Royal Palace of Aranjuez
The Spanish kings' spring residence, between the Tagus and the gardens.
Live Aranjuez like the Royal Court
A palace between two rivers, three World Heritage gardens and a town laid out with a ruler for the kings. 45 minutes from Madrid by train.
Today in Aranjuez
- Royal Palace
- Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00 (October to March) and 10:00–19:00 (April to September). Closed on Mondays.
- Gardens
- Free. Open from 08:30 and close at dusk, between 18:30 and 21:30 depending on the season.
- Casa del Labrador
- Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, guided visits.
- Sunset
- Strawberry Train
Based on official timetables checked on
This season
See what's on1 January – 31 December 2026
25 years as a World Heritage Site
UNESCO listed the Aranjuez Cultural Landscape on 14 December 2001. The whole of 2026 is an anniversary year.
Heritage
2 October – 8 November 2026
Aranjuez Early Music Festival (33rd edition)
Concerts on Saturdays and Sundays, usually at 12:30 or 19:00, in the Royal Palace chapel, the Teatro Real Carlos III and the cellar of the Real Cortijo de San Isidro.
Music
3 October – 8 November 2026
Strawberry Train: autumn season
Weekends and the 12 October holiday until 8 November. Leaves Madrid's Railway Museum at 10:00 and returns from Aranjuez at 18:38.
Train
5 October – 15 November 2026
Woody Allen filming in Aranjuez
About six weeks of filming in Madrid and Aranjuez from 5 October. Expect occasional closures in gardens and streets.
Film
What to see in Aranjuez
The palace, the gardens and the river, and what lies around them. With checked hours and prices.
The Prince's Garden
Three kilometres of garden along the Tagus: ponds, orchards, a barge museum and a pavilion.
The Island Garden
Aranjuez's oldest garden, on an island between the Tagus and a channel, with 16th-century fountains.
The Parterre Garden
The French-style garden in front of the palace, with the fountain of Hercules and Antaeus.
Real Casa del Labrador
Charles IV's neoclassical folly, reopened in 2025 after restoration.
What few people tell you
Details that change your visit and that almost no guide mentions.
- Your Royal Palace ticket also gets you into the Royal Barge Museum, by the landing stage.
- On Wednesdays and Sundays from 3pm the palace is free for EU and Ibero-American citizens. Ticket office only.
- The gardens are free and open every day at 8:30. On Mondays, when the palace is closed, they are the plan.
- The Casa del Labrador opens Friday to Sunday only, by guided tour, and is not wheelchair accessible.
- No cycling and no eating on the lawns in the gardens. Dogs on a lead are welcome.
- The Parterre and Island fountains are off from December to February. The Chinescos pond runs all year.
- The best photo of the palace is not from the square: it is from the Puente de Barcas, mirrored in the Tagus.
- The Bacchus statue from the Island Garden's fountain is in London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Only the pedestal is here.
- The Concierto de Aranjuez was written in Paris in 1939. Joaquín Rodrigo is buried in Aranjuez.
A plan for every trip
Hour-by-hour itineraries for the way you travel.
Aranjuez in a day, without a car from Madrid
One day (9:00 to 20:00)
A royal weekend in Aranjuez
Two days
Aranjuez with children
One day
Aranjuez in autumn
One day, best from late October to late November
In the footsteps of the Concierto de Aranjuez
Half a day
Galdós's Aranjuez and the uprising of 1808
A full day, with a long walk at the end
The Twelve Streets walk
About 5 hours (18.3 km, moderate)
Aranjuez in summer, without the heat
One day, 8:30 to 22:00
Aranjuez with a dog
Half a day or a full day
From Aranjuez
Day trips by car from the Royal Palace. Distances and times calculated on the map.
| Destination | Km | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Mar de Ontígola and El Regajal | 2.8 | 6 |
| Real Cortijo de San Isidro | 7.5 | 12 |
| Ocaña | 16.8 | 18 |
| Colmenar de Oreja | 25 | 31 |
| Chinchón | 27.7 | 28 |
| Toledo | 49.4 | 46 |
Before you go
- Aranjuez, the easy day trip from MadridWhy Aranjuez is one of the best day trips from Madrid: 45 minutes by commuter train, free World Heritage gardens and fewer crowds than Toledo or Segovia.
- How to get to Aranjuez from MadridHow to get to Aranjuez from Madrid by commuter train, bus or car: journey times, where to park and how to get around once you're there.
- When to visit AranjuezThe best time to visit Aranjuez, month by month: real climate data, strawberries, festivals, autumn in the gardens and how to beat the summer heat.
- Practical information for visiting AranjuezEverything practical for visiting Aranjuez: tickets and free days, garden rules (dogs, bikes, picnics), accessibility, parking and the tourist office.
- Where to stay in AranjuezWhy stay the night in Aranjuez and in which area: the old town, near the station or on the outskirts with a car. When to book ahead.
- What to eat in AranjuezAranjuez strawberries and asparagus, the orchard calendar, traditional dishes and where to buy local produce. What really comes from here.
- History of AranjuezThe history of Aranjuez on a timeline: the Order of Santiago, Philip II, Ferdinand VI's planned town, the 1808 Mutiny, the 1851 railway and UNESCO.
- Festivals and yearly calendar in AranjuezAranjuez festivals month by month: the Mutiny Festival (International Tourist Interest), San Fernando, San Isidro, the Strawberry Train and the Early Music Festival.
- FAQShort answers to the most common questions.
Turismo Aranjuez is an independent, non-profit guide. We are not the Town Council or Patrimonio Nacional, and nobody pays to appear here.
Aranjuez on your feed
We post what's on each week, hidden corners and tips. If you share your photos of Aranjuez, tag us or use the hashtag and we may repost them.