Madrid – What to Do and Where to Visit (2026)
Why visit: A beautiful city full of culture, architecture, excellent restaurants, events and nightlife. Madrid’s city center literally exudes money and power. An underrated city.
Traveling from Finland: Direct flights are available for every day of the year and from the airport you can get to the city center by metro in addition to taxi.
When to travel: Madrid also has plenty of sunshine, but I would avoid traveling in the middle of winter or summer unless +2C and rain or +40C is your preferred weather. Read more: Best time to travel to Spain.
Note: Madrid is Europe’s second highest capital city after Andorra la Vella at 667 meters above sea level and is located almost at the center of Spain.
Similar destinations: Barcelona, Malaga, Valencia.
Madrid’s most interesting areas
La Latina: One of Madrid’s oldest neighborhoods, whose cobblestone streets are perfect for stopping at a plaza for a small snack and a glass of wine. Here you can find among other things the world’s oldest continuously operating restaurant, Sobrino de botín (founded 1725).
Kun: you want to see beautiful, old Madrid
Sol (centro): The city’s main square, Plaza de la Puerta del sol, near which you’ll find enough attractions for at least one day such as Gran Via (main street), Plaza Mayor or Palacio Real.
Kun: you want to see attractions
Malasaña: Madrid’s most modern and bohemian neighborhood full of interesting bars and restaurants. Here you’ll also find many small, unique boutiques that are great for discovering finds.
Kun: local nightlife or small boutiques interest you
Parque del Retiro: Madrid’s central park, which was founded in the 17th century, is both large and beautiful and a very popular place especially on hot summer days. The Palacio de Cristal alone is worth seeing. Often on Saturdays and Sundays the park offers puppet theater for children and the young at heart.
Kun: you want to breathe for a moment in the shade of trees
Salamanca: Madrid’s wealthiest neighborhood. Here you’ll find beautiful (and expensive) shops, stylish restaurants and exceptionally well-maintained streets.
Kun: I want to see how the local rich live
How to get around Madrid
Walking: Gran via and La Latina are less than 1km from Sol and the city center has plenty to see within walking distance anyway. A great city to walk.
Taksilla: At times there seem to be more taxis than private cars in the city center, so getting a taxi is really easy.
Public transport: Metro and buses run really well. For those traveling more I recommend buying a metro card (link in English), so you don’t have to queue at the ticket machine at metro stations every time.
By bike: There are very few bike lanes in the city center compared to Barcelona and Valencia for example, so I recommend saving cycling for cities better suited for it.
Getting curious about the bold and beautiful Madrid? Check out the best hotel and accommodation deals:
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Plan your trip to Spain
- Trip.com: A great source for finding flights and airport connections. I have noticed that it finds flight connections that some other search engines miss.
- Booking.com: My favourite site for booking hotels and apartments (and occasionally flights). They have the best filters and I like the user friendly interface.
- Hotels.com: The most popular hotel booking platform in many countries, US included.
- Get Your Guide: A massive selection of tours and excursions. They have tons of options available in Spain, including walking tours, cooking classes, museum options, boat tours and more!
- DiscoverCars: Want to explore charming villages and get out of the busy cities? DiscoverCars pools together the best offers from car rental operators for your convenience.
- Omio: Want to find the best option to move between cities in Spain? I use Omio for that. Plus you get to book the ticket from the same amazing platform.
- Klook: Need a local SIM card for your trip to Spain? A stress free holiday nowadays (unfortunately) might start from a good connection, so get an affordable eSIM here.
- VisitorCoverage: Not interested in checking out Spanish public health care system on your holiday? (like I've managed to do..) A cheap travel insurance gets that stress out of the way.
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