Best time to visit Madrid

Compare months and seasons by weather, crowds, hotel prices and key events. Pick the month that fits your priorities.

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Season overview

Sweet spot: April–May and September–October

Temperatures 18–25 °C, clear skies, terraces open and manageable crowds. These are the consensus best months — and, fairly, the peak-price months too. Ideal for both city sightseeing and day trips to Toledo or Segovia.

Summer (July–August): very hot, locals leave

The city bakes at 35–38 °C with little shade. Many Madrileños escape in August and a number of neighborhood shops and restaurants close. Museums and the Prado are blissfully air-conditioned, but midday sightseeing is punishing.

Winter (December–February): cold but cheap

Daytime 3–12 °C with dry cold and occasional snow in the Sierra. The best time for museums, food and avoiding crowds, with the lowest hotel prices outside Christmas week.

Key events

San Isidro (15 May) — Madrid's patron-saint fiesta. Orgullo/Pride (late June–early July) — one of Europe's biggest. Christmas and the Cabalgata de Reyes (early January). Note: La Tomatina and Las Fallas are in the Valencia region, not Madrid.