Today, Madrid feels less like a museum and more like a living room where time slows down for long dinners and animated debates under the sun. It is a vibrant metropolis that balances historic gravity with modern energy, inviting you to wander its plazas without a strict itinerary, letting the warmth of its people guide your journey through centuries of layered history.
Do Madrid the way locals do: start slow at El Retiro Park, eat where the regulars do at Mercado de San Miguel, let the evening run long at Calle 365 Discoteca y cócteles Madrid.
Top things to do in Madrid
Ranked by rating and review volume. These earn their hype. Booking links may earn Roam a commission, at no cost to you.
1
El Retiro Park
Expansive, 19th-century park with boating lake & rose garden, plus numerous fountains & statues.
Check tours & tickets2
Plaza Mayor
Cafes & restaurants line the arches of this stately square with Philip III's statue in the center.
Check tours & tickets3
Museo Nacional del Prado
Art museum with Velazquez, Goya and El Greco masterpieces in vast 12th- to 19th-century collection.
Check tours & tickets4
Royal Palace of Madrid
18th-century, ridge-top palace for state occasions, plus tours with rooms full of art and antiques.
Check tours & tickets5
Mercado de San Miguel
Circa-1916 covered market offering local food, delicacies & events in an elegant ambiance.
Check tours & tickets6
Puerta de Alcalá
Triumphal arch near to Parque del Buen Retiro & rich with stone carvings & elegant sculptures.
Check tours & tickets7
Cibeles Fountain
18th century neoclassical fountain depicting the goddess Cybele on a chariot pulled by 2 lions.
Check tours & tickets8
Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
Museum housing collection of 13th-20th-century European masterpieces, from Renaissance to Pop Art.
Check tours & tickets9
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Sprawling museum for Spanish 20th-century art collection with works by Gris, Dali, Picasso & Miro.
Check tours & tickets10
Casa de Campo
Expansive park & former royal hunting ground, with small hills, streams & a boating lake.
Check tours & ticketsWhere to eat
Local favorites, not tourist traps.
11
Mercado de San Miguel
Circa-1916 covered market offering local food, delicacies & events in an elegant ambiance.
Website12
Tapa Tapa Montera
Website13
14
Rosi La Loca
Maximalist, multicolored venue serving cocktails & tapas, plus Spanish dishes like paellas.
Website15
Inclán Brutal Bar Spanish Grill & Cocktails Restaurante
Contemporary restaurant & bar serving grilled meats, rice dishes & tapas, plus signature cocktails.
Website16
Los Montes de Galicia
Upscale, innovative Galician-based cuisine in an elegant space with design motifs from the region.
Website17
Restaurant La Campana
No-frills urban tavern known for fried calamari sandwiches, plus classic tapas dishes & sangria.
Website18
Asado Central
Hungry for more? Book a food tour or tasting in Madrid
Advertisement
Tours worth booking ahead
These sell out, so lock them in early.
19
Civitatis Tours & Tickets
Check tours & tickets20
Trip Tours Madrid
Check tours & tickets21
Free Walking Tours Madrid
Meeting point for daily complimentary city tours on foot taking 2.5-hours in English & Spanish.
Check tours & tickets22
MADride Travel
Check tours & tickets23
Free Tour Madrid
Check tours & tickets24
Tours Tilla Madrid S.L.
Check tours & ticketsGet outside
25
El Retiro Park
Expansive, 19th-century park with boating lake & rose garden, plus numerous fountains & statues.
Website26
Casa de Campo
Expansive park & former royal hunting ground, with small hills, streams & a boating lake.
Website27
Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park
Granite rock formations & pine forests inhabited by Iberian ibex & wild boar, plus birds of prey.
Website28
Valdebernardo Forest Park | North Zone
Website29
Madrid Río Park
After dark
30
Calle 365 Discoteca y cócteles Madrid
Stylish nightspot with a bohemian ambiance producing imaginative cocktails & tacos.
Website31
Salmon Guru - A CONTRACORRIENTE
Adventurous international dishes are served alongside funky cocktails at this dark, retro-style bar.
Website32
Areia Club
Easygoing, bohemian hangout specializing in creative cocktails, plus local & international eats.
Website33
The Room Madrid
Everything above is live data. Real ratings, opening hours, and photos, not AI guesswork. The planner turns it into your day, hour by hour.
The whole guide on one map
Every numbered pick above, pinned. Tap to pan, zoom, and plot your day.
SightsFoodToursOutdoorsAfter dark
Tips from travelers
No tips yet. Been to Madrid? Yours goes first.
Roam planner Turn this into your personalized Madrid itinerary Build my Madrid dayMore guides
Some links may earn Roam a commission, at no cost to you.