Madrid, El Escorial and Valley of Fallen Tour

This is a great tour that offers plenty of sights in one full day.  Enjoy your own driver/guide for the day and benefit from the convenience of being picked-up, returned, and transported in a brand new minivan. 

After picking you up from your hotel in the morning, we will make our way to El Escorial to visit The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real built by King Philip II.   The Renaissance complex combines a palace and monastery, and features a wonderful collection of art. We will tour the complex, including the Pantheon of Kings and basilica, and hear the history of Spain as we wander around this great complex.  Onto the Valle de Los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen), and the grand monument built in remembrance of those who died in Spain's civil war.  It is said that thousands of political prisoners built the monument through forced labor during the dictatorship years of General Franco between 1940-1959.  We will discover the inside of the basilica and admire a spectacular valley landscape around this massive monument which is located 9.5 kilometers (6 miles) to the north of El Escorial.

In the afternoon we will make our way to Madrid to visit the Gran Via and Castellana, Plazas de Espana, Puerta del Sol and Puerta de Alcala, as well as Madrid's historic quarters and famous parks, including Casa de Campo and Retiro. The tour will also take us past the university, the Las Ventas bullring and Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of the famous Real Madrid football team.

At the end of the tour, we can bid farewell at your hotel, the airport, or anywhere else you would like to go to in the evening... until next time!