Madrid guided sightseeing tourGran Vía, Cibeles Fountain, Puerta de Alcalá, Columbus Square, Royal Palace visit
Optional
Toledo guided excursion
$80Toledo Cathedral visit, St. Mary’s Synagogue visit, Sword factory visit
Tapas dinner
Puerta del Sol scavenger hunt
Details: Madrid guided sightseeing tour
Get a taste of Spain's cultural, political and economic center with a tour led by a licensed local guide. See Madrid's mix of traditional and modern as you visit the Royal Palace, an 18th-century masterpiece. The enormous Baroque palace currently has more rooms (2,800) than any other European palace, but it was originally supposed to be four times as large. The palace is dripping with porcelain, jeweled clocks, amazing ceiling frescoes—the most magnificent, in the Throne Room, was done by the Venetian artist Tiepolo when he was in his seventies. Next take a look at the Neoclassical architecture of the Prado Museum and the Puerta de Alcalá triumphal arch, built to honor Carlos III’s entry into Spain.
Details: Gran Vía
Stroll down the Gran Vía, Madrid’s lively signature boulevard featuring magnificent shopping and cafes.
Details: Cibeles Fountain
The Fountain of Cybele, one of the most recognizable fountains in Madrid, depicts Cybele, a Phrygian earth and fertility deity.
Details: Puerta de Alcalá
See the Puerta de Alcalá, the ceremonial gateway to Madrid commissioned by Carlos III. The Neo-classical structure is located in the Plaza de Independencia and is named for the old path leading from Madrid to nearby Alcalá de Henares.
Details: Royal Palace visit
Browse through the 3,418 rooms in the largest palace in Europe. Art lovers will marvel at the walls lined with priceless paintings, but don’t expect to catch a glimpse of the Spanish royal family—they reside elsewhere.
Details: Toledo Cathedral visit
Enter Toledo Cathedral, a Gothic landmark filled with remarkable art and history. Admire the dramatic Transparente, El Greco’s Twelve Apóstoles, and an exquisite alabaster Last Supper. Then see the famous 500-pound gilded monstrance, believed to contain New World gold and still used in Toledo’s annual Corpus Christi procession.
Details: St. Mary’s Synagogue visit
Visit The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, the oldest intact synagogue building in Europe. As it was constructed by the Christian Kingdom of Castile and designed by Islamic architects for Jewish use, it is considered a symbol of cooperation among the three religions.
Details: Sword factory visit
Toledo is famous for its traditional crafts, especially sword-making. Find out more at a local Toledo sword factory.
Details: Tapas dinner
Tapas purportedly originated when bartenders set a small plate ("tapa") over patrons' glasses of sherry and wine to keep the flies out. The bartenders starting piling the plate with cold cuts, olives, or salad, and the bite-size snack was born. (We're unsure how they kept the flies out of the cold-cuts... maybe that's how the sandwich was invented?) Over time these working-class snacks have become more elaborate, with each region adding its own specialties and cooking techniques to create unique tastes and combinations.
Details: Puerta del Sol scavenger hunt
Take interactive learning to another level with a Tour Director-led scavenger hunt of Puerta del Sol, Madrid's most famous and most central square! Enjoy an after-dinner adventure, complete exciting activities and solve fun clues. Each clue and every activity is built to maximize on-tour experiential learning.