Madrid 7-day itinerary

Start at Parque del Retiro through the Puerta de Alcalá gate. Row on the Estanque Grande (€6 for 45 min), visit the Palacio de Cristal for its free exhibition, and wander the rose garden. The park is 125 hectares — larger than Vatican City. Coffee at one of the park kiosks before heading to the museum district.

The Prado (€15, free Mon–Sat 6–8pm) deserves a full afternoon. Spanish masters are the priority — Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings and Third of May, El Greco's ethereal works. Then explore the Italian Renaissance and Flemish collections including Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights. Lunch in the Barrio de las Letras afterwards.

La Latina is the tapas capital. Start on Cava Baja — hop between Casa Lucas, Juana la Loca (legendary tortilla with caramelised onion, €5), and Taberna Tempranillo. Order cañas (small beers, €1.50–2.50) at each stop and share raciones (sharing plates). Three to four bars is the local pace. The whole neighbourhood hums until past midnight.

The Palacio Real (€16, free Mon–Thu 5–7pm in summer) has 3,418 rooms. The Throne Room, Hall of Mirrors, and Royal Armoury are highlights. Almudena Cathedral next door is free. Walk through the Sabatini Gardens for a photo of the palace rear facade, then down to the Campo del Moro gardens below — a hidden green oasis that most tourists miss entirely.

Walk from Puerta del Sol (Km 0 of Spain) along Gran Vía — the grand boulevard with early-20th-century architecture. For the best views, pay €5 for Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop or head to the free terrace at El Corte Inglés in Callao. Lunch at Mercado de San Miguel near Plaza Mayor — gourmet tapas in a gorgeous 1916 iron-and-glass market hall.

Malasaña is Madrid's creative, alternative heart. Dinner at Ojalá with its subterranean beach room (mains €10–14) or La Musa for inventive tapas. Drinks at Tupperware (gloriously retro), La Vía Láctea (Madrid rock institution), or the craft beer bars on Calle de la Palma. Nightlife starts after midnight — clubs like Siroco or Café Berlin open around 1am.

The Museo Reina Sofía (€12, free Mon & Wed–Sat 7–9pm) houses Picasso's Guernica, one of the most powerful paintings ever created. Head to Room 206 first. The collection spans Dalí, Miró, Juan Gris, and contemporary Spanish art. The building itself — a converted 18th-century hospital with a stunning glass elevator — is worth the visit.

Lavapiés is Madrid's most diverse, vibrant neighbourhood. Walk from Reina Sofía down Calle de Argumosa — the terrace-lined street where locals gather on sunny afternoons. Lunch at one of the incredible international restaurants — Indian on Calle de Lavapiés, Senegalese on Calle del Mesón de Paredes, or tapas at Taberna de Antonio Sánchez (Madrid's oldest bar, since 1830).

Visit Matadero Madrid — a former slaughterhouse converted into a sprawling contemporary arts centre with free exhibitions, cinema, and design markets. Then metro to Chueca, Madrid's LGBTQ+ neighbourhood, for dinner and drinks. The Plaza de Chueca is surrounded by tapas bars. Try Bazaar (creative Mediterranean, mains €10–14) or Mercado de San Antón's rooftop.

AVANT train from Atocha station (33 minutes, €13.90 each way). Toledo is a UNESCO World Heritage City perched above the Tagus River — the former capital of Spain where Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures coexisted. Walk through the Puerta de Bisagra gate and climb to the Alcázar for panoramic views over the terracotta rooftops and surrounding plains.

Toledo Cathedral (€12.50) is one of Spain's most impressive — a Gothic masterpiece with El Greco paintings inside. Visit the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca (€3) and the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes for the three-culture history. Lunch at a mesón — carcamusas (Toledo's signature pork stew, €8–10) with manchego cheese and local wine.

Before returning, taxi (€8) or walk to the Mirador del Valle on the south bank of the Tagus — the iconic view of Toledo's entire skyline is one of the most photographed panoramas in Spain. El Greco painted this exact view 400 years ago. Catch a late afternoon train back to Madrid and spend the evening at a local bar in Huertas.

If it is Sunday, El Rastro flea market is unmissable — hundreds of stalls stretching down Ribera de Curtidores from La Latina metro. Vintage clothing, vinyl records, antiques, and oddities. Even on weekdays, the Mercado de la Cebada in La Latina has an authentic local food market. Breakfast at a market bar — tortilla española and coffee for €3–4.

The newly renovated Santiago Bernabéu (€25) is a cathedral of football. The tour includes the trophy room (15 Champions League trophies), the pitch-side view, the retractable roof, and the 360° immersive experience. Even non-football fans are impressed by the scale. Match tickets start from €40 via the Real Madrid website — an electric atmosphere.

Explore Chamberí — a residential neighbourhood tourists rarely reach. Visit the ghost metro station Andén 0 (free, closed Mon) for a beautifully preserved 1919 platform. Then join the local tradition of la hora del vermú — vermouth hour at a traditional taberna. Try Bodegas La Ardosa for their famous tortilla and draught vermouth (€2.50). Dinner on Calle de Ponzano.

Complete Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art with the Thyssen-Bornemisza (€13, free on Mondays). It spans 800 years of European art from medieval to contemporary — Caravaggio, Monet, Hopper, Picasso, Rothko. The collection was assembled by one family and fills a beautiful palace. Allow 90 minutes. Coffee afterwards at the Federal Café nearby on Plaza de las Cortes.

Explore Salamanca — Madrid's upscale neighbourhood with elegant streets and the Museo Sorolla (€3, free Saturdays from 2pm). This intimate museum was the painter's home and studio, with a beautiful Andalusian garden. His light-drenched Mediterranean paintings are stunning in person. Lunch at Platea Madrid — a converted cinema turned gourmet food hall.

Flamenco in Madrid is raw and authentic. Skip the tourist tablaos and book at Cardamomo (€39 with drink) or Casa Patas (€40) for genuine performances by serious artists. The emotional intensity is palpable. Afterwards, head to Huertas — the bars along Calle de las Huertas and around Plaza de Santa Ana buzz every night. Cocktails at Salmon Guru (€12–14).

Take the Teleférico cable car (€6 one way, €8 return) from Paseo del Pintor Rosales over Casa de Campo — Madrid's largest park, five times the size of Central Park. The 11-minute ride offers panoramic views of the Royal Palace and city skyline. Walk through Casa de Campo to the lake area, or ride back and stroll the Paseo del Pintor Rosales for terrace cafes.

For last-minute shopping, head to Malasaña's vintage shops on Calle del Espíritu Santo or the bookshops on Cuesta de Moyano (permanent outdoor book market near Retiro). Lunch at a cervecería for one last round of tapas — patatas bravas, jamón ibérico, and croquetas. Pick up olive oil, pimentón, or saffron at Mercado de San Miguel as edible souvenirs.

End your week at Templo de Debod for one final sunset — the 2,200-year-old Egyptian temple glowing amber against a pink and orange sky is pure magic. Then a farewell dinner at Casa Mono in La Latina or splurge on a rooftop at Hotel RIU on Gran Vía (cocktails from €12, 360° views from the 27th floor). Madrid says goodbye properly.