Temple of Debod
Egyptian temple in Madrid, Spain.
An open-air site; go first thing, before the tour groups, while the April morning light is soft on the stone.
Morning · 2 hrDay 1
Royal Madrid, from temple to opera
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Royal Palace of Madrid
Official residence of the Spanish Royal Family.
The state rooms are extensive; keeping within the two hours still leaves time to walk straight across to the cathedral.
Morning · 2 hr
Almudena Cathedral
Roman Catholic cathedral in Madrid, Spain.
Afternoon · 45 min
Teatro Real
Opera house in Madrid, Spain.
Evening · 1 hrStart at the Temple of Debod while the square is quiet; the Royal Palace of Madrid and Almudena Cathedral sit side by side, so the morning flows on foot.
Day 2
Old squares and two quieter museums
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Main Square
Square in Madrid, Spain.
The arcades fill with tables as the morning goes on; arriving early lets you read the square before it gets busy.
Morning · 45 min%2003.jpg?width=800)
Puerta del Sol
Square in Madrid, Spain.
Morning · 45 min
Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando
Spanish art school, museum and gallery in Madrid, Spain.
The Goya rooms are the quiet heart of the visit; this gallery is smaller and calmer than the three big museums.
Afternoon · 2 hr.jpg?width=800)
National Museum of Archaeology
Archaeological museum in Madrid, Spain.
An evening visit is calm here; the collection spans Iberia and the wider Mediterranean and rewards a slow circuit.
Evening · 2 hrMain Square and Puerta del Sol are minutes apart; the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando rewards a slower look than the big galleries.
Day 3
Three museums and a park to end on
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Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Art museum in Madrid, Spain.
The collection is broad and ordered by period; the second hour lets you move from early masters to modern works at your own pace.
Morning · 2 hr.jpg?width=800)
Museo del Prado
Spanish national art museum in Madrid, Spain.
There is more here than any one visit can hold; choose a few rooms and go deep rather than trying to cover everything.
Morning · 2 hr
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
National museum of art in Madrid, Spain.
The permanent collection, with Guernica at its centre, is the reason to come; the 20th-century rooms take time.
Afternoon · 2 hr.jpg?width=800)
El Retiro Park
Urban park in Madrid, Spain.
End here in the late light of April; the lake and the wide avenues are an easy way to close a museum-heavy day.
Evening · 1 hr 15 minThe three art museums sit close together; give the Museo del Prado the longest stretch and save El Retiro Park for the late afternoon.
Good to know
Which Madrid art museums sit near each other?
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, the Museo del Prado and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía all sit close together; this trip visits the three of them on day three.
Is Guernica in the Prado?
No. Guernica hangs in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, at the centre of its 20th-century collection.
How close are the Royal Palace and the cathedral?
Almudena Cathedral is right beside the Royal Palace of Madrid; the walk between them takes a couple of minutes.
When is the best time to visit the Temple of Debod?
First thing in the morning in April, before the tour groups arrive; the site is outdoors and the light is gentle.
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