Madrid City Walks
(Madrid, Spain)
The suggested walks in the section have been selected for social and architectural interest and include more than just classic Madrid sights. Some walk highlights are repeated on different routes to enable visitors to chose the route more to their interest or time constraint.
Please note that the approximate times for the walks do not take into account time spent sightseeing.
Daytime Walks
Here are some recommended routes to enable visitors to Madrid to optimise the use of their time by seeing several points of interest in an ordered way.
Cibeles to Oriente
Information
- Starting point: Plaza de la Cibeles
- Distance: approximately 4 miles / 6 km
- Time: approximately three hours
- Nearest Metro train station: Banco
- Finishing point: Plaza de Oriente
Highlights
- Banco Central
- Iglesia de San José
- Circulo de Belles Artes
- Ministerio de Educación
- Dependencias de la Comunidad de Madrid
- Iglesia de las Calatravas
- Museo de la Academia de Belles Artes
- Casa Real de Aduana
- Puerta del Sol
- Plaza de la Provincia
- Palacio de Santa Cruz
- Plaza Mayor
- Calle Sacramento
- Iglesia Pontifica de San Miguel
- Parroquia de San Andrés y Capilla de San Isidro
- San Francisco el Grande
- El Viaducto
- Palacio de Consejos
- Plaza de la Villa
- Mercado de San Miguel
- Teatro Real
- Teatro de la Opera
- Plaza de Oriente
- Palacio Real (Palacio de Oriente)
Suggested Route
- From Plaza de la Cibeles travel west into Calle de Alcalá
- Continue until the Puerta del Sol is in sight
- Turn south and take Calle Correos
- At the end of the street turn right into Calle Bolsa to arrive at Plaza de la Provincia
- Take the right turn into the Plaza Mayor
- On the south-west of the plaza exit into Calle Cuchilleros
- Turn right into Calle Sacramento
- Follow Carrera de San Francisco to San Francisco el Grande
- Travel north down Calle de Bailén over the El Viaducto
- Turn right into the Calle Mayor and continue until Plaza de la Villa
- Take left into Calle Escalinata and continue on to reach the Plaza de Oriente
Oriente to Cibeles
Information
- Starting point: Plaza de Oriente
- Distance: approximately 4 miles / 6 km
- Time: approximately three hours
- Finishing point: Plaza de la Cibeles
Highlights
- Real Monasterio de la Encarnación
- La Mi Venta
- Palacio de Senado
- Plaza de Espana
- Museo Cerralbo
- Templo de Debod
- Palacio de Liria
- Centro Cultural del Conde Duque
- Convento e Iglesia de las Comendadoras
- Iglesia de Montserrat
- Convento de las Salesas Nuevas
- Plaza Dos de Mayo
- Museo Municipal
- Museo Romántico
- Sociedad de Autores
- Iglesia de Santa Bárbara
- Palacio de Justicia
- Paseo de Recoletos
- Museo Arqueológico Nacional
- Biblioteca Nacional
- Plaza de la Cibeles
Suggested Route
- From Plaza de Oriente walk to the end of Calle Encarnación to find Plaza de la Marina
- Located off the square is Palacio de Senado and leading straight from here is Plaza de Espana
- North-west from Plaza de Espana is the Calle de Ferraz
- Cross Calle de Ferraz to the Templo de Debod
- Next turn into Calle de la Luisa Frenanda and then Calle de la Princesa
- Turn right and walk across Calle de la Princesa into Calle de Conde Duque
- From here turn right into Plaza Cristo and Plaza de Comendadoras
- The Iglesia de Montserrat can be found down Calle Quiñones
- On the opposite road, Calle de San Bernardo, is Convento de las Salesas Nuevas
- Next travel down Calle de Daoiz to get to Plaza Dos de Mayo
- Exit via Calle Verlarde and then turn right into Calle de Fuencarral along which is the Museo Municipal
- From the museum take the next left, Calle de San Mateo, to reach the Museo Romántico
- From here go right to cross Calle de Hortaleza into Calle Fernando VI
- Continue down Calle Fernando VI to find the Iglesia de Santa Bárbara and Palacio de Justicia
- Turn into Paseo de Recoletos where the Biblioteca Nacional and Museo Arqueológico are found
- Turn down Paseo de Recoletos to reach Plaza de la Cibeles
Cibeles
Information
- Starting point: Plaza de la Cibeles
- Distance: approximately 4 miles / 6 km
- Time: approximately three hours
- Finishing point: Plaza de la Cibeles
Highlights
- Paseo del Prado
- Cuartel General de la Armada
- Museo Naval
- Bolsa de Comercio
- Hotel Ritz
- Museo Nacional del Prado
- Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
- Academia de la Lengua
- Casón del Buen Retiro
- Museo del Ejército
- Palacio de Buen Retiro
- Iglesia de San Jerónimo el Real
- Jardín Botánico
- Cuesta de Claudio Moyano
- Plaza del Emperador Carlos V
- Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
- Ministerio de Agricultura
- Museo Etnológico
- Observatorio Astronómico
- Parque del Retiro
- Puerta de Alcalá
- Plaza de la Cibeles
Suggested Route
- From Plaza de la Cibeles turn south into Paseo del Prado
- Continue down Paseo del Prado to Calle de Felipe IV, across which is the Museo Nacional del Prado
- Turn down Calle de Felipe IV then continue down into Calle Moreto
- From Calle Moreto head towards Plaza de Murillo through which the Jardín Botánico can be accessed
- From the Jardín Botánico turn south down Paseo del Prado
- Turn left into Cuesta de Claudio Moyano
- Return to Paseo del Prado and travel through the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V to Calle de Santa Isabel to find Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
- Opposite the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía the Estación de Atocha can be found
- On Paseo de la Infanta Isabel is the Ministerio de Agricultura
- Travel down Paseo de la Infanta to get to the Museo Etnológico
- Right of the museum across Calle de Alfonso XII is the Observatorio Astronómico
- Travel down Calle de Alfonso XII to enter the Parque del Retiro
- Take the north-west exit from Retiro near Plaza de la Independencia
- Turn left down Calle de Alcalá to reach Plaza de la Cibeles
East from Sol
Information
- Starting point: Puerta de Sol
- Distance: approximately 4 miles / 6 km
- Time: approximately three to four hours
- Nearest Metro train station: Sol
- Finishing point: Puerta de Sol
Highlights
- Puerta de Sol
- Plaza de las Cortes
- Fuenta de Neptuno
- Jardín Botánico
- Casón del Buen Retiro
- Parque del Retiro
- Puerta de Alcalá
- Museo Arqueológico Nacional
- Jardines del Descubrimento
- Gran Via
Suggested Route
- From Puerta de Sol head east along Calle San Jerónimo
- Cross the Plaza de las Cortes
- Continue on toward the Plaza de Canovas de Castillo and the Fuenta de Neptuno
- Travel south along the Paseo del Prado, half way down the Paseo is the Jardín Botánico
- Return to the Plaza de Canovas de Castillo and walk down Calle de Felipe IV to Casón del Buen Retiro
- Next cross Calle de Alfonso XII to enter the Parque del Retiro via the Felipe IV gate
- Travel across the parterre gardens, up the steps towards the lake
- At the lake journey left keeping the Alfonso XII statue opposite
- Leave the park via Puerta de Alcalá
- Follow Calle de Serrano past the Museo Arqueológico Nacional and walk across the Jardines del Descubrimento
- Turn down Paseo de Recoletos and continue to Barbarade Braganza
- Go left and carry on past the Plaza de las Salesas
- Continue to walk until Calle del Barquillo is reached
- Turn down Calle del Barquillo and walk to Calle de Alcalá
- Turn right down Gran Via
- Keeping to the right-hand side of Gran Via journey to the metro station
- Turn left down Calle de Montera to reach Puerta de Sol
West from Sol
Information
- Starting point: Puerta de Sol
- Distance: approximately 5 miles / 8 km
- Time: approximately four to five hours
- Nearest Metro train station: Sol
- Finishing point: Puerta de Sol
Highlights
- Puerta de Sol
- Plaza Mayor
- Plaza de la Ville
- San Nicolás de los Servitas
- Plaza de Oriente
- Real Monesterio de la Encarnación
- Templo de Debod
- Parque del Oeste
- Campo del Moro
- Arab Wall
- San Andrés
- Plaza de la Cebada
Suggested Route
- From Puerta de Sol head west along Calle de Postas
- On reaching Plaza Mayor cross the square and leave via El Arco de los Cuchilleros
- At the base of the steps traverse the street and walk along Calle del Maestro
- Go into Plaza Conde de Barajas and from here walk to Plaza de la Villa
- From the plaza walk across Calle Mayor and continue down to Calle San Nicolás
- Next walk down Calle San Nicolás to Plaza Ramales
- Pass Plaza de Oriente to reach Calle Bailén
- Turn right and travel past the Palacio Real (Palacio de Oriente)
- Keeping Plaza de Espana to the right cut under Calle Bailén
- Head up the steps to Templo de Debod
- At the furthest end of the Templo de Debod walk down the slope and cut across the car park
- From the car park follow the path leading into Parque del Oeste to the Rosaleda
- On reaching Paseo del Rey travel west to Cuesta de San Vincente
- Go to Puerta de San Vincente
- From here head left into Paseo de la Virgin del Puerto, on the left is the entrance to Campo del Moro
- On leaving Campo del Moro follow Paseo de la Virgin del Puerto to Calle de Segovia
- Walk down this road towards the Arab Wall
- Leave Calle de Segovia via Costanilla de San Andrés and head into the Plaza de la Cebada
- Turn left from the square down Calle de Toledo to head towards Plaza Mayor and Puerta de Sol
Evening Promenades
These walks have been selected because the areas either become animated towards evening or for the aesthetic quality of the architecture being lit up.
Medieval Madrid
Information
- Starting point: Plaza de la Ville
- Distance: approximately 2 miles / 3 km
- Time: approximately 45 minutes to one hour
- Nearest Metro train station to start point: Sol, Opera
- Nearest Metro train station to finish point: La Latina, Tirso de Molina
- Finishing point: San Pedro el Viejo Church
Suggested Route
- From Plaza de la Ville head south along Calle Puñorrostro
- On reaching Travesía del Conde head south across Calle Segovia
- Take the first right into a small street which leads into the Plaza del Alamillo
- Head to the Plaza de la Paja and then the Plaza de San Andrés via Costanilla de San Andrés
- To reach the San Pedro el Viejo Church travel up Costanilla de San Pedro
Prado Area
Information
- Starting point: Jardín Botánico
- Distance: approximately 1 mile / 2 km
- Time: approximately one hour to one hour and 30 minutes
- Nearest Metro train station to start point: Atocha
- Nearest Metro train station to finish point: Sol, Sevilla
- Finishing point: Plaza de Santa Ana
Highlights
- Jardín Botánico
- Paseo del Prado
- Museo Nacional del Prado
- Fuenta de Neptuno
- Casón del Buen Retiro
- Parque del Retiro
- Plaza de la Lealtad
- Plaza de Santa Ana
Suggested Route
- From Jardín Botánico travel north up the Paseo del Prado
- Pass the Museo Nacional del Prado and continue to Plaza de Canovas de Castillo and the Fuenta de Neptuno
- Go right into Calle de Felipe IV and head past Calle de Felipe IV to Calle de Alfonso XII
- Avoiding the Felipe IV gate exit the park further north
- Next walk along Calle Antonio Maura to Plaza de la Lealtad
- Head back to towards Plaza de Canovas de Castillo
- Take the north-west exit and head towards Plaza de Santa Ana via Calle del Prado
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