The capital of Spain, Madrid, is a lovely city. There are many neighborhoods to explore, museums to visit and local specialties to try. Example Madrid itinerary for December included.
December is a great month to visit Madrid.
Madrid, and Spain in general, is known for its warm temperature in summer and moderate weather in winter. But for your itinerary, it does matter if it is 40 degrees Celsius outside or 10.
So read on to find out more about:
- things to do in Madrid in December, and to be more specific: around New Year’s Eve;
- how to plan your sightseeing in the most practical way; and
- an example itinerary for six days in Madrid. If you have fewer days, just select the days and sights you like best!
Madrid in December
A visit to Madrid in winter is not the same as in summer. The most important differences are that 1) there are fewer hours of daylight: it gets dark around 17:30, and 2) the temperature is colder. You’ll have to change your itinerary accordingly.
Tips
- Plan street art and architecture watching before 17:30. Do it the other way around for buildings that are illuminated at night like the Almudena Cathedral and Temple of Debod.
- You will spend less time sitting outside on terraces. I did spend some time relaxing in the sun, but mostly between 13:00 and 15:00.
- It can be interesting to plan your museum visits in the morning and spend the afternoons outside when it is warmer. During my visit, the morning temperature was below 0 degrees Celcius, while the afternoon temperature was as high as 15 degrees Celcius.
Madrid around New Year's Eve
This is where you can show off your planning skills. Can you navigate your way around Dec 31, Jan 1, Mondays and Sundays?
- Most museums are closed on Mondays (while Reina Sofia is closed on Tuesdays).
- Some restaurants and markets (like Mercado de la Cebada) are closed on Sundays. But don’t worry about that too much as pretty much everything else is open.
- Everything closes early on December 31. The shorter opening times are not visible on Google Maps and often not on the websites of restaurants and cafes either.
- Museo del Prado, CaixaForum, Palacio de Velázquez, and Palacio de Cristal are open on December 31, though they close earlier.
- Pretty much everything is closed on January 1. Some cafes, taverns and restaurants are open, like the 24/7 shops and bigger chain stores. You will have no problem finding food, but your options are limited. All museums and other attractions are closed.
Madrid itinerary
You can find all the places mentioned in this itinerary on my Madrid Itinerary map. Even though this Madrid itinerary takes December as an example, you can also use this in other winter months or even in other seasons.
Day 1 (Friday 27 December)
After arrival, head to your hotel to check-in.
Where to stay in Madrid
I suggest staying near the Gran Vía and Callao so that everything in the city center of Madrid is within walking distance. I only used public transport for a day trip to Cuenca and to go to the airport.
If you are looking for a budget hotel, then consider Hostal Valencia. Hotels aren’t cheap around New Year’s Eve, so that’s why I went for a more low-range hotel than I usually do.
The good
- perfect location in the city center of Madrid;
- single rooms available for solo travelers;
- convenient check-in and check-out.
The bad
- the only elevator in the building (for ~9 floors and many hotels) only holds four people at a time, so you will probably walk up and down the stairs a few times a day (to the 5th floor).
- there is a club nearby that plays music until midnight (and until 4 AM on New Year’s Eve);
- you’ll hear everything that happens in the hallways.
Lunch: Bocadillo de Jamón Ibérico
Buy your first sandwich with Jamón Ibérico; Spanish ham. One of the most advertised lunch options in the touristy city center of Madrid.
I had originally planned to start my Madrid trip with churros and hot chocolate, but when I saw the tiny Bocadillos Oink shop (open 24/7) on Gran Vía from the taxi window I was sold.
The sandwich was delicious and I bought many throughout my trip (whenever I don’t mention breakfast).
Callao area
Explore the area around Callao subway station and go shopping. There are many shops ranging from tourist shops selling Madrid souvenirs to mid and high-end stores selling clothes and luxury goods. You will find many brands that are well-known internationally.
When you’re done exploring the area south of the Gran Vía, you might want to head to the area north of the Gran Vía (Malasaña) for smaller shops selling unique goods.
Don’t worry if you can’t see it all this afternoon: you’ll cross these areas often.
Museo Reina Sofia
Follow the streets with shops and taverns from the Callao area towards Museo Reina Sofia. This museum is my favorite museum in Madrid because it has a very diverse art collection and is located in a beautiful historical building.
I recommend buying a Skip-the-line ticket for Reina Sofia, as this will save you a lot of time waiting in line. When I visited the museum on a Friday at 15:00 the line was short, but that might not be the case when you visit.
Las Luces del Real Jardín Botánico
You can watch the luminous fairytale landscape with Christmas light shows, impressive flora and illuminated figures at the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid. Real Jardín Botánico transforms into a light festival for almost seven weeks in winter. In 2019/2020 you could visit the garden from November 19 until January 6.
Please note that you will have to buy your tickets weeks in advance, or you won’t be able to visit the garden. The tickets were sold out when I tried and I chose not to join the very long queue at the ticket gate for a chance of buying a ticket on the day itself.
Dinner: Rabo del Toro
On your way back from Museo Reina Sofia or Real Jardín Botánico to Callao, you will see many taverns and restaurants.
I got drawn in by the beautiful shopfront of Vulcano Brasas and chose to have dinner there. Their Rabo de Toro, one of the must-try dishes of Madrid, is very good.
Temple of Debod
The Temple of Debod is an ancient Egyptian temple dedicated to Isis of Philae. It was originally located near Aswan in Egypt and was dismantled and rebuilt in Madrid in an effort to save the cultural heritage after the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
You can find the temple on a hill west of the Gran Vía. If you visit during the day, you can enter the temple and look inside. However, the temple is most beautiful at night.
Day 2 (Saturday 28 December)
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
Museo Thyssen has a mix of historical pieces and contemporary art. The interior of the building is an artwork on its own: the checkered orange and white floor and the orange walls remind you of an Escher drawing. My second favorite museum in Madrid!
If you’re planning to visit in the morning, I recommend buying a ticket in advance via GetYourGuide. The queues get big and buying a skip the line ticket can save you up to an hour.
I joined the queue for Museo Thyssen at 9:45 on the morning of December 29 and got in within 5 minutes after the museum opened its doors with my pre-bought ticket.
Chueca neighborhood
Chueca is a very colorful neighborhood with many LGBT flags and street art. A fun area to explore. You can visit Mercado San Anton: one of the markets that is not overrun by tourists.
On your way to Andén 0 Chamberí, do make sure to walk by SGAE Sociedad General de Autores y Editores on Calle de Fernando VI. I found the ornaments on this building rather intriguing.
Andén 0 Chamberí
A subway station turned museum. It is a very small museum with the main attractions being the old ticket office and entrance gates upstairs and the wall tiles at the subway track downstairs.
You can’t reserve your ticket in advance, so you’ll just have to hope your timing is good. 1 pm on a Saturday is not a good time, I can tell you that from experience.
Malasaña neighborhood
Explore the small streets and colorful houses in the Malasaña neighborhood. The area feels authentic: this is what I expect of a Spanish city.
Conde Duque
Conde Duque surprised me a lot and ended up being one of my favorite sights in Madrid. The building has a certain grandeur when looking at it from the outside. Once you enter the courtyard you feel the serenity of the vast space around you. Especially if you stand alone in the middle of the courtyard. A very peaceful experience.
Conde Duque is a Churrigueresque building in the baroque-style. Before it was converted to a cultural center it was used by the military as barracks.
The Robot Museum
A museum with many robots on display: from Pepper and Nao to the older InMoov and Retrorobot. During the tour, you get an introduction to the history of robotics. You learn about the earliest robots, perfecting movements, the use of robots in Star Wars and for educational and health/companionship purposes.
You can only join the tour and visit the museum if you book a ticket in advance. There are some English tours, but you have to be quick for those.
Almudena Cathedral
The Almudena Cathedral is a very impressive building from both the inside and the outside. It is right next to the Royal Palace of Madrid.
I saw Almudena Cathedral both by day and by night and I would recommend a night visit. The illumination makes the building even more beautiful. See if you can catch the sunset too!
I was impressed with the ceiling and architecture of the building. I think I spent ten minutes sitting on the wooden benches staring at the ceiling from all sides.
If you visit around Christmas, you can see the Belén (birth of Jesus) exhibition near the entrance of Almudena Cathedral.
Go outside and walk around the building (with the building on your right) to reach the entrance of the Crypt under Almudena Cathedral, one of the largest crypts in Spain. The crypt is built in Romanesque style and has over 400 columns. On the sides, you can see the twenty-plus altars with a stained-glass window and a variety of artworks.
Muslim Walls of Madrid
Opposite the entrance of the Crypt of Almudena Cathedral, you can find the Muslim Walls of Madrid. The cathedral was built on the site of a medieval mosque.
Tapas: Mercado Jamón Ibérico
Enjoy tapas of Jamón Ibérico, Manchego cheese and olive oil at Mercado Jamón Ibérico. You can also buy some packages to take home. It is a small family-run establishment. The owners speak English very well.
The quality of the products is really good. For me, this was the best tapas on my trip to Madrid.
Mercado Jamón Ibérico is open from 10:00 until 21:00.
Mercado de San Miguel
I initially planned to have tapas at the Mercado de San Miguel. Tourist style, because everyone goes there, right?
But after the amazing tapas at Mercado Jamón Ibérico and seeing the huge crowd at Mercado de San Miguel, I ended up leaving the second market very quickly.
This market is too overrun by tourists. I don’t recommend visiting. Watch it from a distance, yes, but please enjoy dinner or tapas elsewhere.
Walk back to your hotel via Plaza Mayor (another tourist hotspot).
Day 3 (Sunday 29 December)
Breakfast: Hot Chocolate with Porras
One of the must-try foods (drinks) of Madrid.
Many cafes in Madrid sell Hot Chocolate with Churros or Porras (‘bigger’ churros). The two most well-known shops are probably San Ginés and Los Artesanos. They’re pretty much in the same street, so you can visit the one with the shortest queue.
I chose to visit Los Artesanos because they offer a dark chocolate variant. The chocolate milk was delicious and made for a heavy meal that lasted me well into the afternoon.
Don’t try to visit after dinner, as the queue will be huge. 8:30 in the morning is a perfect time though: I was seated immediately.
Royal Palace
I joined the queue to enter the Royal Palace of Madrid at 9:45. I did not buy a Skip-the-line ticket with a guided tour for the palace because I wasn’t sure on which day I would visit the palace. I wish I had bought one though, as this would have saved me more than half an hour waiting at 0 degrees Celsius (I got in at 10:20).
You first enter the courtyard from which you have a nice view of the Royal Palace and also of Almudena Cathedral (behind the gates). The palace is a very impressive building.
Once inside you walk through the hallway with the decorated ceiling. This is also one of the only areas you are allowed to take pictures of. After the first few chambers, you have to put your phone away.
Every single room is lavishly decorated. Beautiful to see but I would dislike living there. I can imagine it succeeded at impressing visiting dignities.
Mercado de la Cebada
Mercado de la Cebada is closed on Sundays, but it was on the way to El Rastro and Tabacalera, so I snapped a picture of the street art on the building walls.
El Rastro
Head to the flea market El Rastro in the La Latino neighborhood after visiting the Royal Palace. On the way, you will see many interesting buildings, churches and street art.
I found the flea market itself very disappointing. Just like Mercado de San Miguel, this spot is too much overrun by tourists. You can hardly walk around, let alone pay attention to the goods the stands are selling. I didn’t see anything especially interesting. So this is another site worth skipping.
Walk through it quickly if you must.
Tabacalera
A museum of street art located in an old tobacco factory creating an intense harmony of foreground and background. The paintings inside are beautiful; that is, I liked them a lot. Colorful paintings of flowers, some more abstract than others.
The use of color forms a stark contrast with the gray industrial walls behind the paintings. Together they form the perfect picture.
Outside the museum, you can find many mural paintings in the area. Make sure you also walk through Calle de Miguel Servet just around the corner.
Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales
Also called the Convent of the Barefoot Nuns. A place of silence within the bustling city center of Madrid.
The interior is beautifully decorated with paintings, wood and rock carvings and sculptures. Especially the main staircase is very impressive, with symmetries between doorways and paintings and between art on opposite sides of the staircase. Every little detail has been taken care of.
You have to reserve a spot on the guided tour (in Spanish only) if you want to visit the monastery.
Late lunch: Shrimp croquettes
Head to Calle de la Cruz for an amazing lunch at Casa Toni, La Casa del Abuela or one of the many other taverns in the street.
Casa Toni was too crowded, so I went to La Casa del Abuelo and had shrimp croquettes and Sangria. Just enough to last until my next tapas moment.
Retiro Park
Enjoy a walk in Retiro Park: the central park in Madrid. In the middle of the park, you can find the Monument to Alfonso XII next to a small lake.
Nearby you can also visit Palacio de Velázquez and Palacio de Cristal.
Palacio de Velázquez
Palacio de Velázquez has a grand appearance and deserves to carry the name ‘palace’. Inside the museum, you can see a few works of art from the collection of Reina Sofia.
Palacio de Cristal
This is a glass (‘crystal’) palace that looks best from the outside when the sun is playing with the glass exterior. I wasn’t impressed with the interior; it felt to me like I was locked up in a greenhouse with many other people.
Tapas: Basque style
At the Gran Vía, you will find Txapela, a restaurant serving tapas in Basque style. Take a table or a seat at the bar and order the dishes that look best on the menu.
Day 4 (Monday 30 December)
Day trip to Cuenca
Cuenca is a beautiful city with a historical city center at a two-hour’ drive from Madrid. You can also do a day trip to Toledo, Segovia or Ávila but I fell for the charm of the hanging houses of Cuenca and the nature reserves in the area.
I joined a Day Tour to Cuenca via GetYourGuide (a birthday present from my parents!). With that tour, I was able to see much of the area with little effort.
On the tour you will experience the following:
- look through the Devil’s window at a house overlooking a gorge,
- explore the Enchanted City and see the magical rock formations,
- visit the old town of Cuenca, and
- watch the Hanging Houses at sunset in magical Cuenca.
Day 5 (Tuesday 31 December)
Breakfast at the Brown Bear Bakery
This bakery sells good quality baked goods and has an attractive storefront. You can have breakfast inside or buy something to go.
Museo del Prado
Museo del Prado is one of the three best-known museums in Madrid together with Reina Sofia and Thyssen Museum. It is big, the building is magnificent and the museum lives up to its name.
The artworks on display are of the biggest artists in history. Many unique pieces can be seen in Museo del Prado with a collection ranging from sculptures to paintings. Instead of having a wide range of artists, it offers big collections from individual artists giving a very complete feel to your visit.
If you’re planning to visit in the morning, I recommend buying a ticket in advance via GetYourGuide. The queues get big and buying a skip the line ticket can save you up to an hour (it did for me).
CaixaForum
A very well designed and eye-catching building both on the inside and the outside.
CaixaForum is probably best known for its vertical garden, which is well deserved. The green wall next to the other brown walls of the building is a sight to behold. You can walk under the building and feel like you’re entering a crypt (an open-air one).
The stairs leading to the exhibitions inside have an industrial feel to it and the way the light plays with the silvery stairs causes interesting reflections.
Plaza de Santa Ana
You will cross Plaza de Santa Ana on your way back to the touristy part around Callao. The cafes at this plaza are far less crowded than many other plazas closer to the city center. If the weather is nice, you can have a drink and order late lunch.
I ordered Anchovies marinated in Salt and Vinegar: a perfect small dish to accompany my drink.
Spend the remaining time until dinner walking around the streets of Madrid spotting street art. Every attraction is closed because of New Year’s Eve festivities.
Dinner: Callos a la Madrileña
A visit to Madrid is not complete without trying one of their famous tripe or organ dishes (if you like those). You can try this dish at the tavern La Tía Cebolla (and many other taverns).
Callos a la Madrileña is a Madrid-style tripe stew. Delicious, but with a very strong taste. I would have loved to share this dish with someone.
Puerta del Sol
New Year’s Eve in Madrid is special and at the same time not that special. As in any big city, there will be many people in the streets to celebrate this last day of the year together.
The main festivities are at Puerta del Sol, but if you want to celebrate your New Year’s Eve at this plaza, you will have there go early. The police will only allow a limited amount of people to access the square. When I went there at 23:20, the road was already barricaded.
That being said, if you are traveling with family or friends, then anywhere should be fine as long as you are together. Alone it is kinda boring. From the area around Callao subway station, you will not see anything of the festivities. It is simply a waiting game until the person next to you starts counting back from 10 to 0 and eat his twelve grapes (a New Year’s Eve custom in Spain).
Day 6 (Wednesday 1 January)
Pretty much everything is closed today, except for some cafes and restaurants. You will have no problem finding breakfast, but it probably won’t be the best or cheapest meal of your trip.
The city center will be very quiet this morning, so use the opportunity to shoot pictures without people getting in the way.
Breakfast: cheese platter at Jamón 55
The Tapas bar Jamón 55 is one of the more interesting places open on January 1st. It is not the cheapest place, but they serve breakfast menus consisting of hot chocolate with churros or coffee/tea with sandwiches.
I wanted to have another cheese platter (the Dutch and cheese…), so I went for a regular menu item. It was not even close to being as good as the Jamón Ibérico and Manchego cheese platter of Mercado Jamón Ibérico. It was okeish though.
Parque Juan Carlos I
After a last stroll in the quiet city center of Madrid, it is time to head to the last destination of this itinerary. Even though most attractions are closed, many parks are still open. You can, for example, spend the afternoon in Retiro Park.
A more interesting option is Parque Juan Carlos I, as it is away from the city center and mainly frequented by locals. It is also a ten minutes’ bus ride from the airport, so it is a perfect place to spend the last hours of your trip. To get there: take subway line 5 from Callao to Canillejas and walk in ten minutes to the entrance of the park. You have to buy a public transport card to use the subway system, which is kind of a pity if you only use it for one trip.
A tip for New Year’s Day and other holidays: bus 827 takes you from the entrance of the park to airport terminal 4 from the Av.Logroño-Parque El Capricho bus stop. This bus normal comes every twenty minutes, but on certain days it changes to once an hour. This is not reflected on Google Maps. Please check the bus times before heading to the park on Spanish holidays.
Parque Juan Carlos I is a big park with sports facilities and playgrounds for kids, areas with different vegetation to explore, sculptures, a river and benches for relaxing. You can spend hours walking around exploring the park (doable with a suitcase) or strike down on a bench to read a book or simply enjoy the quiet. I liked this park much better than the parks in the city center because of what they did with the landscape.
What to read in Madrid
Anything by Javier Marías; an author from Madrid who writes books that take place in Madrid. I read one book by him and though the concept impressed me, his writing style is not for me. So judge for yourself…
Javier Marías - Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me
“No one ever suspects,” begins Tomorrow in the Battle Think On Me, “that they might one day find themselves with a dead woman in their arms….” Marta has just met Victor when she invites him to dinner at her Madrid apartment while her husband is away on business. When her two-year-old son finally falls asleep, Marta and Victor retreat to the bedroom. Undressing, she suddenly feels ill; and in his arms, inexplicably, she dies.
What should Victor do? Remove the compromising tape from the phone machine? Leave food for the child, for breakfast? These are just his first steps, but he soon takes matters further; unable to bear the shadows and the unknowing, Victor plunges into dark waters. And Javier Marías, Europe’s master of secrets, of what lies reveal and truth may conceal, is on sure ground in this profound, quirky, and marvelous novel.
Ben Lerner - Leaving the Atocha Station
Adam Gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid, struggling to establish his sense of self and his relationship to art. What is actual when our experiences are mediated by language, technology, medication, and the arts? Is poetry an essential art form, or merely a screen for the reader’s projections? Instead of following the dictates of his fellowship, Adam’s “research” becomes a meditation on the possibility of the genuine in the arts and beyond: are his relationships with the people he meets in Spain as fraudulent as he fears his poems are? A witness to the 2004 Madrid train bombings and their aftermath, does he participate in historic events or merely watch them pass him by?
Ernest Hemingway - Death in the Afternoon
Still considered one of the best books ever written about bullfighting, “Death in the Afternoon” is an impassioned look at the sport by one of its true aficionados. It reflects Hemingway’s conviction that bullfighting was more than mere sport and reveals a rich source of inspiration for his art. The unrivaled drama of bullfighting, with its rigorous combination of athleticism and artistry, and its requisite display of grace under pressure, ignited Hemingway’s imagination. Here he describes and explains the technical aspects of this dangerous ritual and “the emotional and spiritual intensity and pure classic beauty that can be produced by a man, an animal, and a piece of scarlet serge draped on a stick.” Seen through his eyes, bullfighting becomes a richly choreographed ballet, with performers who range from awkward amateurs to masters of great elegance and cunning.
