Madrid Free Walking Tour
2h30 · rated 9.4/10 in 38,191 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spotWhat is free in Madrid on Thursdays
Free museum hours in Madrid change with the day of the week. This is the list for Thursday: first what is free on this day in particular, then what is free on any day.
Free walking tours in Madrid2
These have no fixed price. You reserve a spot, and at the end you tip the guide what you think the tour was worth.
Chueca & Malasaña Free Tour
2h · rated 9.2/10 in 5,496 reviews
Guided in Spanish
Reserve a spotSpots are booked through Civitatis.
Free on Thursdays in particular6
Prado Museum (free last two hours)
Paseo del PradoFree on certain daysIndoorGood with kidsArtHistory
Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings and Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, free for the last two hours of every day. A normal ticket is €15.
- Las Meninas in room 12, the big oval hall
- Goya's Black Paintings on floor 0
- Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, room 56A
- Free when
- Every day · Monday to Saturday 18:00–20:00, Sundays and public holidays 17:00–19:00. Closed 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Short hours (10:00–14:00) on 6 January, 24 and 31 December, with no free slot.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Free tickets are collected at the ticket desks for the free slot, and the line forms along the Goya entrance well before it starts. Check the museum's own site for any online option.
- Time needed
- 1h30–2h, plus 30–45 minutes in line
- How to get there
- Metro L1 to Estación del Arte or L2 to Banco de España, then 8 minutes on foot. Free bus 001 stops on Paseo del Prado
Worth it? Yes.Two hours is not enough for the whole museum, so decide before you go in. Head to room 12 for Las Meninas, then down to the Black Paintings on floor 0, and leave the rest. Join the line by 17:15 on weekdays.
Source: Madrid city tourism office (esMADRID) · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Reina Sofía Museum (free evenings)
AtochaFree on certain daysBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kidsArtHistory
Spain's modern art museum, built around Picasso's Guernica, with Dalí and Miró in the rooms beside it. It opens free for the last two hours on every day it is open.
- Guernica, floor 2 of the Sabatini building
- Glass lifts on the facade, with a view over the square
- Sunday slot ends at 14:30, when the museum closes
- Free when
- Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 19:00–21:00 · Sunday 12:30–14:30. Closed Tuesdays. Also free all day on 18 April, 18 May, 12 October and 6 December.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, individual visitors only (no groups in the free slot)
- Reservation
- You still need a ticket in the free hours. Book the free ticket on the museum's site, or pick one up at the ticket office.
- Time needed
- 1h30–2h
- How to get there
- Metro L1 to Estación del Arte, 3 minutes on foot. Cercanías to Atocha
Worth it? Yes.The best free museum slot in Madrid, because Guernica sits on floor 2 and the line is shorter than at the Prado. Book the free ticket online that morning and use the Nouvel building entrance on Ronda de Atocha.
Source: Museo Reina Sofía · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Royal Palace (free for EU and Latin American citizens)
PalacioFree on certain daysResidents onlyIndoorGood with kidsHistoryArchitecture
The official residence of the Spanish crown, with the Throne Room under a Tiepolo ceiling, a grand main staircase and the Royal Armoury. The last two hours from Monday to Thursday are free for a defined group of nationalities.
- Tiepolo's ceiling in the Throne Room
- Royal Armoury across the courtyard, often skipped
- View to Casa de Campo from the Plaza de la Armería railings
- Free when
- Monday to Thursday · 16:00–18:00 from October to March, 17:00–19:00 from April to September. The ticket office closes one hour before the palace does. Closed 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 25 December, and without warning for state events.
- Free for whom
- Citizens of the European Union, people with residence or a work permit in the EU, and citizens of Latin American countries. Bring a passport, national ID card or residence permit. Everyone else pays.
- Reservation
- Free tickets are issued only at the ticket office on the day, never online. Self-guided visit only.
- Time needed
- 1h for the state rooms, 30 minutes more for the Armoury
- How to get there
- Metro L2 or L5 to Ópera, 5 minutes on foot. Free bus 002 passes Plaza de Oriente
Worth it? Yes.Worth doing if you hold the right passport, and a waste of an afternoon if you do not, because staff check documents at the desk. Be in line 30 minutes before the free slot starts. With one hour inside, do the main staircase and Throne Room first.
Source: Patrimonio Nacional · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Royal Collections Gallery (free for EU and Latin American citizens)
PalacioFree on certain daysResidents onlyIndoorGood with kidsArtHistoryArchitecture
The newest big museum in Madrid, opened in 2023 beside the palace, showing what the Habsburg and Bourbon kings collected: tapestries, carriages, Velázquez, Caravaggio. It runs the same nationality-based free slot as the palace, two hours later.
- Caravaggio's Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
- Remains of the 9th century city wall on floor -1
- Long windows facing the Campo del Moro at sunset
- Free when
- Monday to Thursday 18:00–20:00. The gallery clears 15 minutes before closing. Closed 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 25 December.
- Free for whom
- Citizens of the European Union, people with residence or a work permit in the EU, and citizens of Latin American countries, with ID. Also free for everyone on 18 May and 12 October.
- Reservation
- Free tickets only at the gallery's ticket office on the day.
- Time needed
- 1h30
- How to get there
- Metro L2 or L5 to Ópera, then 8 minutes on foot to the entrance on Calle Bailén next to the cathedral
Worth it? Yes.The slot starts when the palace's winter one ends, so from October to March you can do both back to back. The building drops down the hillside in three floors of ramps. Start at the top with the Habsburgs.
Source: Patrimonio Nacional · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando (free midday slot)
SolFree on certain daysIndoorArt
The academy where Goya taught and Picasso and Dalí studied, with thirteen Goyas, Zurbarán's white-robed monks and Arcimboldo's Spring. Almost nobody visits, and it is five minutes from Sol.
- Goya's Burial of the Sardine and two self-portraits
- Arcimboldo's Spring, the only one in Spain
- Zurbarán's five Mercedarian friars in a row
- Free when
- Tuesday to Friday (not public holidays) 13:30–15:00, permanent collection only. Also free on 18 May, 12 October and 6 December. Closed Mondays and all of August.
- Free for whom
- Everyone. Under-18s, university students aged 18–25 and unemployed visitors are free during all opening hours with proof.
- Reservation
- Not needed, and groups are not admitted in the free slot.
- Time needed
- 1h–1h30
- How to get there
- Metro L2 to Sevilla or L1, L2, L3 to Sol, then 3 minutes on foot to Calle de Alcalá 13
Worth it? Yes.Ninety minutes is tight but workable because the rooms are quiet. The second floor has been shut since May 2026 until further notice, so ask at the desk what is open before you plan around a specific painting.
Source: Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Cerralbo Museum (Thursday evening and Sundays)
Plaza de EspañaFree on certain daysIndoorHistoryArchitectureArt
The mansion of a 19th century marquis left exactly as he lived in it, crammed with armour, clocks, Murano chandeliers and a ballroom lined with mirrors. It shows how Madrid's aristocracy lived better than any palace tour.
- Ballroom on the first floor, mirrors and painted ceiling
- Armoury gallery with Japanese samurai armour
- Main staircase, the grandest part of the house
- Free when
- Thursdays 17:00–20:00 (not public holidays) · Sundays 10:00–15:00. Also free on 18 April, 18 May, 12 October and 6 December. Last entry one hour before closing. Closed Mondays.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed. Bags and umbrellas go in the lockers at the ticket desk.
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- Metro L3 to Ventura Rodríguez or L2, L3, L10 to Plaza de España, 4 minutes on foot to Calle de Ventura Rodríguez 17
Worth it? Yes.Go on Thursday evening and pair it with sunset at the Temple of Debod, which is 5 minutes away across Calle de Ferraz. At €3 it is also one of the few museums worth paying for outright.
Source: Madrid city tourism office (esMADRID) · checked Oct 5, 2026Open in Maps
Free every day, Thursday included13
- El Retiro ParkRetiroAlways · April to September 6:00–24:00, October to March 6:00–22:00. The park closes in high winds and heat alerts.
- Temple of DebodParque del OesteOutside: always open. Inside: Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 10:00–20:00, last entry 19:30. From 15 June to 15 September 10:00–19:00. Closed Mondays, 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December.
- Plaza Mayor and Puerta del SolCentroAlways · open public squares, any hour
- Madrid RíoArganzuelaAlways · open at all hours
- Museum of the History of MadridMalasañaAlways · Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–20:00. From 15 June to 15 September 10:00–19:00. Closed Mondays, 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December.
- San Isidro Museum, the Origins of MadridLa LatinaAlways · Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 10:00–20:00. From 15 July to 15 September 10:00–19:00. Closed Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December.
- Hermitage of San Antonio de la FloridaPríncipe PíoAlways · Tuesday to Sunday 9:30–20:00. From 15 June to 15 September 9:30–14:00 and 15:00–19:00. Last entry 20 minutes before closing. Closed Mondays, 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December.
- Campo del Moro GardensPalacioAlways · Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto gate: October to March 10:00–18:00, April and September to 21:00, May to August to 22:00. Cuesta de San Vicente gate: 10:00–18:00 in winter, to 20:00 from April to September. Closed 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, and for official events.
- Cerro del Tío Pío viewpointVallecasAlways · open park, any hour
- Geomineral MuseumChamberíAlways · every day including Mondays and holidays 9:00–14:00. Closed 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 and 6 January.
- Almudena CathedralPalacioAlways · September to June daily 10:00–20:30, July and August 10:00–21:00. No visits during services.
- Matadero MadridLegazpiAlways · outdoor spaces daily 9:00–22:00. Exhibition halls keep their own hours, mostly Tuesday to Sunday afternoons, so check the programme.
- Mercado de San MiguelCentroAlways · Sunday to Thursday 10:00–24:00, Fridays, Saturdays and holiday eves 10:00–1:00
PAID · ONE PER CITY
If you spend on one thing in Madrid, make it this.
A football match or stadium tour at the Santiago Bernabéu
Nothing free in Madrid stands in for 80,000 people in the rebuilt Bernabéu on a match night. If tickets are out of reach, a flamenco show in a small tablao is the other thing the city does that no museum slot replaces. Either way, book direct with the club or the venue, not a reseller.
Everything above is free. This is the only paid pick on the page, chosen because no free option replaces it.
See tickets and prices
