Our now 12-year old and 10-year old boys help me discover the best things to do with kids in Madrid, Spain, so I wanted to share this list with you, too! Please note that one of the best ways to experience the wonderful city of Madrid is to visit its local small towns, or pueblos, which you can find linked here. But if you’re here for a short visit and want to experience Madrid with kids, consider these destinations/tips:

Sites not to Miss: (please note Madrid sites are acceptable through the metro system and Renfe train); I also recommend the rideshare app Bolt, and have a discount code for Bolt here.

Playa Mayor: One of my favorite places in the city, you cannot visit Madrid without visiting Plaza Mayor. I especially love the plaza at night on a warm summer evening. Eat at the local market and enjoy the buzzing sounds of the city.

Retiro Park: Our boy’s favorite activity in Madrid is bringing a fútbol to Retiro Park. This beautiful and huge park is great in any season as it provides great shade on the hot summer days and on warmer winter days it offers a great way to get outside.

Royal Palace: The beauty of the Royal Palace is unmatched and a great option for those wanting to do something special. Views of the palace at sunset are incredible and worth a visit alone.

Plaza de Cibeles: While there isn’t much to do at this plaza, it’s a beautiful sight and one of my favorite to drive past. I highly recommend at least seeing this while in Madrid!

Puerta del Sol: Enjoy the beauty of Madrid and the busyness of the streets here. Sometimes these streets fill to almost full capacity and it’s sight to see!

La Latina: I love this neighborhood (barrio) in Madrid for its views and cultural feel. The streets are beautiful and every twist and turn is full of beauty here.

Real Madrid Bernabeu Tour: We aren’t a huge fan of tours but we did find this tour to be great for sports lovers! If you can’t go to a live game while in Madrid, head to the stadium tour for a great experience worth the cost.

Sporting Events/Shows:

Real Madrid game: This was a bucket-list event for us to attend and we had the best time! The energy in Bernabeu Stadium is unmatched. If you can score tickets to the game, definitely take the opportunity.

Flamenco de Leones show: We loved the tapas & flamenco show and it was one of our boys favorite things to do in Madrid! Head here for an authentic look into culture in Madrid.

Movistar Estudiantes Basketball game: It was such a cool experience to attend a minor league basketball game in Madrid. If you’re in town for a game, this is a fun thing to do with kids!

Tours:

Devour Food Tour: We had a great experience at our Devour Food tour to try local foods native to Madrid. We had so much fun and can’t wait for our next tour with Devour!

Experiences/Special Dates:

October – Transhumance Day: This was a super fun event to attend where local Spanish farmers walk through Madrid en route from northern Spain to southern Spain. Seeing goats fill the streets of busy Madrid is incredible.

January – Three Kings Parade: During the holiday season, this is an event not to miss. We caught the parade right outside of the Nuevos Ministerios train stop. It was such a great new Christmas tradition for us!