The Spanish capital is a city that never sleeps and always offers interesting experiences for tourists throughout the year. History, urban life, culture, shows, architecture and gastronomy come together in Madrid and make it an inexhaustible city of stimuli. In the museums of El Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza you have a good part of the history of classical, modern and contemporary art, with names like Goya, Picasso, Dali or Bosch. A stroll through the old part of the city will show you the particularities of the Madrid of the Austrias and the Madrid of the Bourbons, with stops at some of the ham museums or in the traditional bars, where they serve the characteristic squid sandwich. If you are looking for nightlife or want to make a shopping trip, the Gran Vía awaits you with a wide range of plays, musicals and concerts. Other iconic buildings house major international fashion stores. Almost a kilometer and a half long, the Gran Vía invites you to walk along it to discover architecture, music and design, all in one place. The Retiro Park is the green lung of the Spanish capital. Its meandering paths tell the story of more than three centuries of garden design in Europe. In addition to the lush nature, this public park encourages you to discover a secret at the end of each path, such as the Crystal Palace or the Fisherman’s House.
Enjoy the essential information of the destination in audio guide format!
Best time to travel
The city’s climate is usually dry with little rainfall, very hot summers and quite cold winters, but never with extreme variables. This means that you can visit Madrid all year round without any inconvenience. However, the best time to visit is in spring, early summer and autumn, when the climatic values of both heat and cold are more attenuated and the city becomes especially beautiful.
March – June The best months to visit Madrid are April and May.
Although this is the rainiest time of the year, the rains are not as persistent or regular, so if you are planning a spring vacation in the city, you will enjoy the gardens and flora, the fresh air and the bustling life in the plazas and terraces of bars and restaurants.
Weather
The average temperatures during the spring in Madrid fluctuate between 12 °C and 21 °C, i.e. a very pleasant average climate and perfect for walking and strolling.
Events & Parties
Spring is a time with many festivals and outdoor sports. We can highlight the urban culture festival Mulafest, the Madrid Half Marathon, the Mutua Madrid Open and the Fiestas de San Isidro. We recommend visiting the Rose Garden in spring, a very pleasant space within Retiro Park, particularly in the season when the roses bloom. Here there are more than 4000 rose bushes of the most impressive colors and about 500 different varieties.
Price evolution
As this is a very popular time for tourism, both for the weather and for the number of festivals and activities, the prices of accommodation and flights in Madrid during the spring are usually much higher than in other months of the year.
June – September The time of highest temperatures in Madrid, but also receives an important influx of tourism. The city tends to be quieter, as locals take vacations at this time and leave Madrid. Summer in the Spanish capital can be made very bearable with a good hat and a bottle of water in your backpack, essential allies in a tour of its famous museums or shopping malls. You can also cool off under the shade of the lush vegetation in El Retiro. And when the sun goes down, there are many terraces with great views or gastronomic markets such as San Miguel or San Antón, in Chueca.
Weather
The summer in Madrid is usually very hot and very dry, with average temperatures that are usually in the 25 °C and with maximums that reach 40 °C.
Events & Parties
In summer the Gay Pride festival is celebrated, the largest and most massive in Spain and one of the most important in the world. It is also a very fertile time for music festivals: Mad Cool Festival, Noches del Botánico and Paraíso Festival. In addition, the great fashion show Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the Veranos de la Villa festival and the August festivities dedicated to San Cayetano, San Lorenzo and the Virgen de la Paloma take place.
Price evolution
The European summer is a season considered a tourist season and, therefore, prices in accommodation and flights tend to rise, even in Madrid, where it is not the season with the highest number of tourists. In any case, in summer you can find more offers and cheaper prices than in spring.
Weather
Autumn temperatures in Madrid average between 7 °C and 15 °C and there are usually a few days of intermittent rain. If you are going to travel in autumn, the best coat to take with you is a light raincoat that will protect you from the attenuated cold and rain.
Events & Parties
The most important events and festivals in Madrid during the fall are the Acciona Open de España, the Architecture Week, the Feriarte antiques fair, the Madrid International Jazz Festival, the Autumn Festival and the Madrid en Danza Festival. It is also the Halloween season, an ideal day to go to Parque de Atracciones and Parque Warner, with its horror-themed rooms, and also to Casa de México to enjoy all the activities offered for the Day of the Dead.
Price evolution
Autumn tends to be one of the most popular times of the year for tourists visiting Madrid and prices tend to be similar to those recorded during the spring.
December – March Although it is not the best time to visit Madrid, because of the intense cold, the city also manages to offer a friendly and beautiful face in these months, especially with the Christmas lights and its picturesque way of celebrating the holidays. Lots of decorations, nativity scenes and street markets await you in Madrid if you visit in winter.
Weather
The cold in Madrid during the winter can be very constant, with some days when the temperature can reach 0 °C (32 °F). But averages are usually between 6 and 9 °C and, although it is not too common, some snow may fall, although it is usual that the skies are clear during the winter in Madrid and with a very pleasant sun at noon.
Events & Parties
In addition to the Christmas markets in different neighborhoods, there are fun activities such as ice skating rinks, the San Silvestre Vallecana and the spectacular Cavalcade of the Three Kings, as well as two very important gastronomic events: Madrid Fusion and Gastrofestival.
Price evolution
It is the cheapest time of the year to visit Madrid, except for the days before Christmas and the end of the year, when the costs of hotels and flights increase due to the increased demand of many tourists who choose this city to celebrate the holidays.
What to see and do
How to get from the airport
Officially called Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez Airport, but known worldwide as Barajas Airport, it is the airport with the highest passenger traffic in Spain and has four terminals: T1, T2, T3 and T4. All of them are very well connected to each other and to the center of Madrid.
Where to stay
Photo galleries
