Royal Palace of Madrid
Place · Royal Palace & Madrid de los Austrias
Book a morning slot online: about 90 minutes through the state rooms; closes for state ceremonies without much notice.
- Book the opening slot
- Closed for state events
- Free gardens next door
- Go a morning slot booked ahead
- Timed ticket: book ahead
- Queue: switch at 30 min
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 12Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…June to August
- Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
- Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
- Iberia ↗Plan meals on the Iberian clock: Spanish kitchens serve lunch from about 13:30–14:00 and dinner from 20:30–21:00; Portugal eats an hour or so earlier. Early evenings are for tapas or petiscos, not full meals.
- Iberia ↗Inland Spain and Portugal (Seville, Córdoba, Madrid, the Alentejo) pass 40 °C in heatwaves from late June to August: sightsee before 11:00 and after 18:00, and keep July–August for the coasts and the green north.
- Iberia ↗Andorra and Gibraltar have their own border and customs rules and are reached only through Spain (or France for Andorra); read their pages before adding them, especially if you hold a limited Schengen visa.
- Spain ↗Spain is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
- Spain ↗High-speed trains have airport-style baggage screening at the station and boarding gates that close a few minutes before departure: arrive early.
- Spain ↗Carry your passport or ID: police may ask for it, and hotels must register every guest's document.
- Spain ↗The Alhambra in Granada and the Sagrada Família in Barcelona sell timed tickets that sell out weeks ahead in season; book on the official sites before you fix your dates.
- Madrid and Central Spain ↗Book fast-train tickets for Toledo and Segovia ahead on weekends and in spring: return seats can sell out.
- Madrid ↗June to August: plan museums and the palace for the morning or the AC hours; the streets between 14:00 and 18:00 can pass 35°C.
- Madrid ↗Many restaurant kitchens close between about 16:00 and 20:00: lunch at 13:30–15:30, dinner from 20:30.
More
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, best time to go, opening hours
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Usually Opens 10:00Usually Opens 10:00 AM
- Crowds
Quietest around 09:00 or 17:00 · go a morning slot booked ahead
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Tue–Thu · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: about €12–16 (≈ US$14–19) (2026 estimate)
- Student / senior: free or reduced for some groups (check)
free or reduced for young children (check)
- Time to spend
- 90–120 min · up to 150 min if you linger
Best time to go
Tour groups from 10:30; a booked first slot is calmer.
Queue rule: switch if the queue passes 30 min; come back when under 10.
By weekday: quietest Tue–Thu, busiest Sat, Sun.
Opening hours
- Hours
- 10:00–? (typical, check)
- Note
- Opening hours and last entry change by season; not printed until verified.
- Hours note
- Roughly 10:00–18:00 in winter and 10:00–19:00 in summer; closes for state events.
Which month is quietest
- Janlight
- Feblight
- Marbusy
- Aprheavy
- Mayheavy
- Junheavy
- Julheavy
- Augheavy
- Sepheavy
- Octheavy
- Novbusy
- Decheavy
Quietest Jan–Feb · busiest Apr–Oct · Dec.
Estimate: desk reasoning from school-trip, weekend, season and holiday patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Plaza de la Armería, Calle de Bailén side
- Ticket
- timed advance official · official site
- Stairs
- Grand staircase and long galleries
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Accessibility
- PartialStep-free entrance · Grand staircase and long galleries
- Check firstLifts
- Check firstAccessible toilet
- PartialWheelchair · Ask the staff at the entrance for the route (check).
- NoStroller · Strollers go to the cloakroom.
Sensory load
- Sensory load3/5 Medium
- Peak crowd5/5 Very high
Exposure: medium
What to bring and the rules
- Your booked ticket or QR code · Entry is timed and sold ahead on the official site.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Bailouts
- heat: Mercado de San Miguel (AC)
- rain: Inside the palace rooms
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Royal Palace forecourt (Plaza de la Armería)
Problem
Red lines
- No photos inside the state rooms; security check at the entrance.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
Tickets, prices and entry
Know before you go
- The palace closes at short notice for official ceremonies: check the official site the day before.
- No photos inside the state rooms; large bags go to the cloakroom.
- Guided tours add context but the audio guide is enough for most visitors.
- The Campo del Moro and the Sabatini Gardens are free and open longer than the palace.
- Allow 90 minutes for the rooms and the armoury; 2 hours with the gardens.
Best time of day
Go a morning slot booked ahead. Plan 90–120 min inside.
quietlightbusyheavypacked· desk estimate for an ordinary weekday; add one level on weekends and holidays
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- Timed entry: book a slot on the official site; walk-up slots can run out.
- Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
- Queues
- Book a timed ticket on the official site; go at the first slot.
- Free days
Free entry days in Madrid (pick Madrid in the tool; check)
- What's closed
- State ceremoniescheckRooms close with little notice; the official site posts the dates.
- Changing of the guardcheckA ceremony on selected Wednesdays or the first Wednesday of the month; check.
- Public holidayscheckShortened hours on Dec 24 and Dec 31.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult ticket | about €12–16 (≈ US$14–19) (2026 estimate) | Prices differ for the guided version and the audio guide. |
| Reduced and free tickets | free or reduced for some groups (check) | Late-afternoon free entry for EU residents on some days; carry ID (check). |
| Sabatini Gardens and Campo del Moro | free | Open longer than the palace; check seasonal hours. |
How to do it well
- 1Book a timed ticket on the official site; go at the first slot.
- 2Enter at the Plaza de la Armería side and pass the security check.
- 3Allow 90 minutes; the armoury and the pharmacy are extras.
Facilities
- toilets
- Inside the palace and the visitor centre.
- tickets
- Buy online ahead; check the posted price.
- shade
- Little on the esplanades; hat in summer.
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
60min
Worthwhile
90min
Typical
120min
p95
150min
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (120 min).
Nothing else in our notes is a short enough walk from here for the time that is left.
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: partly · partlyGrand staircase and long galleries
- Lifts: check · check
- Accessible toilet: check · check
- Wheelchair: partly · partlyAsk the staff at the entrance for the route (check).
- Stroller: no · noStrollers go to the cloakroom.
A step-free route exists inside; some rooms and the armoury need steps. Ask at the door.
Who it suits
| Traveler | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First visit | good | The main royal sight in the city. |
| Families | caution | Good armoury and gardens; long, quiet rooms. |
| Wheelchair users | caution | Step-free route exists, with gaps. |
Skip it if
- You dislike long museum-style rooms.
- The palace is closed for a state event on your day.
With kids
- with kids
- The armoury and the gardens work; the state rooms are a long walk with no seating.
- child price
- free or reduced for young children (check)
Combine with
Combine with
- 2 minAlmudena Cathedral
- 4 minPlaza de Oriente and the Teatro Real
- 5 minSabatini Gardens — Free formal gardens.
- 10 minMercado de San Miguel · eat
- 15 minTemplo de Debod
- —Plaza Mayor (12 min walk)
Walk the Royal Palace & Madrid de los Austrias area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
Deep dive
Questions, photos, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Is it worth the price?
Yes for the state rooms and the armoury; skip it if you only want photos, since the façade and gardens are free.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Can I visit the gardens without a ticket?
Yes: the Sabatini Gardens and the Campo del Moro are free.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is it open every day?
Most days, but it closes for state events and some holidays; check the official site.
Can I take photos?
Not inside the state rooms; outside is fine.
How long do I need?
About 90 minutes for the rooms and the armoury, longer with the gardens.
Photos
Photos
Royal Palace of Madrid Photo: Ben Bender, CC BY-SA 3.0
Royal Palace of Madrid Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Royal Palace of Madrid at night Photo: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0
Deep dive
Sources
- officialPatrimonio Nacional (official)
Was this useful?
Add Royal Palace of Madrid to a day
Source: Price
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
Prices are 2026 estimates. The official site has the current price.
Source: Opening hours
Source: Best hour
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The quietest window written into this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.
Source: Bag rating
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Rated for the whole walking cluster, from desk research, not for this entrance.