Itinerary · Two, three or four days · Checked against operators’ own pages
Madrid in 2, 3 or 4 Days: Can You Do It for €90? One Plan, Grouped by Area
Live check just now: Royal Palace, entry ticket with audioguide from €32.00
Find your Madrid experience
Three days: the default plan
Group Madrid by district, not by a ranked list: the palace and old squares first, the art museums second, Gran Vía and its streets third.
- Day 1: the Royal Palace at your booked time, then a walk east through the Habsburg squares to La Latina.
- Day 2: the Prado, a lunch break in Retiro Park, then the Reina Sofía; never on a Tuesday.
- Day 3: the Cibeles viewpoint, Gran Vía, then Chueca and Malasaña; Monday shuts the viewpoint.
- Before you fly: book the Royal Palace and the Prado for set times.
- Day order: the days swap freely. Keep the art day off Tuesday and the Gran Vía day off Monday, and keep the palace day movable.
Day 1: Royal Palace and the Habsburg squares, about €35
The Bourbons built the Royal Palace in the old Austrias quarter, and the Habsburg squares lie a short walk east, so day one runs in one direction. Take the palace first and finish among the tapas bars of La Latina.
See or book an old-town and Royal Palace tour
- Ride Metro to Ópera and enter the palace through Plaza de la Armería at your booked time.
- Add the Royal Armoury if the morning allows; it takes about 30 minutes on top of the halls.
- Walk east to Plaza de la Villa, where the Lujanes tower, Casa de Cisneros and Casa de la Villa date from the 15th to 17th centuries.
- Cross Plaza Mayor, rebuilt by Juan de Villanueva after an 1790 fire, then head south to La Latina for tapas around Cava Baja.
- On a Sunday, reach La Latina before 3pm for the El Rastro flea market; the palace closes at 4pm, so enter it first.
Good to know
- Monday to Saturday the palace closes at 7pm from April to September and 6pm from October to March.
- The palace ticket and the tour here cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, which helps if an event closes the palace.
| Item | € per adult | US$ |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Palace, entry ticket with audioguide | €32 | ≈ US$35 |
| Metro, two short single rides | €3 | ≈ US$3 |
| Total | €35 | ≈ US$39 |
On your own
Book the audioguide ticket, then walk the squares yourself; nothing else on this route needs a ticket.
With a guide
One tour joins the old town and the palace visit, with palace entry included and a guide leading both.
Day 1 in tickets and Metro: about €35.
Prices checked 18 Sep 2026 · per person, tickets and transport, excluding accommodation
Day 2: Prado, Retiro and Reina Sofía, about €45
The Prado, Retiro Park and the Reina Sofía sit in the Paseo del Prado area UNESCO listed as the Landscape of Light, so the day never leaves one district. Two museums need a fixed order and a real lunch break.
See or book a Prado and Reina Sofía guided tour
- Enter the Prado at your booked time; admission runs on a timed pass chosen when you buy.
- Take a lunch break in Retiro Park, which shares its UNESCO listing with Paseo del Prado.
- Finish at the Reina Sofía, open until 9pm on Monday and Wednesday to Saturday, and see Picasso’s Guernica.
- On a Sunday, reverse it: the Reina Sofía closes at 2:30pm, while the Prado stays open until 7pm.
Good to know
- The Prado is shut on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, and closes at 8pm Monday to Saturday.
- Never plan this day for a Tuesday: the Reina Sofía is closed all day.
- The Prado and Reina Sofía tickets here are non-refundable; the guided tour cancels free up to 24 hours ahead.
| Item | € per adult | US$ |
|---|---|---|
| Prado Museum, timed-entry ticket | €24 | ≈ US$26 |
| Reina Sofía Museum, flexible-time ticket | €18 | ≈ US$20 |
| Metro, two short single rides | €3 | ≈ US$3 |
| Total | €45 | ≈ US$50 |
On your own
Book both tickets, fix the order, and use Retiro as the break between the museums.
With a guide
One guided tour of about four hours covers both museums, with both entries included.
Day 2 in tickets and Metro: about €45.
Prices checked 18 Sep 2026 · per person, tickets and transport, excluding accommodation
Day 3: Cibeles, Gran Vía, Chueca and Malasaña for €7
Gran Vía was cut through the old centre between 1910 and 1931, starting where it meets Calle de Alcalá near Cibeles. Follow it west, then turn north into Chueca and Malasaña, districts built for evenings rather than monuments.
See or book a Malasaña and Chueca tapas tour
- Go up the Cibeles Palace tower for the city panorama, open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30am to 2pm and 4pm to 7:30pm.
- Walk west along Calle de Alcalá to where Gran Vía begins, then follow it toward Plaza de España.
- Pass Plaza del Callao, where the avenue’s second stage ended, and Plaza de España, where the third ended.
- Turn north into Chueca for shops and bars, then on to Malasaña, where small clubs and bars run late.
Good to know
- The tower viewpoint is shut on Mondays and on 12 October; last entry is 1:30pm and 7pm.
- Gran Vía, Callao and Plaza de España stations sit on the avenue, so the walk can end with a short Metro ride.
| Item | € per adult | US$ |
|---|---|---|
| Cibeles Palace tower viewpoint, adult ticket | €4 | ≈ US$4 |
| Metro, two short single rides | €3 | ≈ US$3 |
| Total | €7 | ≈ US$8 |
On your own
Walk the avenue and both districts free, apart from the tower ticket.
With a guide
A tapas tour makes the evening four bars with drinks, with a local guide leading the route.
Day 3 in tickets and Metro: €7.
Prices checked 18 Sep 2026 · per person, tickets and transport, excluding accommodation
If you have two days
With two days, keep day one and give day two to the Prado plus an evening walk from Cibeles to Gran Vía. The Reina Sofía and the Chueca and Malasaña streets drop.
- Day 1: as written, the palace, the Habsburg squares and La Latina.
- Day 2: the Prado at your booked time, then Retiro Park for the middle of the day.
- Late afternoon: walk from Retiro to Cibeles and follow Calle de Alcalá to Gran Vía; the viewpoint is shut on Monday.
If you have a fourth day
A fourth day is a short list, not a fixed route. Pick from these, or swap any one day for a Toledo or Segovia day trip.
Good to know
- The Thyssen-Bornemisza spans the 13th to the 20th century, broader than the Prado but shallower on any single period.
- Salamanca is a formal grid of shops and quiet evenings, with easy access to Retiro Park; walk it rather than tick it off.
- The Bernabéu stadium sits at the edge of Salamanca, so a stadium tour can share the same walk.
Facts that shape the trip
Weekly closures decide the day order: the Reina Sofía keeps Tuesday, the tower viewpoint keeps Monday, and Sundays shorten the palace and the Reina Sofía.
Good to know
- A Zone A single Metro ticket starts at €1.50, so two short rides a day add little to the plan.
- A three-day Zone A Tourist Ticket costs €23.10; with about two short rides a day, single tickets cost less.
| Monday | Tuesday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Palace | open | open | open (to 4pm) |
| Prado Museum | open | open | open (to 7pm) |
| Reina Sofía Museum | open | closed | open (to 2:30pm) |
| Cibeles tower viewpoint | closed | open | open |
Fixed time
The Royal Palace and the Prado: choose the slot when you book.
Flexible time
The Reina Sofía ticket sold here has no fixed slot, and the Cibeles tower admits about every 30 minutes.
Attractions & day trips from Madrid
What it costs, and where to book
Prices checked 18 Sep 2026 · per person, tickets and transport, excluding accommodation. Amounts over 20 are rounded up. Ticket prices are per person for the first reviewed ticket and change by date.
Explore Madrid Before You Book
Take a virtual drive or walk, then find tours and tickets for the places you like.
Where a guided tour earns its money, and where it does not
A guide earns its fee where the building or the paintings need explaining: the palace, the two museums and the tapas evening. Skip one for the squares, Retiro and Gran Vía, which cost nothing extra to walk.
Mubboo compares flights and tours and may earn a commission when a traveller uses a partner link. Booking and payment happen with the provider.
Questions people ask
Which weekday should I avoid on this plan?
Avoid a Tuesday for day two, because the Reina Sofía is shut, and a Monday for day three, because the Cibeles viewpoint is. Day one works any day, but the palace can close for official events.
Can I do the Prado and the Reina Sofía in one day?
Yes, with a fixed order and a lunch break in Retiro Park between them. A third museum on the same day would be rushed.
What changes on a Sunday?
Do the Reina Sofía first, since it closes at 2:30pm, and the Prado after. The palace closes at 4pm, and El Rastro in La Latina runs until about 3pm.
Do I need a Madrid tourist travel pass for three days?
Usually not. This plan walks between most sights and needs about six short Metro rides, which cost less than a three-day Zone A pass unless you add many more journeys.
What if I only have two days?
Keep day one and pair the Prado with an evening walk from Cibeles to Gran Vía. The Reina Sofía and the Chueca and Malasaña streets drop.
Plan deeper in Madrid
Sources (29)
Every figure above was checked on the dates shown.
- Mubboo reviewed ticket and tour options for Madrid (the booking platform destination 566); per-person prices read when the page is built — mubboo.flights/madrid/tours (checked 2026-09-18)
- Patrimonio Nacional — Royal Palace of Madrid: visiting times, closed dates, tickets and getting there — tickets.patrimonionacional.es/en/tickets/palacio-real-de-madrid (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — Royal Palace (entrance note and Metro) — www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/royal-palace (checked 2026-09-18)
- Museo Nacional del Prado — Horarios y precios (opening hours, closed days, timed pass) — www.museodelprado.es/visita/horarios-y-tarifas (checked 2026-09-18)
- Museo Reina Sofía — Visit (opening hours and closed day) — www.museoreinasofia.es/en/visit (checked 2026-09-18)
- CentroCentro — Mirador Madrid observation deck (hours, closed days, ticket) — www.centrocentro.org/en/centrocentro/spaces/mirador-madrid-observation-deck (checked 2026-09-18)
- Metro de Madrid — Fares (single ticket, Tourist Ticket) — www.metromadrid.es/en/viaja-en-metro/titulos-y-tarifas/tarifas (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — Austrias neighbourhood — www.esmadrid.com/en/madrid-neighbourhoods/austrias (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — Plaza de la Villa — www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/plaza-de-la-villa (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — El Rastro (Sunday and public-holiday flea market) — www.esmadrid.com/en/shopping/el-rastro (checked 2026-09-18)
- Mubboo Tours search, Madrid (the booking platform destination 566) — Madrid old town and Royal Palace walking tour — mubboo.flights/api/tours/search?destinationId=566&term=Madrid+old+town+and+Royal+Palace+walking+tour¤cy=USD&mode=keyword&sort=featured (checked 2026-09-18)
- Mubboo Tours search, Madrid (the booking platform destination 566) — Prado and Reina Sofia guided tour — mubboo.flights/api/tours/search?destinationId=566&term=Prado+and+Reina+Sofia+guided+tour¤cy=USD&mode=keyword&sort=featured (checked 2026-09-18)
- Mubboo Tours search, Madrid (the booking platform destination 566) — Malasana and Chueca tapas tour — mubboo.flights/api/tours/search?destinationId=566&term=Malasana+and+Chueca+tapas+tour¤cy=USD&mode=keyword&sort=featured (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — Plaza Mayor — www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/plaza-mayor-madrid (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — La Latina neighbourhood — www.esmadrid.com/en/madrid-neighbourhoods/latina (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid (Madrid Destino) — Madrid at a Glance — www.esmadrid.com/en/madrid-at-a-glance (checked 2026-09-18)
- Museo Nacional del Prado — history of the museum — www.museodelprado.es/en/museum/history-of-the-museum (checked 2026-09-18)
- spain.info — Museo Reina Sofía — www.spain.info/en/places-of-interest/reina-sofia-museum/ (checked 2026-09-18)
- spain.info — Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum — www.spain.info/en/places-of-interest/thyssen-bornemisza-museum/ (checked 2026-09-18)
- La Moncloa (Spanish Government) — UNESCO Landscape of Light inscription — www.lamoncloa.gob.es/lang/en/gobierno/news/Paginas/2021/20210725_unesco.aspx (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — El Retiro Park — www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/parque-del-retiro (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — Gran Vía — www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/la-gran-via (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — Chueca neighbourhood — www.esmadrid.com/en/madrid-neighbourhoods/chueca (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — Malasaña neighbourhood — www.esmadrid.com/en/madrid-neighbourhoods/malasana (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — Barrio de Salamanca — www.esmadrid.com/en/madrid-neighbourhoods/barrio-salamanca (checked 2026-09-18)
- Real Madrid C.F. — individual Bernabéu Tour tickets — www.realmadrid.com/en-US/tour-bernabeu/individual (checked 2026-09-18)
- spain.info — visit Toledo in a day — www.spain.info/en/route/toledo/ (checked 2026-09-18)
- spain.info — Segovia — www.spain.info/en/destination/segovia/ (checked 2026-09-18)
- Tourism Madrid — getting around Madrid — www.esmadrid.com/en/getting-around-madrid (checked 2026-09-18)