Yes, the Royal Palace earns an hour of a Madrid trip if you like grand interiors, and most visitors need nothing more than the €18 self-guided ticket: Patrimonio Nacional puts the route through the state rooms at about 45 minutes, and the Royal Armoury comes with it. English tours led by palace staff run four times a day for €26, and a phone audio guide adds €3. The visitor entrance is on the Plaza de la Armería, facing Almudena Cathedral, about 650 metres on foot from Ópera Metro, and on Sundays the palace closes at 4pm.
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family, used for audiences and state events and run by Patrimonio Nacional.
Is the Royal Palace in Madrid worth visiting? The Royal Palace of Madrid is worth about 45 minutes for anyone who enjoys state rooms: the €18 self-guided ticket covers the Throne Room, the Gala Dining Room and the Royal Armoury. English guided tours cost €26. Entry stops an hour before closing, so on Sundays the Royal Palace admits visitors only until 3pm.
Which ticket do you need?
Everyone needs a ticket, and the choice comes down to how much explanation you want.
| If you want… | Book this | Standard price |
|---|---|---|
| The story behind each room | Guided tour in English | €26, €17 reduced |
| A second visit next door | Palace + Royal Collections Gallery, or Palace + Royal Kitchen | €24, €12 reduced |
| Commentary at your own pace | Self-guided + phone audio guide | €18 + €3 |
| Just to walk the rooms | Self-guided | €18, €9 reduced |
Reduced tickets cover ages 5 to 16, over-65s and students up to 25. The phone audio guide comes in limited numbers, is valid only on the day and needs your own earphones; a loaned device costs €5 instead. The combined Gallery ticket can be used up to 7 days before or after the palace.
Free entry is not for most English-speaking visitors: it applies to EU and Latin American citizens and EU residents, Monday to Thursday in the last two hours, as explained in free entry to the Royal Palace. A visitor from the US, Canada or Australia without EU residency pays the €18.
When do the English tours run?
Tour holders go in through the priority door 15 minutes before the start and meet the guide in the entrance hall 5 minutes before. There is also one Italian tour a day at 12.45pm, and Spanish tours leave every half hour. No guided groups run during the free weekday slot.
What will you see inside?
The route that Patrimonio Nacional publishes is short, so it pays to know where to slow down:
- Throne Room: the last room on the route, still decorated as it was finished for Charles III in 1772, under a ceiling by Tiepolo. Give it the most time.
- Gala Dining Room: three rooms joined together and still used for state dinners.
- Gasparini Room: where the king dressed and held private audiences.
- Antechamber: two pairs of Goya portraits of Charles IV and Queen María Luisa.
- Hall of Columns: a plaque marks the signing of Spain’s accession to what is now the European Union.
- Royal Armoury: included in the same ticket and open the same hours, according to Patrimonio Nacional. Budget extra time on top of the 45 minutes.
What catches first-time visitors out?
- Entrance on the cathedral side. Patrimonio Nacional sends individual visitors and groups in from the cathedral esplanade on the Plaza de la Armería.
- Big bags. The palace asks visitors not to bring backpacks, suitcases or large bags while works are under way.
- Photos. Allowed without flash for personal use; tripods and selfie sticks are not.
- Surprise closures. The palace is still used for state events, and Patrimonio Nacional warns of extra closures for them, so do not save it for your last afternoon.
- Short Sundays. Closing at 4pm means last entry at 3pm, all year.
Opening hours and the changing of the guard
| Season | Mon to Sat | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| October to March | 10am to 6pm | 10am to 4pm |
| April to September | 10am to 7pm | 10am to 4pm |
Last entry is an hour before closing. The palace shuts on 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 25 December, and from 3pm on 24 and 31 December. The formal changing of the guard is on the first Wednesday of each month at noon, free and about 50 minutes long, unless an official event intervenes; go in at 10am and you can finish the rooms before it starts.
The nearest stop is Ópera, on Metro lines 2 and 5; a single ticket costs €1.50 to €2.00 depending on the number of stations. Coming straight from Barajas on Metro line 8, you also pay the €3 airport supplement, as explained in the Madrid airport Metro supplement.
What to pair with it
Almudena Cathedral sits opposite and charges separately; its museum and dome shut at 2.30pm, so see it first, as covered in Almudena Cathedral dome and museum.
For a second visit on the €24 combined ticket, choose between the Royal Collections Gallery and the Royal Kitchen tour. Lunch options within a short walk are in restaurants near the Royal Palace, and the old streets behind the palace in Madrid de los Austrias.
Frequently asked questions about visiting the Royal Palace
How long does it take to see the Royal Palace in Madrid?
About 45 minutes for the self-guided route through the state rooms, according to Patrimonio Nacional, plus extra time if you want to linger in the Royal Armoury. Entry closes an hour before the palace does, so on Sundays, when it shuts at 4pm, you must be in by 3pm.
Are there guided tours of the Royal Palace in English?
Yes. Patrimonio Nacional staff lead English tours at 10.45am, 11.45am, 1.45pm and 3.15pm Monday to Saturday, and at 10.45am, 11.45am, 1.45pm and 2.15pm on Sundays. A guided ticket costs €26, or €17 reduced, and makes the audio guide unnecessary.
Do you need tickets for the Royal Palace in Madrid?
Yes, every visitor needs a ticket. The standard self-guided ticket costs €18. Free entry exists only for EU and Latin American citizens and EU residents, Monday to Thursday in the last two hours, with tickets issued at the ticket office, so most visitors from the US, UK or Australia pay.
When is the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace?
The formal changing of the guard takes place on the first Wednesday of each month at noon, lasts about 50 minutes and is free to watch, unless it clashes with an official event, according to Patrimonio Nacional.
Pay for the rooms, add a guide only for the stories, and never leave the palace for a Sunday afternoon.