Madrid in 3 days, on foot

This 3-day self-guided walking plan for Madrid covers 45 narrated sights in an easy day-by-day order. Each day is split into a morning and an afternoon loop, and every stop has a two to three minute audio story in the Gingerguide app.

You set the pace: this is a suggested order, not a schedule. Walk it in 3 days, or stretch it out. Reorder freely; Madrid rewards a detour.

The Madrid route at a glance

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445Day 1Day 2Day 31 km
Stops in route order, one colour per day. A diagram of shape and distance, not a street map; the app has the live map.

Day 1

Day 1 covers 15 stops over about 28 km as the crow flies, from Madrid Río to Plaza Mayor. ≈ 28 km between stops, straight line

Morning

  1. Madrid Río: A spectacular 6-kilometre riverside park created by burying the M-30 ring road in 2011, transforming the banks of the Manzanares into Madrid's most modern green space, with cycle paths, beaches, and the Puente de Toledo. 2.6 km to the next stop
  2. Casa de Campo: Madrid's vast urban forest and former royal hunting ground, over 1,700 hectares of woodland, a large lake, an amusement park, and a zoo on the western edge of the city. 10 km to the next stop
  3. Palacio de El Pardo: A former royal hunting palace 14km northwest of Madrid, used as Franco's personal residence for 35 years and now housing Spain's finest collection of 17th-century tapestries. 11 km to the next stop
  4. Templo de Debod: A genuine ancient Egyptian temple from the 2nd century BC, gifted to Spain by Egypt in 1968 and reassembled in a Madrid park, offering remarkable sunset views over the Casa de Campo. 0.7 km to the next stop
  5. Jardines de Sabatini: Elegant formal French gardens behind the Royal Palace, designed in the 1930s on the site of the old royal stables, offering fine views of the palace's impressive western façade. 0.1 km to the next stop
  6. Royal Palace of Madrid: The largest royal palace in Western Europe with 3,418 rooms, official residence of Spain's monarchy used for state ceremonies, housing treasures by Caravaggio, Velázquez, and Stradivarius. 0 km to the next stop
  7. Royal Armoury (Armería Real): One of the finest collections of European armour in the world, housed within the Royal Palace complex, featuring battle suits of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and King Philip II. 0.5 km to the next stop
  8. Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales: A hidden 16th-century royal convent in the heart of Madrid, still inhabited by Franciscan nuns, containing one of the richest collections of religious art in Spain. 0.6 km to the next stop

Afternoon

  1. Plaza de España: A grand early 20th-century square at the western end of Gran Vía, dominated by a monument to Cervantes and the dramatic 1950s Edificio España skyscraper, now a restored luxury hotel. 0.7 km to the next stop
  2. Malasaña: The Barrio of La Movida: Madrid's historic counterculture neighbourhood, birthplace of La Movida Madrileña, the explosive creative and social liberation movement of the 1980s, now a lively mix of indie bars, vintage shops, and street art. 0.1 km to the next stop
  3. Museum of the History of Madrid: A charming baroque former hospice housing a fascinating collection tracing Madrid's history through maps, prints, paintings, and an extraordinary 1830 scale model of the entire city. 0.7 km to the next stop
  4. Chueca: Madrid's vibrant LGBTQ+ neighbourhood, transformed from neglected slum to one of Europe's most fashionable and welcoming districts, home to the massive annual Pride festival. 0.7 km to the next stop
  5. Gran Vía: Madrid's most celebrated boulevard, opened in 1910, lined with Art Nouveau and Art Deco masterpieces including the Edificio Metrópolis, the Edificio Telefónica, and classic cinemas, often called 'Madrid's Broadway'. 0.4 km to the next stop
  6. Puerta del Sol: Madrid's bustling central square, kilometre zero of Spain's radial road network, home to the famous Bear and Strawberry Tree statue, and the place where all Spain eats 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve. 0.3 km to the next stop
  7. Plaza Mayor: Madrid's magnificent 17th-century arcaded square, once the scene of royal proclamations, Inquisition trials, and bullfights, today a beloved gathering place anchored by the equestrian statue of King Philip III.

Day 2

Day 2 covers 15 stops over about 4.8 km as the crow flies, from Mercado de San Miguel to Cibeles Fountain. ≈ 4.8 km between stops, straight line

Morning

  1. Mercado de San Miguel: A stunning early 20th-century iron and glass market hall adjacent to Plaza Mayor, transformed into Madrid's finest gourmet food market with tapas, jamón, seafood, and wines from across Spain. 0.5 km to the next stop
  2. Almudena Cathedral: Madrid's most recent cathedral, neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque, completed in 1993 after over 100 years of construction, famous for the 2004 royal wedding of Prince Felipe and Letizia, and facing the Royal Palace across its dramatic square. 0.6 km to the next stop
  3. Basílica de San Francisco el Grande: Home to the largest church dome in Spain, a neoclassical royal basilica housing an early Goya painting, and a collection of 17th-century choir stalls from the Monastery of El Paular. 0.3 km to the next stop
  4. La Latina Neighbourhood: Madrid's most atmospheric medieval neighbourhood with a labyrinth of tapas bars, ancient streets, and the best Sunday scene in the city after El Rastro market. 0.2 km to the next stop
  5. El Rastro Market: Madrid's legendary Sunday flea market, a centuries-old tradition in the La Latina neighbourhood, with over 1,000 stalls selling antiques, vintage clothing, bric-a-brac, and everything imaginable. 0.6 km to the next stop
  6. Lavapiés: Madrid's most multicultural and bohemian neighbourhood, a vibrant district of immigrant communities, street art, neighbourhood bars, the Reina Sofía Museum, and the landmark Teatro Valle-Inclán. 0.5 km to the next stop
  7. Reina Sofía Museum: Spain's national museum of modern art, home to Picasso's Guernica, Dalí, and Miró, housed in a converted 18th-century hospital with a striking modern extension by Jean Nouvel. 0.1 km to the next stop
  8. CaixaForum Madrid: A striking cultural centre on the Paseo del Prado, housed in a former power station transformed by Herzog & de Meuron, famous for its gravity-defying 'floating' brick facade and a spectacular vertical garden. 0.4 km to the next stop

Afternoon

  1. Royal Botanical Garden: An 18th-century royal scientific garden adjacent to the Prado with 5,000 plant species, ornamental fountains, and a peaceful green oasis in the heart of central Madrid. 0.3 km to the next stop
  2. Prado Museum: Spain's national art museum and one of the world's greatest, home to Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings, and masterpieces by El Greco, Bosch, and Titian. 0.4 km to the next stop
  3. Barrio de las Letras: Madrid's historic literary quarter where Cervantes, Lope de Vega, and Quevedo once lived, now a charming neighbourhood with cobblestone streets bearing literary quotations and excellent restaurants. 0.3 km to the next stop
  4. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum: The third pillar of Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art, housing one of the greatest private art collections ever assembled, from medieval European masters to 20th-century American pop art, all in chronological sequence. 0.2 km to the next stop
  5. Paseo del Prado & Art Triangle: Madrid's grand museum boulevard, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape (2021) connecting the Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen museums, lined with fountains, gardens, and Belle Époque buildings. 0.4 km to the next stop
  6. Casa de América (Palacio de Linares): A lavishly decorated 19th-century palace at the Cibeles intersection, allegedly haunted by the ghost of the first Marchioness of Linares, now housing Casa de América, a cultural centre for Latin American art and events. 0.1 km to the next stop
  7. Cibeles Fountain: Madrid's most iconic fountain (1782), the goddess Cybele on her chariot pulled by lions, surrounded by the grand Palacio de Comunicaciones and flanked by majestic Belle Époque buildings at the city's most ceremonial intersection.

Day 3

Day 3 covers 15 stops over about 227 km as the crow flies, from Cibeles Palace (Palacio de Comunicaciones) to Segovia: Roman Aqueduct & Alcázar. ≈ 227 km between stops, straight line

Morning

  1. Cibeles Palace (Palacio de Comunicaciones): Madrid's magnificent 1919 neo-Plateresque former post office, nicknamed the "cathedral of communications," now serving as Madrid City Hall with a spectacular rooftop viewpoint. 1.5 km to the next stop
  2. Sorolla Museum: The former home and studio of the great Valencian Impressionist painter Joaquín Sorolla, now a charming museum showcasing his luminous Mediterranean beach scenes and stunning private garden. 2.2 km to the next stop
  3. Santiago Bernabéu Stadium: The legendary home of Real Madrid CF, one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world, having undergone a spectacular €1 billion renovation completed in 2023 that added a retractable roof and LED facade. 2 km to the next stop
  4. Lázaro Galdiano Museum: A remarkable private collection of over 13,000 art objects housed in a stunning early-20th-century palace, featuring works by Goya, Velázquez, El Greco, Bosch, and Constable. 1 km to the next stop
  5. Salamanca District: Madrid's most elegant and affluent neighbourhood, a 19th-century grid of wide boulevards home to luxury fashion on Serrano Street, embassies, the Thyssen and Sorolla museums, and Madrid's finest restaurants. 0.6 km to the next stop
  6. National Archaeological Museum: Spain's most important archaeological collection, including the iconic Lady of Elche, Iberian treasures, Roman Spain, and the magnificent Visigothic Guarrazar treasure crowns. 0.2 km to the next stop
  7. Puerta de Alcalá: An iconic 18th-century neoclassical triumphal arch with five arches at the entrance to Madrid, one of the five original gates of the old city wall and now the symbol of the Spanish capital. 0.6 km to the next stop
  8. Retiro Park: Madrid's beloved 125-hectare central park, featuring a rowing lake, the Crystal Palace, the Monument to Alfonso XII, and the world's only public statue of the Devil, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021. 0.1 km to the next stop

Afternoon

  1. Crystal Palace (Palacio de Cristal): A breathtaking 1887 structure of iron and glass in Retiro Park, inspired by London's Crystal Palace, originally built for a Philippine colonial exhibition and now a contemporary art venue for the Reina Sofía Museum. 0.3 km to the next stop
  2. Retiro Rose Garden (La Rosaleda): The magnificent rose garden within Retiro Park, featuring over 4,000 rose specimens in a formally designed garden, at its glorious peak in May and June when the air is heavy with fragrance. 37 km to the next stop
  3. Chinchón: Circular Plaza Mayor: A perfectly preserved medieval village 45km southeast of Madrid, famous for its unique circular Plaza Mayor used for bullfights and its local anise liqueur production. 19 km to the next stop
  4. Aranjuez Royal Palace & Gardens: A UNESCO Cultural Landscape 47km south of Madrid: a Bourbon royal palace with extraordinary formal gardens along the Tagus, the inspiration for Rodrigo's famous Concierto de Aranjuez. 41 km to the next stop
  5. Toledo: City of Three Cultures: Spain's finest day trip from Madrid: a UNESCO World Heritage medieval city where Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures peacefully coexisted, famous for El Greco's paintings and its Gothic cathedral. 82 km to the next stop
  6. El Escorial: Philip II's extraordinary 16th-century royal monastery-palace-tomb in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, one of the world's greatest Renaissance buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 40 km to the next stop
  7. Segovia: Roman Aqueduct & Alcázar: A UNESCO World Heritage city 90km north of Madrid: an extraordinary Roman aqueduct still in near-perfect condition, a fairy-tale Alcázar castle that inspired Disney, and Castilian suckling pig roasted to perfection.

Distances are straight-line between stops; streets add a little.

Where the route eats

Food and market stops on the Madrid tour, each with its own story in the app:

  • Mercado de San Miguel: A stunning early 20th-century iron and glass market hall adjacent to Plaza Mayor, transformed into Madrid's finest gourmet food market with tapas, jamón, seafood, and wines from across Spain.
  • El Rastro Market: Madrid's legendary Sunday flea market, a centuries-old tradition in the La Latina neighbourhood, with over 1,000 stalls selling antiques, vintage clothing, bric-a-brac, and everything imaginable.

Getting around Madrid

Metro de Madrid runs the metro and EMT the city buses, with fares coordinated by the regional transport consortium; Cercanías commuter trains also call at central stations.

Tickets: A single metro ticket costs 1.50 to 2.00 EUR by distance, a 10-trip Metrobús 7.30 EUR, the reusable Multi card 2.50 EUR, and the zone A Tourist Travel Pass 10.30 EUR for one day up to 43.20 EUR for seven.

From the airport: Metro line 8 runs from Nuevos Ministerios to the airport, about 12 minutes to T1-T3 and 20 to T4, with a 3 EUR airport supplement; the Airport Express bus runs to the centre around the clock in about 40 minutes for 5 EUR.

On foot: The official tourism site publishes walking routes through the compact historic centre, such as the Madrid de los Austrias.

Sources for the practical notes

Make it easy on your feet

Turn the radar on in the app and keep your phone in your pocket; it taps you on the shoulder when a Madrid story is close, so you never miss a stop.

Updated:

Full Madrid guide and all stops → · Other itineraries: 2 days

Walk Madrid with the stories on

Preview all 45 Madrid stops free in the Gingerguide app.

App Store Google Play