With its elegant boulevards, world-class museums, and expansive, manicured parks, Madrid is one of Europe’s most alluring capital cities.
(Photo: Julia Travel Gray Line Spain / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
From the portico-lined Plaza Mayor in the heart of old Hapsburg Madrid to the city’s residential suburbs, Madrid is a delight to explore by any means. But with its sprawling districts making walking – particularly in the stifling summer heat – an arduous task, one of the more enjoyable ways to see the city is aboard a bus. We’ve picked out 5 of the best Madrid bus tours currently on offer.
Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour
Allowing you to jump aboard and disembark at designated stops throughout the city, hop-on hop-off tours are a great way to see a city at your own pace. Available as either 1 or 2-day tickets, this tour offers visitors the chance to discover both historic and modern Madrid along two bus routes that pass by the city’s main attractions and places of interest. Aboard an open-top double-decker bus, you’ll be able to hop on and off at your leisure, changing from one route to the other as many times as you please. Multi-lingual commentary is available via headphones and a map of Madrid is also provided. From €25 per person.
Madrid Sightseeing Tour and Prado Museum Guided Visit
(Photo: Julia Travel Gray Line Spain / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
See the masterpieces of Madrid’s Prado Museum complete with skip-the-line tickets and an expert guide on this combined 5-hour excursion. Travelling between landmarks aboard an air-conditioned bus, you’ll take a journey through history and explore Madrid’s medieval origins, seeing sites such as the Arabic fortress from the days of Muslim rule and the Art Deco buildings of Gran Via, before visiting the more contemporary side to Madrid at the emblematic Ventas Bullring and Santiago Bernabéu Football Stadium. The tour price includes museum entrance, your bilingual museum guide, skip-the-line tickets, and all transportation. From €60 per person.
Panoramic Tour of Madrid with Tapas Tasting
No trip to Madrid is complete without trying some of the city’s famous tapas – small savoury dishes, snacks or appetisers of Spanish cuisine. This two-hour tour takes place aboard a VIP class panoramic bus and will see you exploring the city, stopping for photo opportunities and tapas tastings along the way. During the tour, you’ll get to know the most emblematic spots in the city, with two stops included: one for tapas with a drink in a traditional tavern, and another at the Las Ventas bullring, the largest bullfighting arena anywhere in Spain. The tour starts and ends at Plaza de España. The tour price includes all tastings and one drink at the tavern From €30 per person.
Panoramic Open-Top Bus Day or Night Tour with Guide
(Photo: Big Bus Tours / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
See Madrid’s best landmarks and monuments in the day or illuminated in the evening on an open-top bus tour of up to 1.5 hours. Relax onboard as your entertaining and knowledgeable guide points out Madrid’s top sights, including the Royal Palace and Puerta de Alcalá, and regales you with fascinating tales and facts about the city. During the al-fresco experience, you’ll feel the warm Spanish breeze on your skin as you’re immersed in the city’s buzzing atmosphere, and its unique sights, sounds and smells, outside. All commentary will be provided in both English and Spanish. From €19 per person.
Tour Madrid and Santiago Bernabéu
Home to Real Madrid Football Club, the Santiago Bernabéu is one of the sporting world’s most iconic venues. This four-hour tour gives footy lovers the chance visit it for themselves as part of a wider bus tour of the city. Starting with a one-hour walking tour through the narrow streets of Madrid’s historic centre, you’ll then hop aboard an air-conditioned bus for a ride through the city. Among the places of interest that you’ll see are the Cibeles fountain, where Real Madrid fans celebrate their team’s frequent victories. Next, you’ll head to Bernabéu Stadium where you’ll enjoy a tour of the facilities, including a chance to sit in the hallowed dug-out, and taking a look around the abundantly-filled trophy room. The tour ends at the stadium From €65 per person.
By Paul Joseph