My husband and I have lived in Madrid for almost two years now, and we have been fortunate enough to have lots of family and friends come visit us from the US. For some, this was their first visit to Madrid. Others have vacationed or studied here before. And for a few, it was their first time outside of the US altogether.
My favorite part about having people come visit is putting together a plan for what I think each visitor would like to do or see in Madrid. With a wide range of comfort levels while traveling abroad and interests, I’ve built up an arsenal of go-to plans for any type of visitor.
Whether you also live in Madrid or need ideas for an upcoming trip, here are my favorite things to do with our visitors.
First, You Have to Know Your Visitor
The key to planning a good visit with your family and friends is to know their interests and comfort level abroad. Some people love museums, while others prefer to wander the streets like a local.
While Madrid certainly has plenty of touristy options that are worthwhile for first-time visitors, it’s not necessarily where I take everyone that visits. After you identify what kind of visitors you’re hosting, here are a few recommendations for each.
Best Things to Do With First-Time Visitors in Madrid
If this is your visitor’s first time in Madrid, of course they should get a taste of the city. Things like the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, and Gran Vía are great to explore, but I also weave in a few more unique experiences that better demonstrate real Spanish culture.
The first is Mercado San Miguel. This is a great spot to take first-timers since it’s centrally located near other tourist spots, and gives people a taste of Spanish cuisine. It’s not a market I frequent as a local, but I do think it’s a fun stop when you’re out exploring the city with your visitor.
I also like to focus on experiences. My go-to favorites are a cooking class at Cooking Clubhouse, and a flamenco show at La Cueva de Lola.
I love Cooking Clubhouse because they teach their classes in Spanish, English, or both depending on the audience, and they make the experience educational and fun. You can choose from a tapas class where you make a variety of dishes from around Spain, or a paella class. They tell you a little bit about the origin of the dishes and what makes them special, plus they always keep your wine glass full. At the end, you enjoy a meal with all of your classmates at their beautiful dining table.
La Cueva de Lola is a non-negotiable when we have first-time visitors to Madrid. I love this flamenco show because they take you down into a small “cave” carved out of rock, and you get to enjoy the show with tapas and wine in a small group. It isn’t like other touristy flamenco spots that have uncomfortable stadium seating in a large auditorium. It feels like a more personal and enjoyable experience. My only advice is if your visitors are visiting Andalucía as part of their trip to Spain, encourage them to see a flamenco show there instead of Madrid for the most authentic possible experience.
Lastly, I love taking first-timers on a morning walk through Retiro Park, stopping at Florida Park for lunch afterwards. Retiro is massive, and it’s easy to spend a few hours wandering the gorgeous gardens. There’s a nice restaurant in the center of the park called Florida Park where you can sit outside or inside and enjoy some Spanish tapas. This is a great autumn activity when the leaves are changing colors and the weather is perfect to spend lots of time outdoors.
What to Do With Visitors Who Know Madrid
If your visitors have been to Madrid before, you can probably skip a lot of the tourist attractions and go straight to the good stuff. I’ve found that most of my visitors just want to get a sense of what our lives are really like in Madrid. Here’s how I show them.
First, I like to take them to local markets for a bite to eat. My go-tos are Mercado San Fernando in Lavapiés or Mercado Tirso de Molina in Latina (not to be confused with La Latina). I like these markets in particular because they have a variety of high-quality, local food options at a good price, and are good representations of local culture. You’ll often see madrileños meeting up with friends after work and on the weekends at these markets. Mercado San Fernando is more international, while Mercado Tirso de Molina is more Spanish food.
My other favorite activity is to grab a coffee in Malasaña and go for a nice walk, with some shopping along the way. My personal favorite coffee shop is Pan y Pepinillos because they have a gorgeous walk-up window right in the heart of Malasaña. From there, I like to walk through the neighborhood stopping into stores, and venturing towards Justicia if your visitor wants to do some serious shopping.
For visitors that already know Madrid, they may have an idea of what else they want to experience in the city. I try not to over-plan for this group, but just go with the flow and see where you end up!
For a Taste of Local Madrid Life
Honestly, I think Madrid is best enjoyed like a local. This means just walking around, hanging out on a terrace, and enjoying a long meal with loved ones.
My recommendation to get a glimpse of local life in Madrid is to sit and enjoy a long lunch and tapas with your visitors. I would recommend going to Plaza de la Paja or Plaza Olavide and finding a restaurant with an open patio table, and sharing a few bites. The whole point is to slow down, spend time together, and try some Spanish classics in the meantime. This is really what locals do in their free time.
In between eating and drinking your heart out, I’d recommend a walk in Casa de Campo or Madrid Río. These are more local spots to get outside and explore, but they’re still easy to reach by public transport.
Casa de Campo in particular is massive. You can spend time walking around the lake, visiting the theme park, or even going to the zoo, all located within the park.
If you like to bike, I’d recommend renting a bike in Madrid Río since it’s a paved, pedestrian-only walkway along the Manzanares River. This is a safe way to cover some ground, be active, and see a more local side of Madrid.
Where to Eat With Visitors
There are a few crowd-pleasers that I always have on my itinerary for visitors.
La Primera is a restaurant known for upscale tapas and Spanish cuisine, located right on Gran Vía. I consider this a hidden gem, because I don’t feel like people really know about this spot, even though it’s located in the heart of the city. Everything on the menu is delicious, but I recommend trying their cod, croquetas, the artichoke, and the cheesecake for dessert. You can’t go wrong with this one!
Taberna Peñalver, located on Calle Cava Baja, is the best paella spot in the city. It’s slightly fancier, but they have a wide menu of different paella options, served in the traditional huge round skillet. Our visitors always rave about this one.
For something a bit trendier, try Her in Salamanca. This is a Mediterranean fusion restaurant with a gorgeous interior and even better food. They’re famous for their crispy tuna wonton cones that are to die for. Make your recommendation a month or so out, because it books up fast.
For a traditional taberna, I recommend El Bombín in La Latina. The restaurant is located in famous singer Joaquín Sabina’s childhood home, and it’s a really unique setting. They have all of the Spanish classics like croquetas, patatas bravas, torreznos, and more. Everything there is delicious!
Girls’ Night Out in Madrid
For a fun girls’ night in Madrid, there are so many fun options. My personal favorite is to spend an afternoon shopping and exploring Justicia before stopping for ice cream and wine pairings at Bea’s.
Bea’s is a cute, small storefront that pairs natural wines with delicious ice cream, making it the perfect stop for a sweet treat. That area is also full of great restaurants like Krachai for Thai food, Persimmons for Georgian food, and the famous Los 33.
Madrid also has all kinds of cool jewelry making workshops, journal decorating classes, cocktail classes, and so much more. I always like to browse GetYourGuide for ideas if one of my close girl friends is visiting.
Backup Plan for Rainy or Bad Weather
If you get unlucky with the weather, whether it’s too hot or pouring rain, I like to divert my plans to indoor activities.
When it’s raining, you have two good options in my eyes, depending on who your visitor is. You can either hunker down in one of Madrid’s cute wine bars or tabernas, or you can go explore a museum.
My favorite cozy wine bars are Corchito near Lavapiés and Las Letras, or Alquímia in Justicia. It’s easy to spend a few hours in these cozy, candlelit bars while you wait out the rain.
Alternatively, Madrid has great museums beyond just El Prado and La Reina Sofia. You can explore Museo San Isidro, which teaches you about the history of Madrid, or visit the Museo de Romanticismo which is dedicated to the art and lifestyle of the bourgeoisie during the Romanticism period.
Ultimately, there’s tons to do in Madrid for any type of traveler. But these are the two options I typically find myself in!
Quick-Reference Guide: Madrid Itinerary by Visitor Type
| Visitor Type | Recommendations |
|---|---|
| First-time visitors | Mercado San Miguel · Cooking class at Cooking Clubhouse · Flamenco at La Cueva de Lola · Retiro Park + lunch at Florida Park |
| Visitors who know Madrid | Mercado San Fernando (Lavapiés) · Mercado Tirso de Molina (Latina) · Coffee + shopping walk in Malasaña |
| For a taste of local life | Long lunch on a terrace at Plaza de la Paja or Plaza Olavide · Walk in Casa de Campo · Bike ride along Madrid Río |
| Where to eat | La Primera (Gran Vía) · Taberna Peñalver (paella, Calle Cava Baja) · Her (Salamanca, book ahead) · El Bombín (La Latina) |
| Girls’ night out | Shopping in Justicia + wine and ice cream at Bea’s |
| Rainy or bad weather | Wine bars: Corchito, Alquímia · Museums: Museo San Isidro, Museo de Romanticismo |
Enjoy the Visit!
One of the biggest gifts about living in a city like Madrid is getting a chance to fall in love with it again and again. Seeing Madrid through the eyes of a first-time visitor makes the whole experience so special, and you realize how lucky you are to live in such an amazing city.
The friends and family I’ve been lucky enough to host over the past two years absolutely loved their time in Madrid, and a few even talk about making a move themselves.
These options are my go-to crowd pleasers, and I hope you and your visitors enjoy them as well.
If you have any other recommendations, leave them in the comments!
Other blogs you may like:
- Exploring Madrid: Malasaña Neighborhood Guide
- Exploring La Latina Neighborhood: The Ultimate Madrid Guide (2026)
- The Ultimate Madrid Travel Guide (From a Local)- 2026
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