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Offered languages
- English
- English
Madrid is one of Europe's most layered capital cities, where royal ambition, literary feuds, and financial rivalries are written into every street corner. On this self-guided audio tour, you'll follow a route from Puerta del Sol through the aristocratic Jerónimos neighborhood to the cobblestoned Barrio de las Letras. The tour starts at Puerta del Sol, where you'll find Kilometre Zero, before heading along Calle de Alcalá. You'll pass the Metrópolis Building, its dome covered in slate scales and 24-carat gold leaf, and the Instituto Cervantes, a former bank whose vaults now hold sealed letters from notable figures, to be opened in the future. You'll then enter El Retiro Park through the Puerta de la Independencia and walk among the Paseo de la Argentina's stone ghosts – statues removed from the Royal Palace after a queen's recurring nightmare about them tumbling down. The tour ends at Puerta del Sol, right next to Pastelería La Mallorquina.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
This tour starts at Puerta del Sol. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.
Itinerary
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(Pass by)
Pass the Cervantes Institute, housed in a former bank whose vaults now hold sealed letters from notable figures. You'll discover that these letters are meant to stay unopened until a future date, guarding secrets for generations to come.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Marvel at the Bank of Spain, guardian of an underground vault said to flood automatically if intruders break in. You'll hear how this dramatic defence has become one of Madrid's most enduring urban legends.
Admission ticket free -
Cibeles Fountain (Pass by)
Discover the Cibeles Fountain, where the lions are actually two mythological lovers condemned to pull a chariot for eternity. You'll learn how this punishment myth has been immortalised in stone at one of Madrid's grandest intersections.
Admission ticket free -
Palacio de Cibeles (sede del Ayuntamiento de Madrid) (Pass by)
Admire the Cibeles Palace, a building so grand that locals sarcastically nicknamed it Our Lady of Communications. You'll see why its sheer scale earned this cheeky title from Madrid's own residents.
Admission ticket free -
Puerta de Alcala (Pass by)
Explore the Puerta de Alcalá, a neoclassical gate with two completely different faces. You'll uncover why its design shifts dramatically depending on which side you approach from.
Admission ticket free -
El Retiro Park (Pass by)
Wander among El Retiro Park's Paseo de la Argentina, home to stone statues removed from the Royal Palace after a queen's recurring nightmare. You'll walk among these exiled figures, still standing decades after their royal banishment.
Admission ticket free -
Congreso de Los Diputados (Pass by)
See the Congress of Deputies, guarded by bronze lion statues cast from cannons captured in war. You'll stand before these battle-forged guardians of Spain's seat of democracy.
Admission ticket free -
Museo Nacional del Prado (Pass by)
Pass the Prado Museum, one of the world's most celebrated art galleries. You'll take in its grand neoclassical facade before continuing through the aristocratic Jerónimos neighborhood it calls home.
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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