the centre of Madrid. It is very popular on Sunday mornings when people turn up for a leisurely stroll through its leafy paths. The park was once a palace garden, and it contains a boating lake and many majestic fountains. On Sunday’s you’ll also see Punch and Judy shows, tarot card readers and stalls selling candy floss.

There are several café bars throughout the park where you will usually also have the pleasure of listening to the many talented musicians who serenade the crowds. It is an excellent place to relax, making it one of the very popular Madrid tourist attractions.

Palacio Real - Street: Bailén

Tel: (0034) 91 454 8800
Official website: www.patrimonionacional.es

Metro:Opera (Red Line, L2), or (Green Line, L5)

Timetable: October - March 09:30 - 17:00; April - September 09:00 -18:00; Sundays and holidays 09:30 – 14:00
Entry fee: 8 euros without guide; 9 euros with guide. Children under 5 go free.
Cheap rate: 3.50 euros for pre-arranged school groups, old age pensioners, students and the handicapped.

Disabled access - available.

The Palacio Real is an enormous and imposing building constructed during the 18th and 19th centuries, and its popularity has made it one of the most popular of the Madrid tourist attractions. It is the official residence of the Spanish Royal family, although they only use it for state occasions. It’s sheer scale and vast courtyard is impressive, and you can enter the palace to get a look at the lavish halls, banqueting rooms, throne room, residential areas and the Royal Armoury and Royal Pharmacy. There is plenty of information as you visit each room, but if you’re especially interested in the details of the palace rooms, then a guided tour is worth while. It takes 45 minutes.

I walked past the visitors entrance on a Saturday and the queue was huge. I went back on a Sunday around midday and walked straight in without queuing! But bear in mind that on a Sunday the Palace closes at 14:00. I would recommend at least half a day to see everything in detail.

The Palace also houses art exhibitions that are available to view at no extra charge.

The cheapest way to visit the best Madrid tourist attractions is to purchase a Madrid Card. It provides you with free access to 42 museums, and there are over 100 establishments that offer discounts on production of the card. You can also join in on guided tours that are part of the ‘Discover Madrid’ program, for free! The card costs 42 euros for 24 hours; 55 euros for 48 hours or 68 euros for 72 hours. It is available from the Madrid Tourist Information office in the Plaza Mayor and through main travel agencies.

Click here for more information on the Madrid Discount card.

Related Pages

Madrid Discount Card

Madrid Tours - reviews of different tours around the city
Real Madrid Museum

Art Galleries in Madrid
Museums in Madrid
Barcelona Tourist Attractions
Bargain Holiday to Madrid - how to plan a visit for less than 400 euros
Madrid Weekend Break
Things to Do in Madrid

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