Spain is the perfect country for families, especially if you have small children! When we visited Spain this past Fall we were shown nothing but kindness and many smiles as we asked for help or recommendations throughout our stay 5 day trip in Madrid. I will highlight our 5 day itinerary below to give you an idea of what you can do from the moment you land to the day you depart. I hope you enjoy!
Day 1 – Hotel & Dinner
We arrived in Madrid at about 3 pm after a 9 hour flight, collected our luggage at baggage claim and met our private driver to take us to our hotel.
I strongly suggest for families to book a private driver from the airport to the hotel to help minimize the headaches of language barrier one might experience if you are not too familiar with Spanish.
I was able to book a wonderful 4 star hotel called Hotel Gran Versalles in the Alonso Martinez district and highly recommend it! When we arrived we were put into a decent room but there was construction happening down the hall which was very loud. We were a little disappointed so went back downstairs to ask the manager if there was any way we could be moved into another area of the hotel due to the noise. After a few moments he kindly agreed and moved us into a much quieter and upgraded area of the hotel. After settling into our room, we decided to take a stroll outside to find a tapas bar to grab a traditional Spanish dinner for our first night in Spain! After googling tapas bars in the area we found one called, Bodega de la Ardosa and it did not disappoint! Although it was a very small bar with beautiful barrels turned into tables and a few bar stools we were able to eat comfortably. We were still on USA time so fortunately for us when we arrived at the tapas bar it was about 5pm which made the crowd almost non existent. Keep this in mind, in the USA our traditional dinner starts at about 5 or 6pm but in Spain dinner does not happen until after 8 or 9pm so if you get to a restaurant on USA time you’ll have better luck not having to fight the crowds. We had several tapas which consisted of: Spanish Tortilla, Spanish Olives, fresh Salmon, a variety of traditional jamons and cheeses, red wind and Sangria. Our daughter was not as impressed as we were with the food but she did nibble on fresh bread and cheese. After dinner we walked back to the hotel and although it was dark there were so many people on the streets we felt very safe. The location of our hotel was not in a touristy area but more of a local area which we loved because you had a lot of families, young couples and professionals all around allowing us to blend in very well with the Spaniards.
Day 2 – Plaza de Toros, Plaza Mayor & Flamenco Show
After much needed sleep we decided to wake up a little later than usual at about 9am (we are on vacation right?) to start our day. We grabbed breakfast across the street and then hailed a taxi to Las Ventas Plaza De Toros. This is a fantastic site to see with children! Las Ventas De Toros is a stadium that hosted bull fighting events. After purchasing tickets into Las Ventas, we were able to tour the beautiful stadium and get to learn so much about the history and life of bull fighters. We were told that Las Ventas no longer allows actual bull fighting but they do pay tribute to the traditional sport by allowing visitors to see what the stadium stood for. Inside the stadium, visitors can listen to what each part of the stadium was used for, take pictures as if one is a real bull fighter, pretend you are a matador in a live bull fighting stimulator with virtual reality goggles and finally you can tour the actual bull fighting rink and walk the steps of matadors and bulls that is unlike any other experience we’ve ever had! You can spend hours at the Plaza De Toros but after about 2 hrs we were ready to jump into our next site. We enjoyed a long walk to the historic Plaza Mayor were we had a wonderful lunch and enjoyed live music, sangria and paella. My daughter enjoyed pasta and vanilla ice cream, thank goodness for pasta dishes! Plaza Mayor is a great spot to relax, enjoy a drink, music, good food and a great time. After lunch we walked across the street to visit the famous Mercado De San Miguel where you can try an assortment of Spanish Tapas and drinks. A must stop for taking great pics and eating fantastic food. To end the night I booked a Flamenco show and it was the best thing ever!
There are several flamenco shows to choose from but I chose a venue called Cardamomo Flamenco Madrid because this was the ONLY spot to have a live show at 6pm perfectly suitable for children.
Most flamenco shows start at 9pm and so I was very excited to have found one that started at 6pm. The show was spectacular and because my daughter is a little sensitive with her hearing we did take noise reducing headphones to make her as comfortable as possible. You MUST book a flamenco show while in Madrid even with children, it is an amazing, cultural and wonderful experience for everyone of all ages.
Day 3 – Day trip to Segovia
After 2 days in Madrid it was a perfect time for us to head out on a day trip to the wonderful city of Segovia. Before heading to Spain, I researched a ton and decided we should do a day trip on our own and not book a tour with a group. I did this because I felt a 10 hour tour on a bus with other tourists probably wouldn’t sit well with our 3 year old. After choosing to plan our day trip on my own I booked the 0950am high speed train ride from Madrid Chamartin Railway Station to Segovia, and believe it or not it only takes 30 minutes to arrive and worth every single penny! Once we arrived we took a taxi into town where we were dropped off directly in front of the Aqueduct of Segovia and I highly recommend starting here because it is the entrance into town. The Aqueduct is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, the arches are a beautiful sight to see! You can spend hours here but due to time constraints we roamed around for a good 45 minutes taking as many pictures as possible and even climbed to the top of the Aqueduct for an amazing view of the town and then wandered back down to our next destination. Located directly across the Aqueduct is the tourism building where you can grab a local map and venture out into the town on your own. The two must sees sites on my list were the Alcazar de Segovia and the Cathedral de Segovia. The Alcazar de Segovia is a beautiful castle/fortress that is said to have been one of Walt Disney’s inspirations when he designed the Cinderella castle in Disney World. The Alcazar was originally built to serve as a fortress but because of its beauty and location became a royal palace, a state prison, a royal artillery college, and today used as a museum and archives building for the military. After a short 25 minute walk from the Aqueduct we arrived at the Alcazar and were able to purchase tickets and the audio guide to start our tour immediately. Once inside there are many many rooms to look through and so much history to learn but with a 3 year old we made our rounds quick and let her run around and enjoy herself. After about 1.5 hours we ended the tour and headed back into town for lunch. Segovia is known for their roasted suckling pig dish so it was an immediate must do when I was planning our trip. I booked a fabulous restaurant months in advance called Jose Maria Restaurante and it was the best ever. The meat literally melted in your mouth, it was incredibly flavorful on the meaty inside and crispy on the outside, perfection…I could not have wished for anything better! After an amazing and unforgettable lunch we toured the Cathedral de Segovia. This Gothic style Roman Catholic cathedral is something you cannot miss and even more beautiful inside. Before heading back to the train station we stopped for a quick caffeine fix and then back to the train station for our 1830 ride back to Madrid!
Day 4 – Museo Del Prado, Reina Sofia and the Royal Palace of Madrid
Four days into our Spain adventure, I felt it was time to visit a few world renowned museums and a royal palace. After breakfast we took a long walk to the Museo Del Prado. We were able to purchase tickets very quickly, grab a map and begin our tour with no problems. As we entered the museum our daughter fell asleep so we let her enjoy a much needed nap while we embraced the art work of famous painters such as Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch and Caravaggio. Just know that you are not allowed to take pictures or video while inside the museum. After 1.5 hours of touring the Prado Museum we began out walk to the next museum, Reina Sofia but had to make a quick stop upon a carousel we accidentally came across. My daughter loves carousels and every time we run into one she insists on riding a few times…I guess it’s the least we can do for dragging her to museums, right? After this slight detour we finally reached the Reina Sofia museum and were able to purchase tickets quickly here too, grab a map and begin our tour. I was excited to see Salvador Dali & Joan Miro’s paintings while my husband was super ecstatic to visit Picasso’s famous Guernica painting. Talk about an impressive and impactful painting! Picasso’s Guernica was breathtaking and such a large piece of work I was pleasantly surprised. All 3 of us were blown away by Guernica and could have stood there for hours but large crowds started gathering around so it was time to go and give other people a chance to view this remarkable painting. After lunch we headed to the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace of Madrid is very significant to Madrid and another must stop for you to see. It’s considered to be the official residence of the Royal Family but in reality only used for state ceremonies. The palace is very large full of so much history, artwork, tapestries, elegance and charm! It took us a good 1.5 hours to tour the grounds and then it was time for a late dinner. Check it out below!
If you want to have dinner at the oldest running restaurant in the entire world you must head out to Restaurante Botin in Madrid. You should make a reservation in advance or arrive early (opens at 8pm for dinner) and hope they can seat you, we did this and were fortunate enough to grab a table. Great food, wine and service!!!
Day 5 – El Retiro Park
On our final day in Madrid we decided to take it easy and really enjoy the city one last time. We woke up early, walked through the city on a beautiful sunny day and grabbed brunch at a very cute restaurant. After brunch we stumbled upon the bar “La Venencia” which was frequented by the famous Ernest Hemingway. This bar serves up nothing but Spanish sherries and really reminds you that you are back in the time of the Spanish Revolution! Such a cool spot. Next we did some souvenir shopping and then headed to El Retiro Park. This park is fantastic for families who just want to lounge around, have the kids stretch out their legs and even row a boat. Upon the entrance we found a children’s park and had our daughter play on the slide and swings while I got to relax! Afterwards, we walked towards the Monument to Alfonso XII but first made a quick ice cream and sangria stop at the outdoor cafe directly across the lake. After a hot day at the park this was a fantastic way to cool off!
After ice cream my daughter could not stop talking about the small row boats on the water so my husband decided to take her out onto the water while I stayed behind to take wonderful pictures. They were on the water for about an hour when it was time to come back to land. My daughter was very upset but she was turning so red from the hot sun. With this being said, if you head out to the lake when it is hot be sure to pack up some sun block I forgot mine at the hotel. As dinner time approached we went to an amazing restaurant, La Maruca and had the best seafood and wine I could ask for! It’s amazing how quickly time flies by when you are having fun.
Conclusion
Each day in Madrid was perfect and full of so much fun while making beautiful memories together. My 5 day itinerary allowed us to experience the real Madrid and all the beauty it had to offer. We were able to visit the Plaza de Toros, watch a flamenco show, visit the Museo del Prado, visit the Royal Palace, eat at the oldest restaurant in the world, have some of the best tapas and sangrias we’ve ever had! Please note that you can switch the activities around, add more spots to your list, take away some activities, sleep in, get up earlier…this is a guide that really helped us have an amazing and memorable time. Our next stop on our Spain adventure is Barcelona!
