You’ll start near Madrid’s jaw-dropping Royal Palace where you’ll meet your guide and your group of 20 fellow travellers in the beautiful Plaza Oriente. Enter the Palace a full hour before the general public and explore opulent interiors gilded in riches from the Spanish conquest of the Americas and decorated with paintings by Caravaggio, Goya, Velázquez, and more. Your guide will tell you the history of the palace and the immensely powerful royal dynasties that once called it home. [readmore] Leaving the palace, you’ll step off the normal tourist trail and into Barrio de la Morería, where the city’s Muslim roots are still visible, and end up in one of the largest authentic food markets in the city, the Mercado de la Cebada. Enjoy a crash course in Spanish food culture as we take you to our favourite stall to taste wine, olive oils, and small plates and learn why the Spanish custom of tapas is one of the country’s most treasured institutions. The medieval streets of central Madrid await you next as you and learn how the city went from being an outpost of the Moorish empire to a centre of Catholic power in Europe. Along the way, you’ll stop in the jaw-dropping Plaza Mayor, where heretics were once burned at the stake, and the Puerta del Sol, the focal point of the modern city. Before you go, we have a final surprise. Popping into the lobby of the nearby Circulo de Bellas Artes, your guide will take you up to the rooftop terrace which affords the best jaw-dropping view over the entire city. From there they’ll point out the different neighbourhoods of the city and give you plenty of recommendations for what to see, do, and eat during the rest of your stay.
Please be at the meeting point 15 minutes before departure
We strongly suggest that you avoid bringing large purses, bags, or backpacks on your tour
This tour involves a fair amount of walking, comfortable shoes are recommended
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