Madrid isn’t exactly renowned as a budget holiday spot, but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to have fun once you’re there. In fact, there are stacks of free things you can do in Madrid, from visiting world-class museums and royal palaces to browsing flea markets, picnicking in the parks, and simply enjoying the city’s elegant architecture. Check out our selection of the best free things to do in Madrid, including:
- Plaza Mayor
- Cibeles Palace
- Retiro Park
- Prado and Reina Sofia museums
- Almudena Cathedral
- El Rastro flea market
- Gran Via
- Temple of Debod
Plaza Mayor
A stroll around this most elegant of Madrid plazas is essential and, crucially, will cost you absolutely nada. Plaza Mayor is the city’s beating heart, a grand square that’s accessed via nine monumental arches. Grab a selfie by the extremely photogenic Arco de los Cuchilleros then take in the intricate mythological murals that adorn the Casa de la Panadería and say hola to King Philip III sitting astride his trusty steed (albeit in statue form). Pro tip: there’s no better way to people-watch in Madrid than by grabbing a cone of hot, sugary churros with chocolate dipping sauce and finding a seat beneath one of the plaza’s ornate towering lamp posts. Enjoy!
Cibeles Palace
The crowning glory of the already magnificent Plaza de Cibeles, Cibeles Palace is a glorious architectural confection complete with Neoplateresque facade and great wedding-cake turrets. There’s no charge for admiring its extraordinary exterior, taking a peek inside and filling your Insta feed with #humblebrag snaps galore but, if your budget will stretch to it, it’s worth paying the €3 fee to ascend the tower for 360-degree city views that take in the 11-kilometer-long Calle Alcalá, the Colon Towers and, of course, Plaza de Cibeles itself, with its iconic marble fountain depicting the goddess Cybele on a lion-drawn chariot.
Retiro Park
There’s more than enough free eye candy in Retiro Park to fill a day’s sightseeing (or more). Don’t-miss landmarks include the glass-and-cast-iron masterpiece that is the Crystal Palace, once a hothouse showcasing local flora and fauna; now an exhibition space for the Reina Sofia Museum. Feast your eyes on the Fountain of the Fallen Angel, a monumental sculpture depicting Lucifer’s fall from grace, stop to smell the roses in the formal gardens, and marvel at the epic Monument to Alfonso XII from a prime position on the tranquil boating lake. See it all on a guided bike tour or take it easy – a lazy picnic of Spanish cheeses, cured meats and still-warm bread, scoffed on the lawns by the kitschy Fisherman’s House, is just about as good as life gets.
Free Museums
Madrid has more world-class art museums than you can shake a paintbrush at. Chief among these are the Prado and Reina Sofia which, between them, cover the history of (mostly) Spanish and European art from the 12th Century to the present day. We’re talking masterpieces by the likes of Picasso, El Greco, Goya, Velázquez, Dalí, Miró, Bosch, Raphael and van Dyck, to name just a few. You’ll find some of their best-known works here. Hit up Reina Sofia for a close-up look at Picasso’s Guernica, one of the most powerful anti-war statements ever committed to canvas, and head over to the Prado for Velázquez’ illusory Las Meninas, Bosch’s enigmatic Garden of Earthly Delights triptych and other bucket-list pieces. Entry to the both museums is free during the last two hours of opening. Reina Sofia is completely free to enter on Sundays and holidays. You can also save money on guided tours at both (and access to many other Madrid attractions) with a Madrid pass from Go City.
El Rastro Market
The picturesque old neighborhood of La Latina is worth a visit any day of the week (top tip for foodies: it’s where you’ll find some of the best tapas in town), but Sundays are particularly enjoyable thanks to the vast El Rastro, Spain’s biggest open-air flea market. It’s great fun just browsing the hundreds of stalls in the streets and lanes around Calle de la Ribera de Curtidores, all piled high with antiques, retro fashions, kitsch kitchenware, vintage vinyl records and, well, pretty much anything else you can think of. It’s free to look, and free to take Insta-worthy snaps galore. But bring your best haggling game, too: there’s no way you’re walking out of here without being tempted by a phrenological head, old street map, Spanish Civil War medal, or some such other souvenir curio...
Gran Vía
Sticking with the shopping theme, the Gran Vía is Madrid’s most famous shopping boulevard, a long, elegant stretch of capitalist excess with hundreds of stores, malls, bars and restaurants in which to splash the cash. But resist the lure of Mango and Massimo Dutti and there’s plenty of gratis fun to be had here, by simply admiring the eclectic architecture and soaking up the lively atmosphere. Look out for the landmark Metropolis building, topped with its gilded cupola and winged goddess, snap a selfie beneath the Capitol building’s old-school Schweppes sign and – oh, go on then – treat yourself to a refreshing Seville orange sorbet from one of the many fine gelato joints.
Almudena Cathedral
This glorious 19th-century confection at the bottom of Calle Mayor (and right next door to the Royal Palace) is free to enter. The neo-gothic interior’s clean lines, vivid stained glass windows and, yes, even pop-art decor, set it apart from other European cathedrals of this era, lending a strikingly modern look that surprises and delights in equal measure. Look out for statues of contemporary artists, painted icons by Spanish legend Kiko Argüello and a neo-romanesque crypt that houses the mortal remains of several Spanish royals and other dignitaries. There’s a €7 fee to enter the cathedral museum, which contains effigies of the city’s patron saints.
Temple of Debod
Last but by no means least, you simply must enjoy a sunset from the atmospheric environs of the Temple of Debod in Oeste Park. Dating from the 2nd Century BC, this sacred Egyptian shrine found its way to Madrid in 1968 and has been a favorite with locals, tourists and hopeless romantics ever since. Comprising of a small temple and several stone arches, set over tranquil pools amid beautiful gardens, the temple is pretty special at any time of day or night, but rarely more so than at sundown, when the whole place seems to glow a fiery orange. Cost of this unforgettable Madrid experience? Precisely zero Euros. Heavenly.
Save on things to do in Madrid
Save on admission to Madrid attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
