Things to do in Madrid – 9 Best places in Madrid you need to see

Are you looking for things to do in Madrid or some of the best places in Madrid? I chose some of the places or attractions that I loved in this beautiful city! On the top of the list is to visit Segovia and it’s for a good reason! It can be easily done in one day and it’s the absolute best thing I did on my trip. Another thing to do outside Madrid is to visit Toledo. It’s another day trip, so if you don’t have enough time for both of them, I recommend Segovia.

You can also travel on a budget to Madrid very easily. I wrote in this article (link) 20 tips to travel on a budget. I am a budget traveler, so this trip didn’t cost me very much. For further details about them and other things to do inside Madrid, let’s start:

Visit Segovia – accessible by train

See one of the best places in Spain, minutes away from Madrid

If you’re looking for things to do in Madrid, Segovia needs to be on your list! It’s my absolute favorite place from my trip to Madrid. A trip to Segovia is very cheap and fast. You can either choose to visit it by train or by bus. I recommend going early in the morning so you can visit everything in one day. Also, make sure you wear comfortable shoes and you have enough water because Segovia is full of hills.

Why is one of the best places in Spain?

You might wonder. It’s because of all the things you can see in such a small amount of time. There is no need to plan everything. That’s because you can see almost everything by just walking around the city. When I went there, in the middle of the day a heavy rain started. We and all the other travelers started hiding under big trees until the rain was over. After that, everything was so colorful! I was surprised to see how beautiful everything was. As in the photos from above, of the Aqueduct, that aren’t edited at all. I felt like everything in front of my eyes was Photoshopped.

Best things to do in Segovia?

If you want to plan a little bit ahead, I’ve prepared a nice list for you. Even though I recommend just walking around and seeing everything, it’s good to have a list too. Here we go:

1. The Aqueduct
2. Jewish Quarter
3. The Cathedral
4. Alcázar
5. Iglesia de la Vera Cruz
6. La Muralla
7. Iglesia de la San Martín

Circulo de Bellas Artes rooftop

Some of the best things to do in Madrid are the city viewpoints

When I visit a new city, I like searching for places with beautiful viewpoints. This is what I did in Madrid too, visiting the Circulo de Bellas Artes. The view of the city is very beautiful, as in the photos above. It was not very crowded either, so it was also relaxing. The price to access the rooftop bar is 5 euros, but I really think it’s worth it.

Other places in Madrid with beautiful views are:

1. Cerro del Tío Pío Park
2. Jardines de San Francisco el Grande
3. Faro de Moncloa
4. Temple of Debod
5. La Almudena Cathedral Museum

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

One of the best places in Madrid even for people that aren’t football fans

I’m starting by saying that it costs 25 euros and if you’re on a budget, you can cut it off the list. But if you’re not on a strict budget, it’s totally worth it! Even though I’m not a football fan, I enjoyed it a lot. You can view on this official page what 12 things are included in the tour. Lots of people visit it yearly and I think it’s a very unique experience. I was impressed to explore the history of Real Madrid, see their won cups and experience the stadium atmosphere right in the middle of it. Also, it was interesting visiting the pitch, the coaching area, and the dressing rooms.

Visit Toledo – accessible by train or bus

Explore one of the best places in Spain

You can easily reach Toledo by train, bus, or car. I chose to go by train because it seemed faster and easier. It took us around 20-30 minutes to arrive at the station. We were left on the station right next to what you can see in the two photos below. Though, we had to walk for around 40-50 minutes until we reached the center of the city. Of course, in all that time the photos and admiring are included. 😅

Why you should visit Toledo…

There are multiple reasons why you should visit Toledo.  One of them is for sure its unique style. Walking around the streets of Toledo can make you feel as if you were living in the Middle Ages. In the bottom left foto, you can see how medieval the landscape seems. The Alcázar of Toledo is visible from far away and to reach it you have to walk on very narrow streets uphill. As in the photo on the top left, you can observe that the walls and the narrow street made me look as if I was entering a medieval castle.

Is Toledo really one of the best places in Spain?

In my opinion, totally. Even though between Segovia and Toledo, I’d recommend more to visit Segovia, Toledo is the number two on the list.  Spain is full of everything: culture, history, beaches, mountains. If you’re passionate about culture and unique places, Toledo is for you.

Here are some things you could do if you visit Toledo:

1. Walking in the Old Town
2. The Alcázar
3. The Cathedral
4. La Muralla
5. The Cultural Centre
6. Parador del Conde Orgaz
7. The Jewish District
8. Museo de Santa Cruz
9. The Arabic Baths
10. Museo El Greco
11. Puente de Alcántara
12. Mosque of Cristo de la Luz

Visit famous museums

One of the best things to do in Madrid and also most known is exploring museums

Madrid is full of museums. If you’re passionate about history or arts, Madrid is the perfect place for you. 

Even if you’re not a big museums fan, you can still explore some of the most famous ones. For example, I’m not a big fan, but still, I enjoyed exploring them. I learned lots of new things about the city and in general, Spain. 

Here are museums you can visit in Madrid:

1. Museo Nacional Del Prado
2. National Archaeological Museum
3. American Museum
4. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
5. Naval Museum of Madrid
6. Sorolla Museum
7. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
8. Romanticism Museum
9. National Museum of Natural Sciences
10. CaixaForum Madrid

Walk around the city with nothing planned

I found some of the best places in Madrid by just randomly walking around

Even though I spent one day walking around Madrid with no scope, it was one of the best. Seems like I found some of the best places in Madrid without even having them on my list. For example, we stopped to buy an icecream and stay on a bench. This was at Jardines de San Francisco el Grande, where there were no tourists, just three local adolescents. After finishing the ice cream, we stand up and saw the beautiful view of the area. It was totally one of the best views in Madrid and also the garden was very beautiful. We visited it in springtime, so the flowers in the garden were at their best.

Another nice place we found by just walking around was the park close to the Royal Palace. I guess it’s called Parque de Atenas, because on the right side we could see the Cathedral. On the left side, we saw the Royal Palace. Inside the park, there were few people just walking by and relaxing. We spend around one hour in the park just walking and relaxing.

Temple of Debod and Campo del Moro gardens

The temple is one of the best places in Madrid especially for watching the sunset 

Above all, you have to add Temple of Debod on your list of things to do in Madrid. I totally recommend it, especially at sunset. A nice itinerary would be the Royal Palace, the Cathedral, Campo del Moro gardens, and then Temple of Debod for sunset. Admission to the temple is free, but be aware that it can be very crowded. It is one of the most visited attractions in Madrid because it’s also one of Spain’s most beautiful parks.

Visit Madrid’s best parks

Among them there are some with great views too

When I visit capitals, I usually expect lots of parks too. It’s good to escape from the city vibes to green places and taste a bit of the city’s nature.  Certainly, Madrid has lots of great parks to visit all around it. When you’re in the center of the city, you may think there are not many green spaces in Madrid. But, fortunately, outside the busy central area, there are many parks waiting for you to explore them and relax. I’ve put visiting parks among the best things to do in Madrid because it’s a big part of this city. Let’s see some of the best parks in Madrid:

1. Royal Botanical Gardens
2. Retiro Park
3. Campo del Moro
4. Casa de Campo
5. Parque del Oeste
6. Jardines de Sabatini
7. Parque de El Capricho
8. Jardines de las Vistillas
9. Parque Juan Carlos

Visit The Royal Palace of Madrid  and Almudena Cathedral

Visiting famous and historical places are on the list of best things to do in Madrid for most travelers

This one is for sure one of the most famous and best things to do in Madrid. As I said earlier in the article, you could put on the same day multiple attractions. The key would be to put the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral, the Campo del Moro, and the Temple of Debod on the same day. I did it and also visited the Jardines de San Francisco el Grande on the same day. It was a great day and a good tip from me is to leave the temple for sunset. Also, you can arrive there before sunset too to avoid crowds.

Final thoughts

There are many things to do inside Madrid but read about things to do outside the city too. Most of the time I find myself visiting incredibly beautiful places outside the cities I planned to visit. Another thing is not to forget about traditional food and drinks from Spain! Spanish has a very wide variety of incredible dishes you should try! For example paella, gazpacho, jamón, tortilla, churros. Let’s not forget about drinks and the delicious Sangria! Spain can also be explored easily on a budget. If you’re looking for other cheap countries to visit, I wrote an article here (link) about them. 🙂