Take some time getting to know Madrid while riding through the city aboard an open-top double-decker bus. With one ticket, you will be able to hop on and off the bus all day along the route of your choice, or change to another, admiring the architectural and cultural magnificence of Madrid. Commentary is available via a headphones audio system in 14 different languages. Route 1 • Museo del Prado • Puerta de Alcalá • Barrio de Salamanca • Plaza de Colón • Plaza de Cibeles • Gran Vía, 14 • Gran Vía, 30 • Gran Vía, 54 • Plaza de España • Templo de Debod • Teatro Real (temporarily suspended) • Palacio Real (temporarily suspended) • Puerta de Toledo • San Francisco el Grande (temporarily suspended) • Catedral de la Almudena (temporarily suspended) • Plaza Mayor (temporarily suspended) • Puerta del Sol (temporarily suspended) • Círculo de Bellas Artes (temporarily suspended) • Museo Thyssen (temporarily suspended) • Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía • Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid Route 2 • Plaza Neptuno • Plaza de Cibeles • Plaza de Colón • Museo Esculturas • Museo de Ciencias Naturales • Nuevos Ministerios • Santiago Bernabéu • C.S.I. Científicas • Museo Lázaro Galdiano • Serrano • Museo Arqueológico • Puerta de Alcalá • Alcalá • Puerta del Sol (temporarily suspended) • Plaza de las Cortes • Plaza de Neptuno High Season: March to October 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM Low Season: November to February 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

With over 80 years of history, the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas is one of Madrid's most important monuments. Tour Spain's largest bullring, experiencing how it feels to be the bullfighter, the bull, and amongst the onlooking crowds enveloped by the immense Neo-Mudéjar structure. Designed by José Espeliú, the Plaza de Toros was built in 1929 to accommodate the rising status of the country's national passion, and attracted some of the best bullfighters in history as well as celebrated personalities and luminaries into the stands. Fans included Ernest Hemingway, Ava Gardner, Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Greta Garbo, Orson Welles, and Sophia Loren. At under an hour, the tour provides an easy fit into even the busiest of holiday schedules, and offers a fascinating overview into one of Madrid's cultural and social pillars.

Embark on a guided tour to the Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial and enjoy skip-the-line entry. Explore the Basilica of the Valley of the Fallen and hear the history behind each turn from your guide. Leave Madrid in the morning and travel 50 minutes to San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Visit the baths upon arrival and then begin the tour of the San Lorenzo Monastery. Learn the long history of Spain, specifically the reign of Felipe II. See the building that best summarizes the ideological and cultural aspirations of the Spanish “Golden Age” and is named a World Heritage Site. See places like the Patio de Reyes, Cloister, Chapter Rooms, The Basilica (except on Sundays), The Pantheon of Kings and Infants, and the Royal Rooms. Travel to the Valley of the Fallen located in the Peña de Cuelga Muros after leaving San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Visit its surroundings and the basilica carved into the rock, and the burial place for 33,847 people who died in the Spanish Civil War. Be amazed by the great granite cross that is visible from kilometers away.

Embark on a full-day guided tour to the UNESCO-listed cities of Avila and Segovia from Madrid aboard an air-conditioned bus. Marvel at Avila's cathedral and most emblematic monuments on a walking tour. Sep inside the Alcazar of Segovia with entrance tickets and a guide. Take a walking tour of Avila, one of Spain’s oldest cities. Marvel at its well-preserved, castle-like walls dating from the 11th century. Enter the old quarters which house important Romanesque churches, Gothic palaces, and the city’s 12th-century Gothic cathedral. Walk by the exterior of the Avila Cathedral, admdire the Romanesque Basilica of San Vicente, and visit the central town square of Plaza Mayor. Take a short walk through the city’s old streets to the Convent of Saint Teresa. Then, continue on to Segovia, a city rich in historical monuments. See the magnificent Roman Aqueduct from the time of Emperor Augustus. Soak in its rich architectural heritage by following your guide to the Gothic-style Cathedral. Finally, cross the Canonjías neighborhood until you come to the Alcazar of Segovia, one of the most spectacular fortresses in all of Spain. After admiring its exterior, step inside to discover its legends and glorious past.

Explore the highlights of Madrid's Old Town on a city tour with a guide, including skip-the-line entry to the Royal Palace with a tour. Stop by beautiful squares like Plaza de la Villa and Plaza de Oriente as you learn about their history. Finish with a guided tour of the impressive Royal Palace. Start the tour at Calle Mayor, a bustling central street in the Old Town. Cross the Plaza Mayor and see its statue of Felipe III. Next, head to the San Miguel market and browse its stalls of authentic Spanish cuisine. Continue to the Plaza de la Villa, one of the most well-preserved historic squares in the city. Learn about its history as the former site of the Madrid Town Hall. Make your way to the Plaza de Oriente, which leads to the Royal Palace. From there, enjoy skip-the-line entry to the palace and take a guided tour of the largest royal residence in Europe. See its courtyards, art collections, and 18th-century architecture up close.

Meet your expert guide near one of Madrid’s most historic markets, where neighborhood residents have been shopping for over a century. Head inside to discover a gastronomic haven of delicious, high-quality Spanish products that form the building blocks of local cuisine. Chat with the vendors and pick up fresh ingredients to take back to the kitchen. Now that you have a solid understanding of Spanish food basics, it’s time to get hands-on. You’ll head behind the scenes of one of the most exciting restaurants in Madrid’s Huertas neighborhood into a beautiful cooking space reserved just for your small group. Enjoy a typical aperitif of sweet vermouth in the kitchen before you start cooking. Over the next few hours, you'll make a selection of traditional tapas representing the best of regional Spanish cuisine, along with the star of the show: the famous Spanish omelet or tortilla de patatas. Sit down to enjoy your homemade lunch and dessert with your choice of beer or wine, and head home with a deeper knowledge of Spanish cuisine (and several easy, delicious recipes to recreate in your own kitchen).

Experience the Archaeological Museum of Madrid at your own pace with a skip-the-line e-ticket and a captivating self-guided audio tour on your smartphone. Receive your ticket by email, download the app and the audio tour on your phone, prior to your visit, and travel back in time to experience the glory of some of the most prominent items in the collections of the Archaeological Museum of Madrid. Put on your headphones and discover the Diadem from Caravaca de la Cruz, The Priest of Cádiz and the Beast of Balazote through the power of storytelling, while learning historical information and uncommon stories and anecdotes from the past. The content of the tour is the result of in-depth research, distilled into brief original stories that will make your visit both engaging and informative. The audio tour can be used repeatedly and at any time, before or after your visit. This is an unmissable opportunity to gain valuable insights into Iberian history and beyond, and relate to the exhibits in the Archaeological Museum of Madrid in an entirely original way.

Marvel at this neoclassical building, one of the most important private residences of Madrid. Learn about the history of one of Spain’s most distinguished lineages through documents, pictures, sculptures, tapestries, and other works. As you roam the halls, feel the traces of centuries past and get to know not only the history of one of Spain’s most well-known families but also some of the major events in the history of Spain and the world. Explore this collection of historical items and art which has been collected over the course of more than 500 years. Take in the paintings of great masters like Goya, Velázquez, Murillo, Zurbarán, El Greco, Ribera, Rubens, Titian, Palma Vecchio, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Madrazo, and Winterhalter.

Begin your full-day tour with a morning visit to the Monastery of El Escorial, built under the reign of powerful King Philip II as a residence for Spanish kings. See the Monastery and Pantheon of the Royal Family at this site that was declared a monument of Artistic and Historic Interest, and Mankind Heritage. Your tour includes the Monastery, the Cloister of the 4 Evangelists, the Palace of Philip II, the Pantheon of the Royal Family, the Chapterhouses, and the Basilica. The Valley of the Fallen is a memorial to those who died during the Spanish Civil War. Situated in a beautiful valley in the mountains of Guadarrama, this impressive work features a colossal cross standing over 150 meters high, and Basilica and Crypt excavated in the rock under the mountain. This tour includes admission to the Valley and a visit inside the Basilica. On arrival in Toledo you’ll take a panoramic walking tour of the city, entering the old quarter to visit the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, and admire the façade of the impressive Primate Cathedral, the old Palace of Justice, and the City Hall. Continue your walk through the narrow streets of the old Jewish quarter to the Church of St. Tomé, home to the famous El Greco painting, The Burial of Count Orgaz. You’ll also visit the old Synagogue of Ste. Maria la Blanca, which remains as a symbol of the coexistence of the 3 Cultures. Afterwards you’ll visit a typical damasquino factory to see this well-known handicraft art form of Toledo.

Begin your tour with an afternoon drive from Madrid to Segovia. See the famous Roman Aqueduct, then enjoy a guided walking tour through the city’s medieval streets. Visit the outside of the Gothic Cathedral, and the inside of the Alcazar Fortress – one of the most spectacular castles in Spain.