Royal Palace to the Puerta del Sol, Madrid: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from the Royal Palace to the Puerta del Sol in Madrid: 3 stops, about 1.2 km, about 15 minutes of walking plus about 19 minutes of listening. Start at the Royal Palace, with 3,418 rooms the largest royal palace in Western Europe, built after the old Alcázar burned on Christmas Eve 1734; its state rooms are a ticketed visit. Walk along Calle Mayor to the Mercado de San Miguel, the 1916 iron-and-glass hall that is the only survivor of Madrid’s covered iron markets. Finish at the Puerta del Sol, where a slab in front of the Casa de Correos marks Spain’s Kilometre Zero.
- Stops:
- 3
- Distance:
- about 1.2 km
- Walking:
- about 15 min
- Listening:
- about 19 min
Royal Palace to the Puerta del Sol, Madrid: how long does the walk take?
About 34 minutes in all: about 15 minutes on foot over about 1.2 km, plus about 19 minutes of audio at the 3 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Royal Palace to the Puerta del Sol, Madrid: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Royal Palace of Madrid, Mercado de San Miguel, and Puerta del Sol. The longest stretch between two stops is about 0.6 km, about 9 min on foot.
Route and map
Navigate with Google Maps, listen with Mappu: the stories keep playing while you follow the route.
Opens Google Maps with walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
With 3,418 rooms, this is officially the largest royal palace in Western Europe, almost double the size of Buckingham Palace or Versailles.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Mercado de San Miguel · about 0.6 km, about 9 min on foot
Stop 2
Madrid once had several covered iron markets, including La Cebada, La Paz and Los Mostenses; San Miguel is the only one that has survived.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Puerta del Sol · about 0.6 km, about 8 min on foot
Stop 3
In front of the Casa de Correos, the old post office, a stone slab in the pavement marks Spain’s Kilometre Zero, the start of its radial roads.
about 7 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
How does this self-guided walking tour work?
The audio guides on this page stay free: open any stop to listen in your browser.
Walk Mode uses your location to narrate places as you walk. It opens in the Mappu app at the first stop, Royal Palace of Madrid. Your first walk is free for three stops with a free Mappu account.
Walk Mode: 2 hours for 50 credits (€4.99 Starter pack)
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Useful for your visit
Tickets, tours and practical extras for this trip, from Mappu's partners.
- Royal Palace of Madrid: entry ticketViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Puerta del Sol: excursionViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Royal Palace of Madrid: guided tour with entryViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
Partner links (Airalo, Amazon, Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Klook, Tiqets, Trip.com, Viator, Welcome Pickups): if you book or buy through them, Mappu may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Route checked by Mappu on October 23, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.