Private City Highlights Walk, Madrid

After meeting your private guide at your hotel, you'll set off on foot to explore the city's twisting streets, stopping at significant sites along the way. The route will vary as this experience caters to your particular interests, but you'll likely wind your way to a few hubs and explore the surrounding areas—plan on strolling through some of the city's main squares.

You might enter the 15th-century Plaza Mayor through one of its nine gates and admire the uniformed medieval architecture, or stroll through Plaza de Oriente with its beautiful gardens and more than 40 statues of Spain's medieval kings. Another important monument is the ancient Egyptian Templo de Debod, and your guide will excitedly tell you the story of how it came to Madrid. You can also learn about the June 13th celebrations at the San Antonio de la Florida Chapel, look inside Almudena Cathedral, and explore one of Madrid's liveliest neighborhoods, La Latina.

Perhaps you'd like to see Kilometer Zero and the Oso y el Madroño statue in Puerta del Sol. Near this area is where you'll find the city's famed Literary Quarter, a district full of stories from writers who lived here in the Golden Age. Follow cobbled streets (like the popular Calle de las Huertas) lined with tapas bars and cozy pubs where these literary figures used to write and mingle. Consider strolling down Gran Vía, Madrid's boulevard lined with incredible early-20th-century revival architecture. The street eventually leads to Retiro Park, filled with gardens, fountains, and monuments (a great place to visit with kids). 

Regardless of your route and what you see along the way, you'll end your stroll with a complimentary drink and tapas with your private guide. As you sip and snack, feel free to ask questions about the city's history and local culture. And before you bid farewell, your guide is happy to offer tips on what else to see in Madrid and where to eat.