Visiting Madrid in two days is not an easy task, given the vast number of things to see in the Spanish capital, yet it is something doable. Even just a weekend in Madrid will be enough to discover the charm of Spain’s capital.
However, this is just the prelude considering the varied offerings of the city, a world of cultural, intellectual, artistic, and fashionable vibrancy.
It is hard to resist Madrid. Let’s see what to see in Madrid in two days.
First Day in Madrid
What to do in Madrid. Many come here attracted by the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the Reina Sofia Museum: the area better known as the Madrid Golden Triangle. Who can blame them! Indeed, these cultural venues are worth the trip even individually. However, it is advisable to plan your visit from the start at the Prado Museum where art treasures are found, including Italian artists.
These museums house masterpieces of contemporary Spanish art, works by Velázquez, Goya, Titian, Dürer, Degas, Rubens, the private collection of Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza; and we must not forget the majestic Picasso’s Guernica displayed at the Reina Sofia. There’s something for every taste, considering the city has as many as 40 museums, including smaller yet equally interesting ones.
A visit to the Royal Palace of Madrid is unmissable, which, among many beauties including fabulous royal rooms, exhibits the armory, a truly remarkable collection of weapons gathered over the centuries. To thoroughly visit the museums and the Royal Palace, a full day is needed. Other small attractions will be visited the next day.
Second Day in Madrid
To admire the typical architecture of the city, you can head towards Plaza Mayor and the nearby Puerta del Sol, both surrounded by magnificent buildings. A peculiarity of Madrid is also an Egyptian-style structure, the Temple of Debod.
If the walk has tired your feet, a refreshing break in the Retiro Park is ideal to rest surrounded by a beautiful park, a short distance from the Prado Museum.
You need to recharge because Madrid is the realm of entertainment also and especially at night: there is a continuous party every evening that literally explodes on weekends when the streets fill with locals, tourists, and people from all over Spain.
Time feels stretched: clubbing starts no earlier than 3 a.m. and, for the die-hards, there are many places (sometimes even temporary) for after-hours. Madrid is also a gay-friendly capital, just think of the Chueca neighborhood which, once a very elegant area, had become rundown; it was revitalized by the gay community that sparked a new phase for Chueca, cleaner, more joyful, and lively. However, today this neighborhood is a 360° nightlife hub, not only for the gay community.
Far from being a sleepy city, considering the nocturnal hustle, Madrid by day becomes orderly and efficient again, a metropolis increasingly geared towards productivity while not forgetting healthy fun.
Clearly, a 2-day visit to Madrid is just a suggestion on what to do in the Spanish city. For a detailed knowledge of Madrid’s points of interest please refer to guides covering longer periods. Because Madrid is a city worth it.
