Madrid in a Day Tour:Royal Palace, Historic Center & Prado Museum
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Explore the best of Madrid with this expertly guided walking tour featuring skip-the-line tickets to the Royal Palace, one of Europe’s most breathtaking royal residences, and to the Prado Art Musuem - the cultural jewel of Spain. If you wish, choose the Prado Early Access option when booking for a VIP experience in the Prado Museum where you'll enjoy a guided tour of the galleries one hour before they open to the public. As you make your way through the stunning galleries of the Prado Museum, through the charming historic center, and wrap up at the grandiose Royal Palace, you'll be accompanied by an insightful local guide who will decode the city's lesser-known stories and hidden secrets every step of the way. And with a small group of just 15 guests maximum, you'll enjoy a more relaxed and intimate experience with easy access to your guide so you can ask them all your burning questions.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
This tour is in English.
Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
Sites on this tour are subject to occasional closures. If modifications are needed and time permits, we will reach out to you prior to your tour.
Walks and Devour comply with all local government regulations. Please refer to local government guidelines for the most up to date information.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Museo Nacional del Prado
Your tour starts when you skip the line and enter the Prado art museum, home to one of the greatest collections of European art in the world. Breeze past the crowds and head straight inside to enjoy a full tour of the museum’s highlights. Along the way, you'll meet the masters who have defined Spanish art throughout the centuries, from the court painters of the Spanish Royal Family to legendary artists like Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, Bosch, Tintoretto and more. Your guide will tell you the stories behind the art and help you understand what makes each piece so celebrated—which just isn't possible to do on your own in a museum boasting over 1,000 pieces on display! If you wish, choose the Prado Early Access option for a VIP experience in the Prado Museum where you'll enjoy a guided tour of the galleries one hour before they open to the public.
Plaza Mayor
Leaving the museum, you’ll walk the medieval streets of central Madrid, stopping at famous landmarks like the Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol as your guide tells your story of how the city went from an outpost of a crumbling Moorish empire to the preeminent Catholic power in Europe. And while there's plenty of history to be found in these streets, today the area is one of the city's coolest neighborhoods. You'll also learn how to make the most of it during the rest of your stay as your guide shares tips on where to eat, shop, and relax.
What‘s Included
Local English-speaking guide
Skip-the-line tickets and guided tour of Prado Museum
VIP early access ticket to Prado Museum (if option selected)
Skip-the-line tickets and guided tour of Madrid Royal Palace
Hotel Pick-Up / Drop-Off
Gratuities
Options
Regular Small Group Tour
Private Madrid in a Day Tour
Top Sites : See the best of Madrid on a private tour combining 3 essential sights: Royal Palace, Prado Museum, and the historic Center.
Madrid in a Day with VIP Prado
VIP Prado Museum Upgrade: Make your tour even more unforgettable with this exclusive pre-opening Prado Museum option.
Reviews
616 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Worth the money!
M2239OYronl,,Dec 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic overview of the history of Madrid and the important places of interest. David was a very knowledgeable guide!
Excellent tour of the Prado Museum, Old Madrid and the Royal Palace
thomashawker,,Dec 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an excellent tour! David, our tour guide was absolutely wonderful, one of the best we have ever had. Highly recommend this tour to anyone.
Phenomenal small group tour before opening of the Prado Museum!
Elena YY88,,Dec 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was so cool! I have been to the Prado Museum in Madrid several times, but this is the first time without the hoards of people and the loud noises of people talking. Absolutely amazing!! Alfonso was our guide for about 1.5 hours and he did a stellar job explaining the more popular paintings at the Prado (that including the Meninas and the Adam and Eve of Tiziano and Rubens and the room with the dark paintings of Goya to name a few). He had excellent explanations and I definitely learned something new (even after again coming several times and the most recent being last year!) and saw things in each painting that I never noticed. It was definitely a WOW moment that I was able to get sooooo close to El Bosco’s Garden of Earthly Delights and Velasquez’s Meninas and enjoy the quietness of the Prado that I have never experienced since my first time visiting and experiencing it twenty years ago. A definite must do and Alfonso will make sure you get the most (without sensory overloading you because the Prado can be ultra overwhelming with so many pieces there!) out of your time with him at the Prado!
Nice tour
Jessica C,,Dec 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00This tour is 2 cities in 1 day. You spend enough time in each city to get a feel for it but not enough time to go through some of the museums that each city offers. Our guide "JJ" was very knowledgeable about each city. He answered the groups questions with grace and patience. The name of the tour is misleading as it has the word "lunch" in it. When you go to buy the ticket you have to ensure you get the ticket that comes with lunch. I purchased the ticket with lunch. I did write in the booking notes I do not eat pork. I had also sent a message in the Vaitour app reiterating the same thing. When we arrived at the restaurant it was not explained to us by our guide if the lunch was pre-fixed or we were free to order what we wanted. It was a pre-fix lunch and the first course was a bean soup wirh pork. I simple ate the beans. The second dish was suckling pig. I told the waiter I do not eat pork and he was quick to offer me fish. So in part this is why I knocked a star off. If me writing in the booking notes and sending a message isn't going to be read amd addressed why have the notes section at all? Lastly I took a star for how the buses were marked. I booked the 745 am tour. It is still quite dark in December in Madrid at that time. While there were small signs in bus windshield that said "tour" it didnt distinctly mention what the tour company name was or which bus was for the English tour. I think a simple fix of a bigger and more detailed sign would help that especially that dark dn early in the morning. Beyond these 2 operational items the tour was great.
Excellent Experience with...
Maryann G,,Dec 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent Experience with wonderful guide - very knowledgable. Guided us through the streets and explained so much along the way.
10/10 tour with Sean
Lauren J,,Dec 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide was so enthusiastic, knowledgeable and great overall. He made the tour 10/10. Highly recommend.
Great tour with...
Luis R,,Dec 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great tour with interesting information presented in a fun way. Sean was a great guide. Be prepared for significant walking.
Must Try in Madrid
Shelley R,,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Such an amazing experience! It was a combination of great food, great company, and interesting information. Carolyn was really fantastic. She's full of knowledge on both food and the city of Madrid. Her English is terrific and she's very easy to understand, making the tour all that more enjoyable. We tried a variety of Madrid food staples and even got to skip a huge line at a very popular spot. We had plenty of food, all of it delicious, and the walk was easy and delightful. It felt like a night out with friends popping into different establishments. We highly recommend this tour. It's a really fantastic way to get a feel for the city's food scene and a much more entertaining way to do dinner!
Best of Madrid in 4 hours!
G9876QLlindah,,Dec 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour was fantastic and our guide Alfonso was amazing. Very knowledgeable and explained things very clearly, with great links between what we saw in the Museum and the Palace.
Very informative and engaging while walking through Madrid
Laura R,,Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Maria was very knowledgeable and kept us engaged the entire time. She made the 4-hours not seem that long. The Prada and the Palace are worth the visit.
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