Experience the City at Sunset
Experience the City at Sunset
A guided tour is always a great idea if you want to get to know a new city quickly. But a guided tour at sunset? Magical. Your expert guide will bring Madrid’s storied streets to life with an engaging commentary as you visit atmospherically lit attractions like the neoclassical Almudena Cathedral, baroque Royal Palace and swoonsome arches of the Segovia Bridge.
Insta addicts will be in seventh heaven on Plaza de la Villa (pictured), home of several of Madrid’s oldest buildings, including the Mudéjar-style Casa de los Lujanes and photographers’ favourite Casa de Cisneros, a delicious 16th-century Renaissance mansion.
Tours conclude on the vibrant Puerta del Sol, where street performers ply their trade and people-watching opportunities abound from the many rooftop cocktail bars and jumping tapas joints.
Top tip: the Madrid night tour is included with the Madrid pass from Go City. The pass can save you up to 50% on 25+ Madrid attractions, including flamenco shows and tours of the Prado and Reina Sofia museums. Click here for more info.
Take in a Show
Take in a Show
Flamenco is as Spanish as sangria, siestas and, um, Julio Iglesias. And there are plenty of opportunities to experience the colorful castanet-clicking Andalusian dance all over Madrid. Try the Corral de la Morería – the oldest flamenco tablao in town – for some of the most authentic (and intense) foot-stomping. Or hit up the terrific Torres Bermejas, with interiors that have been designed to conjure the Alhambra palace in Granada.
Fans of opera and classical music make beelines for the prestigious Teatro Real and National Auditorium of Music respectively, while Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium is where it’s at for major rock and pop spectaculars – Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift and dear old Julio himself have all performed here.
Parks in the Dark
Parks in the Dark
Don’t be afraid of the dark: Madrid’s parks are well-lit at night and generally safe as long as you keep your wits about you. The Temple of Debod in Oeste Park is hands-down one of the best sunset spots in town. Dating from the 2nd Century BC, this sacred Egyptian shrine is all tranquil pools and swoon-worthy stone archways, ideal for framing those bruised-purple night skies in photographic posterity.
There’s a fine riverside bike ride to be had along the banks of the Manzanares River in Río Park, with romantic views of the river’s many bridges reflected in the water. Just don’t forget to use lights and wear reflective clothing!
Then, of course, there’s the mighty Retiro Park, where illuminated paths make for sweet starlit strolls, and monumental treasures including the fantastical Fountain of the Fallen Angel, Crystal Palace conservatory, and colonnaded grandeur of the Monument to King Alfonso XII are all beautifully lit up.
Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum
Spain is responsible for some of the greatest art the world has ever seen. We’re talking Goya, Velázquez, Dalí and some guy called Pablo Picasso, to name just a few. No surprise then that Madrid isn’t short of a world-class gallery or six. The Reina Sofia Museum is the big kahuna around these parts, boasting one of the planet’s finest collections of 20th-century Spanish Art. Here’s where you can ogle Dalí’s Great Masturbator; Snail, Woman, Flower, Star by Joan Miró and – the museum’s crowning glory – 1937 Picasso masterpiece Guernica. The museum is open until 9PM most days and entry is free after 7PM.
Similarly, the Prado (pictured) is free for the last couple of hours, meaning you can view masterpieces like Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights and Goya’s Third of May 1808 absolutely gratis!
Top tip: guided (daytime) tours of both museums are included with the Madrid pass.
Tapas and Cocktails
Tapas and Cocktails
Madrid’s nightlife is the stuff of legend. This is a city of night owls, with dinner usually eaten around 9PM, and often later. Heck, most restaurants don’t even open until after 8PM. Make like a madrileño and start your evening with snacks and cocktails. Spain’s oldest cocktail bar – Museo Chicote on Gran Vía – retains much of its old-school 1930s charm, but the rooftop bars of Plaza de España and Puerta del Sol are where it’s at for the liveliest party atmosphere during the warmer months.
Suitably well-lubricated, make for the historic (and unashamedly picturesque) La Latina neighborhood where the colorful Calle de la Cava Baja is home to some of the most sought-after tapas in town – think succulent garlic shrimp, spicy sausage, fluffy Spanish omelet and moreish Manchego cheese. Stalwart tapas treasure Sobrino de Botín has been running for so long that Goya once waited tables here!
Mosey down to Malasaña for cool indie pubs and clubs that stay open well into the wee small hours, or soak up the effervescent LGBTQ+ vibe over in Chueca. Meanwhile, up-all-night ravers make for the near-legendary Teatro Kapital, a multi-level mega-club on the edge of the Retiro Park.
But for the rest of us, it’s back to the hotel for a well-earned cocoa and bed…
Looking for more things to do in Madrid at night (and in the daytime)? The Madrid pass includes 25+ must-see attractions and could save you up to 50% on standard admission costs. Hit the buttons below to bag yours!
Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.
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