3 Day Madrid Itinerary: A Perfect Blend of Culture, Food & Spanish Charm
Madrid is one of those cities that feels alive at every hour—where history meets modern energy, and every corner holds a story. We spent three days exploring Spain’s capital, and while it was a short trip, it was packed with unforgettable experiences and even a day trip to a nearby town!
We flew into Madrid from Italy on a lovely afternoon and hit the ground running immediately. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how I spent 72 hours soaking in the art, culture, food, and local flavor of this vibrant city—plus a few hidden gems that made the trip extra special.
Where to stay in Madrid:
If it’s your first time, Centro is the most convenient, but La Latina and Malasaña are fantastic if you want a more local or relaxed feel while still being central. We stayed in the Centro area about a block Northwest of Plaza Mayor and it was a perfect location!
Here was our AirBNB which I would absolutely stay in again!
This location is perfect distance to walking to all of the major attractions. Keep in mind that Madrid is a big city, and while you can walk most places, I would suggest an Uber ride every once in a while to help keep your feet feeling good.
Day 1:
Head over to Plaza Mayor for breakfast where you can sit and people watch as the city wakes up for the day and shops start to open.
From here, walk towards Puerta del Sol to take it in the majestic architecture and monuments.
El Corte Ingles is also near this area and is the largest department store in Madrid – yes shoppers, I see you, and I got you!
Continue on down Gran Via Street which is probably the most vibrant street here in Madrid. Construction here started in 1904 and took over 20 years to complete this beautiful street. It’s filled with shops, dining and the best people-watching you can ask for. Grab a late morning coffee or stop in some shops for souvenirs to bring home.
The next stop is the Metropolis building! While you can’t go inside as it’s just office buildings, this 100+ year old building is absolutely stunning and is a symbol of Madrid.
Across the street from the Metropolis building is the Church of San José to stop in and see. This building opened in 1748 and has kept so much of its beautiful old charm. It’s an easy stop and one I encourage you to see if you love old churches.
Continue heading towards Retiro park and you’ll pass the Plaza de Cibeles and seriously one of the prettiest buildings in Madrid – the Palacio de Cibeles which houses the Madrid City Council and a cultural center.
Continue heading on to the Puerta de Alcala. Grab you some epic pictures in front of this multi-arched monument which served as a gate in the city’s walls in 1778 and is now a gorgeous landmark and such a welcoming site as you come into the city.
Time to grab lunch before you head into the park! We ate at Bakan Madrid which is right across the street. The inside is absolutely stunning and the patio gives you sunny views of Puerta de Alcala while you eat. Us Texans were definitely craving some tacos!
Once your belly is full, head into Retiro Park to explore. Choose from shaded benches, sunny grassy areas to lay out, playgrounds for the kiddos or take a boat out on the lake. There is PLENTY to do out here and you could truly spend hours just exploring.
After a few hours in here you’ll be begging to rest your feet. There is a café inside the park where you can sit and enjoy the outdoors, or feel free to head on over to a local Tapas restaurant to grab some food and drinks to tide you over to dinner. We had tickets to a Flamenco show that evening, so we grabbed some food, relaxed for a bit and headed that way.
Buying tickets to a show is pretty easy! I didn’t want to get scammed online and wasn’t sure how the kids would be, so we waited till we were in the city to buy them. There are vendors located all over the city, so you are bound to pass by someone selling authentic show tickets. We absolutely LOVED our experience and highly encourage it! Our two boys, ages 7 & 5 loved it as well. We used Tablao Flamenco 1911!
Grab you some late night bites after the show at Mercado de San Miguel! This was our favorite place to eat while we were in Madrid. There was something for everyone and I swear I still crave those empanadas…..drool!!
Day 2:
Time for a day trip out of Madrid to the beautiful and charming town of Segovia!
You have to take a train from the main train station in Madrid ….something we weren’t aware of till we booked our tickets. The main station was a 30 min drive from our stay over by Mercado de San Miguel, so plan your time accordingly!! You can buy tickets at the station, but I absolutely recommend buying ahead as this train does sell out quickly. The station is also very big, and you have to go through airport style security so give yourself plenty of time before your departure.
That being said – if you are prepared for those things, then it’ll be a breeze! The train ride to Segovia is only 30 minutes, so sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Okay…Segovia gave us some trouble with transportation on the way back home, so PLEASE listen up and take this advice!! When you get to the train station in Segovia, it is outside of the main town and you will have 2 options:
Take a taxi into town……this is what we did and I do NOT recommend
TAKE THE BUS and buy a return ticket as well! It’s a short drive in and drops you off in the main area (so you know exactly where to come back to later on). The bus only takes cash or you can buy a ticket inside the train station, but I highly recommend having cash on you for this trip!
Our mistake…..we took a taxi into town expecting it to be easy to find one coming back later that day….NOPE we walked ALL over the city and couldn’t find a dang taxi, even at the taxi stop…..then we didn’t have cash to get on the bus…..and couldn’t find an ATM anywhere…….by God’s grace we FINALLY found an empty taxi who was willing to take us to the train station after about 1.5hr of panicking. Learn from our mistake and ride the bus both ways!!
Now back to the itinerary:
We went straight to the main square, Plaza Mayor, for a late breakfast before site seeing. After eating, head straight down to the Alcazar de Segovia to see an amazing castle up close and personal! You can buy tickets for this on site, although I recommend purchasing ahead of time. Going through the whole castle, even stopping for pictures will take about 45min-1hr.
Once you’re finished up here, make your way back down the streets to the majestic Cathedral de Segovia. There is also an underground art installation that’s worth exploring too! Next stop – gelato, to keep you happy as you walk down these historic streets. Don’t forget to try their famous dessert – Ponche Segoviano – which is a layered cake with custard and marzipan. It’s a mess but totally delicious!
As you walk through town towards the famous aqueduct, you’ll take in some fun sites along the way!
Iglesia de San Martin – you can only go in around mass times
Follow along Calle Juan Bravo towards the Casa de Los Picos
And then you start to see it….peeking through the alleyway, the most amazing piece of history staring you in the face – original roman aqueducts!! There will be tons of vendors set up in this square where you can shop, eat and drink to your hearts content. If you look to your left, you’ll see stairs that go up to give you an even better view from above.
Once you’re back in the city, get those energy levels back up with some churros and don’t forget the chocolate dipping sauce! What gelato is to Italy – churros are to Spain so indulge my friends. That evening make reservations at La Paella Real for some delicious dinner. Our family of 4 demolished this whole pan and it was SOOOO good!
Day 3:
After breakfast, head out to your tour of the Royal Palace! This is the largest royal palace in Europe and we knew we needed to take a peek at the inside of this beauty. Book your tour ahead of time! This was probably the most impressive palace we have been inside in Europe….. I may have even liked it better than Versailles….. From here, walk out the gates after your tour and head into the Cathedral de Santa Ana.
The colors were so pretty and different!
Afterwards, head over to your reservations at La Botin restaurant – the oldest restaurant in the world, for lunch! I highly recommend making these reservations as soon as you know your plans/dates in Madrid. They fill up supper fast. We got lucky with our seats and ate underground….through a room…and into a little cave area. So cool! We tried multiple dishes and sides to get the full experience and it was so worth it. The food tastes so traditional and was a hit with our whole family. Don’t skimp out on the desserts either!
After thoroughly enjoying lunch, it’s time to spend the afternoon shopping and eating/drinking your way through the beautiful streets of Madrid until sunset time. Then, head over to the Temple of Debod. A 2nd century Egyptian temple gifted from Egypt to Spain after needing to rehome the structure due to the building of the Aswan Dam. It’s beautiful a at sunset and you can even go inside on their open days to learn more about it. Finish off with some dinner and that concludes your 3 day itinerary in Madrid! What an incredible city!!
Some other things to do in the city:
- Prado art museum
- Soccer game!
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum of art
- Botanical gardens
- Zoo of Madrid