48-Hours in Madrid: A Full Itinerary

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The capital of Spain, Madrid, has so many wonderful things to offer. During your trip to Spain, you’ll likely want to explore a variety of different cities, so here is a 48-hour itinerary of Madrid to enjoy everything the city has to offer. From the Royal Palace to eating many Churros with Chocolate, Madrid has something for everyone. It is a large city with most of the tourist attractions within walking distance of each other.

Below, we will detail not only some of the best ways to get places (walking and the metro!) but also all the different places to check out, along with some good food pit stops along the way. From incredible breakfast options to midafternoon snacks to awesome dinner options, we will have the best itinerary for Madrid. Of course, you can customize according to the activities you prefer. Madrid is a great place for nearly every type of traveler (would not be my recommendation for outdoor adventure type of travel).

Check out all the things to do in Madrid here! So you can update your itinerary according to what you enjoy.

48 Hours in Madrid Itinerary

Kick off your whirlwind 48 hours in Madrid with a day packed full of local flavors, art, and monuments. We assume you arrived the day before and will, therefore, spend a full 48 hours in Madrid.

Day 1 – 48 Hours in Madrid

Breakfast- Casa Dani

Tucked inside Mercado de la Paz, Casa Dani is an incredibly popular place for locals and tourists alike. Their tortilla de papa (also known as “Spanish potato omelet) is incredible. It is golden and crispy on the outside while soft and gooey on the inside. The food is fast and good, the tables are turned over quickly so don’t worry if there’s a wait. They have other breakfast options as well, but I recommend going for the tortilla and coffee to start your day.

Golden French apple pie with flaky crust and warm, gooey filling, served on a white plate. Perfectly baked traditional French dessert with tender apples and sweet spices, ideal for cozy American-style dining.

Western Madrid- Palacio Real

From Casa Dani, we will take the train over to the Opera station and walk over to the Palacio Real. You want to be at the royal palace by 11 am if it’s a Saturday for the changing of the guards. There is plenty to see in this area while walking around. From the Palace grounds, Galerรญa de las Colecciones Reales, the Cathedral of Madrid, and the royal gardens.

Tuk Tuk Tour of Madrid

A fun way to see some of the sites before walking around is to go on a Tuk Tuk Tour of Madrid. We enjoyed doing a tuk tuk tour in Valencia, and it would have been great to do one in Madrid too. As the start of a 48-hours in Madrid you can see all the different sites then decide where you want to go afterwards.

From here we will meander our way towards Plaza Mayor and lunch. You can take the direct route down Calle Mayor, but we recommend meandering through the little side streets and heading over to the Plaza. Along the way, stroll by Monasterio del Corpus Christi for some famous cookies. The cloistered nuns at this convent make cookies for sale, you cannot see them, and can only talk to them through a dolly. They only take cash. It’s a fun detour. The plaza will likely be busy with lots of people and possibly a festival.

El Museo de Jamon, a place to eat during your 48 hours in Madrid.

Lunch

In this area, there are many great options for lunch! Below are some of our favorites:

  • Museo de Jamon- For great Jamon Iberico
  • Mercado de San Miguel- A great place to try a variety of different foods in a bustling food hall.
  • Txapela Montera- A local chain with delicious pinchos and tapas.

Puerta Del Sol

From Plaza Mayor, after lunch, you can head over to the Puerta Del Sol (which means “Door of the Sun” in Spanish). There is no door here, but there are many different small streets and shops to explore while you’re walking around. Then you can make your way to the Calle Gran Via, which is a popular street with lots of shops. This would be a good time to take a break for churros and chocolate before a flamenco show tonight and dinner.

The Symbol of Spain, A bear eating a strawberry tree. This is found in Puerta Del Sol.

I highly recommend going to San Gines Chocolate to get your chocolate and churros. It is very popular for a reason. These were the absolute best churros we had the entire trip. You can essentially go to any of the 5 store fronts, order churros with chocolate, then if you want to eat indoors, there will be a line you wait at, if you want to eat outside, you show your ticket to one of the outdoor attendants. They’ll seat you and bring on the deliciousness.

Flamenco Show

What would be a visit to Spain without a Flamenco Show? We love going to enjoy local dances and foods when we travel. In Argentina, we watched Tango, in Ireland, River dancing, and in Peru, a variety of different local dances. It’s truly such a unique way of experiencing culture and history. This is an amazing flamenco show to go see. If you rather have a show and dinner then you should check this one out.

Vibrant flamenco performance featuring a traditional dancer in a flowing dress with guitarists and singers in the background on stage.

PRO TIP: Make sure to book your flamenco show well in advance as they are very popular and fill up very quickly. We recommend at least 20-30 days before your trip!

Dinner

From flamenco (if you didn’t choose the show and dinner option), you’ll want to get some food. If you’re enjoying the different food markets, I recommend heading over to Mercado de San Ildefonso as a really cool food hall with cocktails, food from all over the world, and music. For a fancier dinner, we opted for Taberna La Indigna. It is a great little bistro with lots of fresh options, here we tried the pulpo! Plus, they bring you butter in a giant jug, so a win right there! Then you can go get more chocolate and churros or opt for ice cream like we did.

Day 2 – A Day in the Park

Breakfast

We are assuming this is a Sunday for you, so we are going to head to brunch! Mamรบa is a great brunch spot with a fixed-price menu, or you can choose anything else you’d like. If you want a good coffee spot with some food, you can hit up Cafe Del Art. It is centrally located in the market we will be exploring this Sunday Morning.

El Rastro Market

This market is only open on Sunday mornings. It is a flea market mixed with a little bit of everything market. It is a fun place to do some exploring and see what local artisans have. El Rastro is a very popular market, so keep an eye on your belongings due to any pickpockets. This is also where we saw the most cops. It was fun to explore different stands from clothes, sunglasses, antiques, and different art.

Colorful traditional French children's dresses hanging on a display rack in France.

Explore La Latina

From El Rastro we will walk around La Latina which is a neighborhood of Madrid. From the southern point of the Puerta de Toledo up to the colorful Calle de Cava Baja, this neighborhood has lots to offer. Here you can also walk over to the Basilica to Saint Francis the Great. After exploring around La Latina we will take the metro to lunch.

Lunch

For lunch we will got to Los Rotos to get the famous Huevos Rotos. This is a popular tapas bar near the park we will be going to next. If you want to get a cheaper lunch I’d recommend 100 Montaditos. This popular chain serves small sandwiches for 1 Euro on some days. That makes it a very inexpensive lunch option on Sunday.

El Retiro Park

El Retiro is an expansive, 19th-century park with a boating lake & rose garden, plus numerous fountains & statues. From lunch, you can walk through the beautiful botanical garden, the weekend book festival, and to the Park. It is a large park with lots to do. You’ll find many different street performers inside. There is also a lake where you can find a boat rental for a fun time on the water. You could also pick up sandwiches from 100 Montaditos and bring them to the park for a picnic.

The lake in El Retiro Park in Madrid

Dinner

From El Retiro, we will take a leisurely walk to either Jurucha Madrid, Rosi La Loca, or Matador for dinner. These are all very popular restaurants. Jurucha is small, so you might end up eating at the bar, squished inside. Rosi La Loca is set up like Alice in Wonderland. It has fun drinks and food with intense decorations. Finally, Matador is a traditional tapas tavern in Madrid. It is a true traditional Spanish Tavern.

Extra Time? Check Out These Fun Activities for Your 48 Hours in Madrid

Free Walking Tours

There are many free walking tours in Madrid. You’ll see many different walking tours throughout Madrid. They are a great way to enjoy Madrid during your 48 hours there. The tours are tip-based, so you’ll definitely want to ensure you have cash with you.

Bull Fight School Class

Las Ventas is the bullfighting ring in Madrid. Of course, if you are interested in seeing a bullfight, this is where you want to go. This class includes a private visit to the square and the museum. Additionally, there will be a demonstration consisting of simulating a bullfight by the students. It is similar to daily training to prepare for a fight. No worries, you won’t fight a real bull, but you will get to discover the different capes, banderillas, and crutch. This is a very unique class to take in Madrid.

Paella Cooking Class

Paella is a traditional food from Valencia, but that doesn’t mean you cannot learn how to cook this rice and seafood dish in Madrid. The Paella cooking class comes complete with wine pairings. Not only will you make your own paella, but you’ll also make a feast that includes Spanish cheese and charcuterie, traditional gazpacho, paella, churros with chocolate, and crema catalana. You’ll learn new skills, taste five different wines, and meet new people.

Churros con Chocolate a snack in Madrid.

Museo Del Prado

One of the world’s greatest art galleries, the Prado Museum has almost 3,000 works on display. Artists include Goya, Velรกzquez, Rubens, and Caravaggio. If you are an art lover, this is definitely a great place to stop. There is a guided tour which will introduce you to the different works in the museum. It’s amazing to see the iconic Spanish works.

Things to Know About Spending 48 Hours in Madrid

How To Get To Madrid?

  • If you are coming from outside Spain, you can fly into the International Airport in Madrid. It is a large airport with many different flights. There are plenty of flights from Madrid to the Spanish islands as well.
  • If you are coming to Madrid from inside Spain, you might want to take the train. From Barcelona and Valencia, there is a high-speed train. It is very fast and a very nice train. Keep in mind that express trains are not high-speed and can have many stops. Look for the Renfre Ave trains.

How To Get Around Madrid?

  • The Metro in Madrid is very robust and goes all the way to the airport. They have a tourist card that allows you to get several daily passes at the same time. Two things to keep in mind is that tourist card gets more expensive if you need to go to Zone B and the daily pass starts the day you purchase not the day you swipe first.
  • Madrid is very walkable especially in the central downtown/old town areas. If you are staying outside of this area or want to explore more then you might want a metro or uber/taxi. Even though we got the tourist metro pass we did a ton of walking.
  • I would not recommend renting a car because parking is a true nightmare. Ubers and taxis, however, are plentiful. They are a lot more inexpensive than in the US.
Bright red double-decker Madrid city tour bus with colorful cartoon artwork, tourists onboard, exploring city streets, during daytime, in Madrid, Spain.

Where To Stay In Madrid?

  • Vincci Centrum – This centrally located hotel is a great spot to all the main attractions in Madrid. It includes a little cafe and wifi.
  • Ocean Drive Madrid – This hotel is perfect for all summer travel, as it has a pool! It is centrally located in downtown Madrid but still far away from all the loud nightlife.
  • Double Tree Madrid – This hotel is a hidden gem slightly away from all the nightlife noise. It also has a little cafe for your breakfast. Breakfast is not included.

Wrap-Up: 48 Hours In Madrid

Madrid is a bustling city in the middle of Spain. There is plenty to do for a fun 48 hours. While Madrid is not as fun for tourists as Barcelona, it still has a lot to offer. From tours to plenty to eat, the Royal Palace, and many wonderful museums, Madrid truly has plenty for visitors to explore. This itinerary gives you many parts of the city to explore while still taking it easy. Enjoy your exploration of Madrid!