Few cities have harboured as intense and complex a rivalry as Madrid and Barcelona.
Entire books have been written on the subject, and when the two cities’ world-famous football teams – Real Madrid and Barça – play against each other (in a derby known as “el clásico”), emotions run high far beyond the pitch.
That rivalry extends to tourism, of course, and while both make wonderful city breaks – with world-class food, attractions and hotels – each also has a thoroughly distinct identity.
In historical terms, Madrid’s arrival on the centre stage is relatively recent. A ninth-century military outpost under Islamic rule, its status as Spain’s capital dates back only to 1561, when King Philip II moved his court there, attracted chiefly by its location right in the middle of the country.
Several hundred years on, this sprawling, cosmopolitan melée of grand, Hapsburgian plazas, palaces and parks, fountain-filled monuments and world class art collections is the EU’s second-largest city, second only to Berlin.
Barcelona, meanwhile – Spain’s second largest city – offers a more idiosyncratic charisma. A key trading port since pre-Roman times thanks to its strategic location on the Mediterranean, the capital of historically affluent Catalonia features one of Europe’s best preserved Gothic quarters.
Walk 10 minutes north, and you’ll find yourself in a vast grid of tree-lined, 19th century boulevards filled with Gaudí masterpieces, florid facades and swirling iron balconies in the Modernista style – Catalonia’s answer to Art Nouveau.
With both cities hosting key events in 2026, next year is a particularly appealing time to visit.
Barcelona will see Antoni Gaudí’s monumental Sagrada Familia (finally) completed as it takes on the World Capital of Architecture title, while Madrid will welcome the debut of its Formula 1 Grand Prix in September.
So, which city to choose? We’ve crunched the numbers to help you decide.
Madrid
Surrounded by the arid, dusty plains of Castile, Madrid has sometimes, despite its grandeur and creativity, been seen as the staid, bureaucratic cousin of the more seductive Barcelona.
However, over the last few years – thanks to a wave of newly opened hotels, arts venues and restaurants – this giant metropolis has seen its popularity soar, with nearly 500,000 Britons visiting in 2024.
You can feel virtuous visiting the city too, as Madrid is also now one of the world’s most sustainable, with some 200 parks and, since 2018, a specially designated low-emissions area limiting traffic in the city centre.
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, as summers can be swelteringly hot and winters on the chilly side – though you’ll find plenty to do and see all year round.
Culture and history
Culture is one of the things Madrid does best, with superb museums almost everywhere you look.
Number one of course is El Prado, home to one of the world’s greatest art collections with masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Titian, Rubens and Hieronymus Bosch.
The Reina Sofia Museum, home to Picasso’s Guernica, is just around the corner, as is the impressive Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which features on Madrid’s Paseo del Arte (Art Walk). Madrid’s lavish, Baroque Royal Palace also has works by Caravaggio, Velázquez and Goya.
Rating: 5/5
Food and bars
Madrid has long prided itself on having some of the best restaurants and bars in Spain, from chic, fine dining temples of gastronomy to traditional bars dishing up excellent tapas, and everything in between.
Head to neighbourhoods like the Chamartín district, Malasaña or La Latina, where old-school bars sit alongside newly opened destination restaurants.
Or head to the elegant 19th century L.Hardy, famous for its classic Madrileño cocido – a slow-cooked stew served in three stages with boiled chicken, beef and pork, vegetables and chick peas.
Rating: 5/5
Activities and things to do
What can’t you do in Madrid? As per Samuel Johnson’s famous adage of London, if you’re tired of Madrid, you’re probably tired of life.
In between visits to the city’s museums and palaces, stretch your legs in the Unesco-listed Retiro park, or head for Madrid Río, the newly regenerated creative hub alongside the Manzanares river.
Look out for its Matadero cultural centre in what was once a neo-Mudéjar slaughterhouse, Kew Gardens-style Arganzuela Crystal Palace, outdoor restaurants and man-made beach.
Rating: 5/5
Luxury
For decades Barcelona was at the forefront of luxury tourism in Spain, but recently Madrid has been giving the Catalan capital a run for its money.
This is largely thanks to an explosion of new, multi-million euro luxury hotel projects, including the relaunch of the historic 1912 Palace, now part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, as well as openings from Nobu and Bulgari coming in 2026.
Most of the world’s major luxury brands are represented on the city’s fashionable shopping streets, and there are 28 Michelin-starred restaurants – including the innovative three-star DiverXO, ranked number four in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025.
Rating: 4/5
Value for money
For a capital city, many of Madrid’s main sights are surprisingly good value.
The Paseo del Arte pass (€32.80/£28.30) gives you access to not only the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía Museums, but also several others.
It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that if you’re visiting in the summer, you can expect to pay top prices for hotels and restaurants in the city centre, as you would in any European capital.
Rating: 4/5
How to get there
There are around 70 direct flights per week from London to Madrid, with Iberia and British Airways flying out of Heathrow; Easyjet and Air Europa from Gatwick; and Ryanair from Stansted.
You can also fly from Bristol and Birmingham (Easyjet) Edinburgh (Easyjet, Ryanair and Iberia), Liverpool (Easyjet and Ryanair) and Manchester (Ryanair, Easyjet and Iberia). Flight time is approximately two and a half hours
What to book
Osprey Holidays has three nights B&B at the four-star Hotel Regina from £544 per person, including flights from the UK.
The Only You Boutique Hotel has double rooms from £187, room only. You can fly from London Heathrow to Madrid with British Airways from £88 return.
Barcelona
Who can visit Barcelona and not be smitten? Bordered by the mountains of Tibidabo and Montjuic and the Mediterranean sea to the east, the city sits less than two hours’ drive south of Spain’s border with France, and you can feel the French influence alongside the Spanish in Catalonia’s distinctive culture, language and food.
Add into the mix the city’s showstopping architecture – Modernista, Medieval and modern – a Mediterranean climate and world class food, and it’s perhaps little surprise that over half a million Britons (569,937 to be precise) visited in 2024.
Don’t be put off by the recent anti-tourism protests. Barcelona’s residents are very much open to tourism – they’d just prefer you to behave decently and, ideally, venture off the main tourist track a bit while you’re there (to the formerly industrial – but now gallery-filled – neighbourhood of Poblenou, for example).
You’ll find warm, sunshine-filled days well into November and December, but come in spring and you’ll also avoid the crowds and peak prices. Alternatively, come at the end of September for the city’s annual five-day Mercé festival and enjoy firework displays and free concerts.
Culture and history
Barcelona’s landmark buildings tell the story of the city – from the rough-hewn remains of the city’s Roman walls and the superb, filigreed Gothic cathedral, to Santiago Calatrava’s “Olympic Flame” Telecommunications Tower, built for the 1992 Olympics.
This is the city where Picasso spent his youth (see his early works at the Picasso Museum), and where maverick architectural genius Gaudí built masterpieces like La Pedrera and Casa Batlló.
But don’t be fooled – there’s far more to Barcelona than its most famous sons. Less than ten minutes’ walk from the Sagrada Familia, you’ll find the magnificently ornate Hospital de Sant Pau, built by Gaudi’s rival Lluis Domènech i Muntaner, while fantastic museums like MNAC (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya) house extensive collection of Catalan art, from Romanesque and Medieval frescos to Modernista treasures.
Rating: 5/5
Food and bars
With, coincidentally, exactly the same number of Michelin-starred restaurants as Madrid, Barcelona punches well above its weight when it comes to food – not least when it comes to the likes of Disfrutar, which took the top spot in 2024’s World’s 50 Best Restaurant ranking.
But it’s not all about fine dining. You can still find simple but excellent traditional Catalan food even in the city centre, (Restaurant Portolès doesn’t take reservations but the lunchtime set menu is worth queuing for; C/ Diputació, 375; 00 34 932 45 31 10), as well as first rate tapas.
For the best fresh produce, look no further than the Santa Caterina food market, close to the Gothic cathedral.
Rating: 5/5
Activities and things to do
Barcelona may be famous for its art and architecture but there’s plenty to do beyond that.
Instead of the better-known, tourist-filled Parc Güell, try the elegant Ciutadella park on the edge of the Gothic Quarter, complete with a boating lake and Gaudí-designed fountain as well as an expansive zoo.
If you’re a football fan, you’ll want to pay a visit to Barça’s Camp Nou stadium, and if you can’t get tickets to a match, you can still take a tour.
Rating: 5/5
Luxury
The last ten years have seen a wave of new five star hotels arrive in Barcelona, including The Monument (a “GL” or “Grand Luxe” hotel – Spain’s special classification for those located in historic buildings or with unique cultural significance), set in a historic building on the grand Paseo de Gracia.
You’ll also find the parlour-palmed opulence of El Palace – previously Barcelona’s Ritz – or the more modern steel-and-glass Hotel Arts skyscraper, overlooking the sea.
If you’re looking for somewhere to park your yacht, look no further than Barcelona’s main marina which, thanks to a recent €20m (£17m) renovation, is now an international super yacht hub.
Rating: 5/5
Value for money
The days when Barcelona was a cheap weekend break are long gone – but if you’re planning on visiting more than a couple of the city’s museums, the Barcelona Card (from €15/£12.96) is an excellent option, providing free access to more than 25 museums, discounts to the major Gaudí sights, and free public transport.
A decent hotel in the city centre won’t come cheap, but you can minimise costs by visiting in the low season and looking out for menu del dias at lunchtime.
Rating: 4/5
How to get there
There are over 500 direct flights per week from London to Barcelona, with both British Airways and Vueling flying out of Heathrow.
Other airlines including Easyjet, Vueling and Ryanair fly from Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Glasgow Prestwick, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted. Flight time is around two hours.
What to book
Kirker Holidays has three-nights in Barcelona from £727 per person, including return flights, B&B accommodation at the Duquesa de Cardona hotel, private airport transfers, Sagrada Família tickets and Kirker Concierge services.
Yurbban Passage Hotel & Spa has double rooms from £198 B&B. You can fly from London Gatwick, Luton, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow or Belfast with easyJet from £72 return.