Madrid With Kids: A Family Guide to Exploring the City
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Madrid was our very first stop in Spain, which means we experienced it in full jet-lag mode as a family. The kind where no one knows what time it is, the kids are wide awake at the worst possible hours, and everyone is both exhausted and weirdly energetic at the same time. We travel a lot, but jet lag with kids is always humbling. No matter how prepared you think you are, it still shows up and does its thing.
That said, Madrid turned out to be an excellent first stop in Spain and a surprisingly easy city to explore with kids in just a few days. Even in our foggy, coffee-dependent state, it felt manageable rather than overwhelming, which is exactly what you want at the start of a trip. A great start to another family adventure!
If you are planning a short city break or using Madrid as the first stop on a longer Spain itinerary, it works beautifully. The city is easy to reach from the airport, incredibly walkable once you are central, and packed with family friendly activities that do not require intense planning or long travel days. In other words, it is forgiving, and that matters when everyone is tired. Don’t forget to get an eSIM, it makes everything about travel so much simpler.
This is how we explored Madrid with kids over a few days while fighting jet lag, adjusting to a new time zone, and slowly easing into Spain as a family.
Arrival day in Madrid with kids and surviving jet lag
We arrived in Madrid early in the morning, which is honestly the hardest possible arrival time when traveling with kids. Normally, I book the hotel for the night before so we can check in immediately and sleep. This time, I decided to take a risk and hope for an early room.
It worked out better than I could have imagined.
Our hotel room was ready by 10:30 in the morning. Before checking in, we went straight to the hotel breakfast buffet, which was exactly what we all needed after an overnight flight. Being able to eat, sit, and reset made a huge difference.
Once the room was ready, everyone had a short cat nap to recharge. By 1:00 pm, we were back out exploring the city. That one hour of rest completely changed the tone of the day. Instead of feeling like we were dragging ourselves through Madrid in a fog, we felt human again.
One very important tip if you do this. Set an alarm. You will not want to get up after one hour, but you absolutely must. If you let that nap turn into a long sleep, you will not sleep overnight, and the jet lag spiral will be much worse. Even with this strategy, we still had a few days where everyone woke up between 2:00 and 3:00 am for an hour or so.
Jet lag is real. We travel often, but it is still hard. It is also part of the adventure, and Madrid is a forgiving city to adjust in.
This approach worked especially well for us and is something I would recommend to anyone looking for tips on how to beat jet lag with kids in Europe.
Getting from Madrid airport to the city with kids
One of the reasons Madrid works so well for families is how easy it is to get from the airport into the city.
We took a taxi directly from the airport to our hotel. Madrid has a fixed taxi fare for rides from the airport to the central city area, and it generally falls in the 30 to 35 euro range. With kids, luggage, and jet lag, this was absolutely worth it.
If you are searching for information on Madrid airport to city with kids or Madrid taxi from airport cost with family, this is one of the simplest and least stressful options. I would note that if you have a big family or a lot of luggage, you may want to pre-book your ride. The taxi line was fairly long, and many of the cars did not want to take 4 people + 4 bags. We made it work, but it was a bit of a longer wait so if you want less stress, pay a few extra bucks and pre-book a ride!
I use HolaFly for my eSIM provider, and it works reliably everytime. You can get a 5% discount through this site :)
First impressions of Madrid in winter
We visited Madrid in January, and my impression of the city was overwhelmingly positive. Madrid felt spacious, clean, and easy to navigate with kids.
Yes, it was cold, but it was also sunny. With a coat, it was completely comfortable for walking around, and honestly ideal for sightseeing. Winter temperatures meant fewer crowds and a much calmer pace, which is perfect when traveling with children.
If you are considering a winter family trip to Madrid with kids, do not let the cooler weather scare you off. January in Madrid was bright, walkable, and very pleasant.
Seeing Madrid by sightseeing bus with kids
One of the first activities we did was a city sightseeing bus tour. I love doing this early in a trip because it gives everyone a visual overview of the city without requiring much effort.
There is one important thing to know right now. Due to current permit issues, the sightseeing bus in Madrid is not operating as a hop on hop off service. It is a continuous panoramic tour only. You stay on for the full loop.
Even so, this worked very well for us, especially while jet lagged. The kids could sit and listen to the kid-friendly audio tour, snack, and look around while we got a sense of the city layout. If you are looking for a kid friendly sightseeing option in Madrid, this is still a good choice even in its current format.
Visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid with children
The Royal Palace was one of the highlights of our time in Madrid. It is big, impressive, and easy for kids to understand when framed the right way. Since there is a monarchy in Spain, I meant the official name is the Kingdom of Spain, it’s pretty cool to see that palace as not just a historical site, but a current day palace for real royalty! My kids were pretty interested in that!
We kept the visit realistic. We focused on the most interesting rooms and did not try to see everything. Giving kids something specific to look for helped keep them engaged, whether it was chandeliers, royal rooms, or imagining what it would be like to live there. The self-guided audio tour for kids has puzzles and fun quizzes. It kept my 7 & 9 year old very interested and I often had to pause my own audio tour to listen to all the fun facts they had to share.
If you are planning to visit the Royal Palace of Madrid with children, my advice is to get the fast lane access, do the self-guided audio tour (it’s about 45 minutes) and plan to walk to Plaza Mayor afterwards for chocolate con churros.
Walking to Plaza Mayor and exploring central Madrid
After visiting the palace, we walked toward Plaza Mayor. This walk felt like a classic Madrid experience and was very manageable with kids. There is a playground to make a quick stop on the way, if that appeals to your crew!
Plaza Mayor is one of those places that naturally works for families. It is open, lively, and full of energy. There is space to pause, people watch, and soak in the atmosphere without feeling rushed. There’s lots of cafe’s and restaurants too.
This area is ideal if you are following a Madrid with kids itinerary for three days or planning a weekend city break in Madrid with kids.
Retiro Park with kids
If you only do one outdoor activity in Madrid with kids, make it Retiro Park. In a big city, I always tend to gravitate towards the green space.
Retiro Park was one of our favorite days in the city. It gave everyone space to move, breathe, and reset after city walking and sightseeing. The hotel we stayed at what right beside Retiro park, so we actually visited the park everyday to checkout the playgrounds, see street performers, and just wander around in a traffic-free zone.
We rented pedal carts, which the kids loved, and later rented row boats. The boats were chaotic in the best possible way because it was quite windy, and one of those moments that becomes a family memory very quickly.
Retiro Park is also a great place to slow down. We spent time just walking, snacking, and enjoying being outside. If you are searching for things to do in Retiro Park with kids, renting pedal carts and row boats is a great place to start.
Food in Madrid with kids
Food was one of the easiest parts of Madrid with kids.
One of the biggest hits was chocolate con churros. Spanish hot chocolate is very different from what most North American kids are used to. It is thick, rich, and essentially melted chocolate in a cup, served with churros for dipping. The kids were absolutely delighted.
If you are looking for the best churros and hot chocolate in Madrid, you can literally find it anywhere! This is a must try experience with kids, or as we say, a mandatory checkpoint.
We also had a great on the go meal with empanadas at Tita de Buenos Aires. This spot was recommended to us by friends, and it was honestly amazing, 100% worth the visit. It is very close to where you rent the pedal carts for Retiro Park, so if you are wondering where to eat empanadas in Madrid with kids, this is an easy and reliable option. It’s not a sit down spot, it’s just a take out counter.
We also found a lovely gluten-free bakery, Celicioso, that was a nice stop of coffee and dessert.
Sundays in Madrid with kids
One of our favorite surprises was discovering that on Sundays, one of Madrid’s major boulevards, Paseo del Prado, is closed to traffic and open only to pedestrians and cyclists.
This made walking around with kids so much more enjoyable. No cars, lots of space, and a relaxed city atmosphere. If you happen to be in Madrid on a Sunday with kids, take advantage of this.
The Prado Museum and the unexpected zombie incident
We fully intended to visit the Prado Museum. It was part of our plan to balance outdoor activities with a bit of culture.
Unfortunately, when we arrived, we walked straight into a large group of people dressed as zombies gathered outside the museum as part of an art exhibition or performance. They were very into their act, making the noises, completely decked out in costume, and in a group of about 100 people! The kids were already tired, and this completely terrified them…..understandably! There was no convincing them to go inside or that these were just people dressed up in costumes….
So we skipped it.
If we had gone in, our plan was simple. A short visit of 45 to 60 minutes, focusing on a few specific artworks, turning it into a bit of a scavenger hunt, and ending with a treat afterward.
If you are planning a Prado Museum visit with kids, I recommend keeping expectations low, choosing a theme, and visiting earlier in the day when kids are less overwhelmed.
Final thoughts on Madrid with kids
Madrid ended up being a fantastic introduction to Spain as a family. It is easy to access, walkable, spacious, and full of family friendly activities.
If you are planning a Madrid with kids itinerary for three days, a weekend in Madrid with kids, or even just using Madrid as your first stop in Spain, it is a great choice.
Jet lag was real, the early mornings were unavoidable, but the sunshine, food, parks, and relaxed pace made Madrid a city we truly enjoyed with kids.
Even the zombie incident is now part of the story!
