Monumental Madrid

Monumental Madrid is the city of wide avenues and buildings built to impress, the face the Bourbons and the 19th and 20th centuries gave the capital as it modernised. Over roughly two and a half hours we follow the axis that runs from Gran Vía to the Prado boulevard, the Madrid of fountains, palaces and grand facades. We walk in small groups and without megaphones, so the guide is easy to hear and you can ask questions as we go.

It suits you if it's your first visit and you want to see the most photographed Madrid, the postcard one, with a guide who explains why each building looks the way it does. It also works for families, since the route mixes broad streets, gardens and fountains that give the walk some breathing room. And if history and architecture are your thing, you will see how the city went from town to modern capital in barely a century.

Along the way you will see Gran Vía, the Metrópolis building, the Círculo de Bellas Artes, Plaza de Cibeles, the Puerta de Alcalá, the Retiro park and the Prado boulevard, among other places. This is a free tour: you book at no cost and, at the end, you leave a voluntary contribution based on what it gave you (on average, between 15 and 20 euros per person). No ticket booth and no set price: you decide what the experience was worth.