36 Hours in Madrid (What You MUST Eat, See & Do)

Evan Carmichael and Nina spend 36 hours in Madrid eating churros at Chocolatería San Ginés, sampling tapas at Mercado de San Miguel, and visiting the Royal Palace, Caixaforum's vertical garden, and El Retiro Park. They end with dulce de leche ice cream before heading to the airport.
Chapters
We just arrived in Madrid and we only have 36 hours. Are you ready, Nina?
Vamos!
Have you ever had just 36 hours to experience one of Europe's most exciting cities? Welcome to Madrid, home of incredible food, vibrant culture, and endless adventures. We're here to discover Madrid's most iconic landmark, taste delicious tapas, and feel the heartbeat of Spain's lively capital. So if Madrid has been sitting on your bucket list, this is your sign it's time to go. Today's all about soaking up the sights, sounds, and flavors of Madrid. We started at the legendary Chocolatería San Ginés for some churros and hot chocolate, an absolute must when you are here.
Nina's going to take a bite. She's going to do the dip. She's going to do the dippy thing. She's doing the dippy. Skinny dip, is that what you said?
Just skinny.
Okay.
And? Oh, this is very crunchy.
Very crunchy?
Okay, she likes it, she likes it. She's not even hungry.
Good and salty.
Salty.
Okay, sweet. Okay, look at that. Happy wife, happy life. We love it.
From there, we head to Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel before visiting the stunning Catedral de Santa María, and taking in the view outside the Royal Palace of Madrid.
Okay, we're at the very famous Mercado de San Miguel. Nina had a hard time deciding what to order, so she went for a bunch of tapas. It's like, it all looks so good. So she's going to start with— I don't remember what that is.
Herring.
Herring with avocado. No, that's avocado.
Okay, okay.
Nina approved. Okay, okay. That anchovy is all Nina. I'm not having that. Uh, okay, you got to go anchovy. Here comes the anchovy. Okay, it matches your shirt. Okay, that's a lie. Anchovies are gross, so that can't taste good. I like the attitude. She also got some water and some sangria. What else?
Uh, I thought this is, um, no, codfish. Codfish with honey mustard.
Squid. All right, we're gonna enjoy. All right, Nina ordered some more food. Her eyes are bigger than her stomach in this place. We got a mix of fried food, so— or fried fish. It's a calamari, anchovies. The anchovies are for Nina. The calamari, anchovies, squid legs, and something else. Let's go. And shrimp. She's going anchovy first. That's the gross one, and it's— and it's gross. You can tell she hates it. Okay, perfect. Let's go to something yummy. The legs. Okay. Yep, there it is. Oh, she just— wow, just stuffs it all in. Okay, and good, it works. Okay, yum. Look at that, delicious.
You need a fedora.
I think I'd look good in the fedora.
I think you'd look great with the fedora, Evan. Yeah, you should get one.
Nina, Nina, gotta make Nina happy. Yes, maybe. I don't like pitovers. We stayed up way too late last night. I am not feeling great. No. But we've got one day left in Madrid. We're going to make it count.
Let's go. We keep exploring on foot, making our way to the Calle de las Huertas, then have a blast at Icono, one of Madrid's most creative and immersive art spaces. We also stop at the incredible Jardín Vertical at Caixaforum, then stroll through El Retiro Park, where we take a break for an amazing cappuccino. From there, we visit the Puerta de Alcalá, enjoy some of the best ice cream ever at Gelatería La Dolce Fina— the dulce de leche is unreal— and wander through Mercado de la Paz and the stylish Salamanca district.
Oh, so last night did not end so well. After our, our shopping, we said let's go back to the hotel and relax a little bit, and then my allergies took over. And, uh, I was basically in bed for the rest of the afternoon slash evening. And now we're leaving. Now we're going back home. So it's just a sign that we need to come back to Madrid and spend more time managing here because it was amazing. I hope you enjoyed our little mini vlog. And if you want to see our last trip to Morocco, check the video right there next to us. I think you'll love it. Continue to believe. I'll see you there.
Airport check-in done.
Next stop, Morocco.
Are you ready? Morocco, here we come!
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