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The Metrópolis building at the start of Gran Vía, Madrid, at dusk

No. 2 Top 100 City Destinations 2025

Madrid

Spain

Spain's high-altitude capital: masterpiece museums, leafy boulevards and late nights.

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Photo: Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Madrid is No. 2 in Euromonitor International's Top 100 City Destinations Index 2025, which highlights the city's lead in sustainability and urban mobility. Spain's capital sits on a plateau in the middle of the country, about 650 metres above sea level, which makes it one of Europe's highest capitals.

The Paseo del Prado and Retiro Park were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021 as "Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a Landscape of Arts and Sciences". Beyond the museums, the city is known for tapas bars, lively plazas and famously late meals: dinner often starts after 9 pm.

The Royal Palace of Madrid seen from the Plaza de la Armería
The Royal Palace of Madrid seen from the Plaza de la Armería. Photo: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
The glass Palacio de Cristal in Retiro Park
The glass Palacio de Cristal in Retiro Park. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Best time to go

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable seasons. The San Isidro festival, for the city's patron saint, fills the streets around 15 May.

July and August are hot and dry, often above 30 °C, and many locals leave the city in August. Winters are cool and sunny, with the occasional frost.

Top sights

  • 1

    Museo del Prado In our Top 100 Museums

    One of the world's great art museums, with the finest collection of Spanish painting anywhere. Highlights include Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings and major works by El Greco, Titian, Rubens and Bosch.

  • 2

    Royal Palace (Palacio Real)

    The official residence of the Spanish royal family, though today it is used mainly for state ceremonies. You can tour the lavish state rooms, the Royal Armoury and the Royal Pharmacy.

  • 3

    Retiro Park

    This former royal retreat covers about 125 hectares. It has a boating lake overlooked by a monument to King Alfonso XII, a rose garden, and the Palacio de Cristal, a glass-and-iron pavilion built in 1887.

  • 4

    Museo Reina Sofía In our Top 100 Museums

    Spain's national museum of modern and contemporary art is home to Picasso's Guernica, along with works by Dalí and Miró.

  • 5

    Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza In our Top 100 Museums

    With the Prado and the Reina Sofía, it makes up Madrid's "Golden Triangle of Art". Its collection traces European painting from the 13th century to the late 20th century.

  • 6

    Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol

    The arcaded 17th-century Plaza Mayor and the nearby Puerta del Sol, where Kilometre Zero of Spain's national roads is marked, are the heart of old Madrid.

  • 7

    Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

    Real Madrid's stadium, rebuilt with a retractable roof, offers a stadium tour and a club museum.

Getting there

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), Spain's busiest airport, is about 12 km north-east of the centre. Metro line 8 runs from the airport to Nuevos Ministerios, Cercanías commuter trains serve Terminal 4, and the 24-hour Airport Express bus runs to Atocha and Cibeles.

Madrid is the hub of Spain's high-speed rail network. Fast trains leave Atocha and Chamartín stations for Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Málaga and beyond.

Getting around

The Metro de Madrid is extensive, clean and good value, with 12 main lines plus the short Ramal branch. Buses and Cercanías trains fill the gaps. Visitors load tickets onto a rechargeable Tarjeta Multi card.

The historic centre is compact and best explored on foot. BiciMAD electric bikes are handy for short trips.

Practical tips

Currency
Euro (EUR). Cards are accepted almost everywhere.
Language
Spanish (Castilian). English is common in hotels and tourist areas but less so in neighbourhood bars.
Safety
Madrid is one of Europe's safer big cities, but pickpockets work the Metro, Puerta del Sol, Gran Vía and the Sunday El Rastro flea market. The emergency number is 112.
Visa & entry
Spain is in the Schengen Area. Many visitors, including citizens of the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) now records non-EU travellers' entries and exits at the border, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is due to follow. Check the official EU site travel-europe.europa.eu and your own government's travel advice before you go.
Power
230 V, 50 Hz; plug types C and F.

Official information: esMADRID (official tourism website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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