Madrid....Top 5?

1. Either, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Or, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
2. Either, Museo Sorolla Or, Museo Lázaro Galdiano
3. Either, Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales Or, Real Monasterio de la Encarnación
4. El Retiro Park
5. Calle de Alcala - Metropolis Building >> Plaza Cibeles >> Puerta de Alcala

We did not make it to Segovia, did make it to Toledo. Favorite part of the whole trip and we were walking in pouring rain.

Other parts I liked were the Palace, churros, Christmas decorations.

David hit the remaining popular sites. Lesser sites that don’t take long to see, but are not “must see” include Plaza de Espana (statues of Don Quijote and Sancho Panza), Fuente de Neptuno, Puente de Toledo, Puerta de Toledo, Rana de Suerte statue, Temple of Debod, Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida (former burial place of Francisco Goya and has paintings by him), San Miguel market (tapas), chocolateria San Gines (churros y chocolate), naval museum, and cathedral of Santa Maria la real de la Almudena. You could take a day trip to Toledo if so inclined. The Reina Sofia museum has free entrance for a few hours in the evening. To me, a couple hours there is sufficient with the major draw being Picasso’s Guernica (photos not allowed in that room). When we went during the free entrance, there was a line, but it moved quickly.

I recomend you Segovia. The best place to it the little pig (lechón) is on The Meson de José María, located next to the Catedral. The owner is a great person, and the food is very gook, specially the wine selection.

You must to visit the old wine bottles colection, is incredible!

Greetings from Baja

I note that the tour goes to Toledo, else I'd be saying that was the only activity to consider on your free day! I'm one of those people who doesn't love Madrid, but Toledo is a whole different matter.

In Madrid I especially liked the Monasterio de las Descalazas Reales, already mentioned. But it's very difficult for a solo traveler to snag a spot on an English-language tour. Rick's guide book gives a good description of the convent. When I got stuck on a Spanish tour (it was that or nothing), I wished that I had read his explanation more than once. I'd ask the RS tour guide whether he/she has any tips on getting put on an English tour at the convent. It seemed to me that they set those up for the convenience of tour groups (and not necessarily every day), and there might or might not be a few extra spaces for other people who got there before the site opened and lined up (without even knowing whether there would be a tour that day or being certain of when such a tour would begin). Not a very foreign-visitor-friendly arrangement, but maybe they have altered it since 2015.

The Botanical Garden near Retiro Park and Atocha Station is a pleasant place to be outdoors on a nice day. There's a moderate entry fee.

I think it's unlikely that you'll want to head out of town on a day-trip, but I really enjoyed a few hours walking around the very pretty university town of Alcala de Henares, even though it was quite rainy on the day of my visit. It has a lovely historic district and lively streets but seemingly no foreign tourists. 55 to 80 minutes from Atocha Station on a regional train.

1. Toledo for the extra day trip. So beautiful, easy to walk, don't miss the cathedral.
2. Thyssen museum is great, has a nice selection of Impressionist paintings.
   
3. Consider scheduling a Flamenco show in the evening, that was one of the highlights of our trip. Several places hold them and if you don't want to pay extra for the dinner, you can just go to the show. We went to http://www.corraldelamoreria.com/en/index.html
4. The Sophia Reina museum is worth it for the Picasso and Dali paintings. Guernica is tremendously moving, especially if you learn a bit about its history and the Spanish Civil War. If you want to see it, head there first. The museum is huge and it takes a while to make your way to the actual painting.
5. The Royal Botanical Garden is a nice break from all the art.

Madrid is lovely, enjoy!

I don't have too much to add for the free time in Madrid. The Reiena Sophia is good for a couple of hours, and Retiro is also a good break from the city.
For your extra day, I am surprised that no one has suggested a day trip to El Escorial palace. A spectacular sight and a great suggestion from our guide the time I was in Madrid. The guidebook plus my limited Spanish was enough to get me on the right bus and pay the correct fare, and the palace is spectacular. It is a real showpiece of the riches of the Spanish kings in the glory days of their empire.

Here's a great restaurant! Casa Mingo You'll need to eat! Great cider, great chicken! Yum! We walked there after visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Temple du Bod. Then took public transportation home.

Thanks for the ideas. Some of them I knew about.....others....not so much. Everyone has their own tastes....that's what is great to hear. Now comes the priority list. If you are cruising though the forum, please feel free to leave your input. I do have a few months before I have to board the plane for Spain land.

1. The archeological museum is AMAZING and they have great English labels. I enjoyed this museum more than the Prado or the Reina Sofia. It takes you from the earliest objects made by man during the ice ages, through the Bronze Age and the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, etc. It’s a huge museum, is air conditioned and has a nice cafe.

2. The Malasaña neighbourhood is super fun at night- tons of bars and restaurants. I don’t think Rick Steves even discusses that area in his guide book.

3. Try eating the rice croquettes. They are really tasty! There’s a stand in the Mercado de San Miguel that makes them.

4. I went to Córdoba as a day trip from Madrid and it was the highlight of my trip. Yes, it’s a few hours on the train but the Mezquita of Córdoba is hands down the most magical place I’ve ever been in my life.

5. The garden outside the royal palace is sweltering in the day time but an absolute delight at sunset and in the evening. There are a lot of benches and places to sit, making it a good place to eat a cheap take out Kabab from the nearby commercial street.

6. Enjoy!

The official tourism website of Madrid is www.esmadrid.com
It is an excellent site for everything, including day trips and current happenings.
I would also suggest you attend a flamenco performance.

Hi John,

Most of our favorites have already been listed. If you're there on a Sunday and interested, my husband attended a bullfight. It was an easy metro connection to reach the location. Since I wasn't interested in the bullfight, I went over to the Reina Sofía museum (free on Sundays) to see Picasso's Guernica painting.