Madrid Tours
Madrid Essential: Historic Center, Plaza Mayor & Royal Palace
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Madrid Essential: Historic Center, Plaza Mayor & Royal Palace

By Tourstilla Experiencias, S.L
Recommended by 99% of travellers
99% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
No other tour covers as many important landmarks of Madrid as this tour, where the guide will take you inside historical sites, with giant map of Madrid and its walls, expert local guides. A decade of testing, removing, putting on and adjusting, a unique tour of the streets, alleys, corners and recesses of the city has been created and we will show you those hidden secrets.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-120, max of 29 per group
Duration: 2h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: Portuguese, English, Italian, French, Spanish
More

Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024

  • Local guide
  • Printed material and teaching tools throughout the route
  • Link for personalized recommendations What to do in Madrid?
  • Personalized attention from your guide after the Tour (forever)
  • Entry/Admission - Plaza de la Villa
What's not included
  • Tips at the End, to Value the Effort of the Guides
  • Any food or drink
  • Entrance fees to the sites (not required)
  • Entry/Admission - Royal Palace of Madrid


Start:
  • Puerta del Sol, Centro, Madrid, Spain
    In the center of the Puerta del Sol square, right next to the only statue with a horse. Look for the YELLOW AND ORANGE bicolor umbrella. Reference #1: The Puerta del Sol square is the only one with a giant "TIO PEPE" sign.
End:
  • C. de Requena, 3, Centro, 28013 Madrid, Spain
    Royal Palace of Madrid (Only 5 minutes from Puerta del Sol).

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Pushchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 337960P1

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Most travellers can participate
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 29 travellers

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 337960P1

From
C$4.50
per group (up to 15)
Select date and travellers

Similar experiences

Itinerary
  • Puerta del Sol, Centro, Madrid, Spain
    In the center of the Puerta del Sol square, right next to the only statue with a horse. Look for the YELLOW AND ORANGE bicolor umbrella. Reference #1: The Puerta del Sol square is the only one with a giant "TIO PEPE" sign.
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  • C. de Requena, 3, Centro, 28013 Madrid, Spain
    Royal Palace of Madrid (Only 5 minutes from Puerta del Sol).
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • Tourstilla Experiencias, S.L
    6,822
    Spain
    Joined in February 2022
  • samymda
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great tour about dark stories in Madrid
    Amazing tour to learn a bit about the dark history of Madrid. Íñigo is an amazing tour guide that makes the experience fun and interactive. Fully recommend if you are into this topic.
    Written February 9, 2025
  • Seaside06487055136
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great!
    Amazing tour with Jaqueline! She is great! Don't miss it! Nice time around Madrid with the clever and fun guide tour. I recommend it
    Written February 7, 2025
  • kubakw
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Go and check scary tour with Adria!
    Nice stories, very interesting tour with Adria, something different than usual old town walking tour:) give a chance!
    Written February 6, 2025
  • Judyann G
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Super good, very interesting Cuban (English speaking) Guide!
    Miakel was a fabulous guide! He is Cuban yet knew SO much about Spanish history and I usually don’t enjoy history. Very impressed! Thank you!
    Written February 6, 2025
  • Sue L
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This tour was very informative and full of interesting historical information! Our tour guide Mikael made the tour fun! He was v
    He was willing to answer any questions that we had and was very polite. We would definitely do a tour with Mikael again! We saw many sites that we would probably not have seen going on our own.
    Written February 5, 2025
  • Kylie S
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A fun way to see Madrid
    So fun and informative …. I saw the buildings but also got the historical context which helped make it so much better … the fun props and pictures bought the tour to life.. thank you
    Written February 2, 2025
  • Passenger50433952272
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This tour is perfect if you love horror and the paranormal
    I loved it. Adria was amazing! He knew how to tell the stories and catch our attention. And he is funny. I love horror movies and the paranormal, and this tour is perfect for people that love this as well.
    Written January 29, 2025
  • PilatesProf
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This Tour is a Must for History Buffs and Students of Man's Inhumanity to Man
    This is a tough subject but our guide, Idan, told the tale of a centuries long persecution while viewing Madrid historical sites and his very interesting book of visuals. Our understanding of the Inquisition had been colored by "tall tales" and misinformation, but, fortunately Idan had done the studying for us and over a two hour walk we learned how three great religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam came to the Iberian peninsula leaving us with today's Spain. We're from the U.S. and we were amazed that we found parallels to events throughout our own less than 250 year history. Idan is a master storyteller and can even make a joke when a joke is needed. This tour is a must!
    Written January 23, 2025
  • adilcanb2022
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mystical
    It was an incredible and mystical journey Iñigo took us with. It was quite extraordinary compared to my previous free walking tours experiences.
    Written January 23, 2025
  • 358nandap
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best tour guide ever!
    Javier is the best guide ever! I joined this tour last minute and I really enjoyed it! Super interesting and Javier is really sweet and fun! He speaks perfectly English and is the kindest person you will meet in Madrid!
    Written January 22, 2025
  • JaguarDavid
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tales and stories
    Great guide and energy, Adria was a great storyteller and guide, plus we also got to enjoy the Madrid streets Highly recommended if you enjoy ghost tales and mystery
    Written January 21, 2025
  • X3111PEmollyr
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Terrific Tour
    The walking tour was second to none. Interesting history and told in an interactive way. Idan was friendly, funny and attentive to all. I want to do all the tours that the company offers and Idan would be my choice for a guide!
    Written January 18, 2025
  • mediamamaLA
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Madrid’s Must-Take Tour: An Experience You’ll Never Forget!
    I’ve taken many tours, but none have come close to the experience I had in Spain. My guide, Idan, was absolutely exceptional. He brought incredible context and clarity to a dark chapter of history, making it come alive in the most meaningful way. Idan’s thoughtfulness, patience, and extraordinary storytelling skills turned what could have been a heavy, foreboding tour about the inquisition into something compelling and, ultimately, hopeful. This is a *must-take* tour, guided by someone truly gifted at what he does. I can’t recommend it enough. I’m already planning to return in April to experience more of Idan’s amazing tours in Madrid!
    Written January 16, 2025
  • tusharm2025
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    ADRIA IS AMAZING !!
    AN EVENING WELL SPENT WITH ADRIA ON THIS EXCELLENT TOUR. ITS A MUST IF YOU ARE IN MADRID WHETHER YOU ARE INTO HORROR OR MYSTERY OR NOT
    Written January 15, 2025
  • Georgie H
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Art and Architecture
    This was such a fantastic walking tour! A great overview of history with a more in depth look at some of the architectural styles in central Madrid — a great introduction to the city. Our guide Miguel was so lovely and knowledgeable, absolute champion!
    Written January 11, 2025
See all 6,822 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles4,039 reviews
Excellent
4,020
Very good
14
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
3

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

alaugh0904
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Solo
Not gonna lie, hands down one of the most engaging, informative, and entertaining walking tours I’ve ever joined. (I have done both paid and “free” walking tours in many countries and places I travelled to). Idan was our English tour guide and he was extremely friendly and exuberant from the start to finish. You can tell he put in a lot of thoughts in the routes we were taking with the educational materials and “uncle jokes” he put together (the jokes were appropriate, spot on, and help you remember the info we were receiving), while still being impromptu funny. Really enjoyed the tour I wished I had signed up for the tours of other themes for my trip (I got my itinerary planned out and no extra time to squeeze them in). I came to Madrid two days ago from Barcelona and as you can probably guess, I was slightly underwhelmed with Madrid as Barcelona is a tourist paradise and had so many attractions to offer. But this walking tour bumped my rating of the city from a 3 to 4 (merely personal preference). I’m now seeing Madrid from a different lens enriched with its beautiful history. I would totally recommend this historical walking tour and hope you get Idan as your guide for your reservation!!
Written September 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Arthi K
18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2025 • Couples
Amazing and informative walking tour. Micheals knowledge and openness to help tourists is evident as he goes above and beyond to tell you minute details in such an entertaining way that grabs your attention for the entire 2 hours. Would recommend his tour with guruwalks 100% and he does these tours completely free of charge. Micheal can help you pass a history paper on Spain!! He is that good with his knowledge
Written February 3, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alejandra D
41 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Idan was a knowledgeable guide and friendly. Took us to the main spots. A suggestion for improvement would be this: Idan made it kinda fun by saying if we participated, he had prizes. I think we all got a little excited to know there was prizes but quickly realized it was all fun and games when the prize was a "jet". Maybe if he could incorporate real inexpensive prizes like small things like a candy or key chain or a small toy car (like a Hot Wheels) bc that was one of the prizes, a car, that would make it a bit more fun.

I'd never done a "free" walking tour before but it's not truly free because you pay a fee to book it here.
I would rather that fee go to the guide instead + what we give them at the end. They work hard. Also, the guide pays out 4 euros for commission per person so that's less money in their pocket.
At the end, he also sent us a list of recommendations for places to eat and was neatly organized too.
Would recommend this tour!
Written October 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sanjeev K
Boston, MA1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Javier's tour was incredible! He shared great details about the amazing history of Madrid while still making it very interesting for the entire crowd. Javier's tours really go above and beyond, it's very clear how much he cares about the city, its history, and most importantly sharing all that with you. I can't recommend these tours enough, they are immersive, entertaining, and knowledgeable.
Written August 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emanuela P
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Couples
We have been on tour with Michele, it is always pleasant when you are in the company of a guide who explains what you are seeing and stepping on. It was an interesting and very formative experience. I recommend Michele if you need to discover the most salient aspects of Madrid, you will look at the city with new eyes.
Automatically translated
Written January 2, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Міhal P
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Solo
That was the best trip of my life and I ought to provide constructive feedback to prove it.
Maikel is a very gentle guide, I felt engaged for the entire duration of the tour, short overview of the itinerary in the form of a quick game showed I've memorised a lot from the tour. All the information was provided clearly thank to Maikel's facetious diction and artistic intonation. Maikel has his own distinct style and snse of humour which I enjoyed a lot.
Written December 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Luca G
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Solo
Today we were lucky to have Flor as our guide, and it was a fantastic experience. Flor has an incredible ability to engage the group, making them enjoy themselves and learning a lot at the same time.

What I liked most, besides his obvious talent for speaking to such a diverse audience, was how he tells the story of the city: in a passionate, light and full of interesting curiosities that you can share with your friends afterwards.

I absolutely recommend this experience with Flor, it is a guide that really makes a difference!
Automatically translated
Written December 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Aqib C
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Friends
Maikel was one of the best guides we’ve had the pleasure of touring with. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable about the history of Madrid, but he was also very personable, respectful, and comical. He gave us an amazing introduction to Madrid and went even further in providing amazing recommendations for restaurants, bars, nightlife, and other activities throughout the city. He even made a reservation to one of the best flamenco shows for us! He is extremely helpful and I’d highly recommend anyone take a tour with Maikel.
Written October 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elisa C
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
The tour was amazing and very interesting!
Our Guide, Andrés, was engaging and told a lot of information about the most characteristic monuments and corners of Madrid in a passionate and charismatic way. In addition, the visit ended in an elevated corner of the city from which we could observe a beautiful view of the Cathedral and the Royal Palace in the sunset light. Definitely Recommendation and when I return to Madrid I will participate in the other Tourstilla tours!
Automatically translated
Written September 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elena H
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
I'm from Madrid and me and my boyfriend took this free tour so that I could show him around my city and teach him some of the history of Madrid. Our guide, Javier, was a fantastic tour guide: funny and charming whilst being informative and kept us engaged for a whole 2.5h despite the hot sun, the crowds and the fact that we were a pretty large group. I've done a fair few free tours before, and this by far has been one of my favourites (bonus point I even learnt things from my city I didn't know about!)
I will definitely recommend Tourstilla if you're thinking of doing a free tour in Madrid!
Written May 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

Madrid Essential: Historic Center, Plaza Mayor & Royal Palace provided by Tourstilla Experiencias, S.L

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