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Aranjuez packs a UNESCO-listed royal palace, three historic gardens, and a heritage railway into a town you can walk across in half an hour. Most sights cluster around the palace on the Tagus river, 48 km (30 miles) south of Madrid. Here are the main things to do, with hours and ticket prices.
Things to Do in Aranjuez: Royal Palace and Monuments
Royal Palace of Aranjuez (Palacio Real)
The 18th-century summer residence of the Spanish kings is the town’s centerpiece and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. Highlights include the Porcelain Room, the throne room, and the Arab Room. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 in winter (October to March) and 10:00 to 19:00 in summer (April to September); it closes Mondays and the ticket office shuts an hour before closing. General admission is €9, reduced €4 for ages 5 to 16 and over 65s, and free for EU citizens and residents on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons (15:00 to 18:00 winter, 15:00 to 19:00 summer). Entry is also free for everyone on May 18 and October 12. Summer afternoons here run hot, so check the weather by month guide before you book.
Casa del Labrador
A neoclassical pleasure house built for Carlos IV at the far end of the Prince’s Garden, filled with silk, marble, and a clock collection. It is reached on foot or by a small road train through the garden. A separate ticket of about €5 is required, and it shares the palace’s Tuesday-to-Sunday schedule and Monday closure. If you plan to stay overnight to see it plus the palace, the where to stay guide lists the closest hotels.
Museum of Royal Barges (Museo de Falúas Reales)
A riverside pavilion displaying the ornate pleasure barges the royals used on the Tagus, including the 18th-century gilded falúas. It sits next to the palace gardens on the riverbank. Check opening status before you go, as the pavilion closes for occasional renovation work.
Things to Do in Aranjuez: Gardens and the River
Prince’s Garden (Jardin del Principe)
The largest of the royal gardens at about 150 hectares, laid out in the English landscape style along the Tagus. It holds the Casa del Labrador, wide tree-lined walks, and the Chinescos ponds. It is free to enter and open daily; allow at least two hours to cross it on foot.
Island Garden (Jardin de la Isla)
A Renaissance-era garden on a river island beside the palace, with fountains and geometric parterres that predate the palace itself. Enter free from the palace esplanade. In summer the fountains run on scheduled days, and the gardens host the Paseos Musicales walks in spring, as covered in our events and festivals guide.
Parterre Garden and the Tagus walk
The formal French garden directly behind the palace, with a central fountain and steps down to the river. From here a shaded path follows the Tagus south toward the gardens. It is free and open daily, and it is the shortest green detour between the palace and the old town described in our neighborhoods guide.
Things to Do in Aranjuez: Trains, Town, and Day Trips
Tren de la Fresa (Strawberry Train)
A heritage steam-era train runs from Madrid’s Railway Museum to Aranjuez on selected spring and autumn weekends, with staff in period costume and a tray of Aranjuez strawberries on the return leg. It departs Madrid at 10:00 and returns about 20:08. Routes start at €32 for adults and €24 for children, and seats sell out weeks ahead, so book early. See our travel tips guide for how to book.
Plaza de San Antonio and the bullring
The arcaded main square, finished in 1752, faces the Church of San Antonio and marks the heart of the old town. The neoclassical Plaza de Toros bullring, built in 1796, sits just behind it and opens for guided visits outside bullfight days.
Day trips: Madrid and Toledo
Aranjuez makes a practical base for Madrid (35 to 45 minutes on the C-3 commuter line from Atocha) and Toledo (about 1 hour by car). Most visitors do it the other way around and come from Madrid for a day. For timing your visit to these, see the best time to visit guide and the Aranjuez city guide.
