Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen Tour from Madrid
5
Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen Tour from Madrid
By Fun and Tickets
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 24 per group
Duration: 5h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More
- Trip by luxury bus with air conditioned and Wifi
- Professional Guide
- The Valley of Fallen Admission Ticket
- Escorial Monastery Admission Ticket
- Entry/Admission - Valley of the Fallen
- Entry/Admission - Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Start:
- Fun and Tickets / San Bernardo, 7, C. de San Bernardo, 7, Centro, 28013 Madrid, SpainDeparture Point: Departure: Calle de San Bernardo, 7, 28013 Madrid at 9.00 am - Outside the commercial gallery. Checking - 08:30 hrs.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Infant seats available
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 110971P4- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Dress code is smart casual
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Headphones available for radio guide
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled 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 24 travelers
- 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: 110971P4
From
$62.46
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- C. de San Bernardo, 7, Centro, 28013 Madrid, SpainDeparture Point: Departure: Calle de San Bernardo, 7, 28013 Madrid at 9.00 am - Outside the commercial gallery. Checking - 08:30 hrs.
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- WatermelonYK0 contributionsGreat tour with knowledgeable guideToledo is beautiful, and the tour was very well structured, with our great professional tour guide (Arantxa), who knew a lot of enlightening information about the city and the places we visited. This was our second tour with Fun And Tickets agency in Madrid, their setup is great, with professional tour guides and great quality of communication transmission devices used during the tours, highly recommended.Written January 20, 2025
- christinemillerc0 contributionsSWe covered a lot of ground and saw a ton of things. The guides were nice and helpful. I did struggle with the descriptions of the building’s architectural styles. There were inaccuracies that made it confusing.Written January 20, 2025
- 69zacharyn0 contributionsFun day tripWe saw everything we wanted and th trip went very smoothly. The guides were very knowledgeable and my family had a great time!Written January 20, 2025
- Resort682061223070 contributionsVery goodThe bus tour of Ávila and Segovia was fantastic! Both cities are rich in history and stunning architecture. Ávila’s medieval walls and Segovia’s aqueduct were highlights. The tour was well-organized, offering insightful commentary and plenty of time to explore. Highly recommend for anyone interested in Spain's cultural heritage.Written January 20, 2025
- kennethwongmd0 contributionsA memorable visit to Prado Museum in Madrid.Our tour guide Laura is excellent, knowledgeable and professional. Today was quiet, we had a private tour and she spent extra time and gave us detail history of each important piece. It made a visit to an art museum a different experience.Written January 20, 2025
- Roving218370373080 contributionsRoyal palace tourFriendly, knowledgeable, we really enjoyed the experience with our tour guide . La hemos pasado muy bien. Recomendamos la compania a todosWritten January 20, 2025
- Christopher B0 contributionsToledo experience!Outstanding, attentive and humorous guide... who packed in an amazing number of facts. Highly recommended... and good value for money, too!Written January 20, 2025
- Marina S0 contributionsThe tour is well organized but not informativeIt’s a great tour if you’re looking for transport and someone to show you around. It’s well organized, thought through, the buses are clean and everything is on time. However if you’re looking to learn history of Toledo and its culture. The tour is not for you.Written January 20, 2025
- Abby T0 contributionsGreat tour of Toledo!The tour was great and Arantxa did an amazing job soung a bilingual tour. We did a half day tour and it was just right for us.Written January 20, 2025
- giotag1630 contributionsRoyal palaceAmazing day tour at the royal palace with excellent guidance from«Βεατρίκη» (English language).we had a great time muchas gracias !Written January 20, 2025
- L2685ZTryanj0 contributionsInteresting Tour, Cool History, Nice Views, Long Bus RideThe tour was interesting; I liked the historic sites we visited and broad range of history covered during the tour. Our guide seemed very knowledgeable and seemed to share some lesser known facts about some of the sites and specifically the prominent historical figures related to the sites. Our guide was very kind and had a good sense of humor. The trip did involve a lot of driving time on the bus (I think 3-4 hours total). There was some historical information that was shared while we were on the bus, but the majority of time was spent in silence. We enjoyed looking outside at the views during the bus ride, however it would be nice is some of the time on the bus ride was used to give an overview of the places we were visiting as well as some general historical, geographical, religious, political, etc. of Spain as a whole, both currently and in the time periods of tour. Overall we enjoyed the trip and would recommendWritten January 20, 2025
- MB Y0 contributionsBook it!What a beautiful city and an even more beautiful and knowledgeable tour guide, Arantxa! From the beginning, the tour started on time and Arantxa jumped right in being one of the sweetest and most memorable tour guide ever. Toledo was a beautiful traditonal town with cobble and stone streets. And the cathedral is a must see, a real gem. Take this half day tour! - MaiWritten January 19, 2025
- Nathalie R0 contributionsDefinitely worth a tryWe definitely recommend this trip. Arantxa, our guide, was extraordinary. She was knowledgeable, cheerful, and nice It made this wonderful trip even better. She knew every corner of the city, so it was very easy move around it and understand the amount of history this city has.Written January 19, 2025
- donaldmB160KP0 contributionsWonderful historical tour of Avila and Segovia.We had a wonderful time touring beautiful Avila and Segovia. Our tour guides Beatrice and Sarah were great and very knowledgeable of all the sites and we learned a lot about the areas rich history. I would highly recommend this tour if you are visiting Madrid.Written January 19, 2025
- stevebT3264QY0 contributionsAwesome day with this tourThe tour guides, Beatrice and Sarah where fantastic. The day was packed full of amazing experiences. The bus was very comfortable and the driver, Louis, was excellent.Written January 19, 2025
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.
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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 wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,539 reviews
Excellent
1,336
Very good
163
Average
32
Poor
4
Terrible
4
Jocelyn O
5 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Our tour guide was Christina, which we were excited to learn because she had been named in so many favorable reviews for this booking. Overall the day was great and exactly as advertised - a half-day trip first to El Escorial, then to the Valley of the Fallen. I booked the tour in English as I am only conversational in Spanish and my husband does not speak Spanish at all. While Christina is an excellent guide and speaks English clearly and well, she faltered a bit more in her English translation, losing track of what she was saying, and left entire sentences out compared to her smooth and enthusiastic Spanish commentary. My husband was dismayed as he would hear me chuckle at her joke in Spanish but he would hear no joke in English. I did appreciate that we were broken into two smaller groups when touring both locations, which made it easier to navigate and actually see our guide and what she was pointing to. Overall, I recommend this trip with realistic expectations: you should eat breakfast beforehand, as there is no food or drink allowed on the bus nor is there ever a stop for purchasing food or drinks (you have to wait until you get back at 2:00pm). There is no photography allowed inside either location, only the exterior of both buildings.
Written October 1, 2023
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.
Hello jocelyn!
We greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback on your half-day trip with us. It's wonderful to hear that overall, you had a great day, and we're glad you had the opportunity to visit El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen as advertised.
We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks for your kind words about our guide, Cristina. We're delighted that you found her to be excellent and appreciated her clear and well-delivered explanations.
We apologize for any inconvenience you and your husband experienced with the English translation during the tour. We value your feedback, and we will certainly work to ensure a smoother and more consistent experience for all of our guests in the future.
It's great to know that you appreciated being in smaller groups, which made the tour more manageable and allowed you to fully engage with Cristina and the sites.
Thank you for your valuable recommendation to future travelers, including the tip about having breakfast beforehand and the restrictions on food, drink, and photography. Realistic expectations are indeed important for a satisfying experience.
We hope that despite these minor challenges, you still have fond memories of your trip with us. If you ever decide to explore more destinations or have any special requests, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to make your future journeys unique and memorable.
Best regards from the whole Fun and Tickets Team!!!
Written October 2, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Janis
Niagara Falls, Canada27 contributions
Was a very interesting tour & the monastery was beautiful. I would have preferred to have been given headphones to more clearly hear the guide, as the Spanish tourists were given, as it was often difficult to hear the guide. It felt rushed, perhaps an extra half hour or hour would be helpful to see the beautiful interiors better. But the guide did her best & I enjoyed it.
Written October 1, 2021
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.
Our guides always carry headphones for all customers, they have the cost of 1 euro, since due to the COVID-19 measures they cannot be reused. Still excuse me if you couldn't have yours. Thank you for traveling with Fun and Tickets. Greetings.
Written October 4, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hillary S
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Couples
This was an excellent tour. Our wonderful guide Cristina was efficient yet thorough with her explanations, spending the perfect amount of time at each point of interest with a wonderfully timed coffee and snack break in-between to make sure we were well-fed and content. This was one of the better tours I’ve been on in Spain and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring Escorial and Valley of the Fallen.
Written July 2, 2023
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.
I'm thrilled to hear that you had such an excellent tour experience with Cristina! It sounds like she did a fantastic job of guiding you through the Escorial and Valley of the Fallen, ensuring you had a well-paced and informative experience. If you ever have more travel adventures or need assistance with anything else, don't hesitate to reach out. Safe travels!
Written August 6, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
avimin
Singapore, Singapore17 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
Half day tour of two monuments - if your intention is to just mark your attendance and visit Escorial and Valley of the Unknown and be able to get back to Madrid on the same day with time to spare, that purpose is achieved for 59 EUR per person. However, you get relatively little time in both locations and you end up feeling a bit rushed. If you are looking to get good photographs, note that photography is not allowed inside both of them, which can be a bit disappointing. There’s quite a bit of walking and step climbing involved which would be a problem if you have mobility issues. Christina, our guide was friendly, attentive, patient and helpful. We went on a Sunday to Escorial which meant there were masses preventing us from visiting the basilica and we went to the library instead. There’s no time to view the gardens..personally, I would have been preferred that as an addition to the trip rather than the grim and (imo boring), visits to the pantheons of numerous dead kings, queens and their relatives from bygone eras. Valley of the unknown- again, you don’t get to see any of the graves of the unknown if you expected to do that. Our pick up point in the morning was at 8:15 from C. Mayor but we had to walk quite a bit from there and it took until 9 to get into the bus and start. Maybe if the time was fixed at 8:15 but the pick up location for the bus was different or more conveniently located, that extra 45 mins would have been useful to see the gardens or visit Escorial village.
Written September 18, 2022
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.
Thank you very much for your opinion, all tours start at 09:00 from our meeting point, but it is true that at 08:15hrs clients staying in hotels near our office can come, and then our guides will walk with them to the metting point, about 400 m away. We are glad to know that you visited the library, one of the most important in the world for its historical value.
Written November 20, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SPAINVISITOR
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Couples
The tour guide’s english wasn’t clear. Sounded like she was rambling through sentences directly translated from Spanish. Not good context provided and it felt rushed. Zero time for questions. The bus was comfortable which was nice. The actual sites were beautiful. Not worth it for the price would have preferred spending the money on an uber and following an audio guide.
Written June 7, 2023
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.
Dear Customer,
We are happy that the bus was comfortable and the sites beautiful.
We are sorry not to have met your expectations with regards to our guided tour.
With regards,
Fun and Tickets Team
Written March 20, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ST
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • Friends
Excellent tour of two important historic and cultural sites. I was impressed with Christina’s extensive knowledge and ability to answer our questions. She was efficient but not rushed. On the other hand, the headphones are outdated and uncomfortable after more than an hour of use. Also, the speaker in the bus isn’t very loud so it’s easy for outside sounds to interfere and disrupt the experience. Lastly, the time spent at the two sites, Escorial Monastery and Valley of the Fallen Basilica, is somewhat unequal. I would suggest doing more time at Valley of the Fallen Basilica and less time in the art galleries of the Escorial (of which similar kinds of artworks can be found already in Madrid’s amazing museums, such as el Prado).
Written January 26, 2023
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.
Thank you very much for your review! We're glad you had such an excellent experience getting to know more about Spain's and Madrid's history and culture thanks to the amazing and knowledgeable tour guide Cristina. We have updated the headphones, we now have more comfortable ones. We'll keep in mind your suggestions.
Greetings from the Fun & Tickets team!
Written February 25, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
christine
Vienna, Austria19 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
The audio quality was as bad as it can get and the guide Pilar was unable to handle the device and on top reluctant to learn from others. Beside her breathing not much to take away. Transportation was good. If you want a guided tour I strongly recommend going with a different provider.
Written May 5, 2023
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.
Possibly and according to the rewiews of the passengers of this day, the tour had a high quality as always. If you had any problems with the audio, our guides carry spare equipment, you just had to ask. In any case, it was a small group that did not need the audios. Nor is it to rate the entire tour with 1*. Thank you very much for your visit and sorry for the audio.
Written May 5, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Yanick A
4 contributions
The guide talked a lot but prevented us from seeing things properly. He spent a lot of time in certain rooms talking about certain things but then skipped some other rooms entirely. I was at the point where I was walking away so that I could see everything that was interesting to me. We went to the library and spent maybe 5 mins in there- this is what I had wanted to see the most. I wanted to look at each of the manuscripts displayed. We ended up having to run out of there to catch up with the guide. When we went to the church, he made everyone sit down at the pews. (I began to suspect that we wouldn’t have enough time to see the paintings around the church, so I walked off alone and walked around to see). He talked for 10 mins or so about the history and then made everyone get up and leave, without looking around! If I hadn’t walked off, I wouldn’t have seen anything in there. Then he spent what felt like an eternity in the coffin room talking about each king and queen. After 5 mins there’s nothing left to see in there, so I was annoyed. After I bought the guide book for el Escorial, I noticed that we skipped entire areas of the monastery and didn’t even stop to look at many interesting artifacts. So I was disappointed in this experience.
Written March 4, 2023
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.
Dear Yanick,
The Escorial Monastery has many different parts, and we cover the main ones on our half day tour.
We understand that you were especially interested in specific areas such as the library, with all the manuscripts displayed, or the paintings in the church.
For those travelers interested in knowing more in depth the Escorial Monastery, we are pleased to inform you that we also have at your disposal tailor made private tours at a higher cost that can be adapted to your specific interests. Should you require any more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thanks for joining our tour.
Warm Regards,
Fun and Tickets Team
Written April 16, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
77maple123
Vancouver, Canada207 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
We prefer not to do tours and this one was so easy from Madrid we were so pleased we ventured off alone. We took metro to Monocloa . Then came up into bus station, there was zero tourist help so we just walked from bus stop to bus stop till we found the one to Escorial it was bus stop 11 for the 661 and 664. We boarded the 661 and a very nice english speaking bus driver took our money appox 4 euros each. The bus was very nice, he calls out every stop and there is a lighted board. Ours was the last stop another bus station so very easy. Then just a five minute walk to monastery. No queue we purchased tickets an english speaking staff member was called as we asked about tours, none were available in english. We were offered the seniors discount although not eu citizens we are Canadian.
You just follow the sign boards and make your way around this vast building, information on each room was in english. It truly is a great building with some really great art. After 3 hours and no crowds we walked back to bus station and went back on a 664 which takes the free way. This was done on a Friday after noon.
Very cheap very easy and a great day out
You just follow the sign boards and make your way around this vast building, information on each room was in english. It truly is a great building with some really great art. After 3 hours and no crowds we walked back to bus station and went back on a 664 which takes the free way. This was done on a Friday after noon.
Very cheap very easy and a great day out
Written April 27, 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.
Hi 77maple123,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! It's great to hear that you found it easy to travel to the Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen from Madrid. It's wonderful that you found the bus service efficient and the English-speaking bus driver helpful. We're glad you enjoyed exploring the monastery and appreciated the art inside. Thank you for sharing your tips and insights, and we hope you had a memorable day out!
Warm regards from the entire Fun&Tickets team!
Written April 29, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sami
Weston super Mare, UK25 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
A very good tour. I feel like a lot of time would have been wasted if we tried to do the sights on our own, so I think it was good value for money. The tour guide, Christina, was good and gave lots of information- she obviously knew her stuff! She used a radio system so you could wander around while still listening, which was good. The tour was well worth doing in my opinion- very interesting and very impressive sights. There are regular places to use the toilet, and water was available for €1 on the coach. I would recommend taking a bottle of water, and wearing sensible shows and suncream. There's not a huge amount of walking- its all split throughout the day, but it was tiring in the heat and wouldn't be great if you have mobility issues. Most of the time, you stay as a group, with a short break for coffee/ ice cream and another later on to explore and take photos.
Written August 12, 2022
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.
We are super happy to know that you had a very good experience on our guided tour to the Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen. We always recommend to bring comfortable shoes and some water for the tours. On behalf of our whole Fun and Tickets team, thank you so much for your comment and we hope to see you again in another of our activities!!
Written August 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jing L
Madrid, Spain
Hi, I’d like to book for my parents but they don’t speak English or Spanish. They just would like to follow the tour and don’t get lost. Do you accept guests who don’t speak English or Spanish?
Written February 11, 2024
I am not the tour operator, so I cannot answer your question. But from my experience there are tours in Spanish, English, French, Italian and German. You can always request an interpreter, or hire one yourself. I don't see a problem as long as they stay with the group and don't wander off by themselves. There are a lot of stairs in the Escorial BTW.
Written February 12, 2024
Does the guided tour of El Escorial include seeing the Royal Library, the Basilica, the Royal Pantheon, and the Gardens?
Written April 27, 2022
If you go on a Sunday, you cannot visit the Basilica. The gardens are not included. There was a short break before leaving El Escorial to go to the Valley of the Fallen that one woman used to quickly go over to the gardens to look and take a picture. Yes to the other places you asked about.
Written May 1, 2022
There were about 20 persons on our tour.
Written November 21, 2021
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