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Madrid Itinerary Suggestions for a 3-day visit in May 2025

My wife and I will have 3 days after completing the Camino de Santiago in May. We have a flight to Madrid and intend to spend 3 full days exploring this beautiful city. We’ve heard the palace and museums are must sees. I was wondering which museums would be a higher priority. Also, there seem to be a number of churches/cathedrals worth visiting. Are the tour passes for multiple sight entries worth buying? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Tom

Posted by
4225 posts

Just FYI there's a direct high speed train between Santiago de Compostela and Madrid you may want to look into.

Posted by
90 posts

Hi Tom,
As an art historian who works on medieval Spanish topics, I travel to Madrid quite a bit. Here is my "take" on the city's museums.
1. The Prado, this is the powerhouse Museum of Madrid (of Spain, really). Come if you want to see Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, Las Meninas, Rogier van der Weyden's Deposition, Titian, Goya's Black Paintings, lots of other Spanish painting including little known (outside of Spain) 19th c. history painters. This was the Royal collection. Of course there is more! You should book in advance and investigate the free entry periods.
2. Thyssen Bornemisza Collection, five minutes from the Prado and offers a totally different viewing experience. A gem like collection where you will encounter a "new" painting by one of your favorite artists - or many..
3. The Reina Sofia, for fans of modern/contemporary art. If you just want to see Picasso's Guernica now that it's back in Spain and nothing else, look into the free entry times.
Off the radar of most visitors:
4. The Museo Arqueológico Nacional - an absolute introduction to Iberian art from pre-Roman through the Middle Ages. Includes Islamic, Christian, and a very tiny bit of Jewish Art. The Roman mosaics alone are worth the small entry fee.
5. The Sorolla Museum - a house museum devoted to the work of Spain's "impressionist."
There are many other museums but what I've mentioned are five institutions with distinct characteristics.

I have never purchased a Pass for Madrid or any other city nor have I visited the city's Cathedral or churches - there are better ones from all periods outside of the city (IMHO) and you will have seen some great ones along the pilgrimage roads. Others may disagree. Some people love the Palacio Real - I've been once and that was enough for me.

You will have a great time!

Posted by
7614 posts

If you’re into all things naval, then the Naval Museum is nice. It’s near the Prado museum and was free to enter although a donation is appreciated.

Posted by
123 posts

You can buy a National Museum Yearly Pass from the museums that offer it. That's 36 euros and gets you entry to the Reina Sofia, Prado, MAN archeology, Cerralbo, Romanticism Museum, Sorolla, Museum of America, and a couple of others.

Note, this prevents you from pre-booking your tickets at the Reina Sofia/Prado if that's important to you.

https://www.museoreinasofia.es/en/visit/opening-hours-and-ticket-prices/annual-membership

It's worth it if you're planning to be back in Spain before the annual pass expires, or you're planning to go to the Prado twice, or hit up every one of those museums. I think if you're over 65 it's not worth buying, but I'm not sure on that.

Posted by
467 posts

The Annual State Museums Pass mentioned by plectrude is excellent value if you are under 65. If you are over 65 all the museums covered by the card are free anyway, except for El Prado. If you like Art and want to see one of the highlights, then El Prado is unmissable. Otherwise the Thyssen is very good but a more manageable size and fewer crowds. If you're not convinced about the Royal Palace, Museo Cerralbo is small but delightful, I preferred it to the Royal Palace. Museo Cerralbo is the home of a couple who collected everything beautiful and it has been preserved intact.
Depending on which days you will be in Madrid, some places may be free, so check before buying passes/ tickets. I would also think that El Retiro Park (enormous and free) will be at its best and the Botanical Garden nearby is also nice if you like that sort of thing - bonsais are not my favourite plants but the ones there are impressive. More useful info here:
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2025/02/what-to-see-and-do-free-in-madrid.html

Posted by
28954 posts

The Paseo del Arte card costs 32.80 euros and covers the three big museums: Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen.

I don't think seniors get free entry to the Thyssen museum, just a discount: https://www.museothyssen.org/en/visit/fees

There are quite a lot of opportunities to visit the major museums for free for a few hours here and there. The details are on the museums' websites.

May 18 is Museum Day, and you may find a lot of free-entry possibilities on that day. Tourists tend not to be aware of Museum Day, but locals seem to be well informed about it, so the most popular museums might be busier on that day.