Half-Day Private Tour in Madrid with Art Historian Guide

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Our professional guide will welcome you at the King Charles III statue on the main square - the Puerta del Sol - and take you on a walking - tour through the historic city centre.

   15 min

2. See one of the most prestigious opera houses in Europe. For over five decades it hosted the most renowned singers and composers of the time.

   15 min

3. See the largest functioning royal palace and the largest by floor area in Europe. The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family, although now it is working mainly as a museum. Moreover it is used for state ceremonies.

   15 min

4. The Almudena Cathedral is the most important religious building in Madrid. It was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on 15 June 1993, making it the first cathedral to be consecrated outside of Rome. All other main Spanish cities had centuries old cathedrals, and Madrid also has old churches, but the construction of Almudena only began in 1879. The Neo-Gothic interior is uniquely modern, with chapels and statues of contemporary artists, in heterogeneous styles, from historical revivals to "pop-art" decor.

   15 min

5. Plaza de la Villa is a lovely small square, bordered on three sides by buildings that represent Madrid’s different styls of architecture, from the so called Múdejar to Baroque. In the 17th-century it was the main square of the city.

   15 min

6. Located in the heart of Madrid, the Mercado de San Miguel is a monument to Spanish cuisine. A meeting point for food lovers and famouse landmark of the city.

   15 min

7. See the Plaza Mayor, a grand arcaded square in the center of Madrid.The symmetrical rectangular square features a uniform architecture. It was once the centre of Old Madrid. It was first built (1580–1619) during the reign of Philip III. It is very popular with tourists and locals alike.

   15 min

8. See the street with the most quantity of tapas in Madrid. Cava Baja is a winding, cheerful street cutting straight through the city’s heart and bustling on both sides with colorful taverns and bars.

   10 min

9. The narrow and winding streets of this irregularly laid-out area, mostly dating back to the Middle Ages, usually lead onto a square. Most of them lay outside the Medieval walled village and provided accommodation to a great many merchants who sold their goods at the market. This commercial tradition still echoes in several street and square names, such as Plaza de la Cebada (Barley Square), where the farmers’ market used to be held, Plaza de los Carros (Carriage Square), Plaza de la Paja (Straw Square), or even El Rastro (owing its name to the blood trail of the old slaughterhouse), the city’s best-known flea market.

   30 min

10. In the seventeenth century, the Golden Age of Spanish Literature, Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Quevedo, Tirso de Molina and Góngora, among other authors, had their homes here – hence the name. Some of the streets in this neighbourhood pay tribute to this and other brilliant chapters of Spanish history, culture and art.

    30 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 7 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Madrid

• Its from-price is 47% below the median of the 1722 experiences we list in Madrid.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 636 of 1722.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Madrid

Madrid is Spain's sunny, sociable capital, home to great art museums, royal palaces, leafy parks and tapas bars that stay busy past midnight.

Three great galleries line the Paseo del Prado: the Prado Museum with Velázquez and Goya, the Reina Sofía with Picasso's Guernica, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza with its sweeping private collection. Beside them, El Retiro Park offers a boating lake, shaded avenues and the glass Palacio de Cristal.

Top-ranked sights in Madrid: Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid), Puerta del Sol.

See all 1722 experiences in Madrid