Day 1
Arrive & Settle In
- Check in near Sol or Gran Vía — central is everything for a week-long trip.
- Afternoon: Walk to Plaza Mayor and the surrounding streets. Get oriented. Buy a Metro card.
- Evening: First tapas at a proper neighbourhood bar in Embajadores or La Latina. Order a caña (small beer) and the house croquetas.
- Don't stay up too late — tomorrow starts at 09:00.
Day 2
Museo del Prado & Retiro
- 09:00: Prado opens. Two focused hours: Velázquez, Goya, El Bosco. Tickets €15 online.
- 11:30: Retiro Park — rowboat on the lake (€7/45 min), Palacio de Cristal (free), rose garden.
- 14:00: Lunch near Atocha. Menú del día at a local restaurant (€12–14 for three courses).
- 16:00: Museo Reina Sofía — Guernica floor. Allow 90 minutes (€12, free Sunday from 13:00).
- Evening: Barrio de las Letras — dinner and a slow glass of wine on Calle de las Huertas.
Day 3
Palacio Real & Palacio Barrio
- Morning: Palacio Real (€14) — the interior tour covers throne rooms, royal armoury, and the Painting Gallery. The chapel contains works by Caravaggio and Velázquez.
- Afternoon: Thyssen-Bornemisza (€13, free Monday) — European painting from the 13th to 20th century. Exceptional impressionist and early modern collection.
- Late afternoon: Walk north through Justicia to Chueca for vermouth at a traditional vermutería.
- Evening: Dinner in Chueca. The barrio has Madrid's best concentration of independent restaurants.
Day 4
Segovia Day Trip
- Segovia is 30 minutes from Madrid Chamartín by high-speed Avant train (€11 each way). The first train leaves around 07:30.
- The Roman Aqueduct is one of the best-preserved in the world — 166 arches, no mortar, built in the 1st century AD. It's free to walk alongside.
- Segovia Cathedral (€3) is the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain. The Alcázar (€6) is the fairy-tale castle that inspired Disney's Cinderella castle. Some historians dispute this, but it's still spectacular.
- Lunch: Cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) is the regional speciality — cheaper here than in Madrid and genuinely better. Budget €20–30.
- Return by 18:00. Evening in Malasaña.
Day 5
Malasaña, Salamanca & Local Life
- Morning: Long breakfast in Malasaña. Browse vinyl shops, independent bookshops, and the Rastro-adjacent antique stores.
- Afternoon: Head east to Salamanca district. Mercado de la Paz for food, Calle de Serrano for shopping, Fundación March for free contemporary art exhibitions.
- Evening: Dinner in Salamanca — more formal than the tapas bars of La Latina, but excellent quality Spanish cooking. Split a bottle of Rioja.
Day 6
Toledo Day Trip
- Toledo is 45 minutes from Madrid Atocha by high-speed AVE (€12–18 each way, book ahead).
- The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — one of the few places in Europe where a medieval Christian cathedral, a grand mosque (converted), and a synagogue stand within a few hundred metres of each other.
- The Cathedral of Toledo is one of Spain's finest Gothic buildings. El Greco's House and Museum (€3) displays the painter's studio and a significant collection. The Alcázar (€5) offers the city's best views.
- Walk the Calle Comercio for marzipan (Toledo's signature sweet, sold everywhere) and artisan swords — Toledo steel has been famous since Roman times.
- Return by 18:00. Final evening back in Madrid — return to a favourite bar and order what you ordered on night one.
Day 7
Ávila (or El Rastro Sunday)
- If Day 7 is Sunday: El Rastro flea market (09:00–15:00) in Embajadores. Arrive early, browse 3,500 stalls of antiques, art, and oddities. Post-market vermouth at the bars on Calle de la Ribera de Curtidores.
- If Day 7 is not Sunday: Ávila is 1.5 hours from Chamartín by Cercanías (€8 each way). The city walls — built in the 11th century, 2.5 km long, with 88 towers — are the most complete medieval walls in Spain and still walk-able. The city is also the birthplace of Santa Teresa de Ávila.
- Return to Madrid in the afternoon. Last dinner near your hotel. Pack light.
One Week in Madrid: Practical Notes
Seven days in one city requires a bit of logistical planning. Here's what matters most:
- Day trip trains: Book Segovia and Toledo trains via Renfe.com — prices rise close to departure. Toledo AVE is particularly popular on weekends.
- Museum days: The Prado is free on weekdays from 18:00–20:00 (queues form from 17:30). Reina Sofía free Monday and Sunday afternoons. Thyssen free Monday. Plan around these to save €25–40.
- Sunday El Rastro: The market only runs Sunday mornings. Build your itinerary around this if you're in Madrid over a weekend.
- Hotel base: One week is long enough to consider a hotel with a kitchen or apartment. Staying in Centro, Justicia, or near Gran Vía keeps everything accessible. Salamanca is excellent for the eastern day and quieter evenings.
Find Your Week-Long Madrid Base
5,393 hotels across 21 districts — find the right neighbourhood for your trip
Search Madrid Hotels →