Skip the Line Royal Palace Madrid + Old City Guided Tour

Start at the Royal Palace, which features some 3,000 rooms that have been perfectly preserved. The palace is open to the public, since the royal family only uses it for official receptions. Marvel at the main staircase, designed by Sabatini and comprising over 70 steps. Visit the Throne Room and admire the ceiling painted by Tiepolo, and the Hall of Alabarderos, the palace guards. Your guide will also point out works of master artists along the way including Velázquez, Goya, and Caravaggio. In the Royal Pharmacy, you’ll explore cabinets with medicinal plants, ceramic pots, and formulas dispensed to the royal family. Visit the Royal Chapel and see its collection of stringed instruments made by the legendary Antonio Stradivari.

After a break for lunch, we will then make our way to the Almudena Cathedral, a Catholic Church consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993. You will also see the Museo de la Catedral de la Almudena, a museum that is part of the church.

Next we will visit the Muslim Walls of Madrid, also known as the Arab Walls, located on the road Cuesta de la Vega. The walls are probably the oldest construction surviving in the city, and their construction is linked to the origin of Madrid.

After this we will walk along the Calle Mayor, a centric street in Madrid starting in the Puerta de Sol and ending at the Cuesta de la Vega. Created in the Middle ages, this road became the main thoroughfare of the city in the Early Modern Period.

Along the Calle Mayor we will see the Plaza de la Villa we will see the Plaza de la Villa, one of Madrid’s best-preserved monuments. Located in the historical zone next to the Puerta del Sol Gate it is one of the main medieval centres of Madrid.

You will then walk through La Latina, a historic neighbourhood in the centre of downtown Madrid. The area occupies much of the oldest section of Madrid and is filled with small narrow streets for you to explore.

A major marketplace during the 13th and 14th century, Plaza de la Paja is known for its crowed streets pulsing with life. However, one can find small moments of serenity in the most surprising places. The square is an idea place to have a drink or bite to eat while admiring beautiful architecture that spans several centuries.

Plaza de los Carros is a nice little square with a lovely fountain. Here you can enjoy a nice drink and and take in the buzzing atmosphere.

Following on you will then see the Plaza de Puerta Cerrada, located in the La Latina neighbourhood of the historic center of the Spanish city of Marid. Built on a medieval Islamic fort, the La Latina neighbourhood is city’s oldest and one of its liveliest.

Afterwards you will see the Arco de Cuchilleros, a well-known historical archway with stairs leading to the 16th century Plaza Mayor, arguably the most famous plaza in Marid. Well-known historical archway with stairs leading to the prominent, 16th-century Plaza Mayor.

Afterwards you will visit the Mercado San Miguel, located in the heart of the city centre, next to the historic Plaza Mayor. This historic market is not only considered beautiful but is full of food from all around the country.

We will then head to Plaza Mayor, a grand arcaded square in the centre of Madrid. First build during the Habsburg period of Philipp III’s reign, it was once the centre of old Madrid, and is very popular with locals and tourists alike today.

Following, you will see the Real Casa de Postas, an administrative building, neoclassical in style which was the home to the telegraph service offices of the National Police force until it was bought by Madrid’s Regional Government in 1985.

Getting to the end of our tour, we will visit Puerta del Sol, a bustling square in the center of Madrid and one of the city’s most famous sites. It is the centre of the radial network of Spanish roads and also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year.