We were enchanted with Irina's knowledge of the paintings, artists and Spanish history. I was initially a tad concerned about 3.5 hours in the Prado with two teens. She reassured me it would pass quickly and they would enjoy it. She captivated us all with her explanations, patience and intelligence. She was the only guide of our trip throughout Spain who deliberately involved and engaged my teens.
We liked her so much we had even scheduled her for another tour; however, the Royal Palace scheduled a closing.
I highly recommend her and she was one the best guides we have ever had.
Fabulous experience!! We had a perfect tour with Madrid Museum Tours. They were extremely fast and responsive from the start. So easy to work with. And our guide, Irina, was beyond knowledgeable. She was enthusiastic and clearly so interested in history and so knowledgeable about art. And she really tailored the tour to our teenage girls and our specific interests. I give Madrid Museum Tours my highest recommendation -- the entire experience was fantastic.
Our family recently enjoyed an incredible week in Spain, starting in the Basque Country and ending in Madrid. We decided that having a guide to tour El Prado would greatly enhance our experience and had a particular interest in learning more about Velazquez and Goya. My husband had intended to book a tour before our trip but did not, so he called Private Madrid Museum Tours on our arrival to Madrid. PMMT made a special accommodation, calling us back promptly by telephone and setting up a Velazquez/Goya tour the next Friday morning. Our guide, Hernan Satt, a retired history professor, is truly a memorable personality. Hernan was engaging and entertaining beyond the likes of any museum guide we have ever had (and we have toured several famous museums in Europe using highly regarded museum tour services). We learned so much - Hernan managed to weave history, personality, story-telling, and true drama into all the paintings we saw. He even held the attention of our 2 twenty-something sons for almost four hours, no small feat.
During our trip, we were truly taken by the generous spirit of so many Spaniards. Hernan, it was a great pleasure to meet you, learn from you, and experience art in such a captivating and witty way! BRAVO PMMT!
My mother and I were visiting Spain over a two-week period in May/June, including six days in Madrid. We were keen to include the Reina Sofia Museum in our itinerary, having read about its famous collection of Spanish expressionists and the Spanish artists who were in the vanguard of cubism and surrealism. And of course, we were excited to experience Guernica.
We had limited time and basic knowledge, and therefore needed a strategy to be able to see select key pieces and to learn a lot. Our two-hour private tour with Hernan Satt of Private Madrid Museum tours was the perfect solution and exceeded our expectations.
Mr. Satt began with an overview of the museum that was very grounding, and proceeded to guide us through a well-organized and thoughtful selection of pieces in the museum (including a dramatic Richard Serra sculpture, Guernica/Bengasi). We spent most of the time on Picasso's Guernica, including rich context of Spanish Civil War surrounding history and highlights of Picasso's personal life and characteristics/symbols within his works. We also spent time learning about a representative painting of one of Dali's early works - Girl at a window.
Mr. Satt is a top-flight guide and expert. We had what can best be described as elementary knowledge, and he provided accessible substance, humor, and also a lot of interaction when guiding us throughout. He asked us thought-provoking questions to unlock our thinking, instead of having us passively listen to him for two hours. (It is evident that he is/has been a university professor, and it was a pleasure to be his "students" for a few hours!)
For two hours of private guiding, it was a very high-value experience.
I can only imagine that the company's other offerings are as high-quality and when I return to Madrid will certainly try at least one other offering (e.g., Prado tour or a Madrid city walking tour).
In short, this is a must-do for anyone who wants to see the Reina Sofia Museum. We could NEVER have done this on our own and gotten even half as much out of the visit. In the final days of our two-week trip, we were ranking our favorite experiences (and there were many!!) and this was in the top three for each of us. I will recommend the company and Mr. Satt to everyone in my professional and personal networks without hesitation.
Our guide Irina was superb. Her knowledge was very impressive and she adapted her tour depending on the questions we asked. We all learned so much and enjoyed the experience throughly, even my husband who normally refuses to visit museums!
