What to see in Madrid in 2 days

Madrid is a stunning city, filled with great architecture, rich in traditions and delicious food. I’m sure 2 days ain’t enough for nobody; however, we couldn’t stay longer so this is what we saw, where we went and what we did. Are you ready? Let’s go!

One of the things I love about Madrid is how easy it is to walk and move around using public transportation. Since most of the attractions we had on our itinerary were in the centre, we were walking most of the time.

For a 2 days trip, I would recommend you to visit the same areas and attractions we did. You would have enough time to take tons of photos and, to be honest, would have also free time to visit other places that we decided not to (like the Bernabeu Stadium or some theatres and museums like El Prado or the Thysen).

What to see in Madrid in 2 days? 1st day

• Puerta de Alcala: It is regarded as the first modern post-Roman triumphal arch built in Europe, older than the similar monuments Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. One of its unknown secrets is that it si not symetric, both faces on each side are different. They say that the kind approved two sketches without realizing it. Sabatini, the artist, for not making the monarch look bad, chose to merge both projects into one, hence the Puerta de Alcala has two different faces.

• Palacio Cibeles: it is a complex of 2 buildings with white facades located in the historical center of Madrid. Also known to all football fans since it is here where Real Madrid celebrates all their triumphs and trophies, jumping into the fountain of the Goddes Cibeles, standing in front of the palace.

• Puerta del Sol: in English “Gate of the Sun”, is one of the busiest and most iconic places in Madrid. Famous for being the KM0 of all the roads in the country and the place where all the Spaniards gather to celebrate New Year’s eve and eat the 12 grapes of luck.

• Plaza Mayor: first built in the 16th century, it stands right besides the Puerta del Sol. Used as a food market at the begining, it also held bulls fights, public executions, “auto-da-fe” (where those condemned by the inquisition repenten of their sins) and other activities. Nowadays, it is one of the main touristic attractions of the Spanish capital.

• Templo de Debod: an ancient Egyptian temple dismantled and rebuilt in Madrid, yes, as bizarre as it sounds there is a fricking Egyptian temple in Madrid! Originally located 15km from Aswan it was later relocated in 1960 to Madrid, as a sign of gratitude by the Egyptian government for the help provided by Spain in saving the Abu Simbel temples.

• Edificio Círculo de Bellas Artes: the building itself doesn’t have much; however the view from the top of it is one of the most iconic pictures. For few Euros you can take the lift and enjoy the view of the city centre. In addition, there is a small cafe/bar so you can order some drinks or nibbles if you fancy.

What to see in Madrid in 2 days? 2nd day

• Parque del Retiro: With more than 125 hectares and 15,000 trees, you would have enough space to find the perfect spot to take photos. I would recommend you renting a boat in the late because it only costs 6 euros for a 45 minutes ride. Trust me, those would be the best 6 euros invested in your life haha. But get there early, around 10AM so you can get into the boat with not many people around and skip the queue.

• Palacio de Cristal: Inside “El Retiro”, there is also the “Palacio de Cristal” (Glass Palace), a glass and iron structure built in 1887 due to the Flora Expo of the Philippine Islands. Designed by Ricardo Velazquez Bosco, was inspired by in the Crystal Palace by Paxton and was meant to be a giant greenhouse to house tropical plants. Currently, it is an exhibition hall with samples and facilities of the Reina Sofía Museum.

• Palacio Real: tho Buckingham or Élysée palaces may be more famous, the Royal Palace of Madrid is by far the largest functioning royal palace in Europe and the largest by floor size. In the past, it was the official home for the Spanish Royal Family; however nowadays is used for state ceremonies. It is open for public and tickets start from 17EUR.

• Almudena Cathedral: in 1561 it was decided that the capital of Spain will move from Toledo to Madrid (due to its strategic center location). At that moment there wasn’t any cathedral in Madrid, so plans for building one started as early as the 16th century. However, it wasn’t till 1879 when it was decided to start building the Almudena Cathedral due to monetary difficulties. Dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena it was finalised and consecrated in the 15th of June of 1993. It was also the place where the current king of Spain Felipe got married back in 2004.

• Mercado de San Miguel: a “must visit” for any foodie. The San Miguel Market is a monument to Spanish cuisine located in the heart of Madrid, meters away from Plaza Mayor. With its more than 20 food stalls, it attracts more than 10 million visitors per year.

It is important to say that we spent a lot of time taking photos (trust me, a lot of time). Also walking slowly along Gran Via and just standing mesmerised in front of the beautiful buildings of the city. Shopping in Primark and eating churros too hehe. Therefore this itinerary may give you a lot of free time. Other attractions such as the Bernabeu could be added and you would still have plenty of free time.

What to see in Madrid in 2 days? Food

Spain is famous for its exquisite food and Madrid is no different. From the freshest fish and shellfish brought daily from Galicia to the finest Iberian ham, to the most exquisite cheeses from Castilla and the best Mediterranean rice. Everything can be found in the capital.

Tho, we didn’t do much “coffee hopping”, mostly because I didn’t know any cute cafe around -.-’ we did try the best churros of Madrid in “Chocolateria San Gines” and also in “Chocolateria Puerta del Sol”. It was delicious. Madrid chocolate is different from the rest of chocolates, it is thick, creamy and rich in flavour yet not too sweet. Pair that with a couple of “porras” and you will get the best match ever!

In addition to this, you can find incredible food in any corner of Madrid, but for a 2 days trip, this will be sufficient 😉

What to see in Madrid in 2 days? Accommodation

3 nights in a 4 stars hotel for 2 people for 180 euros? Too good to be true? Nope, but it has a catch, distance from the city centre.

During our time in Madrid, we stayed at Silken Puerta Madrid, a 4 stars hotel located 10km from Puerta de Alcala. The worst, without a doubt, there wasn’t any metro station around and only 2 bus stops, which made me very concerned about choosing that hotel. Fortunately for us, services at Silken Puerta Madrid were great and they provided numerous shuttle buses to the city centre, airport and main train station, Atocha. Thanks to this we could enjoy free transportation every day, yay!

What to see in Madrid in 2 days? Price

If you have read this long, you might have an idea of how much the trip cost us. Either way, I will break it down for you (all prices are for 2 pax).

• Hotel: 180 euros

• Transportation: 38 euros

• Food: 178 euros

• TOTAL: 396 euros (198 euros each)

There you have, 3 nights in a 4 stars hotel with all the food that we could imagine, for less than 200 euros. Not bad right?

Book your trip now in Agoda and thanks me later! See you soon!