Royal Monastery of El Escorial and Madrid sightseeing tour

General information

Destination	Category
Madrid, Spain	Sightseeing Tours

Program details

Uncover the majesty of Madrid and its surrounding region with this epic full day tour taking in the Unesco World Heritage Site of El Escorial and the astonishingly extravagant Valle de los Caidos mausoleum in the morning and a panoramic sightseeing tour of the capital itself in the afternoon.

El Escorial is a vast royal complex from the days when the sun never set on the Spanish empire. See the Palace of the Bourbons, with its a fine collection of tapestries, some of executed by Goya. Admire the Hapsburg Palace, the rather stark chambers of which were built as a residence for the kings of this dynasty. Behold the breathtaking basilica and visit the Pantheon of Kings, where 26 former monarchs are interred.

The Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen) is the massive mausoleum carved into a mountain that Generalissimo Francisco Franco ordered built after the Spanish Civil War as a memorial. This haunting site features an excavated basilica, a 150-metre cross and the tomb of the dictator.

Back in the capital, the panoramic tour drives through the courtly Madrid of the Habsburgs, with its great Renaissance and baroque buildings. Visit the city built by the Bourbon monarchs with its great fountains and vast Royal Palace. Discover the commercial and financial areas of the contemporary city and see the legendary Las Ventas bullring and the world-famous Santiago Bernabeu football stadium, home to Real Madrid. Duration: Seven hours.
Start/opening time: 8.45am every day except Mondays.
End/closing time: 3.45pm.
Languages: Spanish and English.