Los Jerónimos
Mandarin Oriental Ritz
A five-star Belle Époque palace between the Prado and the Retiro, with afternoon tea in the Palm Court and a garden open all year.
Spain
Luxury travel in Madrid
Spain’s capital: the Prado and its neighbours on the Paseo del Arte, the Royal Palace, the Retiro, and tapas bars and late dinners. Avelia plans private, tailor-made time in Madrid, as a stay of its own or as the start of a wider journey through Spain.
Madrid at a glance
- Recommended stay
- Three or four days, or a week with days out to Toledo and Segovia
- Best seasons
- March to May and September to November
- Getting there
- Madrid-Barajas, near the centre, and high-speed trains across Spain
- Best for
- The great art museums, the Royal Palace, tapas and late dinners
- In a wider trip
- Pairs well with Córdoba, Seville, Barcelona, the Duero or Mallorca
- World Heritage
- Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences
01Inspiration
Experiences in Madrid
Each of these is arranged privately for your dates, subject to availability.
Art on the Paseo del Prado
The Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía with a private guide, on a boulevard and park on the World Heritage List since 2021; then an afternoon in the Retiro.
The Royal Palace and old Madrid
The Royal Palace with a private guide, a walk through the Madrid of the Austrias, an evening at the Teatro Real, and a day out to Toledo, Segovia or El Escorial.
Food, wine and evenings
Tapas through La Latina with a chef, a tasting menu at one of the city’s Michelin-starred restaurants, flamenco in a tablao, and a drink at sunset above the Gran Vía.
02Featured hotels
Where to stay in Madrid
A selection of hotels we recommend in Madrid. We can also arrange other properties to suit your preferences and travel plans.
Castellana
Rosewood Villa Magna
A five-star Lujo house on the Paseo de la Castellana, by the Salamanca district's shops, with four restaurants and bars, a spa and rooftop Houses.
Justicia
Urso
A five-star boutique hotel in Justicia, near Chueca and Las Salesas, in a towered corner building with a spa and a water area.
03Seasons
When to go
Spring March to May
Mild and fresh: highs rise from about 16°C (61°F) in March to 22°C (72°F) in May, with rain on four to seven days a month. The Retiro and the terraces at their best.
EventsSemana Santa, 19 to 28 March in 2027; San Isidro, the city's own fiesta, on and around 15 May; and the Book Fair in the Retiro from late May.
Summer June to August
Hot and dry, with rain on only two or three days a month: highs of about 28°C (82°F) in June. The evenings are long, and the terraces and rooftops full.
Heat: in July and August the average daytime high is 31–32°C (88–90°F). Keep walking to the morning and evening, and the museums for the afternoon.
Autumn September to November
Highs ease from about 26°C (79°F) in September to 14°C (57°F) in November; October and November are the wettest months, with rain on six or seven days in each.
EventsThe Fiesta de la Trashumancia each October, when flocks of sheep are walked through the city centre: 24 and 25 October in 2026.
Winter December to February
Cold and often bright: highs of about 10–12°C (50–54°F), frost on a few nights a month, and rain on five to seven days. A quieter time to visit.
EventsThe Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor, from late November to 31 December, and the Three Kings Parade on the evening of 5 January.
Region by region across Spain, our best time to visit Spain guide.
04Shape your trip
Routes and itineraries
Each route is a starting point, tailored to you. Two of our multi-city Spain itineraries include Madrid, priced in US dollars per person.
4days
Culture and cuisine
- Places
- Madrid
- Suits
- A first visit built around the art and the food
7days
Architecture and quieter corners
- Places
- Madrid
- Suits
- Architecture, and the parts of the city most visitors miss
7days
Relax and explore
- Places
- Madrid
- Suits
- A slower week, with time in the parks and at the spa
Itineraries that include Madrid
The Grand Spanish Tour
from $27,279 per person
Spain's Culinary Heritage
from $15,365 per person
Beyond Madrid
Day excursion
CórdobaBy high-speed train for the day: the Mezquita-Catedral and the historic centre around it, on the World Heritage List since 1984.
Another stay
SevilleBy high-speed train into the centre: the Cathedral, the Real Alcázar and the Archivo de Indias, on the World Heritage List since 1987.
Another stay
BarcelonaBy high-speed train: Gaudí's city, seven of his works on the World Heritage List, the Gothic Quarter and the sea at the end of the street.
Another stay
The Duero ValleyNorth on the high plateau: the Ribera del Duero, a Denominación de Origen since 1982, its wine estates, castles and roast lamb.
Another stay
MallorcaA flight from Madrid: the Serra de Tramuntana, a World Heritage landscape since 2011, Palma and the coves.
05Planning with Avelia
How we plan your time in Madrid
We help you choose the right hotel, balance guided visits with time to explore, and fit Madrid into your wider journey — or shape a stay in the city itself.
Share your plans
Tell us your dates, interests, preferred pace and any practical requirements.
Shape your trip with us
We prepare a tailored proposal and refine it with you, with a quoted trip price and clear inclusions.
Travel with our support
Once you approve the proposal and complete the agreed booking requirements, we confirm your arrangements. We coordinate the details and support you while you travel.
Peace of mind
- Clear before you commit. A written proposal with a quoted trip price and clear inclusions, before any payment.
- Financially protected. Your payments for a package trip are covered against our insolvency by a guarantee with AXA.
- One point of contact. From the first conversation to the last day, with support while you travel.
What we can arrange
Your proposal sets out the arrangements included in your trip.
- Hotels matched to you — grand, boutique or quietly residential, in the right part of the city, and not only the ones featured here.
- Private transport — chauffeur-driven premium cars for airport and station transfers, days out to Toledo, Segovia or El Escorial, and the drive to your next stop in Spain; high-speed trains where they suit better.
- Private guides — art historians and specialist guides for the Prado and the Royal Palace; the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza open early for private visits, on their own conditions.
- Experiences — flamenco, chef-led tapas routes and cooking classes, wine tastings, an evening at the Teatro Real.
- Tables and tickets — reservations from Michelin-starred dining rooms to neighbourhood tapas bars, and tickets for the museums and the palace.
- Special occasions — honeymoons, anniversaries and family trips, planned around who is travelling.
Madrid guides
- Madrid travel guide
When to go, where to stay, the food, the great museums and the palace, and three days in the city.
- Things to do in Madrid
The Royal Palace and the Prado with a guide, the city's architecture and tables, and Toledo and Segovia.
- Madrid food and cuisine
Madrid's own dishes, where to eat, the Mercado de San Miguel and the wines around the city.
- Three days in Madrid
Three days, day by day: where to stay, the Prado, the Royal Palace, the Retiro and the city's tables.
- Best time to visit Madrid
Season by season and month by month, with the festivals, the heat and the best months for each kind of trip.
06Questions
Questions we are asked
What does it cost to have a tailor-made trip designed by Avelia Travel?
Every trip is priced individually. After discussing your plans, we prepare a tailored proposal with a quoted trip price and a clear outline of what is included.
How many nights should we spend in Madrid?
We recommend three or four nights for Madrid itself, and a week if you would like days out to Toledo, Segovia or El Escorial.
When is the best time to visit Madrid?
March to May and September to November. Spring brings San Isidro in May; in July and August the heat moves walking to the morning and the evening, with the museums for the afternoon; winter is cold, often bright and quieter.
Can I include Madrid in a larger Spain itinerary?
Yes. High-speed trains run from Madrid to Seville, Córdoba, Granada, Barcelona and Valencia; La Rioja and the Duero Valley are wine country to the north, and Mallorca and Ibiza a flight away. Our luxury trip planning page explains how a trip with several stops comes together.
Do you only plan full itineraries, or can you help with just a hotel?
Both. We plan complete trips, and we also arrange a stay on its own: a hotel matched to you, with transfers, a guide or a few reservations added if you wish.
Is Avelia right for me?
Avelia suits travellers who want a private, well-paced trip planned around them: the right places in the right order, hotels chosen for them, guides who know the ground, tables and tickets taken care of, and one point of contact from the first conversation until they are home.
Start planning your time in Madrid
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. Everything else we can work out together.
Usually answered within one business day.