A school trip always offers a great mix of activities for all tastes: leisure excursions to theme parks, walks in nature and/or parks, cultural and sporting activities, local gastronomy, and more. But the main focus of the whole trip is getting to know and explore in depth the city that is your destination. Would you like to know what to visit in Madrid in 2 days? Read on.
Although we know that school trips usually last no more than 4 or 5 days, we always recommend that you prioritise and don’t go overboard with the activity programme: it’s better to know the top 10 places to visit at each destination and see them at a comfortable pace, rather than trying to cover everything and knowing that you’ll only be passing through and the students will ultimately remember nothing. In this article we take you on a two-day urban tour of the main landmarks, so that you can spend the rest of the time enjoying other types of excursions — for which we also make a brief suggestion at the end of the post.
Day 1: Visit to the City Centre and Its Monuments
We begin our visit to Madrid at kilometre zero: the Puerta del Sol. This iconic spot is where the bells ring in the New Year every New Year’s Eve. To explore the surrounding area, we can take Calle Arenal, which starts at the Puerta del Sol and leads us to the Ópera area, known for housing the historic building of the National Theatre. Continuing in that direction, we will find the Plaza de Oriente with the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral and the Royal Palace Gardens, also known as the Jardines de Sabatini.
Next, we head to the Plaza Mayor (the easiest way is to return to the Puerta del Sol and enter via Calle Mayor). Around the square you can find many tapas bars and places to have a beer, at rather steep prices since it is a very touristy area, though the traditional must-try is the calamares bocadillo (squid sandwich). A visit to the Mercado de San Miguel, which is right next to one of the entrances to the square, is also essential.
If you leave through the entrance opposite to where you came in, you’ll reach the historic La Latina neighbourhood in about 10 minutes. There you can enjoy tapas at the most famous bars (La Búha, El Viajero, El Pez Tortilla…), visit the lively squares, explore the wonderful Mercado de la Cebada with its many long-established shops, or if you prefer, walk a little further and have lunch at the Jardines de las Vistillas, from where you’ll have impressive views over Madrid.
Shopping and Tapas
In the afternoon, we head back to Sol once more, walking up the bustling Calle Preciados (where we can stop for all kinds of shopping) to the Plaza de Callao and the Gran Vía, and then stroll the full length of this famous street down to Plaza de España, one of the largest and most notable squares in Madrid. Walking down the full length of the square and continuing to the right, we come to the Temple of Debod, situated on a viewpoint with its own gardens. A magical and very peaceful spot from which you can watch one of the best sunsets in the city. Get there early to find a good spot!
After this moment, the best option is to end the day in the nearby Malasaña neighbourhood, known for its hipster aesthetic. From 8pm the streets fill with people, noise, terraces and a great atmosphere. Don’t miss any of the typical tapas served in the bars of this, the most trendy neighbourhood in the city!
Day 2: Cultural Tour
What else to see in Madrid in 2 days? Atocha station is the starting point for this second day of sightseeing, and is itself a historic building. From Atocha we have several options, all with plenty to offer. We can visit the nearby Retiro park by simply heading up the Cuesta de Moyano, where we’ll find the typical stalls selling new and second-hand books that have been there for many years. Later, we should also visit at least one of the museums of the famous golden triangle: the Thyssen, the Prado and the Reina Sofía. And alongside them, the Botanical Garden, which has free entry on Tuesday afternoons. If we take the Paseo del Prado and leave the museums behind, we come across two of the most important fountains for Madrid residents, one after the other: the Cibeles fountain and the Neptune fountain.
Once the sightseeing tour is done, we can relax with a gentle stroll through the streets of the Barrio de las Letras, one of the most significant and ancient neighbourhoods in the city. Alternatively, we can head from Atocha to the multicultural Lavapiés neighbourhood and discover all its bars, with a wide and diverse culinary offering.
Oh! And don’t forget that if your visit to the city falls on a Sunday, you’ll have to pay a compulsory visit to the largest and most famous flea market in the country: El Rastro.
What Else to See in Madrid in 2 Days? Extra Excursions
If your programme includes more than 2 days in the city, we recommend excursions to the outskirts of the city and the Madrid mountains, or to neighbouring cities and towns, such as Toledo, Ávila, Aranjuez, El Escorial or Alcalá de Henares.
On the other hand, for the students it would probably be very interesting to visit one of the city’s theme parks: Parque Warner, Parque de Atracciones or Parque Europa.
And for football fans, there is also the option of visiting the stadiums of the city’s two rival clubs: Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu and Atlético de Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano.
Guide to Organising Your School Trip to Madrid
Find out more in this special travel guide that we have prepared so that teachers can comfortably plan and organise their school trip. Tell us your needs and preferences and we will tailor the trip to suit you. Everything about your group trip to Madrid:
