In the first week of November, the pastry shops of Madrid fill their windows with huesos de santo — little white marzipan “saints’ bones” with a sweet yolk filling — and the chestnut sellers set up their smoking braziers on the corners of Sol and Gran Vía. The plane trees along the Paseo del Prado turn yellow, the Retiro goes gold, and the long summer crowds are a memory. Madrid in November is a proper shoulder-season month: cooler, sometimes wet, quieter and cheaper than October, with a busy cultural calendar and the first glimpse of Christmas at the very end. This page covers the whole month — weather in real numbers, what is on week by week, prices, closures and an honest verdict on whether to come.
Prices were checked in October 2026; treat them as the right order of magnitude. Some event dates below are based on the most recent edition, because Madrid confirms many of its November programmes only in the autumn.
Madrid in November at a Glance
| What | November in Madrid |
|---|---|
| Average high / low | About 13.5 °C / 6.3 °C across the month (AEMET normals, Madrid Retiro) |
| Rain | One of the wetter months: about 58 mm, with around 6.5 days of at least 1 mm (AEMET 1981–2010 normals, Madrid Retiro) |
| Daylight | About 10 hours; sunset around 18:00, a little earlier by the end of the month |
| Public holidays | 2 November (All Saints, observed in 2026), 9 November (La Almudena, Madrid city only) |
| Big events | All Saints traditions, JAZZMADRID, the tail of the Festival de Otoño, La Almudena, the Christmas lights switch-on in late November |
| Autumn colour | Peaks from late October to mid-November in the Retiro and along the Paseo del Prado |
| Crowds | Low; one of the quietest months for tourism |
| Prices | Hotels and flights noticeably cheaper than October |
| Verdict | Very good for museums, food, culture and value; pack for rain |
November Weather in Madrid
November is the month autumn finally wins. Across the month the average daily high is about 13.5 °C and the average low about 6.3 °C (AEMET normals for Madrid Retiro), so the days are cool and the evenings call for a proper coat.
It is also one of the wetter months in Madrid, which is not saying much in a city that gets less than half the rain of London. Expect about 58 mm of rain in the month, on around 6.5 days with at least 1 mm. A week of unbroken sunshine is entirely possible; so is a weekend of steady rain. Build a flexible plan.
The clocks go back at the end of October, so November evenings get dark early — sunset is around 18:00 at the start of the month and closer to 17:50 by the end. For the long, late Madrid evenings on the terraces, you want September or October. In November, the city moves indoors: to bars, restaurants, theatres, concert halls and museums.
What to pack
- A warm jacket or light coat for evenings, and a jumper for layering.
- A compact umbrella and shoes that can cope with wet, slippery stone pavements.
- A scarf by the second half of the month.
- One smarter outfit for the theatre or a good restaurant.
- Sunglasses — the low autumn sun is bright on clear days.
What Happens in November: Week by Week
1 November: All Saints (Todos los Santos)
All Saints’ Day is a national public holiday, observed on Monday 2 November in 2026, and a quieter, more traditional occasion in Spain than Halloween, though Halloween parties have become popular with younger madrileños the night before. Families visit cemeteries to leave flowers on graves, and the big Almudena cemetery in the east of the city is busy all day.
For visitors, the tradition that matters is the food. Around All Saints, pastry shops sell huesos de santo (marzipan tubes filled with sweet egg yolk) and buñuelos de viento (small fried choux pastries, often filled with cream, custard or chocolate). Buy a few at a traditional pastelería; they are only around for a couple of weeks. The romantic verse drama Don Juan Tenorio is traditionally staged around this date, too, and you may find performances in the region.
On the holiday itself, many shops close and some museums keep reduced hours. Check before you go.
Early to mid-November: autumn colour and the cultural season
The first half of November is the best time to see Madrid’s parks in autumn colour. The Retiro’s horse chestnuts, plane trees and ginkgos turn yellow, orange and red, and on a sunny weekday morning the park is a joy. Madrid Río and the Parque del Oeste are also lovely, and the Real Jardín Botánico next to the Prado is at its most atmospheric. See our Retiro walking routes for where to go.
This is also the heart of the cultural season. The Festival de Otoño, the region’s big performing-arts festival of theatre, dance and music, runs through the autumn and into November. JAZZMADRID, the city’s international jazz festival, takes over venues across Madrid during November — including Condeduque, the Teatro Fernán Gómez, Matadero, the Auditorio Nacional and Teatros del Canal — with well over a hundred concerts in a typical year. Programmes and tickets go online in the autumn.
9 November: La Almudena
The feast of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena, patron saint of Madrid, is a local public holiday in the city of Madrid (though not in the rest of the region). The day centres on an open-air Mass in Plaza Mayor in the morning, followed in the afternoon by a procession carrying the statue of the Virgin through the old centre on a silver float covered in flowers, with crowds lining the streets. The Almudena Cathedral next to the Royal Palace is the focus of the day. Madrid bakers also make a special crown-shaped cake, the corona de la Almudena, for the occasion.
9 November is a local public holiday in the city of Madrid, so opening hours vary: check the hours of any venue or shop you plan to visit. If it falls next to a weekend, madrileños take a long weekend and the city is quieter.
Mid-November: the quiet heart of the month
From around 10 to 20 November, Madrid is at its calmest. There are no big holidays, the tourist crowds are thin, and hotel prices are low. This is a very good time for a museum-heavy city break, for getting tables at restaurants that are hard to book at other times, and for day trips without the queues. La Liga usually pauses for an international break in mid-November, so check the calendar if football is part of your plan.
Late November: Black Friday and the lights
Black Friday has taken hold in Spain, and the shopping streets — Preciados, Gran Vía, Fuencarral, the Salamanca district — are busy on the last weekend of the month.
More importantly, late November is when Christmas arrives in Madrid. The city switches on its Christmas lights at a ceremony in late November — in 2025 it was on Saturday 22 November, at Plaza de Cibeles — and they stay lit until 6 January. The Plaza Mayor Christmas market opens around the same time; in 2025 it ran from 27 November. If you come in the last week of November, you get the first of the festive atmosphere with far smaller crowds than in December. For what happens next, see Madrid in December.
The Best Things to Do in Madrid in November
Spend your afternoons in the museums
November is ideal for the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, which are quiet on weekdays and warm and dry when it rains. It is also a good month for the smaller museums that most visitors never reach — the Sorolla Museum, the Lázaro Galdiano and the Cerralbo. Use free museum hours for second visits.
Go to a concert or the theatre
Between JAZZMADRID, the Festival de Otoño, the Teatro Real’s opera and ballet season, the Gran Vía musicals and the small live-music bars, November is one of the richest months for culture. It is also easier to get good seats than in the pre-Christmas rush.
For venues, see our guides to live music venues in Madrid and theatres in Madrid.
Walk the parks in autumn colour
Early November mornings in the Retiro are the best of the year: soft light, fallen leaves and hardly anyone around. Continue down the Paseo del Prado under the yellow plane trees, or cross town to Madrid Río and the Casa de Campo. See our complete Retiro guide.
Eat autumn food
This is the season for roast chestnuts from street vendors, the first cocido madrileño of the winter, wild mushrooms on restaurant menus, game dishes in traditional places, and new-season wines. Our Madrid food guide and cocido guide tell you where to go. The menú del día is the best-value lunch in the city.
Take a day trip before winter sets in
November is a good month for day trips: the countryside is green again after the summer, the trees in the Sierra de Guadarrama are turning, and the historic towns are uncrowded. Segovia, Toledo and the royal palace and gardens at La Granja de San Ildefonso are all beautiful in autumn. Check the weather first: a wet day in Toledo is a lot less fun than a sunny one.
Browse El Rastro on a Sunday
The Sunday flea market in La Latina is far more pleasant in November than in high summer, and you can follow it with a vermouth and a long lunch on the Cava Baja. See our El Rastro guide.
Have a rainy-day plan ready
Rain is more likely in November than in most months, so have a list ready: museums, the covered markets, a flamenco show, a long lunch, the Hammam Al Ándalus baths, a churrería, or a film in original version (V.O.). Our guide to what to do in Madrid when it rains has plenty more.
What November Costs
November is one of the best-value months to visit Madrid. After the busy autumn conference and tourism season of September and October, hotel prices fall noticeably, and flights from much of Europe are among the cheapest of the year outside January and February.
- Hotels: mid-November is usually good value in central hotels. The long weekends around 1 and 9 November, and the last weekend of the month once the lights go on, can be busier.
- Flights: low-season fares, especially midweek.
- Events: the parks, the Almudena procession, the lights and El Rastro are free. Concert and festival tickets vary widely.
- Food: huesos de santo and buñuelos are sold by weight or by the piece in pastry shops; a small box is a treat rather than a big expense.
| Period | Crowds | Hotel prices |
|---|---|---|
| 1 November long weekend | Moderate; Spanish visitors | Moderate |
| 2–20 November | Low | Low |
| Weekend nearest 9 November | Moderate in the centre | Low to moderate |
| Last week of November | Rising, with the lights and Black Friday | Moderate |
For more on keeping costs down, see the cheapest time to visit Madrid and Madrid daily costs.
Opening Hours and Closures
- 1 November: national holiday. Many shops closed; museums often open with holiday hours.
- 9 November: local holiday in Madrid city. Banks and offices close; most attractions open. Road closures around Plaza Mayor and the procession route.
- Mondays and Tuesdays: check smaller museums, many of which close on Mondays; the Reina Sofía closes on Tuesdays.
- Parks: the Retiro’s opening hours shorten in winter, and the park can close temporarily in strong winds for safety. Check before you go on a stormy day.
Madrid in November with Children
November is a calm, easy month for families. The parks are pleasant for running around on dry days, the playgrounds in the Retiro are quiet on weekday mornings, and kicking through piles of leaves on the Paseo de Coches is a simple pleasure. The zoo and aquarium in the Casa de Campo, Faunia, and the family activities at the big museums are all much less crowded than in spring or summer — see our guides to the zoo and aquarium and family attractions in Madrid.
Madrid’s schools are in term through November, apart from public holidays such as 2 November. Rain is the main risk; have an indoor back-up for every outdoor plan. And if your children are small, late November, when the Christmas lights come on and Cortylandia starts its season on the front of El Corte Inglés, is a lovely time to come; the city’s tourism programme gives the current dates.
Where to Stay in November
In a month with early sunsets and the occasional wet evening, being close to the action matters. Las Letras (Huertas) and the area around the Paseo del Prado put you near the museums and a dense web of bars and restaurants; La Latina is great for Sunday at El Rastro; Chamberí and Salamanca are quieter and feel more local. If you are coming for concerts at the Auditorio Nacional or Condeduque, Chamberí and Malasaña are handy. Compare them in our guide to where to stay in Madrid.
Is November a Good Time to Visit Madrid?
Yes, for the right traveller. November gives you Madrid at its most local: the terraces thin out, the cultural season is in full swing, the parks are golden, the food turns seasonal and hearty, and prices drop. It is an excellent month for a museum-and-food city break, for concert-goers and for anyone who dislikes crowds.
It is less good if you want reliable sunshine, long evenings outdoors or summer-style nightlife on the terraces. The weather is more changeable than in October, and you may lose a day to rain. And if Christmas atmosphere is your priority, come in the last week of the month or wait for December.
Our pick: the first half of November, when the leaves are at their best, the festivals are on and prices are low. Stay four nights, keep one day loose for the weather, see a concert, and eat huesos de santo in the first week. For how November compares with other months, see the best time to visit Madrid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Madrid cold in November?
Cool rather than cold for most of the month. The average daily high is about 13.5 °C and the average low about 6.3 °C, so evenings are chilly.
Does it rain a lot in Madrid in November?
It is one of the wetter months, with about 58 mm of rain on around 6.5 days of at least 1 mm. Plenty of November days are dry and sunny.
Is November a cheap time to visit Madrid?
Yes. It is one of the best-value months, with hotel prices and flights noticeably lower than in September and October.
What are the public holidays in Madrid in November?
All Saints is a national holiday, observed on Monday 2 November in 2026. 9 November (La Almudena) is a local holiday in the city of Madrid.
Are the Christmas lights on in Madrid in November?
From late November. In 2025 they were switched on on 22 November, and they stay lit until 6 January.
What food is traditional in Madrid in November?
Huesos de santo and buñuelos de viento around All Saints, roast chestnuts from street stalls, and the first cocido madrileño of the winter.
Is November good for seeing autumn colours in Madrid?
Yes. The Retiro, the Paseo del Prado and Madrid Río are at their most colourful from late October to mid-November.
What festivals are on in Madrid in November?
JAZZMADRID, the international jazz festival, runs through November, and the Festival de Otoño’s performing-arts programme continues into the month. The Christmas season begins in the last week.
Related Madrid Guides
- Madrid in December
- Festival de Otoño
- Best Time to Visit Madrid
- Cheapest Time to Visit Madrid
- Retiro Park: The Complete Guide
- Live Music Venues in Madrid
- What to Do in Madrid When It Rains
- Madrid Travel Tips
Photo Credits
Autumn path in the Retiro: Autumn in Retiro Park – Madrid 01 by Javier Perez Montes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Procession of La Almudena: 2019-11-09 SantaMaríaDeLaAlmudena by Thomas Holbach, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.