Local Markets Experience, Madrid

Join a passionate foodie and visit a few of Madrid's famed public markets, an excellent way to experience local culture and customs. You'll learn about the city's history, social norms, traditional recipes, and interesting food facts as you walk through the aisles of vendors selling goods like seafood, seasonal fruit, fresh vegetables, cheese, meats like Iberian pork, nuts, dried fruit, and artisan bread. Along the way, enjoy sampling a few delicious items and learn how to make a tortilla de patata (Spanish omelet), one of the country's most important recipes.

This foodie experience brings you right into Madrid's cultural heart with a visit to some of its markets. Exploring public markets offers a glimpse into the locals' daily lives, watching them shop, observing what's for sale, and chatting with vendors about their goods. And with a private excursion, you can visit the markets that fit your interests the most.

After meeting your personal guide at your hotel or accommodation, you'll start walking through Madrid on your way to the nearest market. The city has about 46 public markets, so where you go will depend on your location and what you'd like to experience. As you stroll, listen to your guide tell you a bit about these neighborhood markets' cultural significance, history, and how they impact social customs. Then, stop to enjoy an appetizer at a beloved food stand.

At your first stop, take a moment to listen to the authentic chatter of locals, both buying and selling goods, and learn about these shops' cultural importance and history. While inside, you'll learn more about Madrid's food culture and how these markets have been serving the city since the Middle Ages. Discover why and how they play a role as a major source of fresh food, selling goods like fish, meat, fruit, cheese, and bread—typical ingredients that make up the Spanish diet.

Now, it's time to go from listening to tasting. Enjoy bites of the country's favorite snacks, such as a high-quality olive oil drizzled over a piece of freshly baked bread or thinly sliced Iberian pork. You'll also sip on wines and learn the secrets behind one of Spain's most famous dishes (one that is surprisingly challenging to master), tortilla de patata, the famed Spanish omelet. At the end of the four hours, you'll say goodbye to your guide and depart with a new understanding of Spanish gastronomy—and where to go for the best local goods.