Madrid · Calle de Bailén · Royal palace
Royal Palace of Madrid: tickets, hours and how to visit
The biggest royal palace in Western Europe, with a throne room frescoed by Tiepolo. Choose your ticket, check the hours and plan your visit.
Today
Opening hours for every month are on the Opening hours page.
Checked against the official website on 31 October 2026 · Official source
In short
- The Royal Palace of Madrid is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 between October and March, and from 10:00 to 19:00 between April and September. On Sundays it closes at 16:00. The last entry is one hour before closing.
- You can choose the entry ticket, a small-group guided tour, a tour that adds the Almudena Cathedral, or a ticket that includes the Royal Kitchen.
- The palace is closed on 1 January, 6 January, 1 May and 25 December. State ceremonies can close it on other days.
- The nearest metro station is Ópera.
The biggest royal palace in Western Europe
The palace covers about 135,000 square metres and has 3,418 rooms. The royal family does not live here: it lives at the Zarzuela, and the palace is kept for state ceremonies. The rest of the time, you can walk in.
The old Alcázar that stood on this spot burned down on Christmas Eve 1734, and the fire lasted four days. Philip V ordered a new palace, and Charles III was the first king to live in it, in 1764.
A throne room frescoed by Tiepolo
The Throne Room was finished in 1772, and Tiepolo painted its ceiling. It is the only room in the palace that has never changed its purpose. The palace also holds the Royal Armoury, one of the best collections of its kind.
Which ticket for the Royal Palace?
Want the simple option? Take the entry ticket and walk at your own pace. Want the stories behind the rooms? Take the small-group tour. Do you have a morning free? The tour with the Almudena Cathedral covers the palace and the church across the square.