Madrid: Royal Palace Skip-the-Line Guided Tour
Duration: 2 hours
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Madrid
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Top attractions in Madrid
Madrid: Prado Museum Direct Entrance Ticket
Valid: 1 day
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Valid: 1 day
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Toledo: Full Day Trip from Madrid
Duration: 8 hours
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Valid: 1 - 2 days
Segovia and Toledo with Alcazar and optional Cathedral Tour
Duration: 12 hours
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Skip-the-Line Madrid Reina Sofía Museum Entrance Ticket
Valid: 1 day
Madrid: Skip-the-Line Guided Tour of the Royal Palace
Duration: 2 - 3 hours
Madrid: Live Flamenco Show and Food and Drinks Options
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
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Duration: 90 minutes
Half-Day El Escorial & Valley of the Fallen Tour from Madrid
Duration: 5 hours
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Parque Warner Madrid Entrance Tickets and Transfer
Valid: 12 hours - 2 days
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Top 10 things to do in Madrid
Madrid's culture is one that seems to emphasize living and leisure over hard work, yet its history has seen it produce some of Europe's most awe-inspiring artworks and buildings. Here are just a few of the best places to visit in Spain's capital!
Plaza de España
The metro station of the same name takes you to the Plaza de España, where a huge statue of Miguel de Cervantes presides over those of his characters Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Soccer fans can tour the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, walk the pitch, visit the dressing rooms, and marvel at the club's huge trophy cabinet!
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
The Reina Sofía Museum of Modern Art boasts one of the foremost collections of 20th and 21st-century Spanish art, with highlights including Picasso's Guernica.
Museo del Prado
If traditional art is more your thing, the Museo del Prado exhibits the world's most extensive collection of Spanish art from the 12th to 19th centuries.
Palacio Real
Madrid's most famous landmark Palacio Real is one of Europe's most spectacular palaces, built from Spanish marble and surrounded by beautifully landscaped courtyards and gardens!
Plaza Mayor
Once the place to see bullfights and carnivals, you can find some of Madrid's best restaurants where the historic market square Plaza Mayor meets the "Austrias" neighborhood.
Gran Vía
This energetic and extravagant shopping street is also the pulse of Madrid's nightlife, hence its nickname: "The Spanish Broadway!"
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Completing Madrid's "Golden Triangle of Art," along with the Reina Sofia and Prado museums, the collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is owned by a former Miss Spain and is perhaps the most eclectic of the lot.
Círculo de Bellas Artes
Another key player on Madrid's art scene, this gallery's rooftop terrace offers stunning panoramas of the whole city! It's the best view of Madrid by quite a margin.
Parque del Buen Retiro
Of Madrid's many green corners, Retiro Park's statues, fountains, and floral features offer the city's most scenic respite for joggers, picnickers, boaters, and you!
Planning Your Madrid Visit
Best time to visit?
Summer is peak season despite the intolerable heat that drives even the natives to close up shop and head to a cooler climate! It's better to go in spring or fall, although if it takes more than a mild winter to put you off, hotels are considerably cheaper in winter!
How many days?
Madrid has enough life in it to enjoy a week there. If that turns out to be a little too long for you, the city is also well positioned for day-trip opportunities. For instance, consider visiting historic Toledo or Segovia, if not the Ribera del Duero wine region for a tasting or two!
How to get from the airport to the city?
Barajas International Airport is one of the world's largest, which means it's busy but pleasantly well connected! Taxis are available but the Renfe train is the cheapest and quickest option, however, at rush hour it might be less stressful to get the airport express bus. There is also the Metro, although this isn't advisable when carrying plenty of luggage.
How to get around?
Buses and the Metro are reliable, well connected, and cheap. Visitors might find it easier to purchase a Madrid Tourist Travel Pass, valid on all trains and buses for 1, 3, 5, or 7 days. Taxis are also very affordable compared to most European cities, and well regulated, too.
Good to know
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- Language
- Spanish
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- Currency
- Euro (€)
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- Time Zone
- UTC (+01:00)
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- Country Code
- +34
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- Best time to visit
- Spring and Fall offer milder temperatures and fewer tourists
Things to Do in Madrid
Top Attractions in Madrid
Cities in Spain
Other Sightseeing Options in Madrid
Want to discover all there is to do in Madrid? Click here for a full list.
What people are saying about Madrid
We had a great time at the Museum, huge and beautiful - totally worthy
It was our first time at the museum and we loved it ! First we went to the temporary exhibition and then we headed to the main museum which is huge. We spend more than 2 hours and we didn't finish seeing it. The ticket on the other hand, supposed to be a skip-the-line ticket, but it was just for the ticket desk...which we had to go anyway to get a physical ticket in order to enter the museum - so instead of skip-the-line we had a normal ticket.
The tour was not hurried and excellently led and narrated.
Our tour was the first of the day and we had the palace virtually to ourselves for almost an hour. Our guide took full advantage of this and gave us a very complete and informative tour in a relaxed atmosphere. The guide was very knowledgeable and was able to select the best topics on which to focus, unimpeded.
Excellent guide, excellent trip - do this one, you won't regret it!
Or guide was amazing! Spoke fluent English AND Spanish, and knew everything about everywhere we went... I can't recommend this tour enough! We were always provided with maps, and guidance on how to get wherever we wanted to. If I'm back in Madrid, I'll definitely do an IBE tour again!
Great tour for football lovers, well organised and fun.
The stadium is huge and the tour is well organised. Everything was ok, the audio guide could be better and user friendly. The crew on the other hand, seemed to be very kind and helpful, English and Spanish speakers. And the ticket indeed saved us time.
Our guide Jennifer was excellent. Very friendly and Informative.
Recommend the trip. Toledo is beautiful with so much history. Only down side of the tour was not enough time to explore everything. We did the Toledo and Segovia tour in one day. Both places are wonderful and there is a lot to see. Highly recommend.
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