El Capricho is the one Madrid park you cannot drop into on a Tuesday. The garden opens only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, from 9am to 6.30pm between October and March and until 9pm from April to September, and it lets in no more than 1,000 people at a time. It sits out towards the airport, a Line 5 Metro ride from the centre, and entry is free. In April 2026 the Fort and the Dance Hall reopened after a restoration, while the Duchess of Osuna’s palace stays under scaffolding until early 2027.
El Capricho is a free historic garden of 17 hectares on Paseo de la Alameda de Osuna, owned by Madrid City Council since 1974, with a BiciMAD dock at the gate.
Is El Capricho park open on weekdays? No. El Capricho park in Madrid opens only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, from 9am to 6.30pm in October to March and from 9am to 9pm in April to September. Entry is free but capped at 1,000 visitors. A weekday public holiday opens the gates, while 25 December and 1 January keep them shut.
Which days is El Capricho open during my trip?
Start with the calendar, because it decides everything else. A trip that runs Monday to Friday without a public holiday simply misses El Capricho, however close your hotel is.
| If your free day is | What you get at El Capricho |
|---|---|
| A summer weekend day, April to September | Twelve hours, 9am to 9pm |
| A winter weekend day, October to March | Nine and a half hours, until 6.30pm |
| A weekday public holiday | Open, with that season’s weekend hours |
| A normal weekday | Closed |
| Christmas Day or New Year’s Day | Closed |
Spain’s national and regional holidays often land midweek, so check which Madrid public holidays fall during your stay before writing El Capricho off. On a sunny Sunday, arriving at opening time means the 1,000-person cap never comes into play.
Weather can shut the gates too: the Council closes El Capricho entirely on red-alert days, one of six fenced gardens that shut along with the Retiro, as explained in Retiro Park closures for wind.
How is El Capricho different from a park back home?
Think of it as an open-air historic house rather than a city park, and according to Madrid City Council the rules are four. They catch out visitors used to London’s or New York’s parks:
- No dogs, even on a lead.
- No bikes or skates. A BiciMAD dock sits by the gate, but the bike stays outside.
- No eating inside, so no picnic blanket and no sandwich on a bench.
- No ball games.
Two more things work differently. The gates open on a weekend-and-holiday calendar, not every day, and Spanish lunch runs late, from about 2pm, so a morning visit leaves time to eat back in town afterwards. Entry is free and there is nothing to tip.
Is El Capricho worth the trip out towards the airport?
The real cost of the visit is travel time, not money, since the garden is free and sits near Barajas.
- Worth it if you like gardens as design. Three gardens share the site, a French parterre, an English landscape garden and an Italian garden, with a labyrinth, a small lake and a bandstand, plus the newly restored Fort and Dance Hall.
- Worth it on a weekend when you are already out that way, for a trade fair at IFEMA or before a late flight home.
- Skip it if your only free morning is a weekday, or if you want lawn for a picnic and a nap. For that, the Madrid Río park or Casa de Campo suit better, and free plans for kids in Madrid lists places for a restless afternoon.
How do I get there from central Madrid?
Ride Metro Line 5 to El Capricho station and walk about 700 metres, roughly 10 minutes, to the gate on Paseo de la Alameda de Osuna. A single Metro ticket costs €1.50 to €2 depending on the number of stations, as set out in how much a Madrid Metro ticket costs. EMT buses 101, 105 and 151 stop nearby, and drivers get free parking.
Is the El Capricho bunker tour worth booking?
Book it if the Spanish Civil War is part of why you came. The bunker was built in 1937 as a Republican army headquarters, 15 metres underground and 2,000 square metres in size, with seven rooms.
The free tour lasts 30 minutes, takes groups of 20 on Saturdays and Sundays, and is booked in advance on reservaspatrimonio.es, the Council’s booking site. The tour is listed as not accessible according to esMadrid, so it does not work with a wheelchair or a pushchair.
El Capricho park questions, from dogs to parking
Is El Capricho park open on weekdays?
No. El Capricho opens only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, from 9am to 6.30pm between October and March and from 9am to 9pm between April and September. It stays shut on 25 December and 1 January, even when they fall on a weekend.
Can I bring my dog to El Capricho?
No. Madrid City Council does not allow animals in the garden, even on a lead, and it also bans bicycles, skates, ball games and eating inside. For a walk with a dog or a picnic on the grass, Madrid Río or Casa de Campo are the better choice.
Can you visit the palace at El Capricho?
Not yet. The Duchess of Osuna’s palace is under restoration, with works due to finish in the first quarter of 2027. The Fort and the Dance Hall reopened after their own restoration in April 2026 and can be seen from the garden paths.
Do I need to book the El Capricho bunker tour?
Yes. The Civil War bunker is only seen on a free 30-minute guided tour for groups of 20 on Saturdays and Sundays, booked in advance on reservaspatrimonio.es. The tour is not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs, and it runs underground rather than in the garden.
How do I get to El Capricho from central Madrid?
Take Metro Line 5 to El Capricho station, then walk about 700 metres to the gate on Paseo de la Alameda de Osuna, roughly 10 minutes. EMT buses 101, 105 and 151 also stop nearby, and there is free parking.
Is there parking at El Capricho?
Yes. esMadrid lists free car parking at El Capricho, which helps if you drive in from the airport area. The garden still opens only on weekends and public holidays, so the car park is no use on a normal weekday.
Plan El Capricho around a weekend morning, or leave it for the next trip.