3 Days in Madrid for Food & Market Lovers

Stop 210:00 AM~ 2 hours

Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace of Madrid is Spain’s official royal residence, with room after room of royal art and ceremony to explore. Walking through the ornate interiors felt like royalty had just stepped out of the room. But the Royal Armoury was my FAVORITE surprise—the real armor made for kings as children, plus armor for horses and even dogs, was wild to see up close. Before you even enter, the monumental exterior makes a huge impression from the plaza. With a guide, the frescoes and their hidden symbolism start to click as you move from room to room.

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Stop 412:30 PM~ 1 hour

Mercado de San Miguel

Mercado de San Miguel is a historic glass-and-iron market beside Plaza Mayor, now filled with individual food and drink counters. My favorite bite was the octopus-and-potato skewer, and I also liked the mackerel toast. 🐟 The independent counters let you bounce between seafood, cheeses, cured meats, sweets, and drinks without choosing one restaurant. It’s an easy place to grab a few small tapas and watch everything being prepared behind the counters.

Stop 62:30 PM~ 1 hour

Puerta del Sol

Puerta del Sol is Madrid’s fully pedestrian central square, where historic streets converge around the Real Casa de Correos. You can see the Bear and Strawberry Tree, Kilometer Zero plaque, and Madrid’s famous New Year’s clock within one quick loop around the square. Street musicians and spontaneous performances keep the plaza lively throughout the day. Look up and you’ll also spot the glowing Tío Pepe sign above the square!

Stop 85:30 PM~ 3 hours

La Latina tapas crawl

A tapas crawl through La Latina means moving between the bars of Cava Baja and Cava Alta, ordering a drink and a small plate at each stop. You can mix traditional croquettes, bravas, boquerones, and huevos rotos with newer restaurants, wine bars, and rooftop terraces. There are so many bars packed into these few streets that you’ll have plenty of places to choose from. The fun is wandering from bar to bar and seeing what you find along the way!

Stop 212:00 PM

Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace is a beautiful glass-and-iron exhibition pavilion beside a pond in El Retiro. Water reaches the palace steps, where ducks and turtles make the whole setting feel alive. I spotted the most beautiful black swan I’ve ever seen gliding across the pond outside! 🦆 The tree-lined paths and nearby waterfall make this such a peaceful place to chill and people-watch.

Stop 44:00 PM~ 4 hours

Madrid Paella Cooking Class

This paella cooking class begins at Antón Martín Market, where you shop for ingredients before heading into the kitchen. Then you’ll cook a starter, mixed paella, and sangria in pairs before everyone shares lunch. You’re in the action from the first market stop to the final shared meal! You’ll leave with a recipe booklet ready for your next paella night.

Stop 210:00 AM~ 2 hours

Tour Bernabéu

Tour Bernabéu takes you behind the scenes at Real Madrid through trophy rooms, club history, changing rooms, dugouts, and panoramic stadium views. The interactive archives and player displays give you much more to explore than just a quick look at the pitch. Between the trophies, changing rooms, and pitch-side areas, you get a much fuller look at the club and stadium.

Stop 42:30 PM~ 1 hour

Primark

Primark’s flagship on Gran Vía is basically a giant department store filled with affordable clothing, beauty products, luggage, and home goods. I was genuinely shocked by how ginormous it felt—clothes, suitcases, swimsuits, everything! I came back for a real shopping round and left with three or four super-cheap swimsuit options. The creative displays make the store feel much more fun than your average Primark. There are even phone-charging areas where your shopping buddy can take a break while you keep browsing.

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Stop 65:00 PM~ 1 hour

MYKA Greek Yogurt

MYKA is a Madrid-born frozen yogurt shop serving tangy Greek yogurt with more than 30 colorful toppings to choose from. I still think about how refreshing and how DELIGHTFUL it was—I genuinely wish we had one at home! We even walked to another neighborhood for a second round. The yogurt is tangy enough to balance the sweeter toppings, and pistachio gives it such a rich, nutty finish.

Stop 87:30 PM~ 1 hour

Metropolis Building

The Metropolis Building sits where Calle de Alcalá meets Gran Vía, with an ornate façade and a dramatic slate-and-gold dome. We stopped to see it while walking nearby, and that silhouette was impossible to miss. The gold details photograph beautifully in the evening light. After dark, the Winged Victory and glowing Beaux-Arts façade give the whole corner a serious WOW factor!

Stop 109:30 PM~ 2 hours

Sunset city views at 360º Rooftop Bar

The 360º Rooftop Bar sits on top of Hotel Riu Plaza España, with panoramic city views, live music, and a glass walkway high above Madrid. We walked into the hotel without a reservation and paid 10 euros each to take the elevator up. There was a bit of a wait for a table around sunset, but we could still explore the rooftop without ordering any drinks! I’m glad we waited, though, because we scored a gorgeous table above Madrid’s red rooftops, and watching the whole city glow was absolutely worth it! 🌆

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