Cultural Tours
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
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$5
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SANDEMANs New Europe - Madrid
SANDEMANs New Europe - Madrid
5
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About
Offering free walking tours of some of the best cities in Europe and the Middle East, SANDEMANs NEW Europe is the best way to start your stay.
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by SANDEMANs New Europe - Madrid
Private and Luxury
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$107
per adult
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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
21,039 reviews
Excellent
18,559
Very good
1,834
Average
307
Poor
161
Terrible
178
KPPS
1 contribution
Jan 2020 • Couples
We visited Madrid for the first time and decided to took the free walking tour so we could learn more about the city, Maria Carmen was very nice and gave us all the tips and info we should know being in Madrid. Overall we really enjoy the tour itself and would recommend anyone who’s interested in learning more about Madrid to give it a try on this tour...and it’s free of charge!
Written February 1, 2020
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.
OCdance
Toronto, Canada32 contributions
Jan 2020
We really enjoyed our tour with Sebastian. He really tried to make the history come to life and was very informative. The only negative was that there were several occasions on the tour it felt like an informercial for some of their paid tours which brought my score down from a 5. Overall would recommend as a way to introduce yourself to the centre of Madrid and learn some basic history of the region.
Written January 24, 2020
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.
Anastasiia K
Chatillon, Italy1 contribution
Jan 2020
We had our first walking tour ever in Madrid with Alex Birdthistle and it was a great experience. Alex narrates the story of Madrid in the unique and engaging way through numerous jokes, small plays and dynamic way of storytelling. He easily kept our attention for 3 hours and, as a result, it flew like 10 min.
Recommend it to everybody who wants to know a bit more about Madrid and is tired of dry travel guide books.
Recommend it to everybody who wants to know a bit more about Madrid and is tired of dry travel guide books.
Written January 13, 2020
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.
Alice Mc
2 contributions
Jan 2020
We took a free tour with Lexi and it was not at all what we expected. Instead of a list of facts and dates, Lexi told stories that bought the history of the city to life. If you want a comprehensive history of Madrid, look it up online. If you want a very memorable and engaging few hours, I would highly recommend this tour. Above all, Lexi is a fantastic story teller and made some useful recommendations to help us make the most of our trip.
Written January 30, 2020
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.
K T
8 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
It was 12/31 and the group was huge! But Joaquin and another guide did a great job with crowd management we ended up having 20+ in each group. A 2.5 hour walking tour seeing the main non-monument spots in the center of Madrid, with a nice break at a cafe where we could enjoy a beer, coffee and yummy Spanish snacks. Joaquin was friendly, funny and very knowledgeable about Spanish (and related countries’) history. He did a little role play to explain the transitions of the 6 kings from Philippe I to Carlos that we all enjoyed. Highly recommended if you’re interested in learning about this city with a vivid guide and plenty of healthy walking! :)
Written January 3, 2020
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.
Emily "M" Mathason
2 contributions
Jan 2020
This is me and fiancé's first time in Madrid. We were very excited when we arrived, but we were also not sure where to start...the city is so big!! We saw a free walking tour advertised at our hostel, so we decided to give it a go. We were so pleasantly surprised!! When a free tour is posted, most of the time you think...how good could this really be? Well friends, it was excellent. We did the tour in English and our tour guide was Jovan. He is such a friendly, welcoming, and strong presence. He had a beautiful black fan that we wielded to keep us all together and was very protective of our group. His knowledge of Spain must surpass even many of the Spaniards that live here, because he knew every answer to every question, and was able to recommend the best ways to get to every attraction, museum, and plaza in all of Madrid. He even had great recommendations for other cities to visit in Spain. His brain is an encyclopedia of history and it did not go unnoticed or unappreciated by any of us. I was fully impressed and I encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful tour of the city - and look for Jovan, you will be glad you did.
Written January 8, 2020
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.
Dan R
Boynton Beach, FL34 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
Very informative tour, high quality content, passed in a humorous way by a very knowledgeable guide, Sebastian.
Against our fears of having a free tour, this beautiful 2 hour trip to the past has proven to be a remarkable way of starting our visit to Madrid.
Nothing short of very expensive tours we have paid for in other parts of the world, Sebastian kept us intrigued and entertained the entire time. We were a group of 25 people, but it felt very intimate and personalized.
Despite the hot weather (43 degrees Celsius) in the baking sun - Sebastian made sure to make his stops only in shady areas, and to walk us in nice and cool places so that we do not get overheated. In fact, at one point, someone even said it was a day with very nice weather. It was not! It was very hot… Just a very responsible and professional tour guide who cares about his customers, and understands that “free” leaves room for great tips. :)
On that note, at the end of the tour, Sebastian made sure to share his own home-made list of restaurants he recommends that offer great deals (12 euros for a full lunch), as well as many options for Vegan/Vegetarian people. Don’t leave the tour without it!
Thank you, Sebastian, for a beautiful morning and such a great history lesson! We really enjoyed our time.
Against our fears of having a free tour, this beautiful 2 hour trip to the past has proven to be a remarkable way of starting our visit to Madrid.
Nothing short of very expensive tours we have paid for in other parts of the world, Sebastian kept us intrigued and entertained the entire time. We were a group of 25 people, but it felt very intimate and personalized.
Despite the hot weather (43 degrees Celsius) in the baking sun - Sebastian made sure to make his stops only in shady areas, and to walk us in nice and cool places so that we do not get overheated. In fact, at one point, someone even said it was a day with very nice weather. It was not! It was very hot… Just a very responsible and professional tour guide who cares about his customers, and understands that “free” leaves room for great tips. :)
On that note, at the end of the tour, Sebastian made sure to share his own home-made list of restaurants he recommends that offer great deals (12 euros for a full lunch), as well as many options for Vegan/Vegetarian people. Don’t leave the tour without it!
Thank you, Sebastian, for a beautiful morning and such a great history lesson! We really enjoyed our time.
Written July 11, 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.
lthanz
Auckland Central, New Zealand25 contributions
Jan 2020
We had Alex take us on the 2pm tour and it was fab! He looked after us while being sure to be courteous to passers by. His tips for navigating the city as a tourist were really valuable and we liked that he remembered which countries we were all from and pulled that into his dialogue.
Would definitely recommend, he used to be a teacher and really knows how to hook in a crowd #1561 or was it #1651 ...?
Would definitely recommend, he used to be a teacher and really knows how to hook in a crowd #1561 or was it #1651 ...?
Written January 3, 2020
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.
ASLtraveller
Essex, UK221 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
The free walking tour of Madrid.
(Its not free as they mention several times that tips are expected and you must stay for whole three hours. I expect they get a few who leave early as its pretty intense).
Tour guide was great but we would have preferred less talking and more walking to see more sights.
We only covered a handful of the city sights but heard an awful lot of history and politics. Much more than any other Sandemans tour we have done.
Dont get me wrong, it was very enjoyable and the time went quickly but it was not like other city tours we have done and was difficult to keep interested.
.
To improve...
More sights,
Thousands of years of history and politics is not needed,
Cover more of the city or make tour shorter (2hrs max?)
Hardly any photo opportunities,
Maybe rename this tour 'the history and potitical tour of madrid'?
Would not recommend for children but would definitely recommend for adults interested in Spain's history and politics.
(Its not free as they mention several times that tips are expected and you must stay for whole three hours. I expect they get a few who leave early as its pretty intense).
Tour guide was great but we would have preferred less talking and more walking to see more sights.
We only covered a handful of the city sights but heard an awful lot of history and politics. Much more than any other Sandemans tour we have done.
Dont get me wrong, it was very enjoyable and the time went quickly but it was not like other city tours we have done and was difficult to keep interested.
.
To improve...
More sights,
Thousands of years of history and politics is not needed,
Cover more of the city or make tour shorter (2hrs max?)
Hardly any photo opportunities,
Maybe rename this tour 'the history and potitical tour of madrid'?
Would not recommend for children but would definitely recommend for adults interested in Spain's history and politics.
Written January 20, 2020
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.
Steve
1 contribution
Jan 2020
We had Alex Birdthistle as our guide and could not have had a better time. Over about 2.5 hours, Alex blended his in-depth knowledge of Madrid/Spain's history and culture with his unique storytelling ability and wit to create an awesome tour of central Madrid's top spots. We were thoroughly entertained as Alex managed to pack hundreds of years of Madrilenean history (including, who can forget, #1561) leading up to the present day, as well as a good sense of Spanish culture. Thanks for a great tour, Alex!
Written January 11, 2020
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.
Could enquire, as
Sunday 1st of May Labour day
Monday 2nd of May Labour day (in Lieu)
Tuesday 3rd of May Community Day of Madrid
Does it meant that for all 3 days...shops, attractions and supermarket would be close??
Written March 4, 2022
Alex muy buen guía turístico muy informado y simpatico
Written December 23, 2019
La visita genial, hay guías y guías y después está Pedro, un tío muy top!! Muy recomendable!!!
Written January 18, 2020
There were 4 of us (2 adults and 2 teens) and we gave $40 US $.
Written September 22, 2019
Para aqueles que não são fluentes em espanhol, é possível compreender os guias?
Written September 15, 2019
Hi, I was planning on doing the Free Walking Tour and the majestic tour on consecutive days. Does the Royal palace get covered in either? What about retiro park? I have about 30 hours in Madrid so I'm wondering if I should just do the free one and then go to certain major landmarks on my own. Appreciate any advice!
Written September 4, 2019
Hello! You walk by the royal palace on the free tour but do not go in & retiro park is definitely not part of the free tour :)
Happy travels!
Written September 5, 2019
Hola! Quisiera saber que lugares se visitan puntualmente en el Free Tour de Sandemans.
Gracias!
Written August 29, 2019
Hola. Se comienza en la Plaza Mayor, Se para en el restaurante más antiguo del mundo, Casa Botín, se sigue hasta la Plaza de puerta cerrada, de ahí se sigue callejeando, se ven las casas de malicia,, Plaza de la Villa, y se baja hacia la Catedral de la Almudena y el Palacio Real.. Plaza de Oriente y Teatro Real. Algunos varían las paradas, se pasa por el puente de Segovia, Muy completo, aunque Madrid necesitaría varios tours.
Written August 30, 2019
El tour es apto para llevar una bebé de 18 meses en carreola? Gracias :)
Written August 7, 2019
Sí, lo hice hace poco y no creo que haya problema, el recorrido es tranquilo y creo que no hay escaleras.
Written August 8, 2019
Trying to see where the free walking tour by Sandeman's goes in Madrid. Planning out my days in Madrid. Looking to see if it goes to Retiro Park and what other places besides the Royal Palace, San Miguel Market and the Royal Opera. I appreciate anyone's help
Written July 21, 2019
The one we took does not include Retiro park. We did not walk a great distance, the landmarks covered are in a small area where historical buildings and places are dense and a big portion of the tour was the talk. I found it really satisfying and the others did too. At the end we were not exhausted, but still full of impressions, learned a lot and had a good time. We had half our day ahead, so it felt great to have our energy about us.
Written August 19, 2019
Trying to see where the free walking tour by Sandeman's goes in Madrid. Planning out my days in Madrid. Looking to see if it goes to Retiro Park and what other places besides the Royal Palace, San Miguel Market and the Royal Opera. I appreciate anyone's help.
Written July 21, 2019
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