Visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid means entering the official residence of the King of Spain, used for state ceremonies but open to the public the rest of the time. According to Patrimonio Nacional, which manages it, the palace covers more than 135,000 m² (1.45 million sq ft) and receives nearly 1.5 million visitors a year. The route takes in the grand staircase, the Throne Room, the Gala Dining Room, the Royal Chapel and the Royal Armory. This page gives the official hours and prices, the free slots and how many there are month by month, and the best time to visit.
The palace is in the heart of historic Madrid, a few minutes from the Plaza Mayor: to plan the rest of your stay, see our Madrid travel guide.
Our travel deals for Royal Palace of Madrid
Affiliate links: we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
FlightsKiwi.comCompare flights and airline combinations to Royal Palace of Madrid.Compare flights- Tickets and toursTiqetsEntry tickets and guided tours to book online; compare with the official price.See tickets
- City passGo CityMulti-attraction pass at a fixed price: worth it only if you visit a lot.See passes
Royal Palace of Madrid: key facts
- Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am–7 pm from April to September and 10 am–6 pm from October to March; Sunday, 10 am–4 pm. Ticket offices close and last entry is one hour before closing — checked on 15 October 2026 on patrimonionacional.es
- Full price recorded on 15 October 2026: €18; reduced rate €9; combined Royal Palace + Royal Collections Gallery ticket €24 (reduced €12). Audio guide €5, guide €8 — subject to change, check before you go
- Free entry: Monday to Thursday, 4–6 pm from October to March and 5–7 pm from April to September (last entry one hour before), for citizens and residents of the European Union and Ibero-American nationals, with proof — checked on 15 October 2026 on patrimonionacional.es. US and UK visitors without EU residency do not qualify.
- Booking: not mandatory, but capacity is limited and ticket-office sales are reduced: Patrimonio Nacional recommends buying online in advance
- Time needed: no official duration published; allow more time if you add the Royal Collections Gallery
- Closures: the palace may close or partly open during official events; check the online calendar the day before
Tickets: official vs resellers
The only official ticket office is that of Patrimonio Nacional, tickets.patrimonionacional.es, which also comes first in search results. The full price there is €18, the reduced rate €9, and a combined ticket at €24 includes the Royal Collections Gallery, the museum that opened next to the palace. The Royal Kitchen (Real Cocina) has its own pricing, shown on the official website.
Agencies and platforms resell « skip-the-line » tickets or more expensive guided tours. These are not official ticket offices: check what is included (entry, guide, Royal Kitchen). Patrimonio Nacional itself offers a €8 guide supplement and a €5 audio guide. Note: the palace ticket offices do not accept €200 and €500 banknotes (management resolution of June 17, 2022, published on the official website).
Free entry: who, and when?
According to Patrimonio Nacional’s « free rate » page, entry is free all day for children under 5, people with a disability of 33% or more (and their companion if needed), working teachers, job seekers, members of large families (as defined by Spanish law), ICOM and ICOMOS members, and for everyone on May 18, International Museum Day. Valid official proof is asked for at the ticket office.
In addition, free slots are reserved for citizens of the European Union (and for residents or work-permit holders in the EU) and for Ibero-American nationals: Monday to Thursday, the last two hours of opening. Only the self-guided visit is free; the guide is still paid. These slots attract a long queue: arrive early, as last entry is one hour before closing.
| Month (2027) | Free slot (Mon–Thu) | Number of Monday–Thursday days |
|---|---|---|
| January | 4–6 pm | 16 |
| February | 4–6 pm | 16 |
| March | 4–6 pm | 19 |
| April | 5–7 pm | 17 |
| May | 5–7 pm | 17 |
| June | 5–7 pm | 18 |
| July | 5–7 pm | 17 |
| August | 5–7 pm | 18 |
| September | 5–7 pm | 18 |
| October | 4–6 pm | 16 |
| November | 4–6 pm | 18 |
| December | 4–6 pm | 18 |
Opening hours and closing days
| Period | Days | Hours | Last entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| April to September | Monday to Saturday | 10 am–7 pm | 6 pm |
| October to March | Monday to Saturday | 10 am–6 pm | 5 pm |
| All year | Sunday | 10 am–4 pm | 3 pm |
Because the palace remains an official residence, it closes fully or partly during official events or local festivals. The official website keeps a « cierres por acto oficial » section up to date, with the days of reduced hours: on 15 October 2026, for example, we noted opening limited to 10 am–3 pm on October 21 and 22, 2026. Check it the day before your visit.
The Campo del Moro gardens, at the foot of the palace on the west side, are free: from 10 am to 6 pm from October to March, and until 8 pm from April to September (until 9 or 10 pm through the Paseo Virgen del Puerto access in spring and summer), subject to weather and official events.
Best time to visit the Royal Palace
Inside, the weather matters little; it is mostly the crowds and the queue that vary. Opening time in the morning and weekday afternoons outside the free slot are the quietest. The table below cross-references closing time and sunset: when you come out, you can watch the sun set from the Plaza de la Armería, the Sabatini Gardens or the Temple of Debod, about 13 minutes’ walk away.
| Month (the 15th) | Closing (Mon–Sat) | Sunset | Gap | Madrid max temp | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6 pm | 18:12 | 0 h 12 after closing | 10.0 °C (50 °F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| February | 6 pm | 18:49 | 0 h 49 after closing | 12.2 °C (54 °F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| March | 6 pm | 19:21 | 1 h 21 after closing | 16.2 °C (61 °F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) |
| April | 7 pm | 20:53 | 1 h 53 after closing | 18.9 °C (66 °F) | 46 mm (1.8 in) |
| May | 7 pm | 21:24 | 2 h 24 after closing | 23.2 °C (74 °F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) |
| June | 7 pm | 21:46 | 2 h 46 after closing | 28.9 °C (84 °F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) |
| July | 7 pm | 21:44 | 2 h 44 after closing | 32.8 °C (91 °F) | 9 mm (0.4 in) |
| August | 7 pm | 21:12 | 2 h 12 after closing | 32.0 °C (90 °F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| September | 7 pm | 20:24 | 1 h 24 after closing | 26.5 °C (80 °F) | 24 mm (0.9 in) |
| October | 6 pm | 19:35 | 1 h 35 after closing | 19.7 °C (67 °F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) |
| November | 6 pm | 17:57 | 0 h 03 before closing | 13.5 °C (56 °F) | 52 mm (2.0 in) |
| December | 6 pm | 17:49 | 0 h 11 before closing | 10.3 °C (51 °F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) |
How to read it: in November and December the sun sets just before the 6 pm closing, and in January a few minutes after: the golden light on the façade can be seen at the end of the visit. From April to August there are nearly two hours or more between leaving and sunset. In July–August, maximum temperatures exceed 32 °C (90 °F): visit the palace in the afternoon and keep the parks for the evening. For your travel dates, see the best time to visit Madrid.
What to see: suggested route
Patrimonio Nacional highlights nine spaces: the grand staircase, the Halberdiers’ Hall, the Hall of Columns, the Throne Room, the Gasparini Room, the Gala Dining Room, the Royal Chapel, the Royal Armory and the Royal Kitchen. The self-guided route follows the order of the state rooms on the main floor.
- Grand staircase: the monumental entrance to the route, with its painted ceilings.
- Halberdiers’ Hall and Hall of Columns: guard and ceremonial rooms.
- Throne Room: the most solemn room in the palace, still used for certain receptions.
- Gasparini Room: very ornate rococo decor, named after the Italian decorator who designed it.
- Gala Dining Room: used for state dinners.
- Royal Chapel: painted dome and organ.
- Royal Armory: in a separate building on the Plaza de la Armería; armor and weapons of the kings of Spain. Do not miss it on your way out.
A short visit covers the state rooms and the Armory. With half a day, add the Royal Collections Gallery (combined ticket) and a stroll in the Campo del Moro.
Getting there
- Address: Plaza de Oriente, Madrid. Entrance for visitors and groups via the Almudena esplanade, at the corner of Calle Bailén.
- Metro: Ópera station (lines 2 and 5); Príncipe Pío station nearby, according to the official website.
- Bike: BiciMAD station no. 36, the closest according to Patrimonio Nacional.
- On foot: about 16 minutes from the Puerta del Sol and 11 minutes from the Plaza Mayor (Destination de Voyage calculation: straight-line distance × 1.3, at 4.5 km/h or 2.8 mph).
Accessibility
The official website lists access for people with reduced mobility and manual wheelchairs available. An « accessibility for people with reduced mobility » document and an easy-read guide to the palace can be downloaded from the official page. People with a disability of 33% or more enter free, as does their companion if needed.
Checklist and common mistakes
- Buy your ticket online on the official ticket office: ticket-office sales are reduced and capacity is limited.
- For a free slot, bring ID proving EU nationality or residence, and arrive well before last entry.
- No tripod or selfie stick; photos without flash, for personal use, except in rooms where it is forbidden.
- Do not pay with a €200 or €500 banknote: refused at the ticket offices.
- Check closures for official events the day before.
- On Sundays, the palace closes at 4 pm (last entry 3 pm): do not plan the visit for late afternoon.
What to see nearby
Right opposite, the Almudena Cathedral; 5 minutes’ walk away, the Royal Monastery of the Incarnation, and about 13 minutes away, the Royal Monastery of the Descalzas Reales, both managed by Patrimonio Nacional. The Plaza Mayor and the Madrid of the Habsburgs are described in our guide to what to see in Madrid. For painting, our page on the Prado Museum gives the keys to a visit, about 34 minutes’ walk away. Still unsure about your destination? Read our comparison Barcelona or Madrid.
A short history of the Royal Palace
The Royal Palace stands on the site of the old Alcázar of Madrid, a royal fortress almost entirely destroyed by a fire on Christmas night 1734. The Bourbons took the opportunity to build a palace to their taste: work began in 1738. Filippo Juvarra had drawn up a larger project but died before it was carried out; his pupil Juan Bautista Sacchetti adapted the plans to the Alcázar site, and Francesco Sabatini completed the building.
Charles III was the first sovereign to live there continuously. At about 135,000 m² (1.45 million sq ft), the palace is among the largest in Western Europe.
Frequently asked questions
How much is entry to the Royal Palace of Madrid?
€18 full price and €9 reduced rate, recorded on 15 October 2026 on the Patrimonio Nacional website; €24 with the Royal Collections Gallery. Check before you go.
Can you visit the Royal Palace of Madrid for free?
Yes: Monday to Thursday, the last two hours of opening (4–6 pm from October to March, 5–7 pm from April to September) for EU citizens and residents and Ibero-American nationals, and all day for certain categories (under 5, teachers, job seekers…). US and UK visitors without EU residency do not qualify for the EU slots.
How long does a Royal Palace visit take?
Patrimonio Nacional publishes no duration: the route through the state rooms and the Royal Armory is a short visit, half a day with the Royal Collections Gallery.
Does the King of Spain live in the Royal Palace?
No. It is the official residence of the monarchy, used for state ceremonies, but the royal family lives at the Zarzuela Palace, outside the center.
What is the other name of the Royal Palace of Madrid?
It is also called the Palacio de Oriente, after the Plaza de Oriente that borders it to the east.
Our sources
- Wikipedia, « Palais royal de Madrid » article (Alcázar fire, building chronology, architects, area), consulted on 16 October 2026
- Patrimonio Nacional: Royal Palace of Madrid visit page (hours, prices, access, accessibility, visiting rules) and « tarifa gratuita » page, consulted on 15 October 2026
- Climate normals: AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología), 1991–2020, Madrid-Retiro station, taken from our page on the best time to visit Madrid
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm, IANA time zone Europe/Madrid, applied by Destination de Voyage (15th of each month, year 2027)
- Destination de Voyage calculation: Monday–Thursday days per month, walking times (straight-line distance × 1.3, at 4.5 km/h)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.