At the end of last year we were fortunate to find ourselves heading back to Spain to celebrate a major anniversary for my parents! The whole family packed their bags and headed off to Spain to join in on the anniversary celebration.

We were so excited to return to Spain as we absolutely adored our first visit there, and we we would be going back to Barcelona but also visiting a new city: Madrid.

We were excited to check out Spain’s capital, as well as eat every tapa we could find and drink every Spanish wine we saw. It was also going to be our first experience with the Christmas markets in Spain! I’ve gone to Italy over Christmas, but this was Rick’s first time abroad around the holidays and experiencing a European Christmas.

We split our time between Madrid and Barcelona but added two day trips to the travel itinerary: Toledo and Segovia. But let’s start with what we did with three days in Madrid.

Day 1 in Madrid

We arrived bright and early Wednesday morning in Madrid, which means we pretty much had the whole day ahead of us to explore the city. 

We got to our hotel around 10 a.m. and got lucky that our room was ready. We dropped off our bags, freshened up, and then took a stroll down the Gran Via.

We stopped to snap some pictures of the statues of Don Quijote and Sancho Panzo. And right around the corner was a churro shop that was calling our names. 

We then made our way toward the Cerralbo Museum, which was beautiful but it was also disappointing as part of the museum was closed while we were there. We were able to see many of the rooms of this 19th century palace and some of the permanent exhibitions. 

Note: You will be required to store bags and backpacks in a locker when visiting this museum. We also had a bit of a wait to get in. 

Temple of Debod

After the museum we headed back outside for a stroll and to check off something on my Madrid bucket list! I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a kid and love finding Egyptian things in other countries, so of course we had to visit the Temple of Debod. Unfortunately we didn’t know they were on a limited entry system and all the entry times were booked for that day. We at least got to see the outside!

Christmas market

After circling the temple we just started wandering and came across our first Christmas market – as we were visiting right around Thanksgiving. We bought some sweet treats for later. 

Delito wine bar

We then made our way over to Delito, a wine bar, that my parents had gone to the night before. They had an excellent selection of wines and some yummy tapas. We started with some white wine before moving to red and snacked on some oysters, croquettes, and octopus. 

Dinner at La Mi Venta

We made a quick pit stop at the hotel so my sister and brother-in-law could check into their room, and so we could freshen up and unpack a little. 

Then, we were off to dinner at La Mi Venta. Dinner was excellent! We were led downstairs and promptly ordered more Spanish wine, jamon, and a bunch of tapas to share. 

Plaza Mayor 

After dinner we made our way toward Plaza Mayor to check out the Christmas lights and the market. The decor was fabulous, the market was just okay. It was quite touristy and many of the vendors were selling the exact same stuff and some of it didn’t look well-crafted. We definitely preferred the Christmas markets in Barcelona after having the chance to compare the two. 

But we still loved how festive the plaza was! Then it was time for bed as we were all feeling the jet lag, and had a full day of exploration ahead of us.

Day 2 in Madrid

Royal Palace

We started off our second day in Madrid with a tour of the Royal Palace which was absolutely breathtaking. It’s crazy to think people used to live in such opulent homes. 

We had hired a private tour guide who led us through the palace and explained the history and purpose of many of the rooms. Of course we did not see all the rooms as there are more than 3,000 of them which is absolutely insane. 

We then took a tour of the kitchens as that’s something my mom likes to do, but fair warning, the tour was only in Spanish. I could understand the gist of it and it was still cool seeing how food used to be prepared for the royal family. We especially loved checking out the wine cellar! 

Catedral de Santa Maria/La Almudena Cathedral

Since it was right next door to the Royal Palace we went to the Almudena Cathedral. It was a beautiful cathedral with gorgeous stained glass windows. There’s also a beautiful altar for the Virgin Mary. 

Mercado de San Miguel

After exploring the historical sites in Madrid, it was time to head off to another popular building and get something to eat and drink!

We absolutely love food markets as you can get a bunch of light bites to enjoy just a taste and then get to try so many different things. We stopped at the Mercado de San Miguel and got some glasses of wine and then indulged in some tapas. Our favorite was the variety of bacalao we tried, including the cod with honey and caviar, plus some sardines and octopus on bread.

The Mercado was jam-packed and we had to elbow our way through at times, but the food and wine (especially at the affordable prices) was totally worth battling the crowds for.

San Gines

Afterward, even though we had just stuffed ourselves silly, we had to visit San Gines for their legendary chocolate. We opted for the classic churros con chocolate and it was well worth the walk.

Plaza del Sol

We took a leisurely stroll to attempt to burn off some of the calories we just inhaled and found ourselves in the Plaza del Sol. We got to see the famous statue of the bear and tree, the symbol of Madrid, and got to check out the giant Christmas tree in the plaza.

Casa Luna wine bar

It was mid-afternoon so it was time to indulge in happy hour and find a wine bar. Rick and I took my parents to nearby wine bar while my sister and brother-in-law did some shopping. We found Casa Luna and managed to snag a table and indulge in some great Spanish wine.

Dinner at Gloria Bendita

After a glass of wine or two we made our way toward Gloria Bendita for dinner. Rick and I shared the ensaladilla rusa that contained potatoes, egg, and tuna and it was quite yummy! Then I opted for the octopus for dinner and it too was quite delicious.

Mercado de San Miguel

We made a return trip to the Mercado as our brother-in-law was raving about this pistachio cookie he got there and I love anything pistachio-flavored! We got some sweet treats to take back to the hotel. It was interesting seeing the mercado at night when it was less crowded.

Day 3 in Madrid

Thyssen Museum

Our morning started with a visit to the Thyssen so we could take in some art and culture. The museum was lovely and since we got there first thing in the morning, it wasn’t too crowded and we could explore the museum without constantly bumping into people.

El Retiro Park

After the museum we made our way to El Retiro Park for a little stroll in the park. It reminded us so much of Central Park in New York City. There was a lake, many walking paths, and little cafes. Unfortunately the Palacio de Cristal was closed and covered up as it was undergoing some renovations. It was a bummer, but we still enjoyed our time in the park. 

Lunch at Taberna El Sur

We then made the long trek to find a spot for lunch and ended up snagging a table at Taberna El Sur. I loved that they had single servings of paella so I ordered that and Rick and I shared a carafe of sangria – thank god for all that rice!

Mercado de San Miguel

After lunch, we split up for some couple time. My parents went back to the hotel, my sister and brother-in-law went off to check out another market, and Rick and I returned to Mercado de San Miguel (yes, a third time) to continue trying new foods and wines. 

Centro Cultural Flamenco 

After reuniting with our family we then made our way to Centro Cultural Flamenco to see the first performance of the night. Rick and I went to a flamenco show when we first visited Barcelona back in 2018 and absolutely loved it. 

The performance was wonderful and the theater was very intimate. It was a wonderful experience and glad we got to see another show while in Spain.

Dinner at Oven Mozzarella

That night we switched it up and went for Italian at a restaurant just down the street from our hotel. The food was fantastic and we got in at just right the time, around 7ish after our show, as when we left the line was out the front door.

Christmas lights 

After dinner, Rick and I chose to stroll the Gran Via to enjoy one last look at the Christmas lights and holiday decorations lining this main avenue. I loved how festive everything was and it really was starting to feel like Christmas, even though it felt like we bypassed Thanksgiving!

Then it was off to bed for our train ride to Barcelona the next morning! 

We had a wonderful time in Madrid and are so happy we got to experience the city as it was lighting up for the holiday season. It felt so magical and was a great time to visit. There are still some things left over on our Madrid bucket list and hopefully we’ll have the chance to return to the city again in the future.

If you have any recommendations of what we should do next time we do find ourselves in Madrid, please leave those in the comments!