Self-guided walking tour

Madrid Walking Tour: The Essentials (about 2 hours, 10 stops)

10 stops in walking order through Madrid, from Catedral de la Almudena to Edificio Villanueva: 4.9 km on foot, about 59 min of walking, 1 h 50 min in total with the story and a look around at each stop. Walking times come from the routed walking path, not a straight line. It is the route of “Madrid Essentials”, a ready-made tour in the Guided Tours app.

Total: 1 h 50 min
Distance: 4.9 km
Walking: 59 min
Stops: 10

The stops, in walking order

Catedral de la Almudena
The Almudena Cathedral is Madrid’s Catholic cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena and set opposite the Royal Palace.
6 min walk · 500 m
Plaza de Oriente
A monumental Madrid square shaped by the Royal Palace, the Teatro Real and the Royal Monastery of the Incarnation.
2 min walk · 180 m
Palacio Real
A vast royal palace built on the site of the former Alcázar after a destructive fire.
10 min walk · 840 m
Mercado de San Miguel
A covered gourmet market beside Plaza Mayor, preserved within an iron-and-glass building.
5 min walk · 430 m
Plaza Mayor
Madrid’s principal public square, enclosed by arcades and residential buildings.
5 min walk · 430 m
Puerta del Sol
A famous Madrid square built around the symbolic kilometre zero of Spain’s radial roads.
6 min walk · 480 m
Gran Vía
A major Madrid street linking Calle de Alcalá with Plaza de España, filled with shops, hotels, theatres, and varied early-twentieth-century architecture.
7 min walk · 600 m
Edificio Metrópolis
An office building at the meeting point of Calle de Alcalá and Gran Vía, designed by Jules and Raymond Février.
6 min walk · 510 m
Fuente de Cibeles
The Fountain of Cybele is a monumental Madrid fountain centred on the goddess Cybele, whose chariot is drawn by lions representing Atalanta and Hippomenes.
11 min walk · 900 m
Edificio Villanueva
The Museo del Prado’s principal building, designed by Juan de Villanueva in a neoclassical style.