Weekend in Madrid: 2-day itinerary with walking times

Spending 2 days in Madrid? This plan fits 12 sights into 2 relaxed days, ordered so you walk as little as possible. Highlights include Puerta del Sol (Kilometre Zero, Bear and Strawberry Tree), Chocolatería San Ginés (chocolate con churros) and Plaza Mayor. Every stop lists opening hours, prices, the walk to the next one and good places to eat nearby.

Last updated: 20 October 2026

Open this plan in the planner → Reorder, add or remove stops, and print your own version.

Day 1 Sol & Gran Vía · Austrias & Royal Palace

Photo: Matt Joseph · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia
Puerta del Sol (Kilometre Zero, Bear and Strawberry Tree)

Square & street · Sol & Gran Vía · 20 min

Madrid's central square, with Kilometre Zero, the Bear and Strawberry Tree statue and the Casa de Correos clock.

Opening hours: Always open
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Museo del Jamón (Carrera de San Jerónimo) (Tapas & bars · € · Sol & Gran Vía) · 🚶 3 min walk
Lhardy (Traditional Madrid · €€€ · Sol & Gran Vía) · 🚶 3 min walk
🚶 0.5 km · 7 min walk → Chocolatería San Ginés (chocolate con churros)
Photo: Tamorlan · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia
Chocolatería San Ginés (chocolate con churros)

Food & drink · Sol & Gran Vía · 30 min

Madrid's classic churros with thick hot chocolate since 1894, in a narrow passage near Puerta del Sol.

Opening hours: Always open, daily
Price: undefined

Eat nearby: Casa Puerto Rico (Traditional Madrid · € · Sol & Gran Vía) · 🚶 3 min walk
Bar Postas (Traditional Madrid · € · Sol & Gran Vía) · 🚶 3 min walk
🚶 0.3 km · 3 min walk → Plaza Mayor
Photo: Jorge Franganillo · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia
Plaza Mayor

Square & street · Austrias & Royal Palace · 25 min

The 17th-century arcaded square of the Habsburg city, with the Casa de la Panadería frescoes and the King Philip III statue.

Opening hours: Always open
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Bar La Campana (Traditional Madrid · € · Austrias & Royal Palace) · 🚶 2 min walk
Los Galayos (Traditional Madrid · €€ · Austrias & Royal Palace) · 🚶 2 min walk
🚶 0.2 km · 3 min walk → Mercado de San Miguel
Photo: Fernando · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia
Mercado de San Miguel

Shopping & markets · Austrias & Royal Palace · 45 min

A cast-iron 1916 market hall turned gourmet tapas market, with stalls of ham, oysters, pintxos and wine.

Opening hours: Sun–Thu 10:00–24:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–01:00
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Mesón del Champiñón (Tapas & bars · € · Austrias & Royal Palace) · 🚶 1 min walk
Sobrino de Botín (Traditional Madrid · €€€ · Austrias & Royal Palace) · 🚶 2 min walk
🚶 0.8 km · 10 min walk → Royal Palace (Palacio Real)
Photo: Tim Adams · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia
Royal Palace (Palacio Real)

Palace & church · Austrias & Royal Palace · 90 min

Europe's largest working royal palace, with 2,000 rooms, the Throne Room, Royal Armoury and Royal Pharmacy.

Opening hours: Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00, Sun 10:00–16:00 (Oct–Mar); Apr–Sep Mon–Sat until 19:00
Price: €18

Eat nearby: Café de Oriente (Café · €€€ · Austrias & Royal Palace) · 🚶 5 min walk
Casa Ciriaco (Traditional Madrid · €€ · Austrias & Royal Palace) · 🚶 6 min walk
🚶 0.4 km · 5 min walk → Almudena Cathedral
Lunch suggestion Café de Oriente (Café · €€€ · Austrias & Royal Palace)
near Royal Palace (Palacio Real) · 🚶 0.4 km · 5 min walk
Photo: Fernando · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia
Almudena Cathedral

Palace & church · Austrias & Royal Palace · 40 min

Madrid's neo-Gothic cathedral facing the Royal Palace, with a colourful modern interior and a dome terrace.

Opening hours: Daily 10:00–20:30 (Sep–Jun); museum and dome Mon–Sat 10:00–14:30
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Casa Ciriaco (Traditional Madrid · €€ · Austrias & Royal Palace) · 🚶 4 min walk
Café de Oriente (Café · €€€ · Austrias & Royal Palace) · 🚶 6 min walk
Dinner suggestion Casa Ciriaco (Traditional Madrid · €€ · Austrias & Royal Palace)
near Almudena Cathedral · 🚶 0.3 km · 4 min walk

Day 2 Huertas & Paseo del Arte · Retiro & Salamanca

Photo: Jorge Láscar · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia
Barrio de las Letras (Huertas)

Square & street · Huertas & Paseo del Arte · 60 min

The old literary quarter where Cervantes and Lope de Vega lived, with quotes set in the pavement and lively tapas bars.

Opening hours: Always open
Price: Free

Eat nearby: La Casa del Abuelo (Tapas & bars · €€ · Huertas & Paseo del Arte) · 🚶 2 min walk
Las Bravas (Tapas & bars · € · Sol & Gran Vía) · 🚶 3 min walk
🚶 1.0 km · 13 min walk → Prado Museum
Photo: Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia
Prado Museum

Museum · Huertas & Paseo del Arte · 150 min

Spain's national art museum, with Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings and Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights.

Opening hours: Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun and holidays 10:00–19:00; free Mon–Sat 18:00–20:00, Sun 17:00–19:00
Price: €15

Eat nearby: Taberna Los Gatos (Tapas & bars · € · Huertas & Paseo del Arte) · 🚶 6 min walk
Taberna de la Dolores (Tapas & bars · € · Huertas & Paseo del Arte) · 🚶 6 min walk
🚶 0.5 km · 6 min walk → Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Photo: Kyle Magnuson from Los Angeles, United States · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Museum · Huertas & Paseo del Arte · 100 min

A private collection from Italian primitives to Pop Art, filling the gaps left by the Prado and the Reina Sofía.

Opening hours: Tue–Fri and Sun 10:00–19:00, Sat 10:00–23:00; Mon 12:00–16:00 (free)
Price: €14

Eat nearby: Cervecería Cervantes (Tapas & bars · € · Huertas & Paseo del Arte) · 🚶 5 min walk
Taberna de la Dolores (Tapas & bars · € · Huertas & Paseo del Arte) · 🚶 5 min walk
🚶 0.5 km · 7 min walk → Plaza de Cibeles & CentroCentro (Palacio de Cibeles)
Lunch suggestion Cervecería Cervantes (Tapas & bars · € · Huertas & Paseo del Arte)
near Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum · 🚶 0.4 km · 5 min walk
Photo: Miguel Diaz from Boadilla del Monte, España-Spain · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia
Plaza de Cibeles & CentroCentro (Palacio de Cibeles)

Square & street · Huertas & Paseo del Arte · 30 min

Madrid's emblematic fountain square, facing the Palacio de Cibeles with its rooftop viewpoint over the city.

Opening hours: Square always open; CentroCentro viewpoint Tue–Sun
Price: Free

Eat nearby: La Carmencita (Traditional Madrid · €€ · Malasaña & Chueca) · 🚶 9 min walk
La Barraca (Regional Spanish · €€ · Malasaña & Chueca) · 🚶 10 min walk
🚶 0.4 km · 6 min walk → Puerta de Alcalá
Photo: Fernando Pascullo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia
Puerta de Alcalá

Landmark · Retiro & Salamanca · 10 min

The 18th-century neoclassical triumphal gate on Plaza de la Independencia, next to the Retiro Park entrance.

Opening hours: Always open (exterior)
Price: Free

Eat nearby: La Giralda IV (Regional Spanish · €€ · Retiro & Salamanca) · 🚶 7 min walk
La Carmencita (Traditional Madrid · €€ · Malasaña & Chueca) · 🚶 12 min walk
🚶 1.0 km · 12 min walk → Retiro Park (lake, Crystal Palace)
Photo: Max Alexander / PromoMadrid · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia
Retiro Park (lake, Crystal Palace)

Park & garden · Retiro & Salamanca · 90 min

The great city park, with a rowing lake, the glass Crystal Palace, rose garden and shaded promenades.

Opening hours: Daily 06:00–22:00 (Oct–Mar)
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Arzábal Retiro (Modern Spanish · €€€ · Retiro & Salamanca) · 🚶 11 min walk
La Catapa (Tapas & bars · €€€ · Retiro & Salamanca) · 🚶 12 min walk
Dinner suggestion Arzábal Retiro (Modern Spanish · €€€ · Retiro & Salamanca)
near Retiro Park (lake, Crystal Palace) · 🚶 0.9 km · 11 min walk

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