The Prado, the Royal Palace and Retiro Park. Things to do, costs, the best time to visit and nearby day trips, with approximate prices and open data sources.
The Museo del Prado, officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on the former Spanish royal collection, and is the single best…
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The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family and is used primarily for state ceremonies. With over 135,000 m2 of floor space and 3,418 rooms, the Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest palace in Western Europe, the largest royal palace in Europe, and among the…
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The Retiro Park, also known as Buen Retiro Park or simply El Retiro, is one of the largest city parks in Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish monarchy until 1868, when it became a public park following the Glorious Revolution. The park is located at the edge of the city centre, near both…
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The Plaza Mayor is the principal public square in the heart of Madrid, the capital of Spain. It was once the centre of Old Madrid. It was first built during the reign of Philip III. Only a few blocks away is another famous plaza, the Puerta del Sol. The Plaza Mayor is rectangular in shape and is…
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The Puerta de Alcalá is a Neo-classical gate in the Plaza de la Independencia in Madrid, Spain. It was a gate of the former Walls of Philip IV. It stands near the city center and several meters away from the main entrance to the Parque del Buen Retiro. The square is bisected by Alcalá Street…
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The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is Spain's national museum of 20th-century art. The museum was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1992, and is named for Queen Sofía. It is located in Madrid, near the Atocha train and metro stations, at the southern end of what is known as the…
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Toledo is a city and municipality in Spain. It is the capital of the province of Toledo and the de jure seat of the government and parliament of the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. Toledo is primarily located on the right bank of the Tagus in central Iberia, nestled in a bend of the…
Wikipedia ↗Approximate prices per person, in euros. We estimate them from World Bank price levels and our own research; use them for planning and always double-check before booking.
| Hostel bed | €30 |
|---|---|
| Private room, shared bathroom | €56 |
| Private room with bathroom | €77 |
| Standard hotel | €117 |
| Budget | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | €25 | €45 |
| Local transport | €6 | €8 |
| If you cook yourself | €13 | |
| Total per day | €108 | €170 |
| Prado Museum (free Mon–Sat 6–8 pm) | €15 |
|---|---|
| Royal Palace | €14 |
| Reina Sofía Museum | €12 |
| Return train to Toledo | €25 |
💶 3 days in Madrid: ≈ €390 on a budget or ≈ €576 at a standard level, entrance fees included and flights excluded. Work out your whole trip →
🚇 Metro: 10 rides ~€12 or a 24 h tourist pass ~€8.40. The centre is entirely walkable.
The most pleasant months are September. Monthly averages 2016–2025 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
A 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct and a fairy-tale castle
🚆 ≈ 30 min by high-speed train · ≈ €15–€30 return · entry ≈ €10On a budget, about €108 per person per day (private room with bathroom, food and local transport); at a standard level, about €170. For 3 days, including the main entrance fees, budget ≈ €390 to €576, not counting flights.
Based on average weather over the last 10 years, the most pleasant months are September.
We recommend 3 days to see the essentials without rushing, plus one more if you want to add Segovia (Roman aqueduct and Alcázar).
The must-sees: Prado Museum (free for the last 2 hours); Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral; Retiro Park and Puerta de Alcalá; Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and San Miguel Market; Reina Sofía Museum (Guernica); Day trip to Toledo (33 min by train).
Lavapiés / Embajadores / Atocha (guesthouses with private bathroom). No tourist tax. A private room with bathroom costs around €77 per night and a hostel bed €30.
Tell us how you like to travel and MiTour builds the route, the budget and an animated map with Madrid locked in as a must-visit stop.
🚀 Plan my tourPhotos: Wikimedia Commons (each photo with its licence and author on Commons). Place descriptions: Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA. Prices are approximate; we are not a travel agency.
