Madrid · Spain
Royal Palace of Madrid
A practical guide to the Royal Palace of Madrid: guided tour or self-guided, how the Puerta Preferente works, which rooms not to miss, how much time to give it and which traps to avoid on Calle Bailén.
Worth it for the Throne Room and the Porcelain Room. If you speak Spanish, the guided tour in Spanish makes up for the fixed pace.
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest working royal palace in Western Europe by floor area: about 135,000 square meters and 3,418 rooms, of which around 50 are open to visitors. Philip V had it built on the site of the old Habsburg Alcázar, and Charles III was the first king to live in it, in 1764. Today the royal family lives at the Zarzuela, and the palace is used for receptions and state events.
Our experience
We went on a Saturday in May on the 10:30 guided tour in Spanish, which we booked in April. We went in through the Puerta Preferente at 10:15, and by 10:25 we were at the meeting point in the Zaguán, the entrance hall. Before that, at 9:30, we stopped by Plaza de Oriente and the Sabatini Gardens to see the facade in the morning sun.
We picked the guided tour because we’re Spanish speakers and wanted a live guide, not an audio track. We knew what you give up: the guide sets the pace and you can’t go back to a room. In exchange, the Puerta Preferente saved us the Saturday line, which can run over an hour.
A bit of history
On Christmas Eve 1734 a fire destroyed the old Alcázar over four days. About five hundred paintings were lost; Las Meninas was saved because it was thrown out a window. Philip V, grandson of Louis XIV, wanted a fireproof palace, all stone and brick. Filippo Juvarra drew up an enormous design and died in 1736; his student Sacchetti scaled it down and laid the first stone in 1738.
Charles III commissioned Sabatini for the staircase and the southeast wing, and Tiepolo for the ceilings. Tiepolo painted the Throne Room ceiling late in life and died in Madrid in 1770. It’s a celebration of the Spanish empire painted just as that empire was starting to decline. No king has slept here since 1931.
How it fits into your day
The palace, the Almudena and La Bola fit into one morning on foot. We went on to the Prado and Retiro Park in the afternoon. See our day 14 in Madrid with the full schedule.
What to see, in order
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The main staircase
Sabatini designed it with 72 steps, each carved from a single block of marble. Above, Corrado Giaquinto's fresco seems to open the ceiling to the sky.
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The Hall of Columns
Spain's treaty of accession to the European Community was signed here in 1985. Today it's used for state banquets.
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The Throne Room
Red velvet, twelve mirrors, two gilded thrones and a chandelier with about 20,000 crystals that is cleaned by hand once a year. On the ceiling, the apotheosis of the Spanish monarchy that Tiepolo painted in Madrid between 1762 and 1766.
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The Porcelain Room
Walls and ceiling covered in plaques from the Royal Buen Retiro Porcelain Factory, from 1763 to 1771. The joints are hidden in the moldings, and the room looks like a single piece.
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The Royal Chapel
Interior by Ventura Rodríguez and frescoes by Giaquinto. It's still used for royal weddings and baptisms.
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The Royal Pharmacy
An 18th-century apothecary with its wooden shelves, blue-and-white ceramic jars, mortars and recipe books. It served the royal family until the 20th century.
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The Palatine Stradivarius
The only decorated Stradivarius instruments in the world, with ivory and ebony inlays: two violins, a viola and a cello, plus a second, undecorated cello.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- No photos inside the state rooms. Only in the lobby and outside, and the staff are watching.
- The best photo of the facade is from Plaza de Oriente at 9:30, or from the pond in the Sabatini Gardens between 9:30 and 10:30.
- The Royal Armory reopened in April 2026 after two years of work. Ask whether your guided tour goes in; if not, you can go afterward.
- On Wednesdays and Saturdays there's a changing of the guard at the Puerta del Príncipe, from 11:00 to 14:00, free. The best spot is the left side of the Plaza de la Armería.
Do
- Bring your passport in case they ask for it when scanning your ticket.
- Use the restroom before the guided tour starts: there's no break afterward.
- On the way out, cross the Plaza de la Armería to the Almudena Cathedral, 50 meters away.
Don’t
- Don't buy tickets from the resellers on Calle Bailén: they're usually regular tickets with a 30–50% markup.
- Don't accept a "private continuation" from unauthorized guides in the Plaza de la Armería. The official guides meet you inside, after security.
- Don't let the photographer in the square take your picture: afterward he asks for €10–20.
- Watch out for pickpockets in the Plaza de la Armería, especially during the changing of the guard.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need to visit the Royal Palace?
The guided tour lasts an hour and a half. With entry, security and exit, count on about two hours.
Is the guided tour worth it, or is the self-guided ticket enough?
If you speak Spanish, the guided tour in Spanish gives you context and answers in your language, and it goes in through the Puerta Preferente. The downside is that you can't stay longer in a room. The audio guide gives you more freedom.
Does the king live in the Royal Palace?
No. Since the restoration of the monarchy, the king has lived in the Zarzuela Palace. The Royal Palace is the official residence for state ceremonies and receptions.
Is there free entry?
There are free slots late in the afternoon for EU and Ibero-American citizens with ID. They always fill up.
Can you take photos inside?
Not in the state rooms. Only in the entrance lobby and outside.