Madrid

Madrid 5-day itinerary

5 days in Madrid on foot. The plan moves through City, City, City, starting with Museum Triangle, Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor. No car.
Best for
A first visit to Madrid with room for one extra neighborhood.
Pace
Four walking days and one day trip.
Base
City
Estimated budget
$400–$1,400

Day-by-day plan

Follow the stops in order. Walk times are estimates between nearby places.

  1. Day 1

    City

    Walk City in Madrid. Start at Museum Triangle, then Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Museum Triangle

      Museum Triangle is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    2. Stop 2 · 26 min walk

      Royal Palace

      Royal Palace is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    3. Stop 3 · 9 min walk

      Plaza Mayor

      Plaza Mayor is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    Eat · Eat near City. Sit down once, keep the rest as snacks.

    Browse Madrid tours
  2. Day 2

    City

    Walk City in Madrid. Start at Puerta del Sol, then Gran Vía and Plaza de Cibeles. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Puerta del Sol

      Puerta del Sol is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    2. Stop 2 · 5 min walk

      Gran Vía

      Gran Vía is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    3. Stop 3 · 10 min walk

      Plaza de Cibeles

      Plaza de Cibeles is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    Eat · Eat near City. Sit down once, keep the rest as snacks.

  3. Day 3

    City

    Walk City in Madrid. Start at Mercado de San Miguel, then Catedral de la Almudena and Plaza de España. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Mercado de San Miguel

      Mercado de San Miguel is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    2. Stop 2 · 6 min walk

      Catedral de la Almudena

      Catedral de la Almudena is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    3. Stop 3 · 11 min walk

      Plaza de España

      Plaza de España is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    Eat · Eat near City. Sit down once, keep the rest as snacks.

  4. Day 4

    City

    Walk City in Madrid, including Parque del Retiro and Templo de Debod.

    1. Stop 1

      Parque del Retiro

      Parque del Retiro is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    2. Stop 2 · 42 min walk

      Templo de Debod

      Templo de Debod is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    Eat · Eat near City. Sit down once, keep the rest as snacks.

  5. Day 5

    Day trip toward Alcalá de Henares

    Leave Madrid for the day. Come back to the same bed.

    1. Stop 1

      Alcalá de Henares

      Listed as a next stop from Madrid. Check the regional train or bus the night before.

    2. Stop 2

      Aranjuez

      Listed as a next stop from Madrid. Check the regional train or bus the night before.

    3. Stop 3

      Ávila

      Listed as a next stop from Madrid. Check the regional train or bus the night before.

    Eat · Pack snacks from town. Do not count on a full menu at a small station.

    Browse Alcalá de Henares day trips

Where to stay

Sleep near the walking base. Pick an area, then search hotels by neighborhood.

  • The centre

    First-time visitors

    Stay inside walking range of the first-day stops in Madrid.

Full where-to-stay guide →

Things to book

Tours and tickets that match this plan. Book anything that needs timed entry.

Budget

Rough mid-range spend for 5 days in Madrid, excluding long-haul flights. Hotel nights drive most of the range.

  • Budget: about $400 (hostel/budget hotel, transit, street food)
  • Mid-range: about $700 (3★ hotel, sit-down meals, a tour or two)
  • Comfort: about $1,400 (nicer hotel, taxis, paid attractions)

Trip budget calculator →

Transportation

Get in

thumb|right|Madrid-Barajas airport Terminal 4 : Main article: Madrid–Barajas Airport | url = http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/madrid-barajas/en | email = | address = | lat = 40.472222 | long = -3.560833 | directions = | phone = | tollfree = | fax = | hours = | price = | wikipedia= Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport | wikidata = Q166276 | image = Barajas overview1.jpg | lastedit = 2018-05-04 | content = All commercial flights into Madrid use this airport, which is 13 km north-east of the city. There are direct flights from most major cities in Spain and across Europe, several from the Americas as well as a few African and Asian connections. There are two terminal complexes, widely separated: Terminals 1, 2 & 3, and Terminals T4 & T4S. To transfer between them land-side use the free shuttle bus.

Get around

thumb|277px|Map of the Madrid Metro Madrid proudly sports one of the best public transportation networks in the world and the second largest metro network in Europe after London's. Buses and subways work with the same tickets, and operate within the integrated transit network of (Plaza del Descubridor Diego de Ordás 3, M-F 08:00-20:00). With that said, be aware that Madrid's transportation infrastructure can appear complicated and daunting at first, so take extra time to know where to go and how to get there because it will not be as simple as in other European cities or what your map app is telling you. A single ticket for Zone A costs €1.50 (max.

Optional alternatives

Add one if a walking day finishes early. Don’t stack them onto the same afternoon.

  • Orquesta Nacional de España

    Tickets are sold at ticket offices in the Auditorio Nacional de Música, Teatro María Guerrero, Teatro de la Zarzuela, Teatro de la Comedia, and Teatro Valle-Inclán.

  • Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid

    Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

  • Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid

    Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

  • Banda Sinfónica Municipal de Madrid

    Performs in El Retiro Park in the summer. Tickets can be purchased at the Teatro Monumental (listed above), at the tourist information centre in Plaza Mayor, and online.

  • La Trashumancia

    Annual event during which the centre of Madrid is free of cars and is instead filled with shepherds exercising their ancient right to drive sheep and livestock through the city.

  • Madrid Gay Pride

    Annual event held between the last week of June and the first of July, with more than 1.5 million people in the street from all around the world. It began as a weekend party, but lately turned into a full-week extravaganza.

Before you go

Questions

Do I need a car in Madrid?
No for this plan. The days stay inside walking range, then local transit to XXX. thumb|277px|Map of the Madrid Metro Madrid proudly sports one of the best public transportation networks in the world and the second largest metro network in Europe after London's. Buses and subways work with the same tickets, and operate within the integrated transit network of (Plaza del Descubridor Diego de Ordás 3, M-F 08:00-20:00). With that said, be aware that Madrid's transportation infrastructure can appear complicated and daunting at first, so take extra time to know where to go and how to get there because it will not be as simple as in other European cities or what your map app is telling you. A single ticket for Zone A costs €1.50 (max.
Is 5 days enough?
Yes if you want Madrid plus one nearby trip. Use the 3-day plan if you will not leave town.
Where should I stay?
Base near City so the first walking day starts at the hotel. Search hotels after you pick the neighborhood.
Where do I eat?
Sit down once a day near that day's stops. Keep the rest as snacks.

Other Madrid trip lengths

Daily stops compiled from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), and Wikipedia. Updated 2026-10-04. Edited by Lina Varela.