A 4-Day Madrid Plan: World-Class Art, Late-Night Tapas, and a Day Trip to Toledo

Start at Sol, walk through the pedestrian streets to Plaza Mayor. The square itself is for photos and coffee, not food. The restaurants under the arcades are tourist traps.

The covered market next to Plaza Mayor is upscale and somewhat touristy, but the individual stands are good for sampling Iberian ham, vermouth, and croquetas without committing to a sit-down meal. Go before noon to avoid the worst crowds.

Book tickets online to skip the line. The changing of the guard happens on the first Wednesday of each month at noon, but the daily reduced ceremony at the gate is every Wednesday and Saturday at 11 AM. The Sabatini Gardens behind the palace are free and worth a walk.

Right next to the Royal Palace. The exterior is more impressive than the interior, which is surprisingly modern for a cathedral that looks medieval from outside. Worth a quick look but not a long visit.

Walk south from the palace area into La Latina. Calle Cava Baja is lined with tapas bars for several blocks. Start around 9 PM when kitchens open and locals arrive. Order two to three small plates and a drink at each stop, then move to the next bar. Casa Lucas, Txirimiri, and El Tempranillo are reliable choices without a long wait.

The Prado is enormous. Do not try to see everything. Focus on the Spanish masters: Velazquez (Las Meninas, the single most important painting in the building), Goya (both his bright tapestry cartoons and his disturbing Black Paintings), and El Greco. Pick up the free museum map and plan your route before entering. Morning is less crowded than afternoon.

Walk a few blocks away from the museum for better value. The streets around Calle de las Huertas (the old literary quarter) have neighborhood restaurants offering three-course menu del dia lunches from 12 to 16 euros including a drink. Much better value than anything on the museum strip.

Enter from the Prado side and walk to the Estanque Grande (main lake) for rowboats. The Palacio de Cristal is a stunning glass pavilion that hosts rotating art exhibitions for free. The Rosaleda (rose garden) peaks in May and June. The park is 125 hectares so do not try to see it all.

The Huertas/Barrio de las Letras neighborhood is the old literary quarter where Cervantes and Lope de Vega lived. It now has one of the highest concentrations of bars in the city. Try vermouth on tap (vermut de grifo) at a traditional bar. La Venencia on Calle de Echegaray is a legendary sherry bar with no photos allowed, sawdust on the floor, and prices from another decade.

Come for Guernica, Picasso's massive anti-war painting. It is in room 206 on the second floor and it will stop you in your tracks regardless of how many times you have seen it reproduced. The surrounding rooms trace Spanish art from the Civil War era through Dali and Miro. Allow at least 2 hours even if modern art is not your thing.

If you are an art person, this third museum completes the Art Triangle. Its strength is filling the gaps the Prado and Reina Sofia leave: Impressionists, Dutch masters, American pop art, and early Italian Renaissance. If you are not an art person, skip it and use the time in neighborhoods instead.

Take the Metro to Tribunal and walk into Malasana, the neighborhood that powered Madrid's cultural explosion after Franco's death in the late 1970s. Plaza del Dos de Mayo is the center of gravity. The streets around it are full of vintage clothing shops, record stores, independent bookshops, and bars that serve canas (small beers) for 2 euros. This is where young Madrid hangs out.

Walk from Malasana into adjacent Chueca, Madrid's LGBTQ+ neighborhood and one of the best areas for restaurants. Mercado de San Anton has a rooftop terrace with views. The streets around Plaza de Chueca are packed with options ranging from modern Spanish to Asian fusion. Reservations recommended on weekends.

Take the AVE from Atocha station (33 minutes, book on Renfe.com in advance for the best price). Toledo is a UNESCO World Heritage walled city on a hill above the Tagus River. Walk the old town, see the Toledo Cathedral (11 euros), visit the Alcazar, and eat carcamusas (a local pork and pea stew). Return by late afternoon. Alternatively, Segovia (28 minutes by AVE from Chamartin station) has the Roman aqueduct and a fairy-tale castle.

If you skip the day trip, start with this 2,200-year-old Egyptian temple that was gifted to Spain in 1968. It sits in Parque del Oeste with sunset views over the Casa de Campo. Come 30 minutes before sunset for the best light.

If your day 4 falls on a Sunday, do not miss El Rastro. It stretches along Calle de la Ribera de Curtidores from La Latina to Embajadores. Thousands of stalls sell everything from antiques to leather goods to junk. Go before 11 AM for breathing room. Watch your pockets.

Madrid's rooftop bar scene is one of the best in Europe. Circulo de Bellas Artes (4 euro terrace entry) has panoramic views of Gran Via and the Madrid skyline. Alternatively, the rooftop at the Riu Plaza de Espana hotel is free to enter and has a glass-floor walkway. Go 30 minutes before sunset.