Madrid Walking Tour (Tapas Optional)

Every day at 18 h


Book online now!


If you are more comfortable exploring by foot than on a bike, this walking tour is perfect for you. It takes around 2-3 hrs hours, during which time your knowledgeable, friendly guide will talk you through some of the most important sights in the centre of Madrid. We’ll be walking at a relaxed pace, but bring comfortable footwear!

Get a great taste of Spain – Join our culinary tapas walk through Madrid ➜ Spaniards celebrate life by picking up a fork. Food is central to Spanish identity, and Madrid is the best place to discover all that Spain’s cuisine has to offer.

This walking tour can be booked in several languages.

You’ll get to see the likes of the Puerta del Sol, the Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, and many lovely squares and winding streets, plus a few traditional markets, centuries-old family businesses, and some of the coolest neighbourhoods in the city.

Optional: Walking Tapas Tour

If you’d like to taste some typically Spanish food you can book this tour with the option of also sampling some delicious tapas. Traditionally, tapas are small savoury dishes, snacks or appetisers which are very popular of Spanish cuisine. It might be breads and meat, or a selection of dishes ranging from jamón (cured ham), stuffed mussels, and fried squid, to olives, mushrooms and other vegetables. Best of all, tapas make for a great way to try something new. If you choose to (this option will be available once you are in the “book now” section) then the tour will be around half an hour longer.

Let us surprise you, and get a taste of the real Spain!

On this walking tour you will see the most important sites in the city center of Madrid:

  • Puerta del Sol

  • San Ginés Chocolate shop

  • Royal Palace

  • Medieval Madrid

  • Plaza Mayor

  • Congress of Deputies

  • …and much, much more 🙂


Book online now!


Walking Tour (Tapas optional)

Every day at 18 h

Walking Tour (Tapas optional) If you prefer to have solid ground under your feet rather than cycling, our walking tour is the right way to get to know the most interesting sights of Madrid.

The walking tour starts from our shop, which is located in the heart of Madrid. It takes around 2-3 hours, and we will be walking at a relaxed pace – but we do recommend you bring sensible shoes, and a sense of adventure!
This walking tour can be booked in several languages.

Our first stop will be one of the most well-known places of Madrid, the Puerta del Sol (Sun Gate, a wonderful name), which is just round the corner from our shop. Puerta del Sol is not only the meeting point for friends and musicians, and a place that protesters gather to defend their rights – it’s also best known for three other things:

El Oso y el Madroño (the Bear and the Strawberry Tree), a bronze statue built in 1967 and weighing 22 tons, is the official symbol of Madrid.

The clock turret and bells of the Casa de Correos (postal office): known throughout Spain for being the place from where the famous chimes of the Puerta del Sol ring out, and the end of every year end since 1962 – thousands of people gather to eat the symbolic 12 grapes and welcome the new year.

Kilometre Zero: the signposted starting point for measuring the distances of the Spain’s six national roads, and the starting point for Madrid’s numbered streets – tourists rarely leave Madrid without a photo with it!

From here, we will head towards Madrid’s most famous chocolate shop, San Gines, which has served up one of the city’s most popular breakfast combinations since 1894 – thick hot chocolate and churros (long sticks of dough made of water, salt and flour, and fried in oil). Aside from having them for breakfast or as an afternoon treat, chocolate and churros are also often eaten after a long party night – luckily San Gines is open almost 24 hours! Madrid Walking Tour (Tapas optional)

Our next stop is the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales (the Convent of the Royal Barefoot Nuns). This convent has a strong historical connection with the women of the Spanish Hapsburg lineage, and it’s seen as the female equivalent to the nearby Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, one of Spain’s royal sites.

The convent occupies an old palace, which was once the residence of Charles V and Isabel of Portugal. It’s also the birthplace of their daughter Doña Juana, born in 1535, who founded this convent of barefoot Franciscan nuns in 1559. Widowed or spinster ladies of nobility would seek refuge at this monastery, taking dowries and their personal belongings with them – today, the convent has a fascinating collection of paintings, tapestries and religious images.

Not too far away is our next stop, the iconic Teatro Real (Royal Theatre). One of Europe’s leading opera houses, it has undergone a number of renovations since it was established in 1850. It may not look like much from the outside, but the interior surprises visitors with its elegant decor, boundless luxury and wonderful acoustics. Without a doubt, it’s a must-see for opera lovers.

We’ll next cross the Plaza de Oriente, where an impressive building will catch your eye: the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). Once home to the Kings of Spain from Charles III to Alfonso XIII, Madrid’s Royal Palace offers visitors a fascinating journey through the regal history of Spain. Though it no longer serves the royal family’s home, it continues to be its official residence.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see the bi-weekly changing of the guard (Wednesdays and Saturdays) or the monthly solemn changing of the guard (first Wednesday of the month). They’re both certainly a sight to behold!

Just next to the Royal Palace is the Almudena Cathedral. This imposing church is among Madrid’s most popular tourist attractions, both because of its Neo-Gothic style and bright interior, and because the site on which it stands was originally occupied by Madrid’s first mosque (the old Aljama mosque of Mayrit), then by a church dedicated to one of Madrid’s patron saints, Santa María de la Almudena.

Madrid Walking Tour (Tapas optional) A stone’s throw from the Cathedral, we will next head to the Church of San Nicolas, which dates back to the 12th century, and has been a national monument since 1931. Interestingly, it became the oldest church in Madrid after the demolition of the medieval Almudena Cathedral in 1868.

We’ll now continue walking around the medieval part of Madrid, and we’ll pass the Plaza de la Villa, which is one of Madrid’s best historical monuments. It’s home to some stunning period architecture, and some of the buildings date back to the Middle Ages – one of which was the home of Madrid’s City Hall until 2007.

Madrid is brimming with traditional and modern markets, where locals do their weekly shop and meet friends for a drink and a bite to eat. One of the most impressive markets is the Mercado San Miguel, which is regarded as the city’s ‘gastronomic temple’. It features more than 30 stalls, the delights of which can be enjoyed in all weathers thanks to the market’s magnificent wrought iron and glass structure.

From here, we’ll make our way to Madrid’s main square, the Plaza Mayor. This charming square is located right in the centre of the city, at the heart of old Hapsburg Madrid, built during the Austrian dynasty.Madrid Walking Tour (Tapas optional)

As well as soaking in its vastness and beauty, and marvelling at the history and architecture, locals often come here to have a drink and a bite to eat in one of the many restaurants and cafes around the square, and watch the world go by.

Before we walk back to our shop, there are a few more sights to see on the way! As you’ll see, Madrid is full of lovely squares – next we’ll see the Plaza de Jacinto Benavente, which was established in 1926 in memory of the playwright and Nobel Prize winner Jacinto Benavente y Martínez.

“I have never been to a city where there is less reason to go to bed and… if I did go to bed, to sleep” (Ernest Hemingway)

Another of Madrid’s most popular squares is a hub of food, nightlife, and culture. The Plaza de Santa Ana, built in 1810 to bring open space to the constricted neighbourhood of Barrio de Las Letras, is one of Madrid’s most popular and lively squares. Even celebrated author Ernest Hemingway frequented the bars around Plaza de Santa Ana during his stints in Madrid!

Next we’ll pass the Palacio de las Cortes Españolas, where the Spanish Congress of Deputies gathers. Fun fact: the lions flanking the entrance were built using the iron from cannons captured during the Spanish-Moroccan War.

As we come to the end of our tour, we’ll pass the impressive Círculo de Bellas Artes, a multidisciplinary cultural centre founded in 1880 by a small group of artists. One tip: we recommend you make your way to the top of the building for one of the best panoramic views of the capital!

After all these beautiful sights, we’ll now head back to our shop. We hope that this tour has left you inspired and full of ideas for where to come back to and explore further!

Optional: Tapas

If you’d like to taste some typically Spanish food you can book this tour with the option of also sampling some delicious tapas. Traditionally, tapas are small savoury dishes, snacks or appetisers which are very popular of Spanish cuisine. It might be breads and meat, or a selection of dishes ranging from jamón (cured ham), stuffed mussels, and fried squid, to olives, mushrooms and other vegetables. Best of all, tapas make for a great way to try something new. If you choose to (this option will be available once you are in the “book now” section) then the tour will be around half an hour longer.

Let us surprise you, and get a taste of the real Spain!

On this walking tour you will see the most important sites in the city center of Madrid:

  • Puerta del Sol
  • San Ginés Chocolate shop
  • Royal Palace
  • Medieval Madrid
  • Plaza Mayor
  • Congress of Deputies
  • …and much, much more 🙂

 


Book online now!


Additional information

Tour name“Walking Tour”
ActivityWalking Tour
Ideal forfamilies, friends & colleagues, business & corporate, schools & students
Rate19,50 € (from 1 to 7 participants = 136,50 € / total). Additional participants: 19,50 €. Tapas optional. For group rates contact us
LanguageEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Dutch
Bookable from1 participant
Departure Time18:00 h
DifficultyLeisurely
Duration2 ½ hours, (3 hours – with optional tapas)
Distance4,5 km (2,8 miles)
DepartureOur shop in Calle de los Jardines, 12 – 28013 Madrid (Spain), Returns to original departure point
IncludedTour Guide, Public liability insurance
NoteArrival at the departure point 15 minutes in advance is recommended.
DiscountsContact us for special rates for companies, groups, schools, students, summer camps, universities, OTA, MICE, FIT