Madrid Spain in 2 Days – Everything You Need to Know and More (with maps!)
Hey there folks, the Scottsdale Travel Chick Sidekick here. And in this video, we’ll cover all of Madrid’s tourist sites using a two-day itinerary you can easily do on foot or by bike with everything called out on maps, so you’ll know where everything is before you get there. And if you want to know much more about Madrid and how to get from the airport, where to stay, the best times to visit, the best day trips nearby, and more, be sure to check out our larger, more detailed video, the Madrid Ultimate Guide. Okay, let’s go. Madrid is a big city with almost 7 million people, and much of it is bland and unimpressive, honestly. But the heart of the city is a pleasant surprise and easily walkable. In this smaller central area, you’ll find pockets of medieval buildings, narrow atmospheric alleys, fun dining options, and outdoor cafes and beautiful parks with worldclass museums. And for all the sites I’ll cover on these two days, we’ll start at what they call the Sungate or Porto del Soul Plaza. This is at the very central part of Madrid and almost all tourist attractions are no more than a 30inut walk away from this central square. For day one, we’ll cover all the top sites moving west from this Porto del Soul Square. And for day two, we’ll cover all the sites to the east. Okay, here we go with day one. Porto del Soul or the Sungate itself is a plaza in the heart of Madrid and one of the busiest places in the city. This square was established in the 16th century and as a hub for the local transit system, a favorite meeting spot for locals and an area used for festivals and political demonstrations. In the center of this plaza sits the statue of King Charles III on horseback facing the Royal Post Office. Originally, this building on the south side of the plaza served as Madrid’s first post office, then the police headquarters, and now it’s used as the office of the president of Madrid. The clock tower here is noteworthy for being the center of New Year’s Eve celebrations. And in front of this building is the kilometer zero plaque, which designates the point from which all measurements for the National Highway System begin. On the east side of this plaza is also the famous bear and tree statue. This is the famous bear statue. It’s a symbol of Madrid people like it’s a bear shown climbing a tree which is the official city symbol for Madrid. On the square is also a giant neon sign of Teop Pepe which sits above the plaza. It’s a famous site in the area at night. [Music] A five-minute walk west brings you to Madrid’s main square or Plaza Mayor. This is perhaps the best known plaza in Madrid, and this impressive square is also a main stop on any tourist visit. Originally built outside the city’s medieval walls, this square has hosted bull fights, markets, symphonies, royal weddings, and executions. Today, it’s ringed with tourist shops, cafes, and restaurants. A statue of King Philip III sits in the middle of this square. He was the king of Spain’s golden age. It’s funny that for such a grand square, access to it can only happen through a few small roads and alleys. Very close by and next up is St. Michael’s Market or Maccado del San Miguel. This is a famous indoor market originally built back in 1913. Although it’s definitely touristy, it’s full of local vendors selling highquality foods and drinks. Continuing to move west, you’ll next come to Madrid’s historic town square or Plaza de la Villa. Although small, this square is considered the oldest in Madrid and contains the oldest city’s surviving buildings. It houses the former city hall, Casa de la Ciros, and the Academy of Fine Arts, which is said to be the oldest existing building in all of Madrid, dating back to the 1400s. Next up is the biggie, the Royal Palace or Palasio Rial. It’s an enormous palace, one of the biggest in Europe. And depending on who you read and where you read it, it is the largest palace in Europe with over 135,000 square meters of space and more than 3,400 rooms. Though it’s the official residence of the Spanish king, the royal family does not live here and it’s generally used only for state ceremonies. The royal palace is considered one of the most iconic and beautiful buildings in all of Madrid, not only for its location overlooking the river valley, but also for its architecture and its artistic treasures within. The opulence of the interiors may blow your mind. There are both self-guided and guided tours here, but our pro tips are to definitely arrive early, and remember, no photography is allowed inside. Directly next door is the Al Mondenna Cathedral. It’s another massive building facing the Royal Palace and finished relatively recently, only near the end of the 20th century. And this is the cathedral right next to the royal palace. You can tour both. Under the Almanda Cathedral lies a crypt considered one of the most impressive in all of Europe. It contains more than 400 columns, 20 chapels, and more than 1,000 tombs of nobility. A short walk north of these two buildings brings you to the Parkquet Deost or West Park and the Temple of Debad. This park, originally built on a landfill from the 1800s, offers up some great views, a famous rose garden, some historical bunkers from the Spanish Civil War, a big fountain, and the temple of Debode. [Music] Pro tip here. There used to also be a cable car which ran from this park to an even larger park on the other side of the river and it was one of Madrid’s top attractions and you might see it on some older videos. But unfortunately, it’s no longer operating today. This is where people come for sunsets right here just a little bit behind the uh temple. Perhaps the most unique feature of this park is the temple of Dode. It’s an actual real Egyptian temple and museum that was given to Spain by the Egyptian government and it was moved stone by stone and rebuilt accurately here in this park. It’s one of the very few examples of ancient Egyptian buildings outside of Egypt, making it quite unique to Spain. And pro tip pier, come for the great sunsets in the evening. Finally, we’ll close out this section by checking out Madrid’s River Park or Park Madrid Rio. This is a beautifully done urban renewal park running for almost 7 miles along the riverfront. It’s a nice place to walk and explore with multiple cafes, children’s play areas, historic bridges over the river, and more. The actual walking and biking path here continues to run for many more miles on either side of this park. So, if you do rent a bike, definitely take some time to check out this park and miles to either side. [Music] Now for day two, we’ll start again at Porto del Soul or the Sungate and move east. But before I get there, just a quick shout out that if you’re enjoying this video, please give us a thumbs up, comment, to, or better yet, forward this to all of your friends. And please consider subscribing to our channel to receive more fun, informative travel videos just like this one. And if you are enjoying this content, please consider purchasing our electronic travel guide to Madrid. It covers everything we mention here and you can take it with you on your phone, use the built-in internet links, and even print out a copy and take it with you. See the website link below our video to learn more. Starting at that same Porto del Soul or Sungate as day one, we’ll first come to a couple of shopping streets. Walk north from the plaza itself up the pedestrianonly street of Cay Praiados. Check out the various stores and then come to Madrid’s main high-end shopping street, the well-known Grand Via. Here is where you’ll find Madrid’s best high-end stores, its cinema district, and lots of flashy action along the way. Known as Madrid’s Golden Mile and often called the Spanish Broadway, Grand Via is Madrid’s most important commercial shopping and entertainment street. From here, we’ll walk east down Grand Villa to the Sebell’s Plaza. At the center of this plaza, you’ll find the fountain of sea bellletes, which portrays the Roman goddess of fertility sitting on a chariot carried by two lions. Facing the plaza is the impressive Palasio DC blays. It’s one of the world’s most beautiful city halls with a jaw-dropping facade. And inside, you can climb the upper floors for some excellent views out over the city. On the southwest corner of the plaza also sits the imposing Bank of Spain building. While on the northeast corner is home to the Palasio deline which holds the House of America, a cultural center with an art gallery of Latin American artworks. After this plaza, you’ll walk down the street centered park to the south and first come to the Ritz Hotel. It’s said to be the most famous historical hotel in Madrid. It’s not cheap, but consider a stop for afternoon tea or maybe a bite in their outdoor garden. [Music] Then just after the Ritz, you’ll come to the most famous museum in Spain and one of the top museums in all the world, the Praau Museum. Considered one of the best collections of European art in the world, the Praau is home to masterpieces by Spanish artists, including Goya, Elgreco, and Valuea. I think I said those right. It’s certainly a mustsee if you’re an artsy person. Right across the street is also the Thy Bourne Museum. This museum is focused on classical art with masterpieces by Monae, Goya, Dagaz, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, Mandrean, Bacon, and Lichenstein, which all can be found here. Finally, down the same road about a 5-minute walk, is the third of the finest three museums in Madrid, the Reena Sophia. This is Madrid’s modern art museum. This place includes many of Pablo Picasso’s most revered works. And pro tip for the museums, each of them offers free visit periods throughout the week. So check their websites for more details. But be warned, these free times will certainly be the most busy, and you’ll need to wait in a queue to enter. Last for this section, we come to Madrid’s most famous park, El Retiro Park. It’s another highly photographed spot in Madrid filled with fountains, monuments, rose gardens, long walking paths, and even a lake where you could rent rowboats. On top of that, there’s a number of small restaurants in the park, as well as the famous Crystal Palace. The Crystal Palace was built back in 1887 and was originally designed to showcase exotic plants from the Philippines, which was a Spanish colony at the time. Also here, but not technically part of Eliro Park, are the Royal Botanical Gardens. It’s a separate entrance with a small fee, but worth it if you like botanical gardens. Okay, there you have it. all the top tourist sites in central Madrid. There are a few more interesting sites around the rest of the city, like the Real Madrid stadium tour and some unique neighborhoods to explore. So, if you want to know more than what we’ve covered here, be sure to check out that ultimate guide to Madrid. Otherwise, until next time, see you later. [Music]
Madrid Spain – The Top Sights To See In 2 Days (with maps!)
In this video we breakdown the top sites in Madrid, you can do these as a walking tour or our favorite thing to do was to see Madrid by ebikes. We break down this guide to Madrid Spain by starting at The Sun Gate and travel east to Plaza Mayor, and then off to explore San Miguel Market. The Royal Palace and the Santa Maria Cathedral are definitely something to see, and for the great sunsets we suggest the Parque Del Oeste – the Temple Debod is here as well. The Riverfront Park is a great place to explore by bike, we rented our bikes from Trixi.com, ebikes are the best way to see the City. You can’t see the city all in one day so the following day we take you to the high end shopping streets at Grand Via, take in the beautiful waterfall and views at Cibeles Plaza and head to The Ritz Hotel for an afternoon cocktail and snack. The museums are impressive here as well with Prado, Thyssen Bornemisza and Reina Sofia being close together you can easily walk to these. To end the day we loved visiting Retiro Park and if you have any extra time we recommend The Royal Botanical Gardens.
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Here is our Recommended Day Trips:
🩵 Madrid Tapas & Wine Tasting Tour https://www.viator.com/tours/Madrid/Madrid-Tapas-and-Wine-Tasting-Tour/d566-5830WINETAPAS?pid=P00152352&uid=U00443667&mcid=58086¤cy=USD
🩵 Segovia, Avila & Toledo Tour https://www.viator.com/tours/Madrid/Three-Cities-in-One-Day-Segovia-Avila-and-Toledo-from-Madrid/d566-6874P88?pid=P00152352&uid=U00443667&mcid=58086¤cy=USD
🩵 Spanish Wine Tour from Madrid https://www.viator.com/tours/Madrid/Spanish-Wine-Tour-from-Madrid/d566-5830WINERIES?pid=P00152352&uid=U00443667&mcid=58086¤cy=USD
🩵 Visit Prado Museum – Skip The Line https://www.viator.com/tours/Madrid/Skip-the-line-and-Visit-the-Prado-Museum/d566-110971P44?pid=P00152352&uid=U00443667&mcid=58086¤cy=USD
🩵 Electric Bike Tour Madrid – Small Group https://www.viator.com/tours/Madrid/Madrid-Retiro-Park-Electric-Bike-Tour/d566-5995P15?pid=P00152352&uid=U00443667&mcid=58086¤cy=USD
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00:00 Introduction
00:34 Madrid Ultimate Guide
01:40 Day 1 Tour
01:50 Puerto Del Sol
03:11 Plaza Mayor
03:58 San Miguel Market
04:22 Plaza De La Villa
04:55 Royal Palace
05:59 Santa Maria Cathedral (Almudena)
06:39 Parque Del Oeste (West Park)
07:36 Temple Debod
08:08 Riverfront Park
08:48 Day 2 Tour
09:43 Preciados Street
09:56 Grand Via
10:21 Cibeles Plaza
11:20 Ritz Hotel
11:40 Prado Museum
12:11 Thyssen Bornemisza Museum
12:34 Reina Sofia Museum
13:07 Retiro Park
13:46 Royal Botanical Gardens