How to Spend 48 Hours in Madrid, Spain

This was my very first time in Madrid and I absolutely loved it! It is a gorgeous city and there is so much to see and do here. If you are planning a city break or even a summer holiday, this would be the perfect destination.

While I was travelling the North of Spain, I spent 2 nights in Madrid, which was jam packed with sightseeing, beautiful parks, and good food.

In this blog post, I will run you through how I spent 48 hours in Madrid, from the time I arrived to the time we left. 

If you are planning a weekend break to Madrid, definitely save this post!

DAY 1

We arrived in Madrid quite early in the morning around 11am. We got the train from Valencia to Chamartín Station, so the first thing we had to do was get the metro to the city centre. This was really straightforward from Chamartín Station, it is really well sign posted. It costs €2.50 per person and it takes about 15 minutes to get to Atocha Station, which is in the centre of Madrid.

Breakfast @ Zenith

When we arrived at Atocha Station, our first priority was breakfast. We went to a busy little spot, called Zenith. This place is really popular. We saw it all over Tik Tok, so we gave it a try, but to be honest the hype wasn’t worth it. It does sell good breakfast but it was super busy and a little cramped. However, the prices here are super reasonable for what you are getting.

You can view their menu at: (20+) Zenith Brunch & Cocktails – Madrid | Facebook

Plaza Mayor

After breakfast we headed off to see some of the sites, with our first stop being Plaza Mayor, which is a popular public space in the heart of the city that was once the centre of Old Madrid. This square is surrounded by beautiful architecture, and it also has some nice restaurants and cafes within the space. However, due to this being a major tourist attraction, the cafes and restaurants here can be much more expensive than places outside the square.

I highly recommend seeing this while you are in Madrid, it is such a lovely place for photos. It is also free, so you can head here and take in its beauty at no charge.

Mercado de San Miguel

Next on our agenda was Mercado de San Miguel, which is located just outside of Plaza Mayor. This is one of the nicest markets I have ever visited. I would describe it as a boujee market, in comparison to other markets I have been to. 

The food here is delicious, they sell a lot of street food/tapas in this market. The fried shrimp is amazing! We also decided to get ourselves a little treat here. We went with the Rocambolesc stall, which sells ice cream, frozen yoghurt, waffles, and crepes. I would definitely recommend this stall if you have a sweet tooth like me.

Plaza de la Armería/Royal Palace of Madrid

After getting a light snack we walked over to Plaza de la Armería and the Royal Palace of Madrid, which are next to one another. These two buildings are so beautiful and definitely worth heading over this direction to see. We didn’t pay into either of the attractions but if you are interested in learning more about the history of the sites, then this could definitely be a fun activity for you.

You can still get some great pictures from outside the buildings. There is a spectacular viewpoint here, where you can see the entire city. This is 100% worth seeing. As well as this, behind the Royal Palace there is a beautiful garden, which is a great place to get some pictures.

Parque Infantil Montana de Principe Pío

After this we headed up to Parque Infantil Montana de Principe Pío, this was a bit of an uphill climb but it was so beautiful once we got up there. After walking around for hours, we chilled out at this park for a while, just to take a breather. It was so peaceful and it also had the most amazing views of the city. This park was a lot quieter than the viewpoint beside the Royal Palace, so it was much easier to get pictures of the view from up there.

There is also a beautiful garden just below this park called Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste, which reminded me of a Botanical Garden. This is completely free to stroll around.

If you are interested in history Temple of Debod is located by this park. It would be a great place for you to take in one of Madrid’s historic landmarks. There is no entry to get into the Temple of Debod, so it is also a super cheap and cheerful activity if you are on a budget.

The Botanical Gardens

As we were on a budget, we decided that for lunch we would just get some snacks in the local supermarket and hope that they would hold us over until dinner. So, we headed into Lidl and got ourselves some food.

We went over to Madrid’s Botanical Gardens to have a picnic in the park here, which was such a nice way to unwind in nature. Madrid is full of beautiful gardens, which are mostly free and open 24 hours a day.

Parque Retiro

After this we headed to Parque Retiro, which is one of the most beautiful places in Madrid. You may know this place as it is popular for its little boats that you can rent to row around the lake. They also have some amazing gardens in this park that are bursting with colour. You can wander around this park for hours and never get bored.

Dinner @ Yatai Market 

After strolling around Parque Retiro for a few hours, we decided to head for some dinner. We were craving Asian cuisine, so we decided to head to an Asian food court called Yatai Market. 

This food court was so cool, it had multiple stalls to choose from, and it had a really nice vibe about it. I tried the Khao-San stall which was super tasty. This place is great for a casual dinner, but also for lunch if you want something quick.

You can view their menu at: Yatai – It is the first street market of oriental cuisine with gastronomic stalls from different regions that will teleport you to Asia with all your senses. (yataimarkets.com)

We then caught some live music at Jacinto Benavente Square, where a man was playing a grand piano as the sunset. This was such a nice way to finish off our first day in Madrid.

DAY 2

Breakfast @ Honest Greens

We always start our day off with a big breakfast so that we won’t be starving while we are sightseeing. On this morning we went to Honest Greens, which I could not recommend enough. Their food is so fresh and they have amazing coffee. 

I also recommend getting their flavoured H2o waters, which are €2.50 and you can refill them as much as you want. We tried all the flavours while we were there, they were super refreshing.

You can view their menu at: Menu | Honest Greens | EAT REAL.

WOW Store

Across the street from Honest Greens is the WOW Shop, which is kind of similar to Brown Thomas but way cooler. Every level of this store is designed differently in a really unique way. I would definitely suggest taking a stroll around this shop if you are in Madrid.

Galleria Canalejas

Seeing as we were in the mood to shop for things we couldn’t afford, we then headed over to the Galleria Canalejas, which is a shopping mall dedicated to designer brands. It reminded me slightly of Selfridges in London. Just going in here to walk around is an experience in itself. There is a person playing live music on a grand piano as you enter the mall, which just added to the experience straight away.

On the bottom level of this mall you will find an array of restaurants which would be fabulous if you were treating yourself to a boujee lunch or dinner. These spots have been highly rated on Tripadvisor, so they are definitely worth looking into if you are in Madrid.

When we left the Galleria Canalejas, there was a string band orchestra playing outside the mall, which was amazing to see. You can catch a lot of buskers/live music on the streets of Madrid, which adds so much life to the city.

Coffee @ Las Nubes Cafe

If you are looking for coffee with a bit of an added experience, the coffee at El Corte Ingles Las Nubes Cafe Rooftop is amazing! At the very top of this El Corte Ingles shopping centre you will find a number of restaurants and cafes to choose from. Once you order you can head out to the rooftop terrace to see the most gorgeous views of Madrid.

Parque de les 7 Tetas

For lunch, once again, we had a picnic. This time we had it at Parque de les 7 Tetas, which was a lot quieter than the day before. It is up on a height, so while you have your picnic you can gaze out at some of the most amazing views. Moments like this make the simple things so special. 

Even if you are not having a picnic, this park is so worth going to. It would be a really pretty place to watch the sunset over the city later in the evening time.

Thrift Shopping

As we had minimal room in our backpacks we weren’t in the position to buy anything, but browsing around thrift stores is such a fun activity, especially in big cities where the thrift stores are really good.

We went to the Humana Thrift Store which had some really cool pieces. If I was to go back to Madrid I would definitely stop by here to have a look and maybe even find something I love. Unfortunately, this is the only thrift store we went to, but Madrid is full of little cute vintage shops, so if you have room in your luggage for some new bits, definitely have a browse.

Drinks @ Salmon Guru

After spending the whole day walking around the city, we headed for some cocktails. We went to Salmon Guru, which I think is a must if you are in Madrid. This place sells the coolest looking cocktails, that are served to you in the maddest things. 

Although the cocktails are a little expensive (€13-€15), they are worth it. The whole experience from the minute you enter this cocktail bar is super cool. I definitely recommend hitting this place up!

Dinner @ Bel Mondo

We made a dinner reservation a few days prior for Bel Mondo, which is a really popular Italian restaurant in Madrid (so if you want to go, make a reservation about a week in advance). The interior here is amazing, it was honestly one of the coolest restaurants I had ever seen. We thought the food was good but we were expecting more. I got the carbonara and it was lovely but it didn’t blow me away unfortunately. 

However, I wouldn’t let that throw you off going here, because for what the food lacks, the place itself makes up for. We also got a super cute photobooth picture downstairs in their photobooth which is located beside the bathroom. This is such a nice momentum to have, so whoever you go to Bel Mondo with, make sure to head down after your meal and get some pictures.

You can view their menu at: Menu (bigmammagroup.com)

Dessert @ Mallorquina

As it was our last night in Madrid we decided to go all out. There is a bakery beside Bel Mondo called Mallorquina, which has some amazing treats. Although this place is a little expensive, it is a super nice place to go, especially if you are in that area and are craving something sweet.

We went here for dessert but it would even be a great stop for a snack while you’re out for the day exploring the city. The place itself is beautiful!

Cibeles Palace 

Truthfully I believe Cibeles Palace is one of the nicest buildings in Madrid. Whether it is during the day or at night this place is fabulous. The fact that it is located right beside a roundabout nearly adds to the experience of it, as there is so much hustle and bustle going on around such beauty.

We went here on our way home from dinner, to see it all lit up at night. This was absolutely fabulous! It is such a great location for pictures, or if you’re out sightseeing during the day you can go here to learn about its history.

So, that is how I spent 48 hours in Madrid! I felt as though it was the perfect two days, but there is still so much in Madrid that I am yet to do. You might want a few extra days here if you have the time, but if not just get as much as you can done with the time you have. It is so worth it! 

Save this post so you can refer back to it when you’re making out your Madrid itinerary.

Chat again soon,

Aoife x