Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen Tour from Madrid
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
On this excursion we will visit the Royal Monastery of El Escorial, an architectural heritage site of the Humanity, and the Basilica of the Valle de los Caídos, a monument that stands out for its gigantic size.
5 hour direct tour to the Valle de los Caídos with its basilica excavated in the Sierra de Madrid and discover the grandeur of the Royal Monastery of El Escorial, a World Heritage Site and symbol of Spanish supremacy of the sixteenth century.
Additional Info
Specialized infant seats are available
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
Dress code is smart casual
Headphones available for radio guide
What To Expect
Valley of the Fallen
Valley of the Fallen is a Francoist regime monument, Catholic basilica and a monumental memorial in the municipality of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, erected at Cuelgamuros Valley in the Sierra de Guadarrama, near Madrid. Franco claimed that the monument was meant to be a "national act of atonement" and reconciliation. The construction works mainly involved free workers and a smaller, albeit significant, percentage of prisoners, these between 1942 and 1950, under the regime of redemption of sentences.
Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial
San Lorenzo de El Escorial, also known as El Escorial de Arriba is a town and municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain, located to the northwest of the region in the southeastern side of the Sierra de Guadarrama, at the foot of Mount Abantos and Las Machotas, 47 kilometres (29 mi) from Madrid. It is head of the same name judicial party. The settlement is popularly called El Escorial de Arriba, to differentiate it from the neighbouring village of El Escorial, also known as El Escorial de Abajo. Felipe II ordered the construction of this Monastery in recognition of the victory of San Quintín, which took place on the day of San Lorenzo in 1557 and is from the King, to erect a mausoleum in memory of his parents and himself, placed under the invocation of Saint Lawrence.
Options
Half Day Tour Escorial y Valle de los Caidos con Tickets Included from Madrid
What‘s Included
The Valley of Fallen Admission Ticket
Professional Guide
Escorial Monastery Admission Ticket
Trip by luxury bus with air conditioned and Wifi
Food and drinks
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
2,845 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Thought it would be boring
Nguyet N,Jun 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Impressive place. Ruiz is a very knowledgeable and passionate tour guide. His English pronunciation is hard to understand at times, but his knowledge and kindness make up for that :)
Russell Family Tour
lindsayrK7415EP,Jun 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The Valley of the Fallen was an amazing structure and impressive inside & outside. Beatrice & David were fantastic tour guides with experience & accomodating our family.
Best day trip in Madrid
ramy s,Jun 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing tour! David and Beatrice our tour guides were top notch! Very sweet and very knowledgeable. Antonio, the bus driver was so nice and friendly. The whole trip was amazing! Can’t wait to go back again!
Excellent tour. Professional and knowledgeable. Recommend.
JS8176,Jun 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beatriz and David were excellent guides with tremendous historical knowledge that they presented in an accessible and neutral way.
El Escorial and Valle de Los Caidos
O2621JFdavidi,Jun 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great half-day tour of El Escorial and Valle de Los Caidos. The tour of El Escorial was comprehensive and the guide did a phenomenal job of explaining everything and the historical and religious context. The scenery, architecture, and art at both locations was beautiful and solemn. I highly recommend this tour. The admission fee at both locations was included in the price.
A good experience
xrayd0ct0r,Jun 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Our tour was in English and Spanish (not clear during sign up); the guide did a remarkable job remembering to repeat every question in both languages. He was extremely knowledgeable and did a good job keeping the group on schedule and moving efficiently. English skills A-. The dual language nature of the tour did make it less efficient. Also, the radio receivers work well up to 15-20’ so about 10% of the time we lost connection with the guide if we were not able to stay close. The speaker on the bus was nearly inaudible. We had a group of around 25, two guides would have been much better, and would have allowed us to stay closer to the guide who did a lot of taking while we were on the move. Finally, we had some people with limited mobility and I don’t think it was clear when you signed up for the tour exactly how much walking and how many stairs were required. Despite these limitations it was a good tour and it was far easier and more informative than attempting to coordinate transportation and the visit ourselves from our hotel in Madrid.
Engaging and informative tour with Beatrice, David , and Antonio
u044700,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beatrice, David, and Antonio were amazing for this tour!! The length was perfect, the knowledge of the tour guides was intriguing, and the ride was smooth. Our family enjoyed the beautiful scenery, the historic details, and engaging tour guides.
Beatrice is Amazing
Q743BMcourtneys,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an amazing half day tour of El Escorial with Beatrice and Tony. Beatrice was our English guide and she could have not been better. She made sure everyone was comfortable, is a wealth of knowledge, and is so kind. We learned so much from her about the history of Spain. We could not recommend her enough.
A must if in Madrid
charlesdavidd2020,Jun 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It’s simple: if you’re in Madrid for a couple days, this visit is an absolute must. It’s well organized, good A/C in the bus, and, most importantly, our guide Luis was absolutely exceptional. Very knowledgeable, very interesting, and considerate. Both the Escurial Monastery (and especially the Royal tombs underground) and the Valley of the Fallen were nothing short of breathtaking. I am usually not so impressed by such tours, and I have done quite a lot. 10/10!
El Escorial/Valley of the Fallen
Daphne R,Jun 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Very interesting places to visit and the tour guide gave a good art history perspective of the palace and monastery. We were hoping for more of the mysteries and "magic" secrets of El Escorial, because our daughter had gone on a tour of El Escorial focused on that aspect of the history. This tour focuses more on the history of the monarchy. The tour felt a bit rushed, and disjointed. It was marketed as an "English" tour, but it was in fact a bilingual tour, with the guide alternating his narratives between Spanish and English. Because of the time required for this, we could not spend as much time touring the places To be fair, it should be labeled as "Bilingual: English and Spanish" to clearly set customers' expectations. There is no time for lunch, so be sure to pack a sandwich! The tour goes straight from El Escorial to the "Valley of the Fallen", which was built during a very different period in Spain's history, so it was interesting to see the contrast.
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