[SPAIN] One Day in Madrid (with itinerary & map)

Madrid is the capital city and largest city of Spain. From grand palaces, lush parks, famous museums, and bustling food market, the city clearly has much to offer to its visitors. Staying a day in Madrid allowed me to discover the charm and history of Madrid.

Getting in:

I took a train from Barcelona and arrived in Madrid by RENFE train in the evening. The train ride was about 2 hours and 30 minutes. It cost me about EUR 80 for 2 adults. Child under 4 travel for free but it must be included in the reservation. Official website: https://www.renfe.com/es/en

Madrid has two train stations: Chamartin and Atocha. I chose to arrive in Madrid Puerta de Atocha station (see photo above) since the apartment that I booked is within walking distance from the station.

Getting Around:

Madrid is well connected by metro and bus. The metro has more than 10 lines and it gets a bit overwhelming looking at its sprawling network. Below are some of the major metro stations to tourist attractions:

1) Opera (line 2, 5 & R): Teatro Real, Palacio Real (Royal Palace), Cathedral de la Almudena, Mercado de San Miguel 

2) Sol (line 1, 2 & 3): Puerta de Sol and Plaza Mayor

3) Estacion del Arte / Atocha Renfe (line 1): Paseo del Prado, Museo Reina Sofia, Museo del Prado

Accomodation:

I would recommend to stay somewhere nearby Atocha station if you're arriving by train. I booked a 2 bedroom apartment (about EUR 132). The apartment is clean and has everything I need including a washing machine. 

It is located nearby Caixa Forum (museum and cultural centre) in Paseo del Prado. 

My itinerary in Madrid:

Map above marks the attractions and route of day 1. The yellow star is the apartment that I booked. Atocha station is marked with dark blue box.

Day 1: Palacio Real (Royal Palace) -> Cathedral de la Almudena -> Plaza de la Villa -> Mercado de San Miguel -> lunch at Restaurante Botin (world's oldest restaurant) -> Plaza Mayor -> Puerta del Sol -> Ayuntamienco de Madrid & Cibeles fountain -> Neptune fountain -> Objetos de Arte Toledano -> Museo del Prado -> Museo Reina Sofia (exterior only) -> dinner

Day 2 morning: Puerta de Alcala -> Monumento a Alfonso XII -> 11am train to Cordoba

The city is large, but thankfully, it is still walkable within the historic center. My strategy was to take the metro and go to the furthest attraction (Royal Palace) from the apartment, then walk back and see the attractions along the way.

What to See:

1) Palacio Real (Royal Palace) 

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest in Western Europe. Although it is no longer the royal family's home, it continues to be their official residence. 

I would recommend to get here early as there was already a long queue waiting to enter the Royal Palace when I arrived.

I chose the Royal Palace Visit + Royal Kitchen combo. The Royal Kitchen is certainly worth a visit. It is big and divided into various sections depending on the task involved in providing palace meals. It  has one of the first refrigerators (see third photo above). It also has a food elevator which was originally hydraulic and electrically powered from 1911 onwards. It is one of the few places where you can take photographs inside the Royal Palace.

Another place where you can take photographs inside is the main staircase leading to the second floor. The Royal Palace interior is grand but unfortunately photos / videos are prohibited in the royal chambers.

Visitors are free to take photographs of the exterior of the palace.

Opening hours: All days 10.15am - 5pm (Oct - Mar), 10.15am - 7pm (Apr - Sep)

Admission: Royal Palace Visit - EUR 12, Royal Palace Visit + Royal Kitchen - EUR 16, Royal Kitchen only - EUR 6, child under 5 free admission (all as per 2021 price)

*You must access the Royal Palace by the preferred door 15 minutes before the time indicated in your tickets, and present 5 minutes before at the specific meeting point located in the entrance hall to the Palace.

Official Website: https://www.patrimonionacional.es/en/visita/royal-palace-madrid

2) Cathedral de la Almudena 

It was another long queue to get into the Cathedral de la Almudena which is located just opposite the Royal Palace. The construction of the cathedral only began in 1879 and was not completed until 1993. It was dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena. It was really crowded during my visit, so I just went in for a quick tour.

Afterwards, I joined the crowd and watched the changing of guards. It is held every Wednesday and Saturday from 11am to 2pm. It was here that my camera accidentally fell to the floor and thus broken (sob, sob).

3) Plaza de la Villa 

Plaza de la Villa was one of the medieval centers of Madrid. Casa de los Lujanes (with its adjacent tower), dated from the 15th-century, is the oldest civil building in Madrid.

4) Mercado de San Miguel

Mercado de San Miguel is the city's gastronomic temple. It offers many contemporary Spanish cuisine. But be warned the crowd here during lunch/dinner hours is no joke. This place is open from 10am till midnight (Sun - Thu) and from 10am till 1am (Fri, Sat & eve of public holiday). So there is plenty of time you can choose to visit.  

5) Plaza Mayor 

Plaza Mayor is another beautiful square in the city. It was once the centre of Old Madrid.

6) Puerta del Sol

Puerta del Sol is the best known and busiest square in Madrid. For over a century, the famous clock at this square mark the tradition of eating twelve lucky grapes as people usher in the New Year. Can't believe that I didn't take photo of the famous clock tower (face palm).

7) Ayuntamienco de Madrid & Cibeles fountain

Ayuntamienco de Madrid is the city council of Madrid. It has a beautiful façade and located at Plaza de Cibeles. Cibeles fountain is just in front of the city council.

8) Neptune fountain

The Neptune fountain is a neoclassical fountain which lies in the center of a roundabout in the Paseo del Prado.

9) Museo del Prado

Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum. It was first opened to public in November 1819. 

You can visit the museum for free after 5pm or 6pm depending on which day you visit, however, be prepared to wait in long queue to get in. Take note that the museum will be closed 45 min

Queen Isabella began the royal collection in the 16th century, and this was added to by her successors until the 19th century. The museum displays about 1,500 works, some of which are on permanent display and others on a rotation system. 

Opening hours: 10am - 8pm (Mon - Sat), 10am - 7pm (Sun & holiday)

Admission: General - EUR 15, 90-min guided tour +EUR 10

* Guided tour only available in Spanish at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 5pm.

** Free access to the museum from 6pm - 8pm (Mon - Sat), 5pm - 7pm (Sun & holiday)

Official Website: https://www.museodelprado.es/en

11) Museo Reina Sofia

If you like modern art, Museo Reina Sofia is the place to be. Since it was near the museum's closing time after my visit to Museo del Prado, I did not have enough time to visit Museo Reina Sofia. 

Opening hours: Closed on Tuesday, 10am - 8pm (Mon, Wed - Sat), 10am - 2.30pm (Sun)

Admission: General - EUR 10

* Free access to the museum from 6pm - 8pm (Mon, Wed - Sat), 1.30pm - 2.15pm (Sun)

Official Website: https://www.museoreinasofia.es/en

12) Puerta de Alcala

Puerta de Alcala was a gate of the former Walls of Philip IV. If you have extra time, you can see it near Plaza de Cibeles.

13) Monumento a Alfonso XII

Monumento a Alfonso XII is located in Buen Retiro Park. In the center of this monument is the bronze statue of King Alfonso XII. 

What and Where to Eat:

Restaurante Botin (world's oldest restaurant since 1725) was where I had my lunch. You'll need a reservation in order to dine in. You may do so at their website: https://botin.es/reserva/ or call at +34 91 366 42 17.

It is famous for its roasted meat dish and its signature dish is roasted suckling pig. I enjoyed the meal and it is cool that I get to say I have dined in the oldest restaurant in the world!

Mercado de San Miguel is another popular choice although it can get very crowded during its peak hours. The selection of food is wide. You can probably find something you like under one roof.

What to buy:

Objetos de Arte Toledano is a cute shop selling souvenirs and ceramics. It is near to Plaza de Cibeles. Its exterior, if not, its window display will surely catch your attention as you pass by.

That's all, folks. Till next time.