There’s a lot to see and do around the Bernabéu Stadium during a visit to Madrid, Spain.
The stadium in the Chamartín district draws a variety of sports fans, whether you’re visiting to attend a football match (known as soccer in the United States), take a stadium tour, attend a concert, or attend an American NFL football game. Go Bengals, Whodey!
I’m sharing more about some of the top things sports fans in the area will want to check out, along with nearby experiences that are worth visiting.
Thanks again to the Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago, in collaboration with Minor Hotels-NH Collection, Spain Brand Experiences, and Madrid Destino for hosting portions of our visit. This article contains affiliate links, and all opinions are my own.
Take a Tour of Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Av. de Concha Espina, 1, Chamartín, 28036 Madrid, Spain
If you’re attending a game at Bernabéu Stadium (pronounced br-nuh-bay-oo), you’ll experience the venue as a fan.
I also recommend a self-guided tour on a non-match day for a more expansive experience with access to additional areas of the stadium that aren’t open to the public.
Purchase your Bernabeu Stadium Tour Ticket Here
It’s a bit surreal to stand in the same locker room where world-class athletes prepare before each match.
Bernabéu Stadium is best known as the home of the “Real Madrid” soccer or futbol team.
In 2024, the World Football Summit officially named Bernabéu Stadium as “World’s Best Stadium.”
The stadium seating capacity is 83,186. It has undergone more recent upgrades, including a retractable roof and retractable pitch for non-futbol events.
Highlights of the stadium tour include learning more about the club’s history, standing in the players’ changing rooms, and interactive exhibits featuring Real Madrid’s past and present, the press room, and the club’s impressive trophy collection.
The tour includes exhibits highlighting futball, basketball, and women’s teams, including memorabilia along the way.
During the self-guided tour, you can take pictures in the stands and enjoy panoramic views of the stadium.
Guests can purchase a professional souvenir photo.
Plan ahead for your visit to Bernabeu Stadium
On match days, tours are open 5-5.5 hours before kickoff, but some areas are completely closed from noon the day before the match through the match.
I’d recommend checking the schedule so you can experience as many areas as possible during your visit.
We visited the stadium a few months before the Cincinnati Bengals football game against the Atlanta Falcons at Bernabéu Stadium on November 8th.
Is the upcharge worth it to go to the center of the field?
In my opinion, yes.
It was an impulse purchase, but I thought the unique vantage point and photo opportunity were worth it.
A limited number of guests are allowed in the designated photo area at the same time.
We had around 10 minutes to take our own pictures from the center of the field for a 360 perspective.
Staff took a few professional pictures of us, and after our time on the field, we selected our favorite picture that staff printed in the gift shop.
A Staff member also offered to take a picture of us with our phones.
The tour ends inside the enormous gift shop featuring the latest official Real Madrid merchandise.
Experience Madrid’s Favorite Beer at Plaza Mahou
Bernabéu Stadium, access via Plaza de los Sagrados Corazones
You don’t have to travel far from the stadium to experience a local brewery.
Plaza Mahou is conveniently located inside Bernabéu Stadium and offers glimpses of the field from inside the brewery.
After a visit, you’ll understand why Mahou is Madrid’s favorite beer. This 100% Spanish-owned family company was founded in Madrid in 1890.
Plaza Mahou also has bragging rights as Spain’s first brewery located in a stadium.
The microbrewery produces 30,000 liters annually and offers limited-edition craft beer brewed on-site.
Guests can try their hand at pouring the perfect draft beer from the self-serve machine near the entrance.
Book a guided tour of the microbrewery for a more in-depth experience. This includes a beer-pouring workshop and a paired tasting of 5 of their beers at Bernabeau. (These tours are exclusively in Spanish, and minors aren’t allowed to participate in the experience)
On game days, Plaza Mahou is for VIP parties only with a game ticket, so check the schedule in advance when planning a visit.
The menu offers a variety of Madrid-style dishes to discover during your meal.
We tried their house beers, fried calamari, patatas bravas (fried cubed potatoes with a spicy red tomato and paprika sauce), and homemade cheesecake.
The food and beers were incredible at the family-friendly restaurant/brewery.
Caffeinate at a Starbucks with a Stadium View
Av. de Concha Espina, 1 (Gate 73), Chamartín, 28036 Madrid, Spain
This Starbucks also has bragging rights as the world’s first Starbucks located inside a major football stadium. It’s also Spain’s first Starbucks flagship.
Starbucks patrons can appreciate stadium views in the nearly 10,000 sq ft space across two floors.
This Starbucks serves Café Madrid, a coffee blend that’s only available at this location. There’s also a dedicated mixology area for cocktail creations that blend coffee with unique ingredients.
*The store may close, be reserved, or have restricted access on match days, so I’d recommend checking the game schedule before your visit.
It was even better with our tableside view of the field and the energetic vibe of the patrons gathered to share a drink or meal.
Try local cuisine at the Bernabéu Market
Access via Plaza de los Sagrados Corazones (under Gate 45 / Gate 54 of the stadium
You’ll find 20+ vendors within the 9800+ sq ft food hall, open year-round.
Popular dishes at the market include: churros from Chocolateria 1902, oysters from Huitres Sorlut, and a Spanish omelette from Casa Dani.
There’s a large selection of Spanish wines and cheeses to choose from too.
This food hall offers plenty of options and seating, making it a great choice for groups with varying cuisine cravings in one location.
Dining in Madrid, Spain
Spaniards enjoy 5 meals a day, which immediately got my husband’s attention when he heard someone say “second breakfast.”
Most Spaniards eat their heaviest meal between 2 and 4 PM, and dinner starts around 9 or 10 PM.
This explains why a restaurant may appear empty if you have a dinner reservation between 7 and 8.
Servers in Spain don’t feel pressure to turn their tables quickly because they don’t rely on tips, since the service is included. Patrons typically enjoy the table for the evening.
A factor in their late-night meals dates back to 1940, when Spain’s dictator Francisco Franco switched the country’s time an hour ahead of the sun to align with wartime Germany, and the time change never went back.
Explore Legends, the Home of Football
Carrera de San Jerónimo, 2
You don’t have to be a huge soccer fan to appreciate the iconic history on display inside Legend, the Home of Football.
The expansive museum residing in the heart of Madrid boasts 600 legendary artifacts, immersive technology, and interactive experiences.
This museum is much larger than it appears at first glance, with 6 floors to explore.
If you’re a big soccer fan, you’ll likely see many jerseys that will trigger memories from historic matches.
The museum showcases around 300 jerseys, but the entire collection is around 2000.
The expansive collection of jerseys and memorabilia dates back to 1916.
The museum also boasts official trophy reproductions made by the same manufacturer.
You’ll also want to experience the 4D cinema for an immersive journey through World Cup history.
Our English-speaking tour guide made a big difference in how we related to the museum exhibits. I highly recommend visiting the museum with a guide.
Otherwise, you could easily walk by historic jerseys without as much context and not realize the magnitude of what you get to see in person.
Our guide shared the stories behind the jerseys on display, connecting the dots between the players, epic moments in sports history, and the teams.
Group guided tours are available in English daily at 2PM.
General Tickets without a guide
An Unforgettable Dinner at Cinco Jotas Restaurant
Calle Padre Damián 42, Madrid
Start with one of Spain’s most iconic jamon brands when you try jamon for the first time in Madrid.
Cinco Jotas Restaurant is within walking distance of the stadium. Believe me when I say you don’t want to miss experiencing a meal there while you’re in Madrid.
What makes Jamón Ibérico so special?
Cinco Jotas is known for its 100% Iberian acorn-fed cured ham.
Their free-range Iberian pigs live in the Iberian Peninsula, shared by southwest Spain and Portugal.
Each pig feasts on 13-22 pounds of acorns during its final fattening season for a few months during the fall/early winter (Around Oct. 1- Jan 1)
The ham is naturally cured for 3-5 years in natural cellars.
After you try this rich and nutty, flavorful meat, described as an “olive tree with legs”, you’ll be making plans to bring some home with you.
Unfortunately, you can’t bring Jamón Ibérico back to the United States, but it does give you an excuse to eat as much as possible while you’re in Spain.
We started with wine and the flavorful jamon.
Next, we enjoyed potato salad with tuna belly and fried egg, and homemade Cinco Jotas ham croquettes.
For the next course, we enjoyed Cinco Jotas 100% Iberico acorn-fed pork tacos with chimichurri.
And Iberian chocolate for dessert was the perfect ending to our meal.
The restaurant is open daily from 12:30 PM until 12 AM, and they also offer group bookings if you’re traveling with a group.
Tapa vs. Tapas
A tapa is a single small plate or portion of food served with a drink.
When you order a drink at a bar, they typically give you a free tapa. It could be a small bowl of olives, chips, etc.
Tapas are multiple small plates shared together instead of ordering large entrees individually.
Gratuity in Madrid
Gratuity is included with your meal service in Spain and not expected.
This was probably our biggest adjustment while visiting Madrid. As Americans, we’re so used to tipping 20%+ to everyone in the service industry.
Many locals round up the bill or leave loose change or 1-2 Euros for good service on the table.
Additional Tour Recommendations
I highly recommend taking a food tour on the first or second day of your visit to Madrid.
Walking food tours help you get to know a neighborhood better while trying a variety of foods recommended by guides.
Your guide is also a great resource who can suggest additional recommendations for your visit.
During our visit, we took a Market Food Tour in the morning and a Tapas tour during the evening.
Book a Market Food Tour HereEach tour built on the other, providing local history, flavors, and culture.
The morning and evening food tours provided completely different experiences, both with an abundance of foods to try that left us FULL.
Where We Stayed – NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding
C. del Padre Damián, 23, Chamartín, 28036 Madrid, Spain
We enjoyed 4 nights at NH Collection Eurobuilding during our visit.
The non-smoking, pet-friendly, certified sustainable hotel has 412 rooms.
Our modern room featured two balconies, and amenities included free wifi, a mini fridge, a safe, climate-controlled air conditioning, a Nespresso machine, a rain-effect shower, and plenty of electrical outlets for our electronics.
If you have a lot of electronics to plug in, I recommend purchasing a European travel adapter before you visit because Spain uses a Type C.
Check the voltage of your electronics, especially if you want to bring a hair straightener or curling iron, which most likely needs a travel converter.
Another perk of staying at the NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding is that it’s only a 7-minute walk from Bernabeu Stadium.
Save on your stay at NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding here
We enjoyed views of the Bernabeu Stadium from our room’s balcony with a seating area and table.
I loved relaxing with my coffee on our balcony surrounded by city views.
The hotel has a fantastic breakfast buffet on the lower level. The espresso machine is stocked with to-go cups nearby if you need to take some caffeine with you.
Breakfast buffet favorites included the churros and chocolate, made-to-order omelets, meats, cheeses, and delicious pastries.
The hotel is also home to DiverXO, Madrid’s only three Michelin-starred restaurant. We ran out of time, but I’d love to experience their menu the next time we’re in Madrid.
Additional Hotels Near Bernabéu Stadium
Here are additional hotels within walking distance of the stadium.
- Canopy by Hilton Madrid Castellana
- AC Hotel Aitana by Marriott
- The Westin Madrid Cuzco
- NYX Hotel Madrid by Leonardo Hotels
- Meliá Castilla
Transportation in Madrid, Spain
We found taxis very affordable in Madrid and used them for the majority of our transportation needs during our visit.
Tipping the driver isn’t expected, and a local guide told us to always ask for a receipt when we got in the cab.
During our visit, we paid under 20 Euros for a 25-minute taxi ride, which was a deal compared to taxi prices in large US cities.
We also used public buses and the subway once during our visit. I preferred the bus system over the subway because I enjoy seeing the area from above, and the buses were logistically closer to several of our destinations.
We tapped our credit cards for bus fares instead of purchasing a pass or ticket because it was the easiest and quickest option.
I’d recommend downloading Apple Maps in advance for Madrid to help navigate the best logistical options during your visit.
We used a private airport transfer company to and from the airport and our hotel to maximize our time in Madrid.
Flights to Madrid, Spain
We chose a red-eye flight from Cincinnati (CVG) connecting through O’Hare in Chicago to Madrid.
This let us sleep on the flight and hit the ground running when we arrived in the afternoon. Spain is 6 hours ahead of EST.
