Itineraries
Where to stay
Sol and the center for first-timers, Las Letras for the museums and tapas, Malasaña for a younger crowd, Salamanca for an upscale, quieter base.
The areas: Sol and Centro, Barrio de las Letras, Malasaña, Salamanca.
Where to stay in Madrid: areas and adviceHotels in MadridPlaces to see
All things to do in SpainNeighborhoodBarrio de las LetrasThe old literary quarter between Sol and the Prado, with quotes set in the pavement and many tapas bars.Entry: Free to visit
FoodCalle de la Cava BajaA curving La Latina street lined with old taverns and tapas bars.Entry: Pay as you go
ChurchChurch of Santo Tomé, ToledoA small church that displays El Greco's painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.Entry: General admission for visitors over 16, including the El Greco painting.
NeighborhoodGran VíaMadrid's grand avenue of early 20th-century buildings, theaters and shops.Entry: Free to visit
NeighborhoodLavapiésA multicultural old quarter south of the center, with Indian, African and Spanish bars and restaurants.Entry: Free to visit
NeighborhoodMalasañaA lively quarter of vintage shops, cafes and bars around the Plaza del Dos de Mayo.Entry: Free to visit
MarketMercado de San MiguelAn iron-and-glass market hall full of tapas counters.Entry: Pay as you go
ViewpointMirador del Valle, ToledoA roadside viewpoint across the Tagus gorge with the classic panorama of Toledo.Entry: Free to visit
NeighborhoodPlaza de Zocodover, ToledoToledo's main square, ringed by cafes, with shops nearby selling the city's marzipan.Entry: Free to visit
NeighborhoodPlaza MayorThe arcaded 17th-century main square.Entry: Free to visit
MuseumPrado MuseumVelázquez, Goya and El Greco in one of the great art museums of the world.Entry: Free in the last two hours
NeighborhoodPuerta del SolThe busy central square, with the Kilometer Zero plaque.Entry: Free to visit
MuseumReina Sofía MuseumModern Spanish art, home of Picasso's Guernica.Entry: Free entry in the last hours of the day
NatureRetiro ParkA huge park with a boating lake and the glass Crystal Palace.Entry: Free to visit
NatureRoyal Botanical GardenAn 18th-century botanical garden of terraces and glasshouses beside the Prado.
MuseumRoyal Palace of MadridThe official royal residence, with lavish state rooms and an armory.Entry: Can close for state events
MuseumSynagogue of El Tránsito, ToledoA 14th-century synagogue with carved stucco walls, now home to the Sephardic Museum.Entry: Free on Saturday afternoons and Sundays
TempleTemple of DebodAn ancient Egyptian temple, a gift from Egypt, rebuilt in a park near Plaza de España.Entry: Free to view from the park
ChurchToledo CathedralA Gothic cathedral in the old capital, about 35 minutes from Madrid by train.Entry: Sundays from 2 PM