1, 2 & 3 Day Madrid Itineraries

1

Day 1: The Art Triangle & Retiro Park

Morning (10:00 - 12:30)

Museo del Prado

Start at the Prado (€15.00 standard adult) right at opening (10:00) to see Las Meninas and the Goya Black Paintings before the mid-morning crowds. Book online in advance rather than queuing at the door.

Tickets: Advance online booking recommended.

Duration: 2 - 2.5 h

Midday (12:45 - 14:30)

Parque del Retiro

Walk five minutes east into Retiro Park for lunch and a stroll around the Crystal Palace and the boating lake — free to enter, no ticket needed.

Duration: 1.5 h

Travel: 5 min walk from the Prado

Afternoon (15:00 - 17:00)

Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza

Finish the day at the Thyssen-Bornemisza (€14.00 standard adult), a short walk back along the Paseo del Prado — smaller and faster to see than the Prado, with a different historical range of Old Masters through modern painting.

Tickets: No mandatory reservation for general admission.

Duration: 1.5 - 2 h

Travel: 10 min walk from Retiro Park

Route Map — Day 1

📍 Pinned landmarks on map:

1. Museo del Prado 2. Parque del Retiro 3. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

• Visiting all three of the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza this trip? Paseo del Arte (€32.80) covers one visit to each and is cheaper than three separate standard tickets.
• The Prado is free daily 18:00-20:00 (Mon-Sat) and 17:00-19:00 (Sunday) if you'd rather shift this day later and skip the ticket cost — expect longer queues during the free window.

2

Day 2: Royal Madrid & Reina Sofía

Open in Google Maps

Morning (10:00 - 12:00)

Palacio Real de Madrid

Visit the Royal Palace (€18.00 standard adult) at opening — the largest single stop of the day, covering the state rooms and Throne Room.

Tickets: Advance online booking recommended.

Duration: 1.5 - 2 h

Midday (12:15 - 14:00)

Galería de las Colecciones Reales

Right next door: the Royal Collections Gallery (€14.00 standalone, or book the €24.00 combined ticket with the Palace in advance to save a separate purchase) — a fully separate, newer museum, not part of the Palace ticket.

Tickets: Not mandatory advance booking for an individual visit; the combined ticket must be booked in advance if you want it.

Duration: About 2 h

Travel: 2 min walk

Afternoon (15:30 - 17:30)

Museo Reina Sofía

Head south to the Reina Sofía (€12.00 standard adult) to see Picasso's Guernica — allow time for the metro/walk from the Palace area.

Tickets: Mandatory timed-entry ticket for all visitors.

Duration: 1.5 - 2 h

Travel: About 20 min by metro or a 30-40 min walk

Route Map — Day 2

📍 Pinned landmarks on map:

1. Palacio Real de Madrid 2. Galería de las Colecciones Reales 3. Museo Reina Sofía

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

• The Reina Sofía is closed all day every Tuesday — if this itinerary falls on a Tuesday, swap today's museum stop for something else and do Reina Sofía on a different day.
• Royal Palace access is free for EU/Ibero-American citizens and residents (self-guided, ID required): winter Mon-Thu 16:00-18:00, summer Mon-Thu 17:00-19:00.

3

Day 3: Bernabéu & Central Madrid

Open in Google Maps

Morning (10:00 - 12:00)

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

Start with the Tour Bernabéu — the Classic product starts from €37.00 with a guaranteed date and time; the Classic Flexible Time option (from €44.00) lets you show up anytime that day, but isn't valid on weekends, holidays or match days.

Tickets: Guaranteed-date-and-time booking required for the Classic, Classic + RM Games and Guided products.

Duration: 1.5 - 2 h

Midday (12:45 - 15:00)

Gran Vía

Take the metro south to Gran Vía for lunch and shopping along Madrid's main commercial boulevard.

Duration: 2 h

Travel: About 20 min by metro from the stadium

Evening (16:00 - 19:00)

Plaza Mayor

Finish on foot at Plaza Mayor and the surrounding Austrias old town for the evening — free to explore, with plenty of tapas bars nearby.

Duration: Open-ended

Travel: 10-15 min walk from Gran Vía

Route Map — Day 3

📍 Pinned landmarks on map:

1. Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 2. Gran Vía 3. Plaza Mayor

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

• Check match-day restrictions before booking Tour Bernabéu — on match days and the day before, dressing room and pitch-side access is closed and tours end 5.5 hours before kickoff.
• If a pass includes a Bernabéu inclusion, confirm which of the four official products it maps to (and whether it's actually operated by Real Madrid) before assuming it matches this itinerary's Classic tour.

Popular

By Country

All

Compare

Popular Passes

Popular

Museums

Guides

Methodology

1, 2 & 3 Day Madrid Itineraries

Day 1: The Art Triangle & Retiro Park

Museo del Prado

Parque del Retiro

Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

Day 2: Royal Madrid & Reina Sofía

Palacio Real de Madrid

Galería de las Colecciones Reales

Museo Reina Sofía

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

Day 3: Bernabéu & Central Madrid

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

Gran Vía

Plaza Mayor

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

Save Money with Madrid Passes