Two Day Budget Itinerary for Madrid, Spain

Explore Madrid for two days on a budget: what to do for a short trip to the capital of Spain!

If you ever find yourself in Spain, you absolutely have to take a trip to its capital: the incredibly city of Madrid! Madrid is fascinating in every aspect… castles, cathedrals, food, history, drinks, as well as the kindest people! It felt a lot like a crazy mix between New York City and Washington D.C., just relocated to another country. I spend two days here but easily could’ve wandering around for weeks and not seen everything! However, here is a short itinerary to help you hit the highlights when planning your budget trip to Spain!

DAY 1

Wander!

You could just wander around this city forever without getting bored. Start your day by heading towards the center of the city and just exploring! Head wherever the wind takes you. For the first half of the day, go check out some of the places below! Make sure you have comfy walking shoes and a full water bottle, because you’re about to get your steps in! All of the places below are within walking distance, so no need to taxi or bus or train!

Start out at Puerta del Sol (far right!)

Head over to La Mallorquina Bakery (second to right)! It’s adorable and has the most delicious and beautiful pastries! Take a second to sit and catch your breath, eat some chocolate croissants, have some coffee, and hit the road again!

Plaza Mayor! This is one of the most famous plazas in Madrid! It’s beautiful and definitely worth checking out.

Wander over to Plaza de la Armería. Surprise surprise! Another plaza! Super cool, super old, super awesome. The buildings are perfectly crafted and so full of history! This was a personal favorite.

Go explore Palacio Royal! You can walk around and look at it from the outside for free. Admission is 12 euros if you want to head inside!

Lunchtime!

This lunch was my favorite in all of Madrid! Head over to Mercado de San Miguel, an incredible indoor market with tons of seafood, empanadas, fruit, drinks, and pretty much everything you could think of!

Museum!

After lunch, go explore the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía! This is an incredible spot with famous Picasso paintings! It’s beautiful and 100% worth a visit. Prices vary depending on if you get them online, what day it is, etc. but expect to pay about 12 euros.

Dinner

Inside the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, there’s an adorable restaurant on the first floor by the exit called El Jardín. They have fantastic food and drinks. Be sure to take a look! Eat dinner here and then treat yourself to some ice cream from one of the hundreds of heladerias on the street!

Discoteca

After dinner, start getting ready to go out! There’s an awesome discoteca (which is basically just a bar but a little fancier) called Kapital! Head over around 12 a.m. and explore the seven floors of this discoteca, which even include a karaoke floor!

Day 2

Parque de El Retiro

This park in Madrid is gigantic! You could spend days here and not see everything! It’s beautiful and a must-visit spot in Madrid! Explore the lake, take a boat ride, and go see the Palacio de Cristal! Inside the park is also an incredible garden that you’ve got to check out. It’s called La Rosadela de Retiro. Everything is within walking distance. Just plug it into your Apple Maps and off you go!

Lunch

Grab a quick lunch inside the park at a little stand! There’s also ice cream and churros with chocolate all over the place, so be sure to try both!

Museum

After your morning in the park, walk over to the Museo Nacional del Prado. This is another incredible museum in Madrid that’s worth seeing! It costs around 15 euros but is definitely worth it.

Plaza and Dinner!

Head over to Plaza de Cibeles. You can see the incredible palace, as well as go inside and climb to the top for a rooftop view of Madrid! AND it only costs 3 euros! Best thing ever. In addition to that, get dinner on a rooftop overlooking Madrid at the Terraza Cibeles Cocktail Bar. Have a nice night in, watching the sun set over the city.

A Few Last Tips

My first tip is to download the app Voi. This is an electric scooter app when you can find scooters and ride them around from place to place. These are SUPER handy when you’re exhausted, and even if you’re not exhausted, its super fun!

Keep an eye out for pickpockets! Especially in a big city like Madrid, they are everywhere! Keep a hand on your bag at all times, and don’t keep your passport, phone, or money exposed at any time!

There are a ton of crazy looking people dressed up as Elmo, bears, Mario, and literally everything else. DON’T TAKE A PICTURE OF THEM OR WITH THEM! They will press you to pay them and intimidate and scare you. Generally, as a rule of thumb, keep your distance!

Another thing to look out for, but a good thing this time, are the street names! They’re written or painted or decorated onto buildings on every street, often with a mural or some other little painting or ceramic! This was one of my favorite parts about Madrid and Spain in general!