Royal Palace of Madrid: Tickets and Free Days
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The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real) costs €14 general admission, €7 reduced, and there’s a free way in if you qualify: EU and Ibero-American citizens can walk up with ID Monday-Thursday during the last two hours before closing, no advance booking allowed for that slot. Billed as Europe’s largest functioning royal palace by floor area (around 135,000 m², 3,400-plus rooms), it’s used only for state ceremonies today, not as a day-to-day royal residence.
Royal Palace of Madrid, at a glance
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | €14 general adult / €7 reduced (5-16, students, 65+) |
| Hours | Apr-Sep: Mon-Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 10:00-16:00. Oct-Mar: daily 10:00-18:00. Last entry 1 hour before close |
| Free window | EU/Ibero-American citizens, walk-up only with ID, Mon-Thu: 16:00-18:00 (Oct-Mar) or 18:00-20:00 (Apr-Sep) |
| Time needed | 1.5-2 hours self-guided |
Is the Royal Palace worth €14?
Yes, for most first-time visitors. €14 buys the Royal Armoury, the Throne Room, and the Royal Pharmacy across a palace built by Philip V on the site of the old Moorish Alcázar, and the ticket often includes the Royal Kitchens too - check what’s bundled when you buy. It can also close on short notice for state functions, so build in a backup plan (Sabatini Gardens next door are free and open regardless) rather than making it your only stop that day.
How to visit the Royal Palace for free
The EU and Ibero-American citizen free window is the single best budget move on this list, but it comes with three catches: it’s walk-up only (you cannot pre-book it), you need ID or a passport that shows citizenship, and it only runs Monday-Thursday. Show up right at the window’s opening (16:00 in winter, 18:00 in summer) since the free slot is popular and the palace stops selling entry an hour before closing regardless of ticket type. If your passport doesn’t qualify, buying a timed Royal Palace ticket online in advance still beats queueing at the door.
What else is free right outside
The Sabatini Gardens, laid out on the palace’s north side, cost nothing and are open long hours daily - a good spot to see the building’s facade even on a day you skip the entry fee entirely. The Almudena Cathedral next door has a free nave (a €1 donation is welcome, not required), though its museum and dome climb are a separate €7-8 ticket, mornings only, Monday-Saturday. A few streets over, the Muralla Árabe, a stretch of Madrid’s 9th-century fortress wall, is another no-cost stop that pairs naturally with a palace visit.
Getting there and when to go
The palace sits a short walk from Ópera and Sol Metro stations, so a transit pass gets you most of the way there for free anyway. Weekday mornings right after the 10:00 opening are the quietest time to visit with a paid ticket; if you’re going for the free window, expect it to be busier since it’s the only no-cost option. Spring and autumn avoid both the summer heat and the winter’s shorter free-window hours.
For live opening hours, closures for state events, and official ticket sales, patrimonionacional.es is the source to check before you go, alongside esMadrid.com for wider city listings.
If you only remember one number: it’s a €14 ticket or a Monday-Thursday walk-up free window with the right passport - there’s no third, cheaper way in.
Related: see the full Madrid budget guide , the free-to-visit Puerta del Sol a short walk away, and the 3-day Madrid itinerary that fits the palace into a low-cost plan.