Royal Palace of Aranjuez
1 h 30EveryoneAll year · closed on Mondays
Visit · 1 h 30 · From €9 · The kings' spring residence, with a one-hour guided tour; closed on Mondays
From €9
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From Madrid45 min by car · Cercanías C-3
PalaceFrom €9 · closed Monday
GardensFree
Overall difficultyEasy
What to do
What to do in Aranjuez
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
The Prince's Garden
2 hEveryoneAll year; in autumn, the trees change colour
Walk · 2 h · Free · Aranjuez's largest garden, between Calle de la Reina and the Tagus, with the royal landing stage and the Chinescos
Casa del Labrador
50 minArt loversFridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Guided visit · 50 min · €10 · Charles IV's little palace at the far end of the Prince's Garden; Friday to Sunday, very limited places
From €10
Book
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Aranjuez, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Aranjuez
April and May, with the gardens in flower, strawberries and asparagus; October and November, with the golden trees. In July and August the plain is oppressive at midday.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Aranjuez your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
By car, 45 minutes from Madrid
From Madrid it is about 45 minutes on the A-4 and the M-305. A car lets you combine Aranjuez with Chinchón, half an hour away.
50–130 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingNH Collection Palacio de Aranjuez…
- Getting aroundPark once and get around…
- EatingCasa José, open on Sunday…
- ServicesTourist office on Calle de…
Sleeping
- NH Collection Palacio de Aranjuez, with private parking
- Hotel El Cocherón de 1919, in the old town
- Samay Camping Aranjuez, beside the Tagus
Getting around
- Park once and get around on foot or on the Chiquitrén
- The boat's landing stage has free parking nearby
Eating
- Casa José, open on Sunday at midday
- El Rana Verde, over the river
Services
- Tourist office on Calle de las Infantas
Without a car, by Cercanías
The Cercanías C-3 arrives from Atocha and the station is 15 minutes' walk from the palace. Everything else is done on foot or on the tourist train.
45–120 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingNH Collection Palacio de Aranjuez…
- Getting aroundCercanías C-3 from Atocha
- EatingCasa José, on Calle Abastos
- ServicesTourist office, open at weekends…
Sleeping
- NH Collection Palacio de Aranjuez, opposite the palace
- Hotel El Cocherón de 1919
Getting around
- Cercanías C-3 from Atocha
- Chiquitrén for the Prince's Garden
Eating
- Casa José, on Calle Abastos
- El Rana Verde, beside the bridge
Services
- Tourist office, open at weekends from 10:00 to 18:00
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Aranjuez for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Gardens, boat and trains for going with children
Aranjuez is one of the best family days near Madrid: huge, flat gardens, a river with a boat and trains. Keep the palace short.
- What works bestThe 45-minute covered boat trip…
- SleepingSamay Camping Aranjuez, with pools…
- EatingEl Rana Verde, with a…
- Bear in mindUnder-5s go into the palace…
What works best
- The 45-minute covered boat trip on the Tagus
- The Prince's Garden, flat and free, no problem with a pushchair
- The Royal Barges Museum, with the gilded boats
- The Strawberry Train in spring and autumn
Sleeping
- Samay Camping Aranjuez, with pools and slides
- Hotel El Cocherón de 1919, with a family room
Eating
- El Rana Verde, with a terrace over the river
Bear in mind
- Under-5s go into the palace free; ages 5 to 16, €4
- The Prince's Garden is very long: the Chiquitrén saves legs
What to do as a family
With small children, garden and boat
With under-sixes, focus on the open air: the Island Garden with its fountains, the Prince's with ducks, and the boat.
- What works bestThe boat, covered and short
- SleepingSamay Camping Aranjuez, with a…
- EatingBring a snack for the…
- Bear in mindThe Casa del Labrador is…
What works best
- The boat, covered and short
- The Island Garden, in the shade
- The Prince's Garden, with a pushchair
Sleeping
- Samay Camping Aranjuez, with a mini club
Eating
- Bring a snack for the gardens
Bear in mind
- The Casa del Labrador is not for them: a 50-minute guided visit
What to do with young children
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel
NH Collection Palacio de Aranjuez
Why we like it: Hotel in an eighteenth- and nineteenth-century building opposite the Royal Palace, with 86 rooms and private parking.
Small hotel
Hotel El Cocherón de 1919
Why we like it: Small hotel in an early twentieth-century building in the historic centre, a few steps from the Prince's and Island gardens.
Samay Camping Aranjuez
Why we like it: Campsite beside the Tagus with 133 pitches, 42 bungalows, apartments and rooms, pools with slides and dogs admitted on most pitches.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Centre and palace | Palace, hotels and restaurants, all on foot | |
| Gardens | Isla, Parterre and Príncipe, free | |
| Tagus bank | Boat, campsite and terraces |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Aranjuez
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Casa José
What to order: the seasonal kitchen-garden vegetable dishes, or the tasting menu
El Rana Verde
What to order: asparagus, frogs' legs or pheasant, and strawberries for dessert
Casa Delapio
What to order: at the bar, stew croquettes and a glass from their cellar; in the dining room, seasonal produce
Map
Everything on the map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Nearby
Near Aranjuez
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
40.14° N · 3.42° W
Chinchón
By carCar-free
39.86° N · 4.02° W
Toledo
By carCar-free
40.42° N · 3.70° W
Madrid
Car-freeBy plane
40.48° N · 3.36° W
Alcalá de Henares: university, Cervantes and Complutum
By carCar-free
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Palace first thing, gardens in the afternoon
The afternoon light in the Jardín del Príncipe is the best and the gardens do not close at midday.
- 2Buy the Casa del Labrador in advance
It goes in very small groups and only from Friday to Sunday.
- 3Go without a car
The Cercanías C-3 from Atocha saves you looking for a space and the station is 15 minutes from the palace.
- 4Ask for strawberries in spring
It is their season and the reason for the train's name.
Aranjuez is the Royal Site where the kings spent the spring, on the plain where the Jarama meets the Tagus. There is a palace, but what fills the day is the gardens: kilometres of avenues of centuries-old trees, fountains and a river that is still sailed. Its cultural landscape is a World Heritage Site. It lies 50 km south of Madrid and is one of the easiest days out from the city, without a car too.
How do you get there from Madrid?
By car, about 45 minutes along the A-4 and the M-305. By train, the Cercanías C-3 leaves Atocha and arrives at Aranjuez station, a building of 1923 about 15 minutes' walk from the palace. There are also buses from the Estación Sur at Méndez Álvaro. In spring and autumn, on some weekends, the Strawberry Train of the Railway Museum repeats the journey of Spain's second railway line, opened in 1851, with wooden carriages. From Toledo it takes about 45 minutes and from Chinchón half an hour; bus 430 links the two towns.
Where to park?
Park when you arrive and do not move the car: the centre, the palace and the gardens are covered on foot. If you are coming for the boat, the El Curiosity landing stage, at the entrance from the Madrid road, has free parking nearby. The NH Collection hotel, opposite the palace, has private parking for guests.
What to see?
The Royal Palace is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00 in winter and until 19:00 from April to September. Admission costs €9, €4 reduced, and on Wednesdays and Sundays from 15:00 it is free for citizens of the EU and Latin America and residents. The gardens are free: the Parterre, French in style beside the palace; the Isla, Renaissance, surrounded by the Tagus and with the Castañuelas waterfall; and the Príncipe, the biggest, with the royal landing stage, the Museo de Falúas and, at the far end, the Casa del Labrador, a small palace of Charles IV that can only be seen with a guide from Friday to Sunday.
What is there to do besides walking?
Take the boat. El Curiosity runs a 45-minute covered trip on the Tagus with a guide from €9.99, and it is what children like most. For the long distances of the Jardín del Príncipe there is the Chiquitrén. And eating: Aranjuez is market-garden country, of asparagus and strawberries, and of riverside restaurants such as El Rana Verde.
How much time do you need?
A day. Palace in the morning, an hour and a half; lunch; afternoon of gardens and boat. With the Casa del Labrador and the Museo de Falúas, it is better to sleep a night and combine it with Chinchón.
When to go?
In April and May, with the gardens in flower and asparagus and strawberries in season; and in October and November, with the golden trees in the Jardín de la Isla. In July and August, the plain is hot at midday; the gardens give shade, but set out early. On Mondays the palace and the Casa del Labrador are closed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to enter the Royal Palace of Aranjuez?
€9 general admission and €4 reduced; the guided visit, €17. On Wednesdays and Sundays from 15:00 it is free for citizens of the EU and Latin America and residents.
Are the gardens of Aranjuez free?
Yes: the Parterre, the Isla and the Príncipe are open access. You pay at the palace, the Casa del Labrador and the Museo de Falúas.
How do you get to Aranjuez without a car?
On the Cercanías C-3 from Atocha or by bus from the Estación Sur at Méndez Álvaro.
What day is the palace closed?
On Mondays, as well as some holidays: in 2026, 1 and 6 January, 1 and 29 May, 4 September and 24, 25 and 31 December.
Are there boat trips?
Yes, on El Curiosity, of about 45 minutes and from €9.99.
Where can you eat on Sunday?
Casa José is open on Sundays from 13:30 to 16:30. El Rana Verde, on the Tagus, does not publish its hours: call ahead.