More than 3,000 rooms, a set of Stradivarius instruments and a ceiling painted by Tiepolo - and yet the king goes home every evening to a much smaller house on the edge of town.
The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid) is the biggest royal palace in Western Europe and the most impressive building in Madrid. It stands on a ridge above the Manzanares valley, a short walk from Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol. The Spanish royal family no longer lives here, but the palace is still their official residence and hosts state banquets and ceremonies. In this article you’ll find what to see inside, whether a guided tour is worth it, when to catch the Changing of the Guard and how to plan your visit.
💰 Hostal Central Palace Madrid - A good-value guesthouse on Plaza de Oriente, right opposite the palace.
🏨 Hotel Opera - A comfortable hotel by the Teatro Real, a five-minute walk from the palace.
💎 Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques - A five-star hotel in a 19th-century ducal palace with a rooftop pool.
Royal Palace Madrid at a glance - why it’s worth your time
The royal palace is huge. It covers more than 135,000 square metres and counts 3,418 rooms, which makes it roughly four times the size of Buckingham Palace by room count. You only see a small part of it on a visit, but those main rooms are some of the most lavish interiors in Europe, with frescoed ceilings, crystal chandeliers, silk wall hangings and period furniture.
The palace is run by Patrimonio Nacional, the agency that looks after Spain’s royal sites, from El Escorial to the palaces of Aranjuez and El Pardo. Beyond the state rooms, your visit takes in the Royal Armoury, the Royal Pharmacy and the main façade overlooking the vast Plaza de la Armería. On a clear day you can see across the Casa de Campo park towards the Sierra de Guadarrama.
If you only have one day in Madrid, pair the palace with the Prado Museum. Between them, you’ll see the best of Spanish history and art, and both are within a 30-minute walk of each other.
A short history of the Palacio Real de Madrid
The story starts with a 9th-century Moorish fortress built to guard the route to Toledo. After the Christian conquest, the fortress grew into the Old Alcázar, a royal castle that became the seat of the court when Philip II made Madrid the capital in 1561. You can still see a stretch of the Arab Wall (Muralla Árabe) just below the palace, on Cuesta de la Vega.
On Christmas Eve 1734 a fire destroyed the old Alcázar. Philip V, the first monarch of the Bourbon line in Spain, decided to replace it with a stone palace that could not burn. The Italian architect Filippo Juvarra drew the first plans, and after his death Juan Bautista Sachetti designed the building you see today. The first stone was laid in 1738 and the work took 17 years.
Charles III was the first king to move in, in 1764. He brought in Francesco Sabatini to finish the interiors and the grand staircase, while painters such as Tiepolo, Mengs and Giaquinto decorated the ceilings. Later kings, including Charles IV, Ferdinand VII and Alfonso XII, added rooms and collections. The last monarch to actually live here was Alfonso XIII, who left Spain in 1931. Today King Felipe VI and his family live in the Zarzuela Palace, just outside the city, and use the Royal Palace for official events.
What to see inside the royal palace
The standard route through the main rooms on the first floor follows a fixed one-way path. You start at the Plaza de la Armería, climb the staircase and walk through the king’s and queen’s apartments before ending in the Royal Chapel. Allow about an hour and a half for the palace itself, and a little longer if you add the armoury and the pharmacy.
Main Staircase
Your visit begins with the main staircase designed by Sabatini, with more than 70 steps of San Agustín marble and a pair of marble lions at the top. Look up at the ceiling fresco by Corrado Giaquinto. It sets the tone for everything that follows.
Throne Room
The Throne Room is the highlight for most visitors. Its walls are covered in crimson velvet, gilded mirrors and bronze lions, and the ceiling by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, finished in 1766, celebrates the glory of the Spanish monarchy. The room still keeps its 18th-century decoration and is used for official audiences and ceremonies, so it is one of the few places where the past and the present-day monarchy truly meet.
Gasparini Room
Charles III’s dressing room, known as the Gasparini Room after its designer Mattia Gasparini, is a riot of rococo stucco, embroidered silk and Chinese motifs. It’s small, so you may have to wait a moment to get a proper look. Just next door, the Porcelain Room is lined from floor to ceiling with panels from the royal factory at Buen Retiro.
Banquet Hall
The Gala Dining Room was created under Alfonso XII by joining several of the queen’s rooms. Its long table can seat around 140 guests, and the hall is still used for state banquets when foreign heads of state visit. Notice the tapestries, the Chinese vases and the chandeliers hanging over the table.
Royal Chapel and the Stradivarius instruments
The Royal Chapel closes the route through the main rooms. Next to it, the palace keeps a collection of string instruments made by Antonio Stradivari, including the decorated Palatine Quartet. It’s one of the rare chances to see these legendary violins and a cello up close. Since spring 2025 the route has also included the ante-sacristy and the sacristy, and in spring 2026 the chapel’s reliquary and ante-reliquary rooms were added too. You see them from inside the chapel and through the windows beside their entrance, rather than walking through them.
Royal Armoury
Don’t skip the Royal Armoury on the opposite side of the parade ground. It is one of the finest collections of historical armour and weaponry in the world. Here you’ll see the armour Charles V wore at the Battle of Mühlberg in 1544, suits made for young princes and armour for horses. Kids usually love this part more than the gilded rooms. In spring 2026 the armoury added new display cases on Madrid and the Bourbon kings, plus new pieces linked to the Battle of Lepanto and to Japan.
Royal Pharmacy and Royal Kitchen
The Royal Pharmacy, with its rows of ceramic jars and old laboratories, shows how medicines were prepared for the court, and it’s included in the standard ticket. The Royal Kitchen is one of the oldest well-preserved kitchens in any European royal residence. It isn’t part of the standard route. For now you can only see it on a short guided visit that costs extra and isn’t available during the free-entry hours, but if you like social history it’s well worth adding.
Guided tour, audio guide or self-guided tour?
You can visit the royal palace in three ways. A self-guided tour gives you the most freedom, and the information panels in each room are short. An audio guide adds more stories and details, but it’s easy to get lost in the stream of names and dates.
A guided tour is the best choice if you want to understand what you’re looking at. A good guide explains who commissioned each room, points out the details you’d otherwise walk past and tells the stories of the kings and queens who lived here. Most guided tours include skip-the-line entry, which matters in spring, summer and on weekends, when the queue at the main entrance can be long.
Groups on guided tours are limited inside the palace, so book your guided tour a few days ahead, especially for weekends and school holidays. If you travel with children, a guided tour often works better than the audio guide, because a lively guide keeps their attention.
Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace
The Changing of the Guard takes place every Wednesday and Saturday, weather permitting, at the Puerta del Príncipe gate. From 11am to 2pm the guards are relieved every 30 minutes, and in July and August the ceremony runs from 10am to 12pm to avoid the heat. It’s free, and you don’t need a ticket to watch it.
The bigger Solemn Changing of the Guard is held on the first Wednesday of every month at 12pm in the Plaza de la Armería, except in January, August and September. Hundreds of soldiers from the Royal Guard and around a hundred horses take part, in uniforms from the reign of Alfonso XII and Alfonso XIII. Arrive at least 30 minutes early to get a good spot near the railings.
Royal Collections Gallery
Opened in 2023 next to the palace, the Royal Collections Gallery (Galería de las Colecciones Reales) displays art and objects collected by the Spanish monarchy over five centuries. You’ll see paintings by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco and Caravaggio, Flemish tapestries, royal carriages and armour, arranged on three underground floors cut into the hillside. A combined ticket covers the palace and the gallery, and it’s a good place to escape the summer heat. The gallery stays open later than the palace, until 8pm from Monday to Saturday and 7pm on Sundays, and EU citizens and residents get in free from Monday to Thursday between 6pm and 8pm.
Gardens around the palace
The Sabatini Gardens stretch along the north side of the palace. They were laid out in the 1930s on the site of the old royal stables, with clipped hedges, statues of kings and a large rectangular pond. Entry is free, and the gardens give you one of the best views of the palace’s north façade.
On the west side, the Campo del Moro Gardens slope down towards the river. They take their name from the Moorish army that camped here in the 12th century while trying to retake the city. The park is laid out in a Romantic style, with shady paths, fountains and peacocks wandering around. The entrance is on Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto, so you need to walk around the palace to reach it. For a free view over these gardens and the Casa de Campo, step onto the Mirador de la Cornisa, a viewing terrace by the palace that’s open every day from 12pm to 10pm.
Plaza de Oriente and other sights nearby
In front of the main façade, Plaza de Oriente is a formal square with clipped gardens, statues of Spanish kings and an equestrian statue of Philip IV in the middle. On its east side stands the Teatro Real, Madrid‘s opera house. The square is a lovely place to sit on a bench and take in the palace from a distance.
Across the Plaza de la Armería stands the Almudena Cathedral, finished only in 1993 and consecrated by Pope John Paul II. A short walk north brings you to Plaza de España and the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple that’s one of the best places in Madrid to watch the sunset. Head east instead and you’ll reach Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel, perfect for tapas after your visit.
Planning your visit to the Royal Palace of Madrid
Opening hours and last admission
From April to September the palace opens Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm. From October to March it closes at 6pm. On Sundays and public holidays it’s open from 10am to 4pm all year. Last admission is one hour before closing. The palace closes on 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 25 December, and on 24 and 31 December it shuts at 3pm. It can also close at short notice for state ceremonies and official events, so check the date before you go.
Free entry - and why most UK visitors pay
Entry is free from Monday to Thursday in the last two hours before closing (5pm to 7pm in summer, 4pm to 6pm in winter). It only applies to citizens of the European Union, EU residents and work permit holders, and Latin American citizens, and you’ll need an ID card or passport to prove it. Since Brexit, British passport holders don’t qualify, so plan to book a regular ticket.
What your ticket covers and who gets a discount
A standard ticket covers the state rooms, the Royal Chapel, the Royal Armoury and the Royal Pharmacy. Reduced tickets are available for children aged 5 to 16, students up to 25 and visitors over 65, so bring ID if you qualify. Children under five go free. There are also two combined tickets: one adds the Royal Collections Gallery and the other adds the Royal Kitchen visit. In high season, a skip-the-line ticket or a guided tour saves you from queuing at the ticket office.
Best time to visit and how long you need
The quietest time is right at opening, at 10am, or late in the afternoon on weekdays. Avoid the free hours if you’re paying, because the queues are long. Plan two to three hours for the palace and the Royal Armoury, and add an hour for the Royal Collections Gallery. If you want to see the Changing of the Guard, visit on a Wednesday or Saturday morning.
Can you take photos inside the Royal Palace?
Yes. Since March 2024 you can take photos inside the palace for personal use, after years when photography was banned in the state rooms. Flash, tripods and selfie sticks aren’t allowed, and you shouldn’t hold up the one-way route while you frame a shot. The Throne Room and the Gasparini Room are easiest to photograph right after opening, before the tour groups arrive.
Visiting with kids and reduced mobility
The palace works well for families. Children are usually fascinated by the armour, the swords and the guards in uniform, and the gardens are a good place to run around afterwards. The visitor route is adapted for people with reduced mobility, and the new reception centre has step-free access and adapted toilets.
Getting there
Since August 2026, both individual visitors and groups enter through the new visitor reception centre, reached from the esplanade by the Almudena Cathedral on the Plaza de la Armería side. Security checks and the ticket office are now in one place there, which keeps the queue moving faster. The nearest metro station is Ópera (lines 2, 5 and the Ramal), about a five-minute walk away. Plaza de España (lines 2, 3 and 10) is about ten minutes away on foot. From Puerta del Sol you can walk to the palace in about 15 minutes along Calle Arenal.
Many visitors combine the palace with a day trip to Toledo, Segovia or El Escorial. You can reach all three easily by train or bus, or by hire car if you want to explore the Sierra de Guadarrama at your own pace. Hotels around the palace fill up quickly in spring and autumn, so book your stay early.
See available places to stay in Madrid
Practical info
- Royal Palace of Madrid tickets are best booked in advance. You’ll avoid the long queue at the entrance and won’t risk finding that all time slots are sold out.
- Address: Calle de Bailén, s/n, 28013 Madrid, Spain
- Buy tickets on GetYourGuide
Hotels near the Royal Palace of Madrid
Staying near the palace puts you in the historic heart of Madrid, within walking distance of the Opera district, Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol. Here are three options for different budgets.
💰 Hostal Central Palace Madrid
A friendly, good-value guesthouse right on Plaza de Oriente, opposite the palace. Some of the simple, bright rooms have balconies with a direct view of the main façade, which is hard to beat at this price. Ópera metro station is a two-minute walk away. It’s a great pick if you want a central base and plan to spend most of your time out exploring.
🏨 Hotel Opera
A comfortable mid-range hotel on Cuesta de Santo Domingo, around the corner from the Teatro Real and a five-minute walk from the palace. Rooms are modern and quiet, some with a terrace, and the in-house restaurant is known for its evenings with live opera singing. It’s a good choice for couples and anyone who wants comfort without paying luxury prices.
💎 Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques
A five-star hotel in a 19th-century ducal palace, a few minutes’ walk from the Royal Palace. Expect elegant rooms inspired by Velázquez, a garden courtyard, a spa and a rooftop terrace with a small pool and views over the old town towards the palace. It’s the place to stay for a special occasion or a romantic city break.
Royal Palace of Madrid FAQ
Does anyone live in the Royal Palace of Madrid?
No, the royal family doesn’t live in the palace. King Felipe VI and his family live in the Zarzuela Palace, on the outskirts of the city. The Royal Palace is still the official residence of the Spanish monarchy and is used for state ceremonies, banquets and official audiences.
When was the Royal Palace of Madrid built?
Work began in 1738, after a fire destroyed the old Alcázar on Christmas Eve 1734, and it took 17 years. Philip V commissioned it, and Juan Bautista Sachetti designed it from Filippo Juvarra’s first plans. Charles III became the first king to live in the new palace in 1764, and the decoration of the interiors continued for decades after that.
Is the Royal Palace in Madrid bigger than Buckingham Palace?
Yes. With 3,418 rooms and more than 135,000 square metres of floor space, the Royal Palace of Madrid is much larger than Buckingham Palace, which has 775 rooms. It is often described as the largest royal palace in Western Europe.
How long do you need to visit the Royal Palace?
Most visitors spend about two hours inside, including the main rooms and the Royal Armoury. Add an hour for the Royal Collections Gallery and some time for the Sabatini Gardens and Plaza de Oriente if you want to see the surroundings too.
What time should I arrive to see the Changing of the Guard?
Arrive about 30 minutes early. The regular ceremony takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 11am and 2pm (10am to 12pm in July and August) at the Puerta del Príncipe. The solemn ceremony on the first Wednesday of the month starts at 12pm, except in January, August and September.
Is it worth going to the Royal Palace of Madrid?
Yes, especially if you’re interested in history, art or royal life. The Throne Room, the Royal Armoury and the Stradivarius instruments are unlike anything else in Madrid, and a guided tour helps you make sense of nearly three centuries of Spanish history.
