Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen from Madrid
Description
Explore the majestic Monastery of El Escorial, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and be captivated by its history and architecture. Accompanied by an expert guide, tour the Habsburg Palace and discover the secrets of the Spanish monarchy. Visit the Valley of the Fallen, with its underground basilica and impressive 152-meter cross that dominates the landscape of the Madrid mountains!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Check in at our office in central Madrid 15 minutes in advance of your tour. Leave the city aboard one of our comfortable air-conditioned coaches. Enjoy your visit through the Royal Monastery of El Escorial, an architectural ensemble declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Built in the 16th century, it is a symbol of the power of the government at the time. Accompanied by your guide, you will discover the most important areas of the monument. Of Renaissance style, you will marvel at the building symmetry as you walk along the site visiting the Habsburg’s Palace, the Chapter House, the Basilica and the remarkable library.
Visit the Valley of the Fallen, get back on the bus for the short journey to the next destination. The Valley of the Fallen is located 9km away from El Escorial, in Sierra de Guadarrama. You will be able to see it from far away thanks to the monumental cross built above the site. The monument is an underground church built into the mountain. The same is topped by the World’s Largest Cross, which can be seen from miles away.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please, inform in advance, in which hotel/apartment you will stay. You can do it directly on your reservation or you can inform us by phone or by mail, indicating your booking reference, preferable maximum 48h before start the tour. If we do not receive the Information at least 48h before departure, we will cancel the tour applying the stipulated cancellation fees.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please note this is a walking tour on arrival at the site. Wear appropriate attire.
- Julià Travel reserves the right to modify or cancel the tour itinerary without prior notice due to force majeure reasons.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers per guide.
- In accordance with the regulations of the Valley of the Fallen, the guide will not be able to give explanations inside the basilica. All information will be given outside and the visit will be on your own.
- Patrimonio Nacional reserves the right to modify the itinerary and the access to some parts of its monuments.
- Not recommended for people with walking difficulties or reduced mobility, as the interior of the monument has a large number of stairs and full accessibility cannot be guaranteed due to its architectural features.
Reviews(1,095)
We took a bus up to El Escorial from Madrid and had a brilliant day out, high in the mountains, in winter with snow on the ground. Despite the cold, it was sunny and clear with great views and lovely gardens which must be beautiful in spring and summer. The palaces and grounds are well worth exploring. The town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial should also be explored with its lovely streets, shops and cafes before returning to the city.
Very enjoyable and interesting trip. Our guide was great. Very knowledgeable. We were the only non-Spanish speakers on the trip but she ensured we were not left out. Thank you.
Thanks to Susana Very professional and excellent service.We highly recommend Gracias
Very good experience. The guide (Susana) patiently explained everything.
It was a fantastic experience, and the guide Susana was very professional, friendly, and did an excellent job translating between English and Spanish. I also really liked that the schedules were followed.
I toured El Escorial and Valley of the Fallen through Julia Travel on June 17th. Overall, the sites visited on this tour were beautiful and well worth seeing. Breathtaking art! The transportation was comfortable, there were adequate restroom opportunities throughout the day, and the guide was friendly, conscientious, and clearly committed to providing a good experience. However, there were several areas where the tour could be improved. Prior to the tour, I received no response to my Viator inquiry regarding food and water availability. At check-in, I was told there would be opportunities to purchase refreshments during the tour, but this was not the case. Had I received accurate information, I would have brought food and extra water with me . Given the length and cost of the tour, providing bottled water would be a welcome addition. I was also disappointed by the bilingual format. As one of only a few English-speaking participants, it was apparent that the Spanish explanations were often more detailed than the English translations, and in some cases information or instructions were not fully conveyed in English. (My Spanish skills are intermediate level, so I am confident about that statement.) If tours are offered in multiple languages, additional time should be allocated to ensure all participants receive the same quality and depth of information. Additionally, the tour description should be updated to remove references to the funicular at the Valley of the Fallen, as it has not operated for many years and is not part of the current experience. While I enjoyed the destinations themselves, I would only recommend this tour if offered in a single language or if the bilingual experience is improved. Future participants should also be advised to bring extra water and a snack.
Transfer in a comfortable coach and excellent explanations from the guide, very attentive to the group and kind.
Well paced and informative. The Valley of the Fallen was very powerful.
Silvia was amazing as a guide - she was informative, lively and entertaining at the same time! We enjoyed the tour and wished we booked another tour with her.
We are grateful to Silvia for providing us with an excellent tour. During our visit, Silvia always maintained a good energy that kept us attentive to her historical explanations. We learned a lot and loved it.
