Royal Palace & Plaza Mayor
From the Royal Palace and its Throne Room to Plaza de la Villa, Plaza Mayor and the Casa de la Panadería.
Madrid · Spain · Updated October 2026
Madrid audio guidesKings, painters and a city built for a court.
3 self-guided audio tours for Madrid: the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor, the masterpieces of the Prado and the chapel Goya painted. Play them on your phone, walk at your own pace, and ask the guide anything along the way.
- Guides
- 3
- Stops
- 18
- App languages
- 30+
- Offline
- Yes
Start here
Three guides for a first visit
Not sure where to begin? These cover the city's best-known places. Press play to hear how the first stop sounds.
Prado Museum Masterpieces
Eight masterpieces: Goya's Saturn and The Third of May, Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, Velázquez's Las Meninas and The Spinners, Titian, El Greco and Rubens.
Goya's Secret Chapel: San Antonio de la Florida
The small chapel Goya painted in 1798, its dome crowded with the people of Madrid around a miracle of Saint Anthony, and the painter’s own tomb.
All guides
Every Madrid guide
3 guides.
Royal Palace & Plaza Mayor
From the Royal Palace and its Throne Room to Plaza de la Villa, Plaza Mayor and the Casa de la Panadería.
Prado Museum Masterpieces
Eight masterpieces: Goya's Saturn and The Third of May, Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, Velázquez's Las Meninas and The Spinners, Titian, El Greco and Rubens.
Goya's Secret Chapel: San Antonio de la Florida
The small chapel Goya painted in 1798, its dome crowded with the people of Madrid around a miracle of Saint Anthony, and the painter’s own tomb.
By area
Madrid, neighbourhood by neighbourhood
Where each guide takes you, so you can plan by part of town.
Madrid de los Austrias
The old Habsburg centre, between the Royal Palace, Plaza de la Villa and Plaza Mayor.
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Paseo del Prado
The avenue of the great museums, UNESCO World Heritage since 2021 together with the Retiro park.
San Antonio de la Florida
West of the palace, near the Manzanares river and Príncipe Pío station.
Plan your visit
One day in Madrid with our guides
All three guides fit in one full day: royal Madrid in the morning, the Prado in the afternoon, Goya’s chapel if you still have energy.
Book ahead
The Royal Palace and the Prado can have long queues. Check times and book on their official sites.
Mind the summer heat
Madrid summers are hot. Walk outdoors in the morning and keep the afternoon for the museum.
Listen before you go in
Play the first stop of a museum guide before you enter, so you know what to look for.
Download before you go
Download your guides over Wi-Fi. They play with no mobile data.
History
Madrid in six moments
The short version. Each moment links to the guide that tells it on the spot.
- 1561
The court comes to Madrid
Philip II moves the royal court to Madrid, and a town becomes a capital.
Hear it: Royal Palace & Plaza Mayor → - 1619
Plaza Mayor
The great arcaded square is completed under Philip III.
Hear it: Royal Palace & Plaza Mayor → - 1734
The Alcázar burns
On Christmas Eve the old royal fortress burns down; the Royal Palace is built in its place.
Hear it: Royal Palace & Plaza Mayor → - 1798
Goya's chapel
Goya paints the dome and walls of San Antonio de la Florida.
Hear it: Goya's Secret Chapel: San Antonio de la Florida → - 1808
The uprising
Madrid rises against Napoleon's troops on 2 May. Goya paints the executions of 3 May six years later.
Hear it: Prado Museum Masterpieces → - 1819
The Prado opens
The royal collection goes on show to the public in the new museum on the Paseo del Prado.
Hear it: Prado Museum Masterpieces →
FAQ
Questions about Madrid audio guides
Is there an audio guide for Madrid?
Yes. GuideSofia has 3 self-guided audio tours for Madrid. You play them on your own phone in the GuideSofia app and walk at your own pace.
Do the Madrid audio guides work offline?
Yes. Download your itinerary and audio guides over Wi-Fi, then use them outdoors with GPS without spending mobile data.
Which languages are the Madrid guides in?
The guides on this page are in English. In the app, the guide is narrated in 30+ languages.
Is it free?
The GuideSofia app is free to download, and it's free to start your first tour.
Where should I start?
Start with Royal Palace & Plaza Mayor: it covers the palace, the Throne Room and the heart of old Madrid.
Can I ask the guide questions?
Yes. Open the chat in the app and ask about what you are looking at, local history, food or nearby places.
Take Madrid in your pocket
Download GuideSofia, pick a guide and start walking. It's free to start your first tour.