Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp
Share on email
Top tourist Attractions in Madrid
Our team of local experts have hand-picked the best tourist attactions in Madrid. You can also have a look at the top attractions in Spain.
As in most capital cities in historical countries, you may well guess there are too many things to enjoy in Madrid during a short stay. To help you with your vacation planning in Madrid you will be able to filter attractions in our Madrid interactive touristic map where you will be able to select hotels near tourist attractions, parks, restaurants, etc.
We also recommend you to have a look at our Madrid city guide where you will get lots of inside information on Madrid and at our best things to do in Madrid guide where you will find insights, recommendations, itineraries and plans to make the most out of your stay.
- All
- Art Gallery
- Landmark
- Palace
- Park
- Religious building
- Sports
- cathedral
Matadero Madrid: beautiful and trendy culture center in the heart of Madrid
Puerta del Sol: the ultimate tourist guide
Madrid botanical gardens
Rastro de Madrid: the definitive visitors guide of Madrid’s best open-air market
Royal Academy of San Fernando – Gallery and museum
Las Ventas bullring
Faunia Madrid
Madrid Zoo
Madrid wax museum
Mercado de San Miguel- a foodies paradise in Madrid
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu- Madrid
Wanda Metropolitano- Madrid
San Anton Market in Chueca, Madrid
El Capricho Park- Madrid
Juan Carlos I park, Madrid
Berlin Park, Madrid
Museo Thyssen Bornemisza- Madrid
Retiro Park- Madrid
Madrid Rio- Madrid
Reina Sofia museum
Prado Museum in Madrid – Complete visitors guide
The Almudena Cathedral in Madrid
Plaza Mayor de Madrid- Madrid
Plaza de Oriente- Madrid
Royal palace of Madrid – complete visitors guide
Top Attractions in Madrid
Flamenco Shows in Madrid
Flamenco shows in Seville – Guide to decide the best show for you This shows offers great value for money and it is a perfect way to be introduced to the passion and art of Flamenco in Spain. More than just a dance, flamenco was born as a state of mind ; a expression of deep emotions. Once you have enjoyed this show you will understand why Flamenco is regarded as an icon of andalusian and
Matadero Madrid: beautiful and trendy culture center in the heart of Madrid
Matadero Madrid Matadero Madrid describes itself as a “Centre for Contemporary Creation”. It is housed within the beautiful grounds of what used to be Madrid’s old slaughterhouse and cattle market, a location of great historic and architectural value. It is run by the Madrid City Council’s Department of Culture and Sport and offers visitors a wide array of activities and services to be enjoyed. 8.5 Madrid CITY GUIDE ATTRACTIONS IN Madrid Matadero Madrid About Matadero
Puerta del Sol: the ultimate tourist guide
Puerta del Sol La Puerta del Sol is located in the heart of Madrid, and in the heart of the country in fact. La Puerta del Sol is Madrid’s main square and the geographical center of the country. It is located just a few minutes from the Plaza Mayor and was the sight of one of Madrid’s original entry gates. This entranceway faced east and was adorned with an image of the sun, from there the
Madrid botanical gardens
Madrid botanical gardens The botanical gardens in Madrid are centrally located. At 5 minutes walk from other top tourist attractions in Madrid like the Prado Museum or the Thyssen Bornemisa art gallery, the botanical gardens offer the perfect opportunity to enjoy fresh air in Madrid city center, and learn about nature. 8.2 Madrid CITY GUIDE ATTRACTIONS IN Madrid Madrid botanical gardens- Visitor guide How long to visit the botanical gardens? The visit will depend on your
Rastro de Madrid: the definitive visitors guide of Madrid’s best open-air market
El Rastro, Madrid El Rastro is Madrid’s most famous street market and a must if you are in the Spanish capital. It’s a great way to spend a lazy Sunday morning exploring the stalls and inspecting all the miss-matched trinkets. The Rastro, however, is huge, and navigating it isn’t as simple as it may seem. Therefore, our expert local guides have put together this guide to help you get the most out of your experience. El
Royal Academy of San Fernando – Gallery and museum
This one of the finest art galleries in Spain. Since it competes with the the Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia, many people do not pay much attention to it, but it is worth a visit without hesitation. It does not normally show among the top attractions in Madrid, but this has probably got to do with the world-class reputation of the “Big” galleries in Madrid. The academy is, above all, an academy with 56 members from
Las Ventas bullring
Las Ventas is the Bullring in Madrid. It can hold almost 24,000 people and it is used not just for bull fights (corridas) but also for concerts and other cultural activities. Las Ventas, with 60 meters (196 feet) of diameter and it is the second largest after the Plaza de toros in Ronda, Malaga. Las Ventas is the third largest bull-fighting ring in the world in number of people it can hold after the rings in
Faunia Madrid
Faunia Madrid is the cities second zoo. The park opened its doors back in 2001. Back then it was known as the Parque biológico de Madrid, but it was renamed Faunia by philologist and writer, Fernando Beltrán. Faunia describes itself as a theme and nature park. Faunia looks to provide a more immersive experience to its guests, putting them right in the animal’s natural habitat. The park doesn’t feature as many animals as the Madrid Zoo,
Madrid Zoo
Overview The city of Madrid has had a long relationship and interest in exotic animals. The first Madrid zoo that was ever opened in Madrid did so in 1770, under King Charles III. It was known as the Casa de Fieras and it was located in Retiro Park. The old Zoo in the Retiro is now a public library, but can still be visited. Today´s Zoo is a children´s favorite in Madrid and with no doubt a
Madrid wax museum
Overview The Madrid wax museum is located in the heart of Madrid on Paseo de Recoletos nº 41 and oddly enough is one of Madrid’s most popular tourist attractions. They feature a great number of wax figures of different famous and historic characters. The museum is 2000 square metres large, divided into two floors and over forty different sets. Each figure also has its own environment in which it is exposed that is designed specifically for
Mercado de San Miguel- a foodies paradise in Madrid
The Mercado de San Miguel Designed by the architect Alfonso Dube y Diez, the Mercado de San Miguel was inaugurated on the 31st of May 1916 but now totally re-done by Juan Manuel Alarcon. This market has all types of food from the land and the sea, and you can enjoy eating it in the magical interior with metal, crystal and ceramic frames. It is beautiful, but many locals believe it has become too touristic and too
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu- Madrid
Overview The Santiago Bernabeu soccer stadium in Madrid is the home of one of the top sports teams in the world: Real Madrid. This imposing coliseum is located in the modern heart of the city, right on the Castellana, Madrid’s main artery. The Stadium is named after Real Madrid’s first great super star and is one of the most visited attractions in Madrid. Mr. Santiago Bernabéu de Yeste was born in Albacete in 1895. He began
Wanda Metropolitano- Madrid
Overview: Wanda Metropolitano The Wanda Metropolitano is a spectacular stadiumd, home to one of Europe’s top teams and the second best team in Madrid: Atlético de Madrid. Of course, Real Madrid and Atlético have an intense, cross-city rivalry and is considered to be Madrid “blue colar” team and that plays at the Bernabeu Stadium. Atlético just recently moved to this ultra-modern stadium from the mythic Vicente Calderon stadium that was located in the center of
San Anton Market in Chueca, Madrid
The San Anton market is once of the most popular food markets in Madrid. It is located so close to gran Via street that it became soon after it was refurbished a top tourist attraction of Spain´s capital. But San Anton market is located in a district where people actually live and locals enjoy shopping in the market for their fresh vegetables, fruit, fish, or meat. There is another market in Madrid with a similar name:
El Capricho Park- Madrid
El Capricho Park, Madrid´s most romantic park El Capricho is probably Madrid´s most beautiful and romantic park and despite it is not very well-known, we believe it is one of the important attractions in Madrid. The park boasts rich botanical treasures, but it is not limited to this since there are also fountains and sculptures. Amongst the park top highlights: a pond, a mansion, a labyrinth and a bunker! El Capricho is not a huge park.
Juan Carlos I park, Madrid
Juan Carlos I Park Juan Carlos I park is divided in different recreational areas. It is located next to the IFEMA fairground and was inaugurated in 1992 for the naming of Madrid as the European Capital of Culture that same year. The park is huge and has a lot of space where you can enjoy outdoor activities. The Juan Carlos I park offers you a multitude of things like a free visit of the park in
Berlin Park, Madrid
Berlin park near the Bernabeu Stadium The Berlin Park (Parque de Berlin) is a beautiful 5-acre park that honors the Berlin city. The Berlin Park is an urban park limited by street Ramón y Cajal, Marcenado and San Ernesto. The park is located in the Chamartin district and since 1990 it houses remains from the Berlin Wall. The park is beautiful, with fountains, very old trees, and excellent children’s playground areas It is situated in the
Museo Thyssen Bornemisza- Madrid
Thyssen Bornemisza Museum – Visitor´s guide Located at the heart of the Paseo del Prado, almost in front of the Neptune Fountain, the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum shares the limelight with two of the other art museums in Madrid: the Prado Museum and the Reina Sofía museum. Since these three museums are located very close to each other, this area of Madrid has become popularly known as the Triangle of Art. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid gives its
Retiro Park- Madrid
Retiro Park, the best park in Madrid The Retiro park is probably Spain´s most famous park. Enjoying a boat ride in the Retiro lake is one of the top things to enjoy in Madrid with children. Among the many interesting things you will be able to enjoy in El Retiro park you will be able to take some pictures of trees, squirrels, ducks and beautiful fountains. This will allow you to take home beautiful memories of
Madrid Rio- Madrid
Madrid Rio. The park with the best views in Madrid Madrid Rio´s very long path starts in the Puente de Los Franceses and runs a few miles until you reach the Matadero area. A large number of trails makes it very pleasant to walk, and by the time you’re done walking one trail or another, it could add up to about 10 kilometers. It offers breath-taking views of the Madrid Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral.
Plaza de Cibeles
This plaza is very well-known in Madrid. It is located next to the city hall building (previously the headquarters of the Spanish post office) and in front of the Bank of Spain building. Cibeles square is also the place where Real Madrid fans celebrate the tittles. Fans of Real Madrid would walk all the way down from Santiago Bernabeu Stadium to celebrate here.
The square is dominated by the fountain with the goddess Cybele, whose chariot is drawn by powerful lions.
The lions were created by artist Roberto Michel and the statue of the Goddess by Spaniard Francisco Gutierrez.
Basilica de San Francisco el Grande
Plaza de San Francisco
This is probably Madrid´s most famous church. The construction of the basilica took place during the 18th century and it was very costly. It has an interesting circular ground plan with a narthex, six chapels, and an apse. Sabatini, Madrid´s most famous architect due to the gardens of the Royal Palace, was in charge of the construction of the portal, the tow towers and the top highlight of the church, its enormous dome. The decoration of the church is impressive, with works from Goya, Zurbaran, Pacheco, Ribalto, among others. The church of San Francisco el Grande is at walking distance of top attractions of Madrid like the Royal Palace or the Almudena cathedral. You can pay a visit to this church and then aim to La Latina district (5 minutes walk) to enjoy tapas at one of its many terraces.
Plaza de la Villa
The town hall of Madrid stood at this beautiful square located between the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor. The main building at the Plaza has simple lines and its interior holds a beautiful staircase and a room with paintings from Goya.
In the middle of the square stands the statue of Alvaro de Bazan , a Spanish admiral from the XVI century who was never defeated in battle.
The Plaza also boasts a gothic palace, the ancient Casa de los Lujanes from the early 16th century. It has a massive tower and a beautiful gothic portal. The plateresque style Casa de Cisneros is nearby.
Las Comendadoras de Santiago
Suqare of Las Comendadoras. Area of Conde Duque
The construction of this beautiful monastery began in 1668 altthough the monastery as such had already been founded before in the early 16th century. The church has a severe façade with two towers and a niche where sits the image of the patron saint of Santiago. The interior has four vaulted chapels that form a Greek shaped cross and a lavishly decorated dome. The sacristy was added during the 18th century and it has beautiful vaults and richly decorated walls.
Salesas Reales or Santa Barbara church
Barbara de Braganza street
This impressive church is often amongst the favorites for marriages due to the size of its stairs.
The church was built in 1757 by Francisco Carlier. The façade is deocrated with sculptures. Inside we find a latin cross temple, with a dome over the cross. Brothers Gonzalez de Velazquez were in charge of the frescos of the dome.
Top Attractions near Madrid
Valle de los Caidos
El Valle de los Caidos or the Valley of the Fallen is a religious structure commissioned by General Francisco Franco honoring fallen soldiers of the Spanish civil war, located near El Escorial, 50 minutes outside of Madrid. El Valle de los Caidos also served as the burial place of Franco’s remains until his exhumation on 24 October 2019. The dictator’s remains were moved in an effort to avoid public veneration and support for his dictatorship,
El Escorial in Madrid, Spain
El Escorial is one of Spain´s top tourist attractions. This massive building serves as a church, monastery, palace, mausoleum, library, museum, and school. It is constructed out of granite blocks from the nearby mountain range, the Sierra de Guadarrama. El Escorial is one of the most popular day tours to enjoy from Madrid. It is not as well-known as other options like Segovia or Toledo, but all visitors get impressed by its beauty and heritage.
Roman aqueduct of Segovia
The Roman aqueduct of Segovia The roman aqueduct of Segovia´s landmark and amongst Spain´s top attractions. It is with no doubt one of the finest structures in the world from Roman times. Its exact date of construction is not known, though experts date it between the second half of the first century and the start of the second century A.D, during the reigns of Trajan and Vespian. The aqueduct is probably Segovia´s top attractions, but
Catedral Primada- Toledo
La cathedral Primada of Toledo is the Town´s major monument and one of Spain’s cathedrals best examples of pure Gothic style. It contains an outstanding art museum with paintings from El Bosco or El Greco, to name but a few. Any visit to the city of Toledo should include time at the Cathedral. The visitor center is opposite the entrance and tickets can be bought there or get them included in one of the daily
La Granja de San Ildefonso
Located in the province of Segovia, just 15 minutes drive from the city of Segovia (a Unesco heritage site) La Granja de San Ildefonso is one of the royal palaces in Spain near Madrid. Its gardens and fountains make it look like the Spanish version of Versailles.
Madrid, In-depth stories
Tourist attractions Spain
Spain royal palaces
El Escorial and its fascinating monastery where Spanish Kings are buried, the beautiful marvel of La Granja de San Ildefonso located 10 kilometers from Segovia, The Aranjuez palace and its gardens (declared Unesco heritage site) and the Royal Palace in Madrid are all proof of a way of live, but also of inmense wealth and beauty. Some of th ebest tours to enjoy from Madrid include visits to these fantastic locations
Tourist attractions Spain
Day trips from Madrid
Madrid is one of the few cities in the world, if not the only one, that can claim to enjoy so many Unesco heritage sites at less than 1 hour drive from the Capital.
Fascinating medieval villages where local gastronomy remains unspoilt, top palaces and gardens (El Escorial, Aranjuez, La Granja) or one of the world´s most impressive medieval walls in Avila. Add the famous hanging houses of Cuenca, the wines of Ribera del Duero, the windmills of Don Quixote, or the elegance and beauty of Salamanca and you will start to consider Madrid as a perfect base from where to enjoy day after day amazing destinations.
We have left to the end of this list Segovia and Toledo, 2 of the World´s bes preserved medieval cities and, in both cases, ancient capitals of Spain.
PLan your trip to Madrid
Menu