Madrid Suggested Itineraries

Written by Viator, August 2010

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Cultural Experience, Good Place to Drink, Good Place to Eat, Good Place to Shop, Must-Do Experience, Pop Culture, Popular with Locals, Tip - General Travel

The Spanish capital, Madrid, is a sensational city for nightlife lovers, gourmets, art lovers, and football fans alike. Take a Madrid tour, or jump on the hop-on hop-off bus to get a feel for the city.

Day 1: Art & Culture

Spain’s most magnificent art museum, El Museo del Prado, features a rich collection of Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco, and covers everything from Bosch to Botticelli. Madrid City sightseeing tours and city passes include free entry to the Prado. The Centro de Arte Reina Sofia contains fantastic cubist works, Miró, Dali, and Kandinsky, and Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza collection includes Van Gogh, Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, and pop art.

Marvel at the splendor of grand Palacio Real (Royal Palace), with lush gardens on all sides. In the evening you'll be ready to indulge in the essentials of Spain: tapas, wine, and flamenco.

Day 2: Football, Bullfights, and Nightlife

Stroll in the former Royal Park El Retiro, and football fans take a pilgrimage to Santiago Bernabeu Real Madrid stadium. Bullfighting takes place at the grand Plaza de Toros Monumental de Las Ventas on Sunday evenings. La Casa Botín is the oldest restaurant on earth, and its cochinillo (suckling pig) is legendary. The nightlife in Madrid is like nowhere else – the vibe starts around 2am and keeps going until dawn.

Day 3: Day Trips from Madrid

Madrid is an excellent base for day trips to discover the rich history of this beautiful Spanish region. El Escorial is arguably Spain’s most impressive royal site, travel through the legendary country of Don Quixote to the medieval city of Cordoba. Built on the banks of the Guadalquivir River the Andalusian capital, Seville bursts with joy and activity. Granada has a distinctly Arab influence with the amazing architecture of the Alhambra. Once the Spanish capital, Toledo is filled with amazing medieval architecture and Museo El Greco, widely considered to be the finest Spanish artist of all time. The Roman-built aqueduct is Segovia's most iconic image, while the Alcazar, a beautiful 11th-century medieval fort, is lavishly decorated inside with incredible views from the top of the tower.

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Reply by Viator, May 2013
Doing what: El Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen from Madrid

Tour was excellent and left and returned on time. The guide gave his information in both English and Spanish and he was very informative and spoke English very well..
Since there was a small group the bus was not full we were able to spread out and be comfortable.
I would recommend this tour

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Reply by Viator, May 2013
Doing what: Madrid Tapas Night Walking Tour

Our guide James was full of fun and gave us a good in sight to the Madrid way of life. We also met nice people on the tour from Canada and Belgium

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Reply by Viator, May 2013
Doing what: Madrid Super Saver: Madrid Illuminations Evening Tour and Flamenco Show at Torres Bermejas

Very nice to see Madrid during the night. Flamenco show a bit long and started a bit late, but worth it. Very entertaining. They even dropped everyone off at their respective hotels! Super, since it was late and we were tired.

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