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Spend a perfect weekend in Madrid like a local! From exploring the magnificent Royal Palace to shopping at the vibrant Gran Via, a weekend holiday in Madrid is definitely perfect! Before you pack your bags and head to Madrid, here are some ideas on what to do in Madrid during the weekend. Saturday: Royal Palace Start your holiday with a visit to the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family. Get inside to admire the amazing displays of artworks, porcelain, silverware, and tapestries. Don’t forget to drop by at the nearby Almudena Cathedral. Saturday: Museums and Art Galleries Exploring the museums and galleries is among the best things to do in Spain this weekend. So head to the Prado Museum for some of the most impressive art collections! The Reina Sofia museum is a great place to admire Picasso’s works of art. If you want to get a peek of Spain’s rich history, the National Archaeological Museum is the best place to be! Saturday: Plaza Mayor and Mercado San Miguel Madrid looks even lovelier at night. So when evening comes, walk towards Plaza Mayor to admire the historic buildings by the square. Make your way towards Mercado San Miguel, a historic market that dates back to 1916. Grab a chair at one of the tapas bars in the market and order a serving of tapas and beer! Sunday: Shopping at Gran Via For some retail therapy, head to Gran Vía, a 100-year old street that’s lined with some of the most sought-after retail shops. Even if you don’t intend to shop, strolling along Gran Via is a great experience that you should not miss in Madrid at the weekend. This vibrant place is lined with beautiful and elegant buildings, which is definitely perfect for sightseeing! Sunday: Retiro Park Join the locals for a relaxing afternoon at the Retiro Park. Indulge in a leisurely walk as you explore the beautiful monuments, galleries, and sculptures. There are also ornamental gardens and discrete pathways. The park is the perfect place to get away from the busy streets of Madrid!
Yulia was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-! We met around 9:30 AM and set about on a brisk morning walk to kickstart our tour. Having hit many of the "must see" sights already, we were looking for a unique experience to fully immerse us into the local culture and 'off the beaten path' sights. Yulia 100% met our expectations and even delivered beyond. Her historical knowledge was on point, not to mention her knowledge on fun facts, neighborhoods, diversity, local customs, etc. We learned so much today of a 'behind the scenes' view. We asked many questions and Yulia indulged us each and every time. We definitely recommend the tour as you will be exposed to an experience that the locals live on a daily basis. We covered many miles in walking, so wear comfortable shoes! We really appreciated the coffee break to rest our feet and to chat comfortably over coffee, tea and beer. We did have a hiccup in our meeting point which we assume responsibility for as we should have abided by the confirmation note in WhatsApp vs. the booking details in withlocals.com. Yulia, however, was incredibly patient and accommodating and was so very kind to us not holding our hiccup against us.
Majo (Maria Jose) was pure joy and a beautiful welcome to Madrid for our first time in the city! Her communications leading up to our meeting were timely, the meeting location was discovered with ease, and her promptness of arrival was appreciated. From the moment we met Majo, we felt like family, especially after being greeted with a warm and welcoming hug. The tour highlights were wonderful learning a lot about hot spots of the city. My husband and I soaked up the history of the Monarchy of Madrid, the gastronomy culture, and were pleasantly surprised that we were able to attend 7pm mass at The Cathedral immediately following our tour. The timing of the tour was providential to allow for mass. Majo is quite the hidden gem of Madrid and definitely worth joining on one of her many tour offerings. You will part as family.
What a marvellous time we had with Majo. Her knowledge of the city was excellent. All the little extras and recommendations she popped into the itinerary was perfect. It was a pleasure to be able to share her love, exuberance and expertise in art. She bought the paintings and their history to life. She is also a very nice, friendly person. Majo made our trip to Madrid unforgettable. Highly recommend.
We had the best time with Maria Augusta at the Prado Museum. She curated a greatest hits list of art to show us and shared the most interesting stories and perspectives about them. We don’t usually tour art museums on our frequent European city breaks, but we loved this tour. She was great with our surly 12-year-old daughter, too. This was definitely the highlight of our Madrid experience!