Destination guide
Madrid
20 places across 11 categories of our rankings. Nearest airport: Madrid-Barajas Airport, about 20 minutes by car.
Luxury hotels
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Madrid No. 1 of 10
Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
Madrid's historic Ritz, now the Mandarin Oriental, with three Michelin Keys.
Michelin: 3 Keys
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Madrid No. 7 of 10
Four Seasons Hotel Madrid
Five Forbes Travel Guide stars four years running, for both hotel and spa, and two Michelin Keys in central Madrid.
Michelin: 2 Keys
Golf
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Madrid No. 8 of 10
Club de Campo Villa de Madrid (Negro)
The Negro course by Javier Arana (1956), inside the Casa de Campo: classic golf on the city's doorstep.
Designed by Javier Arana · 18 holes · Par 71
Restaurants
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Madrid No. 4 of 10
DiverXO
Madrid's only three-star restaurant and the capital's most theatrical cuisine, by David Muñoz; ninth in the world in The World's 50 Best 2026.
Cuisine by David Muñoz · Michelin: 3 stars · The World's 50 Best 2026: No. 9
Luxury homes
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Pozuelo de Alarcón · Madrid No. 2 of 10
La Finca
A luxury development on the outskirts of Madrid. Its Paseo de los Lagos is the second most expensive address in Spain, according to idealista 2026.
Residential development · idealista 2026: No. 2
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Alcobendas · Madrid No. 4 of 10
La Moraleja
Madrid's benchmark luxury development. Paseo del Conde de los Gaitanes ranks fifth in idealista 2026.
Residential development · idealista 2026: No. 5
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Madrid · Madrid No. 7 of 10
Barrio de Salamanca
The capital's most expensive urban area. Calle Serrano and calle José Ortega y Gasset rank 8th and 9th in idealista 2026.
Central district · idealista 2026: Nos. 8 and 9
Luxury shopping
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Madrid No. 2 of 10
Serrano y Ortega y Gasset
Serrano and José Ortega y Gasset, in the Barrio de Salamanca, accounted for all six luxury openings in Madrid in 2024. Serrano is Spain's second most expensive shopping street.
Shopping district · Cushman & Wakefield 2025: Serrano, No. 2 in Spain
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Madrid No. 3 of 10
Gran Vía
Gran Vía, in central Madrid, is Spain's third most expensive shopping street, with a prime rent of 3,120 euros per square metre a year.
Shopping street · Cushman & Wakefield 2025: No. 3 in Spain
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Las Rozas de Madrid · Madrid No. 8 of 10
Las Rozas Village
A luxury outlet with more than a hundred boutiques, on the outskirts of Madrid, with a shuttle from the city centre.
Luxury outlet · More than 100 boutiques
Spas
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Madrid · Madrid No. 3 of 10
The Beauty Concept Spa · Mandarin Oriental Ritz
Spain's Best Hotel Spa at the 2026 World Spa Awards, at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz.
World Spa Awards: Winner 2026 · Hotel spa
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Madrid · Madrid No. 8 of 10
Sense, A Rosewood Spa · Villa Magna
Nominated in 2026 for Spain's Best Hotel Spa; it was already Spain's best in 2023, according to the hotel itself.
World Spa Awards: Nominee 2026 · Hotel spa
Motor
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San Sebastián de los Reyes · Madrid No. 5 of 10
Circuito del Jarama – RACE
Madrid's circuit, about 30 km from the capital. It hosted nine Spanish F1 Grands Prix between 1968 and 1981 and now stages Formula E and touring cars.
3.850 km · Since 1967
Nightlife
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Humanes de Madrid · Madrid No. 4 of 12
FABRIK
Madrid's big club: seven indoor and outdoor rooms, a restaurant and its own hotel, open since 2003 on the outskirts of the city.
DJ Mag Top 100 Clubs 2026: No. 8 · Capacity: 6,000 people
Cocktail bars
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Madrid No. 3 of 6
Angelita
A wine and cocktail bar by the Villalón brothers in Madrid; it enters the world top 50 in 2026.
The World's 50 Best Bars 2026: No. 50
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Madrid No. 5 of 6
Salmon Guru
Creative cocktails in central Madrid: No. 37 in 2025 and No. 66 on the extended 2026 list.
The World's 50 Best Bars 2026: No. 66
Historic stays
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Madrid No. 9 of 9
Hotel Orfila
A small 19th-century palace in central Madrid, with a garden courtyard and cooking by Mario Sandoval.
Small palace · 19th-century small palace
Museums and art
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Madrid No. 1 of 5
Museo del Prado
Spain's most visited museum: an all-time record in 2025, with two in three visitors from abroad.
Visitors in 2025: 3,513,402
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Madrid No. 2 of 5
Museo Reina Sofía
A modern and contemporary art museum, home to Picasso's Guernica, with 4.2% more visitors than in 2024.
Visitors in 2025: 1,601,732
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Madrid No. 5 of 5
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
It passed one million visitors in 2025, 5.4% more than in 2024; almost half of the public is international.
Visitors in 2025: 1,003,455
Complete itineraries
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