Discover Madrid’s 200 best spots for a Senior Travelers' trip

Hop On Hop Off Bus tour

★ 4.1 · 13,491 reviews

Ride Madrid's hop-on hop-off double-decker buses to see the capital at your own pace. Choose among the blue, green and orange circuits, listen to the audio guide, and add the included walking tour.

El Retiro Park

★ 4.8 · 216,670 reviews

Spend a slow morning in El Retiro, Madrid's former royal park at the heart of the city. Stroll tree-lined avenues, circle the boating lake and pause among fountains, statues and the rose garden.

Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off

★ 4.2 · 1,147 reviews

See Madrid at your own rhythm with a Big Bus hop-on hop-off pass. Ride the purple, orange or blue circuit, step off at museums or squares, and listen to commentary in your language.

Private City Tour by Eco Tuk Tuk

★ 4.8 · 4,190 reviews

Tour Madrid's historic centre in a private electric tuk-tuk with your own driver-guide. Pass the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor and Retiro, with photo stops and local tips along the way.

Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste

★ 4.7 · 4,068 reviews

Wander the Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste, Madrid's formal rose garden in Moncloa. Follow paved paths past ponds and fountains, and take in the rows of rose varieties in an easy half-hour loop.

Real Jardín Botánico

★ 4.4 · 37,274 reviews

Slip into the Real Jardín Botánico, a calm walled garden next to the Prado and Retiro. Stroll shaded terraces and greenhouses, breathe in the herb and flower scents, and linger over the bonsai collection.

Retiro

Stroll into Retiro, Madrid's beloved park just east of the centre. Wander shaded avenues to the lake, watch rowing boats drift past the monument, and pause at the glass Palacio de Cristal.

Sabatini Garden

★ 4.6 · 10,272 reviews

Step into Sabatini Garden, the formal neoclassical terraces beside Madrid's Royal Palace. Walk among fountains and statues, then pause on a bench for views of the palace facade.

Jardín del Capricho

★ 4.7 · 22,478 reviews

Discover Jardín del Capricho, an elegant eighteenth-century landscape garden tucked in Barajas. Follow its paths past sculptures, a swan pond and quiet lakes, then find the Civil War bunker hidden in the grounds.

Campo del Moro

★ 4.6 · 9,316 reviews

Slip into Campo del Moro, the terraced royal gardens spread beneath the Royal Palace. Follow shaded paths past monumental fountains, hedge mazes and rose beds, pausing for views up toward the palace facade.

Parque del Oeste

★ 4.5 · 30,737 reviews

Wander through Parque del Oeste, Madrid's tree-lined escape in Moncloa-Aravaca. Follow the shaded paths to the rose garden, then continue on to the Egyptian temple and the city views beyond.

Museo Nacional del Prado

★ 4.7 · 157,363 reviews

Plan around the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid's great temple of Spanish painting beside Retiro. Spend a few hours in front of masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya and El Greco, moving through centuries of European art.

Teatro Real

★ 4.6 · 15,108 reviews

Discover Teatro Real, the opera house at the heart of Madrid's cultural life. Tour its grand interior by day, or take a seat in the evening for a full opera or ballet performance.

Big Bus Panoramic Night Tour

★ 4.3 · 1,411 reviews

Watch Madrid light up from the top deck of a Big Bus night tour. Over seventy minutes you will glide past the Royal Palace, Cibeles and Almudena Cathedral with commentary in ten languages.

Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales

★ 4.4 · 3,641 reviews

Discover the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, a working convent hidden in central Madrid. Follow a guided tour through chapels, tapestries, and a collection of sacred art.

Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena

★ 4.6 · 33,357 reviews

Visit the Almudena Cathedral, Madrid's grand church beside the Royal Palace. Wander its colourful chapels, then descend to the Romanesque crypt and the museum.

Parque Juan Carlos I

★ 4.7 · 27,303 reviews

Lose yourself in Parque Juan Carlos I, Madrid's sprawling urban oasis in Barajas. Wander between the lake, olive grove and modern sculptures, and hop on the free train if your legs need a rest.

Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida

★ 4.7 · 3,014 reviews

Visit the Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida, the small chapel where Goya is buried. Tilt your head back to read his frescoes across the ceilings, after watching the short introductory film.

Traditional Flamenco Show at Centro Cultural

★ 4.8 · 1,645 reviews

Experience flamenco at a Chueca cultural centre, in a room for just fifty-four people. Watch unamplified singing, guitar and dance with shawls, castanets and a train dress, then browse the gallery and shop.

Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum

★ 4.7 · 48,468 reviews

Discover the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, where 700 years of European art unfold in one central Madrid building. Move room by room from Old Masters and Dutch painting through to modern art and Pop Art.

Quinta de la Fuente del Berro Park

★ 4.7 · 4,242 reviews

Find Quinta de la Fuente del Berro, a hidden green pocket in Salamanca. Walk past its ponds and waterfall, and watch turtles at the little lake.

Lázaro Galdiano Museum

★ 4.7 · 1,660 reviews

Step through the gates of the Lázaro Galdiano Museum, a grand Salamanca mansion full of art. Move through rooms of Goya and Bosch paintings, medieval armour and fine jewellery, then pause in the little garden.

Parque de la Quinta de los Molinos

★ 4.5 · 16,130 reviews

Discover Parque de la Quinta de los Molinos, a former estate famous for its blooming almond trees. Walk beneath the pink blossom in late winter, or settle on the grass with a book or picnic.

Mercado de la Paz

★ 4.5 · 11,608 reviews

Wander into Mercado de la Paz, a Salamanca market trading since 1882. Browse stalls of fresh produce, meat and gourmet fare, then grab a seat and eat something from the counters.

LA BOLA

★ 4.2 · 8,041 reviews

Step into La Bola, a historic wood-paneled dining room in central Madrid. Settle in for a traditional cocido madrileño, accompanied by vermouth, olives, wine and dessert on the set menu.

Calle Claudio Moyano

★ 4.7 · 70 reviews

Wander Calle Claudio Moyano, a leafy Retiro street of secondhand booksellers. Browse shelves of old and used books beneath the trees, then continue into the neighbouring botanical garden.

El Pardo Royal Palace

★ 4.5 · 5,996 reviews

Head out to El Pardo Royal Palace, a former hunting lodge and later home of Franco on Madrid's northern edge. Tour the furnished rooms and chandeliers, then stroll the surrounding grounds if the weather allows.

Teatro de la Zarzuela

★ 4.6 · 4,276 reviews

Step inside Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid's temple of Spanish lyric theatre. Listen to zarzuela, opera or dance in a horseshoe auditorium prized for its warm, clear acoustics.

Prado Museum Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Ticket

★ 4.5 · 3,224 reviews

Meet your guide beside the Neptune Fountain and head into the Prado without queueing. Over ninety minutes, see key works by Goya, Velázquez, Rubens and Caravaggio and learn how they fit into European art history.

Monument to Alfonso XII

★ 4.7 · 3,401 reviews

Visit the Monument to Alfonso XII, the grand colonnade beside Retiro Park's lake. Photograph it from the steps, or take a rowing boat out for the view from the water.