The 10 Best Madrid Temple Tours

1.Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen Tour from Madrid

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,494 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $74Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned bus from central Madrid to El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen. A guide such as Cristina, Bea, Luis, or Oscar explains the royal monastery, art, Spanish Civil War memorial, and Franco-era monument in English, with Spanish also used when needed.

“It was well organised but Take water and food with you . The quality of Christine microphone kept dropping out. Annoying for her as well as us”

Check availability →Our full write-up

2.Flamenco Show at Tablao Sala Temple with Drink

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,206 reviews · 1 hour · from $29

See a one-hour flamenco performance at Sala Temple, a small tablao near Madrid’s Royal Palace. Expect two dancers, a singer, and a guitarist performing close to the audience, with no more than about 40 seats. Your ticket includes sangria, beer, wine, or a soft drink. Spanish, English, and Portuguese assistance is available.

“Excellent intimite show, in a room with no more than 25 people. Lovely Sangria included too. I was transfixed thought the performance.”

Check availability →Our full write-up

3.Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen from Madrid

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,023 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $79

Travel by air-conditioned coach from central Madrid to El Escorial, where a guide leads you through the basilica, royal tombs, Habsburg rooms, library, and artworks. The Valley of the Fallen may be included depending on the date and option selected. Expect a bilingual tour, stairs, walking, and a tightly timed morning.

“The tour was great! The monastery was amazing and our tour guide did an amazing job explaining the history. We do wish we could have spent more time at the Valley of the Fallen. Felt a little rushed, but what a beautiful church and view. Would have preferred a smaller group than the 30+ that was with our group. But the tour guide did a great job making sure we were all accounted for and given ample time for some that had trouble walking at a slower pace and stairs. There is a lot of walking to and at the monastery with additional stairs. But well worth it!!!!”

Check availability →Our full write-up

4.Escorial Monastery & Valley of the Fallen Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 389 reviews · 5 - 5.5 hours · from $78

Spend 5 to 5.5 hours visiting El Escorial’s Habsburg palace, royal mausoleums, library, and basilica, then continue to the Valley of the Fallen and its mountain-cut church. An English or Spanish guide leads the day, with free time at both sites. Expect stairs, walking, and a short visit inside the basilica.

“This has got to be one of the first mustsees outside madrid.Very moving and amazing what they can do inside a mountain”

Check availability →Our full write-up

5.Entrance to the Flamenco Temple Room in Madrid with Tapas Option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 176 reviews · 1 hour 10 minutes (approx.) · from $30

Spend about 70 minutes at Sala Temple Flamenco, a small Madrid tablao where dancers, singer, and guitarist perform a changing, improvised show. Your ticket includes entry and a drink, with tapas available as an add-on. Expect close tables, strong music, and a family-style atmosphere rather than a grand theater production.

“Great show and great service. You can arrive a little early and start enjoying the delicious food and drinks.”

Check availability →Our full write-up

6.Madrid Must-see with Atardeder at the Debod Temple

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 25 reviews · from $23

Join a Spanish-speaking guide for a two-hour walk from Plaza de Isabel II through Madrid’s old center, passing the Royal Theater, Palace, Almudena Cathedral, Sabatini Gardens, and Plaza de España. The tour ends at the Temple of Debod, where sunset views provide a memorable finish. Guide Andrés is noted for humor, detail, and personal help.

“He is very knowledgeable about the history of the city, and his explanations were detailed and entertaining, so much so that he went over the agreed time for the tour. He answered all our questions and, as a finishing touch, he guided us to the place where we were going to eat, as we were a little disoriented not being from the city. A great professional and, above all, a great person who, apart from dedicating his time to the tour, also dedicated his personal time to us. Best regards, Andrés.”

Check availability →Our full write-up

7.Combined admission to San Antonio de los Alemanes and the Monastery of San Plácido

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 21 reviews · 1 day · from $14

Visit San Antonio de los Alemanes and the Monastery of San Plácido with one $14 admission. Use the audio guide in Spanish, English, or French as you study Baroque frescoes by Luca Giordano, Carreño de Miranda, and Francisco Rizi, plus major works by Claudio Coello.

“ampliar espacios a visitar en el convento de San Plácidoy el museo de San Antonio de los Alemanes.”

Check availability →Our full write-up

8.San Lorenzo de El Escorial Monastery Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $114

Join licensed guide Isabella Trébede for a private, English-language tour of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. In 2.5 hours, explore the Royal Basilica, Philip II’s library, cloister, Chapter Rooms, Royal Pantheon, and Habsburg palace. Tickets and headsets are included, but transport to the meeting point is not.

Check availability →Our full write-up

9.Royal Monastery of the Barefoot nuns: Guided Tour + Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7 reviews · 1 - 2 hours · from $46

Enter Madrid’s Descalzas Reales with an official English or Spanish-speaking guide. Over one to two hours, you’ll see the old palace staircase, mural paintings, chapels, reliquaries, tapestries, and works linked to Rubens and Luca Giordano. Tickets and line skipping are included, but mobility is limited.

“The guide was competent and attentive, she has explained us history and art works in monastery. Was very interesting”

Check availability →Our full write-up

10.Entrance to the Monastery of Las Comendadoras de Santiago

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 7 reviews · 1 day · from $11Cheapest good one

Visit Madrid’s 17th-century Monastery of Las Comendadoras de Santiago at your own pace. Your admission includes an audio guide in English, French, or Spanish, with access to the girls’ chapel, Knights’ Sacristy, lower choir, cloister, and church. Allow time for a quiet look at spaces linked to centuries of religious life.

Check availability →Our full write-up