Are you planning to travel to Madrid and considering getting the Madrid Tourist Card?
In this post, you will find all the information you need about this tourist card, as well as my opinion on whether it’s worth it. Keep reading if you want to save time and money on your trip to Spain.
Table of contents
What is the Madrid City Card?
The Madrid City Card is the official tourist card of Madrid. It is a card that provides visitors with the opportunity to enjoy unique benefits and discounts at around 30 cultural and leisure attractions.
Issued by the City Council, this sightseeing pass also grants visitors unlimited access to the public transportation system for a specific number of days.
Where to purchase the Madrid tourist pass?
You can purchase your Madrid Tourist Card at any of the following Tourist Information Offices:
- Plaza Mayor: Plaza Mayor, 27
- Callao: Plaza de Callao, s/n
- Royal Palace: Corner of Calle de Bailén and Calle de Requena
- Paseo del Prado: Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo, s/n
- CentroCentro: Plaza de Cibeles, 1
- Reina Sofía: Corner of Plaza de Juan Goytisolo and Calle de Santa Isabel
What is the price of the Madrid City Card?
The price of the card depends on the number of days you plan to use it.
| 1 day | 2 days | 3 days | 4 days | 5 days |
| €8.40 | €14.20 | €18.40 | €22.60 | €26.80 |
Children under 11 years old receive a 50% discount on the price and children under 4 years old do not need the card to enjoy discounts or to travel on public transport for free.
How to activate the Madrid City Card?
You can start using your Madrid City Card for discounts and benefits as soon as you purchase it from one of the city’s Tourist Information Offices.
Validity of the card
You can use your Madrid Tourist Card for 1 month after the purchase. The card will be valid for your chosen period (1-5 days) and is based on calendar days, not for 24-hour periods. This means that if you activate it at 11:59 p.m., you will already have used up a full day.
How to use the Madrid City Card
You can enjoy the discounts and benefits by presenting the QR code on your card. You can only use it once in each establishment unless otherwise indicated in the description of the activity.
Contact
For any doubt regarding the Madrid City Card, you can call (+34) 915 787 810 or send an email to citycard@esmadrid.com.
What are the benefits of the Madrid Tourist Card?
The official Madrid sightseeing pass offers multiple benefits and discounts in the top-rated museums and other cultural and leisure attractions.
These are the ones that, in my opinion, are more interesting for most tourists. Just like in other tourist cards from cities all around the world, many attractions are included that may not be of as much interest to visitors staying only a few days in the city. Nevertheless, you can check out all the discounts on the official website.
Discounts in attractions
- Prado Museum: Free admission every day during the last two opening hours.
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum: 10% discount on admission and preferential access
- Reina Sofía Museum: Preferential Access
- Faro de Moncloa Observation Deck: 50% discount on the ticket price
- Almudena Cathedral Museum: Free audio guide and 10% discount in-store (purchases over €20)
- Wax Museum: 15% discount on the ticket price
- Amusement Park: 20% discount on the ticket price and for 3 companions
- Zoo Aquarium: 30% discount on the ticket price and for 3 companions.
- MAMMA MIA Musical: 10% discount.
- Matilda, The Musical: 10% discount.
- Royal Palace: Preferential access
Tourist Travel Pass
The Madrid City Card includes unlimited and free transportation within the city, including the metro network (Zone A), suburban trains (Zones 0 and A), city buses (all blue city bus lines), and BiciMAD e-bikes for a period of up to 5 consecutive days.
Just keep in mind that the 24-hour Airport Express shuttle bus line is not covered.
Is the Madrid Tourist Card worth it?
The Madrid Tourist Card can be a useful resource for tourists who want to explore the capital intensively, but it may not always be cost-effective.
In my opinion, if you meet these two conditions, my recommendation would be NOT to purchase the tourist pass:
- The primary purpose of your trip is to visit the major tourist attractions of the capital, not every corner of the city.
- You won’t be using public transportation excessively, considering that in Madrid you can walk to many attractions in the historic center, and the weather is suitable for strolling around the city.
From an economic standpoint, the card is not that worth it as discounts are not that high, and many attractions can currently be visited for free without needing the card on certain days/times.
Additionally, there are 10-journey passes available for public transportation, which should suffice without the need for unlimited travel.
I do find the fast pass for skipping lines at attractions interesting, but you will have to decide if it is worth paying the card’s price to save some waiting time. In this case, it can be useful to invest some time in good planning and visit the most popular attractions during less crowded hours.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Madrid Tourist Card can be an attractive option for certain visitors who want to explore the city extensively, offering the convenience of unlimited public transportation access, discounts, and priority entry to popular attractions all in one card.
However, for the average tourist, it may not be as economically beneficial. It’s essential to weigh the cost against the potential time and convenience savings, especially if your primary goal is to visit the city’s major attractions rather than every corner of it.