Escorial & Valley Half-Day Morning Tour from Madrid

Don’t waste your time

We got our ticket through the Go city Madrid pass. Check in was very organised Duo language (Spanish and English) through an audio set which I found a little tricky because I would tune out for the Spanish bit and then not be listening when she switched to English . My gosh she didn’t stop chatting on the bus . It was toooo much Our tour was snail pass slow that we were nearly tripping over ourselves . Literally shuffling . We saw the Monastery which was a little underwhelming which was on me because I had tuned out by now and removed my headset and was just following the group without hearing / knowing the stories the crypt was interesting Back on the bus to valley of the fallen. Look it’s a massive cross and gorgeous view . You can’t use the funicular . The crypt thing was kinda interesting but not worth a trip out of Madrid for us For me this was the wrong tour but it was the ONLY trip to el Escorial in the Go city Madrid pass. I would have preferred to do JUST an English tour In all honesty I would have preferred to do a day trip to each Toledo and Segovia versus a combined day and skipped el Escorial altogether

A rushed visit to Escorial and Valley of the fallen

The tour is good the locations are beautiful but we were rushed thru the entire tour. Our tour was early there were no lines or waiting any place but still our tour guide took us in such a rush we hardly have time for pictures or enjoy the beauty of the place. We were given 2 minutes for the gift shop or take pictures. She was very concerned to be back on time for the next tour, we arrived 15 minutes ahead of time. We were very disappointed I rather paid more to be able to enjoy the amazing beauty of the Escorial and Valley of the fallen

Potential to be amazing with a different guide

This tour had the potential to be amazing and whilst I understand that there is nothing that can be done re fog, the mountain was covered, so we could not see as much as I would have liked at the Valley of the Fallen. Inside was still beautiful and as I said, there is nothing you can do about the elements. El escorial was great and I wonder if we had done the Valley first we may have missed the fog. This tour was sold as with an English speaking guide.''. Unfortunately what we got was a Spanish speaking guide with enough English to give one sentence descriptions. He also would point something out in Spanish and after we had driven past, the description in English was given (so too late!) Disappointed as I felt the guide (who never gave us his name and consistently checked his "look" in mirrors, windows etc), was there doing a job only. He had no interest in his audience and even walked so fast that he left a couple behind, and then they had to pay for a taxi back to the bus as they were unable to find their way back.

Great tour.

Valley of the fallen Cathedral cut into the stone of the mountain was amazing. It is truly a must see.

Not to be missed

This tour was one of the highlights of our trip. El Escorial is magnificent in every way. The final resting place of former kings and queens was my favorite part. The Valley of the Fallen’s modern architecture, while appearing to imitate religious buildings, provides its own stark and impressive commentary on Franco’s narcissistic purpose. Our guide, Mayte was simply wonderful. Her commentary on both places we visited really made them come alive.

Tour operator messaged me...

Tour operator messaged me saying couldn’t go on the day I had booked. So, I made other plans. Then, Viator messaged saying it was available after I had spent money on something else. I want a refund!!!

El Escorial and Valley of the Fallen

The royal crypt in El Escorial was amazing and the huge underground basilica at the Valley of the Fallen was an impressive surprise.

Excellent Half-day Trip!

Excellent half-day trip to El Escorial. We did not have to wait on any long lines to see anything! Tour guide was extremely knowledgable and explained everything clearly. Would recommend to anyone and everyone!

Recommended easy half day tour to Escorial and the Valley

Comprehensive tour of the Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen. Safe driving, clean vehicle, good audiosystem and we saw the highlights of both places.

An extremely enlightening experience on a very gloomy day

First, Carlos is absolutely brilliant. The tour of El Escorial was fascinating, and with Carlos’ help, we got true insight into Spanish history, art, the personal tastes of the kings, as well as their daily lives. This tour was perfect for me.

Wonder of it all! Beautiful

Susana our tour guide was very good. The Escorial is truly the eighth wonder of the world. Breathtaking. The Valley if the fallen is another wonder for it is inside a mountain. Both worth seeing!!

What A Bad Trip

Worst Tour Company. The El Escorial - Valley of the Fallen - Segovia excursion was the worst sightseeing trip I've ever taken. Their audio equipment failed at the start of our day which took some time fidgeting with it before they gave up. This reduced our visiting time at El Escorial to 30 minutes and the other sites were rushed as well. We lost a total of 5 hours just commuting between Madrid to El Escorial, back to Madrid, then out to Segovia and back. Avoid VPT Tours at all cost. They're a bunch of amateurs with clueless guides who can't oerate their own audio equipment or keep count of their passengers.

WOW, this tour was awesome

The tour took us to El Escorial first and it was very impressive and had a lot of history. Our tour guide provided quite a lot of very good information about the varied roles of El Escorial. We were then taken to the Valley of the Fallen which was visibly impressive even from a distance as we drove up. The huge stone cross sits atop a mountain with the Basilica underneath. We underestimated how large the basilica was while we waited to get in, but once inside we marveled at how big and how beautiful it was. my only complaint was that since we took a half day tour, there was really not enough time to truly appreciate the last portion of the tour. Even so, it was worth the trip.

Pleasant Break from Madrid City Tours

Our tour guide, Gonzalo, was bi-lingual in Spanish and English. Because I speak both languages, am happy to say that Gonzalo did an excellent job of ensuring that all his English and Spanish-speaking clients were equally served. Both landmarks were impressive in their own rights. Drawback is that you cannot take photos and videos inside the landmarks. We could also have done a little bit more time time at the Valley of the Fallen. I would have liked to linger longer in the basilica and the area outside. It would also be nice if they fix the funnicular to allow guests to go up the cross. I am sure the view from up there would be spectacular!

Very enjoyable

I went on this half day tour (around 5 hours) not knowing what to expect, and totally enjoyed both El Escorial monastery and Valley of the Fallen. Our guide Manuel was excellent (spoke English & Spanish) - a font of information and he pretty much talked non stop for hours. El Escorial was more than a monastery - church was amazing, through monastery long corridors (frescos, tapestries & parquetry doors) then through chambers to royal tombs - so much marble (black marble & gold trim!!) plus outside gardens with views to Madrid. And then Valley of the Fallen all inside a mountain - what a monument to fallen soldiers of the Spanish Civil War. Only downside was that no photos were allowed, but there are beautiful postcards in shop on site at Valley of the Fallen.

Mari Ikeda was my personal guide on...

<p>Mari Ikeda was my personal guide on April 4, 2018, in Kyoto, Japan Mari was knowledgable and extremely helpful, especially in getting around the city using public transportation. I changed our itinerary a couple of times before the 4th, and she was extremely accommodating and flexible. We even went to the Kyoto train station in advance of my taking a bullet train back to Tokyo so I'd have a better understanding of the process. She also chose a great place for lunch! I highly recommend Mari!</p>

Really great to have been able to go...

<p>Really great to have been able to go through to see these both sites. The guides were extremely helpful and had great information.</p>

A great tour! I loved...

<p>A great tour! I loved it.</p> <p>I'm a gift shop junkie, so the only downside is that we didn't have time to go to the gift shop at El Escorial, but Valley of the Fallen carries a lot of the same stuff, so just know before you go!</p>

I was the only client but they still...

<p>I was the only client but they still took me - driver, bus, guide and me Julia Company cancels!. I enjoyed it. Guide good.</p>

The tour brings us to two of the...

<p>The tour brings us to two of the interesting attractions that's approximately an hour plus away from central Madrid. Overall the tour is a convenient way to visit the attractions but felt that the tour should be slightly longer so that more time spent at each venue. We had the tour from 9am until around 230pm and there was no stop for lunch - this should have been communicated earlier on.</p>

I love the Escorial and I have been...

<p>I love the Escorial and I have been there many times with different tour operators. However, this visit was so chaotic and the time so short actually inside the Escorial, that I would recommend a more organized company. They picked us up from our hotel but shuffled us around to a different bus and all of this took over an hour. The actual time inside the Escorial was barely an hour. The tour guide was good, but her colleague was hurrying her up to get us through the building and back on the bus to see the Valley of the Fallen. We took the tour in Spanish and our guide was clever enough to get us into the chapel or church before mass had begun but the other group didn't even get into the church and they were finished with the whole tour before we were. If it's a half-day tour, I recommend at least two hours inside the Escorial. That is the bare mínimum. Also, it would be great to find a tour of the Escorial that didn't include the Valley of the Fallen.</p>

Both of these places are amazing...

<p>Both of these places are amazing! The tour guide was great, really knowledgeable and added so much to the tour. The only thing I would change is an extra half an hour at the Valley of the Fallen. It is so big it takes all the time just to walk through leaving you feeling rushed. It is a minor thing so don't let it put you off doing the tour - the sights are fabulous!</p>

Great tour. Guide was informative...

<p>Great tour. Guide was informative and spoke English clearly. A little disappointing that both locations didn't allow for photographs inside, but still a very enjoyable tour.</p>

Excellent local guide! Diana made...

<p>Excellent local guide! Diana made the trip very enjoyable. I would have wished for 10 minutes to get a quick coffee or chocolate before we left the bus stop. Also, wished for 5 minutes in the gift shop.</p>

Very good tour with knowledgeable...

<p>Very good tour with knowledgeable guide. Confirmation notice advises there will be a hotel pick-up. There is no vehicle pick up. The representative comes to the hotel and walks participants several blocks to a bus, then you transfer to another bus where the tour actually starts. The tour and tour guide were excellent, but people who are considering this tour need to know there's a lot of walking.</p>

The tour company changed the day on...

<p>The tour company changed the day on us, supposedly because the chosen day had been turned into a dance festival day so the attraction was closed. They offered us the day before tour which we accepted but were the only English speaking couple on the tour. It was nothing brilliant...</p>

This is a definite must do. The tour...

<p>This is a definite must do. The tour was fantastic as was the tour guide. Thank you!</p>

Do not like going on a tour that...

<p>Do not like going on a tour that requires the tour guide to present in three languages</p>

Excellent guide! Time allotted to...

<p>Excellent guide! Time allotted to visit both Escorial and Valley of the Fallen is inadequate. El Escorial should be given more emphasis and Valley of the Fallen is worth the time it is currently given. Should be a full day tour.</p>

Very interesting and quite...

<p>Very interesting and quite spectacular seeing the basilica at valley of the fallen. The tour through the monastery was also very interesting but unfortunately we were not able to go into the basilica due to masses we were told but there was none happening at the time. However overall a very enjoyable few hours.</p>

Thanks for collecting us from our...

<p>Thanks for collecting us from our hotel.<br/> The bus was fine. But the tour of El Escorial was very hurried. There was a lot to see, but the guide kept moving us along, anxious to finish the tour on time.</p>

The meeting location was poorly...

<p>The meeting location was poorly described and we ended up finding the bus in a completely different place. A map should be provided. Bus was late and then we were the last group allowed in El Escorial. As a result, we were rushed way too fast through. In addition, while we were a small group, half only spoke English and the other half only Spanish. As such, our guide had to repeat everything in both languages which meant half the group was hearing about what they saw when rushing to next room. We learned more from listening to other guides being rushed and repeating everything meant leaving lots of interesting details out. Valley of the Fallen was very interesting and in a beautiful setting. Not sure if our negative tour experience was unique but, if not, we recommend finding an alternative way to see these sights.</p>

Old, noisy, uncomfortable bus...

<p>Old, noisy, uncomfortable bus. Guide's English was very heavily accented and difficult to understand,The guide,Alicia, also did not provide much background information and I feel I have to read a travel book to understand what I saw. Pick up and drop-off procedures are terrible.There should be a central starting point. Worst of all, the guide ran off the bus at the end of the tour when the bus just dropped us off on the street, so we had to ask people on the street for directions. Avoid this company!</p>

An easy ride from the city to see...

<p>An easy ride from the city to see one of the more significant monastaries as well as the pantheon of the Spanish Royal Family. The monument of the Valley of the Fallen is extraordinary as a 20th century basilica carved into the side of a mountain.</p>

Tour guide did a good job and the...

<p>Tour guide did a good job and the tour was interesting. The low rating is for the fact there was no provision to get us back to our hotel after the tour. The tour ended about 5 mikes from our hotel where they picked us up in the morning. We did not find this out until during the tour. The tour guide took pity on us and arranged for the bus driver to drive us to an area voids to our hotel.</p>

Conocer la denominada 8 maravilla del mundo .

La muchas y muy buenas comentarios del guía, respecto a la importancia de los sitios visitados. Además la comodidad del autobús, es de modelo reciente y se viaja muy cómodo en el trayecto al lugar a visitar.

Nice tour but too short

The departure went very well and we left on time. We were a very small group of 9 people, which was a pleasant group size. The tours were very informative and our guide explained them in an interesting way. In some places, however, I would have liked a little more in-depth information. Especially in the Valley of the Fallen. Unfortunately, the stops were very tightly timed and the guide had to point out to us very often that we had to move on. We were constantly in a hurry. Especially in the Valley of the Fallen, we only had 10 minutes to look at the landscape and then we had to leave again because the bus was needed for the next tour. You should make sure that you don't have the opportunity to eat anything. So you should bring something with you and eat on the way. I would have liked the tour to be extended by an hour so that you had at least half an hour at both attractions to take photos in peace or look at certain things again.

Pésima atencion

Pésima atención en agencia. Llegamos a las 08.45 y ya se había ido el bus. No hubo solución. Empleados groseros. No se ve la dirección FERRAZ 3. No lo recomiendo, busquen otra opción. El que paga, manda!!!!

Buena experiencia.

Me pareció una excursión muy interesante. La guía estaba muy preparada y documentada. Desde la salida del autobús nos describía los monumentos por donde pasábamos camino del destino. Una chica muy amable y profesional. El conductor muy bien también.

Recomiendo

Interesante y informativo, aprendí muchas cosas que desconocía . Silvia, la guía, muy conocedora y informada.

BELA EXCURSÃO DE MEIO DIA

O local é de uma beleza única, tanto o mosteiro quanto o Vale dos Caídos. Quem tiver tempo, faça essa excursão. Além de cultura, história, guerras, as belezas do local são de tirar o fôlego. O único ponto negativo do dia foi que nossa guia estava sempre com pressa. Não tivemos muito tempo livre.

Vale la pena

Espectacular! La arquitectura y la historia de los lugares son asombrosos. Incluso los paisajes, tanto en el recorrido como en los lugares a visitar. Súper recomendable!

Gratificante

Son fiables y se puede tener confianza para volver a viajar, guía muy majo y sabe explicar bien, horarios perfectos al igual que la atención

Extraordinaria

El recorrido muy bonito y el guía da muy bien su explicación de cada detalle en los espacios aparte divertida que hace que no sea nada monótono

On a vu l'essentiel avec beaucoup de détails donnés avec toujours une touche d'humour. Pas de temps d'attente.

Excursion bien organisée,très intéressante malgré des pluies diluviennes. De très bonnes explications par le guide très sympathique.

Amena nada aburrida

Buen comediante el carlos muy relax Todo lo que vimos increíbles el monasterio del escorial y la impresionante cruz de los caídos muy buena

Encantadora

El tour turístico por el Escorial y El Valle de los Caidos, ha sido muy satisfactoria e impactante, el guia muy agradable y simpático. ¡Experiencia muy recomendable!

Excelente

Ver la biblioteca del escorial fue muy lindo, el valle de lo caídos esta impactante, triste que no se puede tomar foto adentro

No repetiría con el guía

No le ha gustado nada el servicio ofrecido por el guía Carlos m. Falta de interés por el tema que nos explicaba. Al entrar al valle de los caídos nos dijo literal. “Este es el valle de los caídos, nos vemos en 1h”.

Todo perfecto, la guia...

Todo perfecto, la guia Silvia muy amable y preparada. En la cripta del Escorial el vigilante era un poco borde. Muy recomendable excursión.