Top 36 Things to do in Madrid
Are you heading to Madrid and wondering what to do? Not a fan of museums and really touristy places? No worries, we´ve got you covered with our list of interesting and alternative things to do in Madrid!
(We´ve purposely left off the museums that all other sites will point you to, and only left in a few must see touristy places!)
1.
Hammam Al-Andalus
Who
would have guessed that you can find traditional Turkish baths right in the
centre of Madrid? Head here for a day of relaxing away from the hustle and
bustle of the city.
Nearest metro: sol
(lines 1 – light blue, 2 – red or 3 – yellow) or tirso de Molina (line 1)
*Price: €35 por 90 minutos en el spa
(treatments not included)
*Hours: reserve online - (normally you can reserve between 10:00 y 22:00)
*Hours: reserve online - (normally you can reserve between 10:00 y 22:00)
Photo: lasmorenasdeespana.com
2.
Spanish Civil War Bunker
Head
to Capricho Park to visit one of Madrid´s best kept secrets – the bunker of Jaca
Position located underneath the park. This former home of the Republican Army
of the Central Region boasts 7 rectangular rooms built 15m underground. At the
weekends, visitors may take a 30 minute tour of the bunkers, however please
note that bookings are required.
Nearest Metro: El
Capricho (line 5, lime green)
Photo: desenfoquesurbanos.wordpress.com
3.
Chamberí Ghost Metro Station
If
you´ve ever taken the metro line 1, you may have noticed a station flashing
past that you never stop at between bilbao and iglesia. This is the Chamberí
metro station which is no longer in use. However, if you head to the Plaza de
Chamberí you can still have a look around at this abandoned station.
Nearest Metro: Either
Bilbao or Iglesia (both line 1, light blue)
*Price: Free
*Hours:
♦ Thus 10:00 - 13:00
♦ Fri 11:00 - 19:00
♦ Sat/sun 11:00 - 15:00
♦ Sat/sun 11:00 - 15:00
Photo: europanostra.org
4.
Aventura Amazonia
If
you live in England you´ve probably heard of Go Ape. This is Spain´s version,
and it makes Go Ape look like it’s for toddlers. Climb to new heights in this
tree top adventure where you can clip on and swing through the trees like a
monkey. Although it is a little way out of Madrid, we´d still highly recommend this
experience.
How to get there:
Head to Moncloa bus station (metro: moncloa) in the centre of Madrid
and then take the ´linea interurbana´ (number 684) towards Cercedilla (Larrea).
Get off at ´Renfe de Cercedilla´. From there you must walk up to the park which
will take about 35 minutes (you´re looking for the ´esplanades de Las Dehesas´
where you will find Aventura Amazonia).
*Price: €21 (adults)
*Hours: various, never before 10am
Photo: superpeque.com
5. Parque Europa de Torrejón de Ardoz
Imagine
being able to visit all of Europe’s top sights in one day. At Europa Park you
can do exactly that. This park features sculptures of all of Europe’s main
attractions including the Berlin Gate and Rome´s Trevi Fountain.
Nearest Station: Torrejón
de Ardoz (main line station, not metro)
*Price: Free
*Hours:
IN SUMMER
♦ Sun - Thurs: 9:00 - 00:00
♦ Fri/sat: 9:00 - 01:00
Photo: porconocer.com
6.
Zero Latency
At Zero
Latency you can fight zombies and killer robots in this fully immersive virtual
reality experience.
Nearest Metro: Alfonso
XIII (line 4, brown)
*Price: €39 pp for aprox. 30 mins game time
*Hours:
♦ Tues - Fri: 16:00 - 23:00
♦ Sat: 11:00 - 23:00
♦ Sun: 11:00 - 14:00 & 16:00 - 23:00
Photo: gadgetos.com
7.
Polineko
This
one is for all you cat lovers out there. Polineko is a cat café that fosters
stray cats, whilst trying to find permanent adoption homes for them.
Nearest Metro: La
Latina (line 5, lime green)
*Price: entrance fee a donation of €4 for half an hour or €6 for a full hour. Includes a drink.
*Hours:
♦ Weds – Mon 11:00 – 22:00. Closed Tuesdays.
Photo: polineko.com/
8.
Snow Zone
Madrid
isn´t exactly known for its snow sports, but here you can practice your skiing
and snowboarding at this giant indoor ski arena, complete with snow!
How to get there: From
Madrid station Príncipe Pío (metro lines 6 – grey and 10 – dark blue) take
either bus number 528, 534 or 539.
*Price:
-
€32.40 for day pass + €16.20 ski hire (if reserved online)
-
€49 2 hour class, access and ski hire
-
€15 for 1 hour on ´Snow Bikes´ (acess and equipment hire)
*Hours:
♦ Sun - Thurs 10:00 - 22:00
♦ Fri/Sat: 10:00 - 24:00
♦ Fri/Sat: 10:00 - 24:00
Photo: lugaresdenieve.com
9.
Next Level Arcade Bar
If
you´re into old school arcade games this is the bar for you. Filled with old
arcade machines, you can play until your heart´s content.
Nearest Metro: Santo
Domingo (line 2, red) or Gran Vía (line 1 - light blue and line 5 – lime green)
Photo: guiarepsol.com
10. The Host
Why
not brush up on your bachata and salsa whilst you´re in Madrid? If you´re free
for a boogie we would recommend heading to the Host. For as little as €7 you can
have 2 hours of dance lessons, a free drink and entry to the after party!
(Rates true as of April 2018).
Nearest Metro: Ventura
Rodriguez (line 3, yellow)
Photo: nakedmadrid.com
11. Rolling: Dance & Burger
Located
in Chamartín you can find this traditional 80s roller disco hall. Check out
their website to check out the latest events.
Nearest metro:
Chamartín (lines 10 – dark blue and 1 – light blue)
*Price: €12 + €3 skate hire
Photo: rollingdance.com
12. Iglesia Patólica
This
one is for the atheists out there. In Lavapies you can find this quirky church
full of people who worship a rubber duck (I´m not even joking)! They hold mass
every Sunday if you want to join in.
Nearest Metro:
Lavapies (line 3, yellow)
*Hours: mass every sunday at 13:00 and 14:00
Photo: volareviajando.blogspot.com.es
13. Cine Doré
Take
a trip back in time and head to Cine Doré, a 1920s movie theatre that plays old
fashioned films. If you´re really lucky you may even be able to experience a
silent movie with piano accompaniment.
Nearest metro: Antón
martin (line 1, light blue)
*Price: €2.50
Photo: ungatopormadrid.wordpress.com
14. Casa Botín /el Sobrino de
Botin Restaurant
Ever
wanted to visit one of the oldest restaurants in the world? Well now you can. The
Casa Botín (aka Sobrino de Botín) restaurant is over 300 years old. Here you
can eat traditional Spanish food.
Nearest metro: Sol
(lines 1 – light blue, 2 – red or 3 - yellow), Tirso de Molina (line 1) or La
Latina (line 5, lime green)
*Hours:
♦ 13:00–16:00 & 20:00–24:00
Photo: texfoto.com
15. Teleferico
For
stunning views of Madrid take the Teleferico cable cars located in the ´Parque
del Oeste´ (also where the temple of Debod is).
Nearest Metro: Argüelles
(line 3 – yellow, 4 – brown or 6 – grey)
*Price: €6 adults (return journey)
*Hours: Sat/Sun 12:00 –
22:00
Photo: viajejet.com
16. La Tabacalera
This
abandoned tobacco factory turned cultural hub can be found in the hipster neighbourhood
of Lavapiés. Here you can experience cultural workshops and performances.
Nearest Metro: Embajadores
(line 3, yellow)
Photo: arte-en-la-calle.com
17. Wax Museum (Museo de cera)
Madrid´s
version of Madam Tussauds is the museo de cera. Take pictures with your
favourite stars, ride the train of terror or head to space in the virtual
reality simulator.
Nearest Metro: Colón
(line 4, brown)
*Price: €19 for adults
*Hours:
♦ Mon - Fri: 10:00 - 14:30 / 16:30 - 20.30
♦ Sat/Sun: 10:00 - 20:30
Photo: elpais.com
18. El Rastro
If
you want to go bargain hunting like a local, head to el Rastro on a Sunday. At
this open air market you´re bound to find some hidden treasures to take home with
you.
Nearest Metro: la
Latina (line 5, lime green)
*Hours: Sundays 09:00 – 15:00
Photo: elviajerofeliz.com
19. Segway Tours
If
you´re sick of walking, why not elect a different mode of transport and head on
a Segway tour of the inner city?
Websites
for some of Madrid’s Segway tours include:
Photo: klook.com
20. Madrid Río Park
Madrid
Río is a favourite hangout for locals during the summer. Built on a former motorway
along the bank of the Manzanares is an outdoor space perfect for the whole
family. Hang out with friends, have a picnic or cool off in the water features.
Nearest Metro: Marqués
de Vadillo or Pirámides (both on the line 5, lime green)
Photo: miesarch.com
21. La Neomudejár
This
alternative art gallery was opened to display the new media arts that other
galleries would not display, including video art, performances and parkour.
Nearest metro: Menéndez
Pelayo (line 1, light blue)
*Price: €5 entry
*Hours: Weds - Sun 11:00 - 15:00 & 17:00 - 21:00.
*Hours: Weds - Sun 11:00 - 15:00 & 17:00 - 21:00.
Photo: Patricia grande
photography
22. Rooftop Bar
For
views over the whole city, head to the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes
building.
Nearest metro: Banco de España (line 2,
red)
*Price: €4 entry
*Hours:
♦ Mon - Fri 09:00 - 22:30
♦ Sat/sun 11:00 - 22:30
♦ Sat/sun 11:00 - 22:30
Photo: circulobellasartes.com
23. Casa de Campo Park
Madrid
is full of public parks but Casa de Campo Park is by far the biggest (6 times
bigger than New York´s central park)! Why not hire bikes and see if you can
cycle around it on a sunny day?
Nearest Metro: Casa
de campo (line 5, lime green or 10, dark blue) or Lago (line 10)
Photo: wikipedia
24. Parque de Atracciones de
Madrid
If
you like theme parks we would recommend going here. Just a stone’s throw from
the city center and accessible by public transport (metro: Batan), this theme
park is suitable for the whole family.
Nearest Metro: Batan
(line 10, dark blue)
*Price: from €19.90 for adults (if bought online)
*Hours: various, never before 12 noon
*Hours: various, never before 12 noon
Photo: viajerospiratas.es
25. Parque Warner Madrid
This
Warner Bros theme park can be found on the outskirts of Madrid. With rides
dedicated to both superman and batman, superhero fans need to go here.
Getting there: Realistically
you need a car to get here as it´s about 30 minutes out of Madrid. Luckily
though, Madrid does have uber.
*Price: from €25.90 for adults (if bought online)
*Hours: various, never before 11:30
Photo: parquewarner.com
26. Zoo Aquarium Madrid
Meet
animals from all over the world at Madrid´s Zoo and aquarium.
Nearest Metro: Batan
(line 10, dark blue)
*Price: from €17.90 adults (if bought online)
*Hours: various, never before 10:30
Photo: g3galeon.com
27. Cine Ideal
For
those of you that hate awful Spanish dubbing as much as I do, head to Cine Ideal.
Here all movies are screen in their original version, so you don´t have to deal
with dubbing. Top Tip: the early shows on Saturday and Sunday are cheaper.
Nearest metro: Tirso
de Molina (line 1, light blue)
Photo: wikipedia
28. CiVR
Play
a host of different virtual reality games at this reasonably priced virtual
reality hub, with space for individuals or groups.
Nearest metro: El Carmen (line 5, lime Green)
*Price: €26 for 1 hour
*Hours:
♦ Tues, weds, thurs: 16:00 – 21:00
♦ Fri: 16:00 – 23:00
♦ Sat: 11:00 – 23:00
♦ Sun: 11:00 – 21:00
Photo: youtube
29. Palacio de Hielo
Even
in the summer you can still go ice skating in Madrid. The Palacio de Hielo (ice
palace) is an indoor ice skating rink that allows you to slip and slide on ice
all year round!
Nearest metro: Canillas
(line 4, brown)
*Price: €12.50 adults (with skate hire)
*Hours: various, look at´sesiones
públicas´ on the website
Photo: blog.ticketea.com
30. Retiro Park
Retiro
Park is probably the most well-known park in Spain which means that it is super
touristy. However, we would still recommend taking a look. Hire rowing boats on
the pond or enter the crystal palace (palacio de cristal) which is basically a
massive conservatory located by the pond.
Nearest metro: It
depends where in the park you want to go. For the North go to the metro station
retiro (line 2, red), for the east go to Ibiza (line 9, pink), for the
south/west side of the park go to atocha (line 1, light blue).
Photo: youtube
31. The Temple of Debod
The
Temple of Debod was originally an ancient Egyptian temple that was dismantled
and relocated to Madrid (to protect it from being destroyed after the building
of the Aswan High Dam). Nowadays, people in Madrid can enjoy watching the sun set
over the stones.
Nearest Metro: Argüelles
(line 3 – yellow, 4 – brown or 6 – grey)
Photo: wikipedia
32. The Royal Palace of Madrid
When
in Madrid, you have to visit the royal palace. This is the official residence
of the royal family of Spain, although it is only used for official ceremonies
and they actually reside in the palace of Zarzuela, on the outskirts of Madrid.
Nearest Metro: Ópera
(line 2 – red or 5 – lime green)
*Price: €10 (€5 concessions)
*Hours: 10:00 – 22:00
*Hours: 10:00 – 22:00
Photo: traveldigg.com
33. Almudena Cathedral
Almudena
Cathedral is a spectacular catholic cathedral located next to the Royal palace
of Madrid. Many people, religious or atheist enjoy marvelling at its neo-gothic
interior.
Nearest Metro: Ópera
(line 2 – red or 5 – lime green)
*Price: Free entry but they do ask for a €1 donation
*Hours:
♦ Mon - Sat 12:00, 18:00 & 19:00
♦ Sun – 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 18:00 & 19:00
Photo: megaconstrucciones.net
34. Action Live
Do
you like paintballing or laser tag? This is one of Madrid´s top place to do
both.
Nearest station: San
Yago (Line C-3 or C-8 ´Cercanías RENFE´ train)
*Price:
- Laser tag €20 for 1 hour
- Paintball basic entry €19
Photo: madridiario.es
35. Marphil
If
you´re looking for something a bit more creative head to Marphil and take a
workshop or course in pottery making.
Nearest Metro: Quintana
(line 5, lime green) or La Elipa (line 2, red)
Photo: marphil.com
36. Windobona Indoor Skydiving
If
you´re not on a budget and too scared to try actual skydiving why not try
indoor skydiving at Windobona Indoor Skydiving?
Nearest metro:
about 25 min walk from La Peseta (line 11, green)
*Price: solo flight €49 (2 minutos)
Photo: windobona.es
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