The 10 BEST Free Walking Tours in Madrid
Welcome to Madrid, an enchanting city which is located in the heart of Spain. If you have ever embarked on a tour where you get to walk around the city and learn its tales first hand, then get ready for the better. Here is the list of the most appealing and exciting walking tours in Madrid that will help you explore the historical background, architectural masterpieces, tasteful cuisine, and vivid pulse of the city. In this article, we will provide you with some of the most suitable walking tours in Madrid for first-time visitors.
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Royal Madrid Tour
First of all, The Royal Madrid Tour is recommended to start with as the tourist gets an understanding of the city’s main attractions. In this tour, you will come across the major historical sights in Madrid and acquainted themselves with the royal history of the city as well as the imposing architectures.
Some of the most attractions and points of interest to be highlighted in the Royal Madrid tour are:
- Palacio Real (Royal Palace): Admire the stunning architecture of the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family.
- Plaza Mayor: It is remarkable to wander around the square and feel the spirit of the place being a major trading center for centuries.
- Puerta del Sol: Find out the historical meaning of this area in Madrid and the fact that during New Year’s Eve Spanish people gather here.
- Shaded Mausoleum: A leisure walk into Sabatini Gardens situated close to the Royal Palace.
Do not forget to come in comfortable shoes and take warm clothes if there is a necessity to take pictures during the journey because the views are striking breathtaking.
2. Tapas Tour
So, it must be mentioned that no traveler visiting Madrid can leave the city without a taste of the famed tapas. The Tapas Tour entitles you to a testing of Madrid’s fine cuisine with the added advantge of walking aolng the famous fountains.
Here follows are some of the tapas recommendations to aide you in planning your tapas tour:
Mercado de San Miguel: A trendy place where this traditional market offers traditional and innovative tapas to its visitors.
Cava Baja Street: This is one of the busiest streets in the town that was lined with various number of tapas bars where you can get so many variants of foods and drinks.
Bodega La Ardosa: Enjoy a traditional Spanish tavern experience in this iconic establishment.
Speaking about tapas, do not hesitate to experiment and ask the Spaniards about their favorite tapas place.
3. Art and Culture Tour
The art museums and other cultural establishments that can be found in Madrid are some of the best in the world. The Art and Culture Tour covers the area of art in Madrid and give more than enough information about the rich art history of Madrid.
Such interesting places that tourists should not miss when on this tour include:
Gallery and Art Museum: Visit one of the best art gallery institutions in the whole world featuring masterpieces of Velazquez, Goya and El Greco artists.
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia: Welcome to the visit the collection of Contemporary and Modern art museum where Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica is available for viewing.
Thyssen Museum: Feel free to enjoy european masterpieces of the painting starting from the Middle Ages up to the present day.These museums may change their opening hours, therefore, one should do a prior research to enable one to have a feel of the possibility of by purchasing a combined ticket for his or her visiting experience.
4. Parks and Gardens Tour
If you fancy dozing off the noisy city life then go for the Parks and Gardens Tours. Madrid provides the citizens and visitors with many parks and gardens where they can make happy enjoying the green landscape.
The following are the beautiful parks and gardens which tourists should visit:
Partenal Day 7 Stay at Madrid and visit the Retiro Park and take a leisurely walk along this and go boating at the Retiro Park or visit the Crystal Palace.
Casa de Campo: It is the largest public park in Madrid with numerous entertainments like biking and horse riding.
Temple of Debod: Visiting the park, one should pay special attention to the rose garden, as well as viewing the splendent panorama of the city.
As Madrid is usually sunny, at least in the afternoon, be sure to seize the opportunity and prepare a picnic.
Conclusion
Madrid offers a huge variety of interesting tours for walkers in general and for novices in particular. There is almost no fascination or interest for which you might not find a walking tour for yourself in Madrid. Therefore, please put on your most comfortable pair of shoes, take a map, and let’s go sightseeing in Madrid!
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