Weekend Plans with a Visitor

The pressure was on. Having my first visitor this week was super exciting but also a little nerve wracking. I wanted to make sure my sister had the most fun possible since it was her first time in Europe. It was difficult to choose which sites/restaurants were the best to take her to so here is a list of some of the must see attractions for visitors:

1. Plaza Mayor - I am SO sad my sister didn't come a week later to be able to go to the Christmas markets that are being set up in Plaza Mayor. But hey at least we got to see "Spiderman Gordo" (if you know you know).  
2. Plaza de Sol- obviously a must go to when having visitors. I took my sister during the day and at night so she could see how the atmosphere changes between the two. Plus people watching is always hysterical here. 
3. Royal Palace- unfortunatlely we couldn't go inside because during the winter the palace closes at 6 and tickets stop being sold an hour before close. The outside is still beautiful with views of the city. Definitely check the hours online before you go and if you have a student ID you can get a discount! 
4. Faro de Moncloa - with great views overlooking all of Madrid, this attraction is one of my favorites. For only 3 euros you take an elevator up to see stunning views of the city and read about each skyscraper/monument in the city. We went during the day on a Thursday so it wasn't crowded and we got to take advantage of the photo-ops. I recommend going early in the trip to see if the other monuments peak your interest enough to go visit before your guest leaves! 
5. Retiro Park - "the central park of Madrid" is full of cool stuff like the Chrystal Palace, caves, the pond to take paddle boats on, and small cafes. We grabbed a coffee here and enjoyed some sunshine before exploring more of the city. 
6. Parque de las Siete Tetas- A garbage dump turned park, the "park of the seven tits" is a really cool place to watch the sunset with some wine. Bring a blanket, relax, and enjoy the huge hills and awesome views of the city.
7. La Tablacalera - this is a low key spot that a lot of locals hangout at. This retired tobacco factory has been converted into a cultural landmark in Lavapies. The underground tunnels are full of street art and bands practicing. You can find locals enjoying a beer in the outside pateo or supporting the bands. This is a one-of-a-kind spot to take a guest to. 
8. Primark- this might seem like its not an "attraction" but really, my sister asked to go back here 3 times throughout her trip. Its like heaven in there. 
9. Pum Pum Cafe-  Eating the best foods when having visitors is a MUST. This cafe is in a really cool area of Embajadores and has delicious food at an affordable price. 

​If your budget is flexible, I'd also think about doing a hop on/hop off bus tour or rent some bikes for a day. This will let you learn stuff about the city which is beneficial for you and for your visitor. My sister and I ended up returning to a lot of the sites we saw on the tour!