43403MIS
Morning or afternoon sightseeing with local guide.
· Please note that all Madrid city sightseeing in 2025 is on foot.
· Call or text your local guide at least 24 hours in advance to confirm time and place of meeting.
· If you have more than 29 pax in your group they will have two guides for The Prado.
· Since the climate activists are now targeting art museums it is highly advisable to leave all bags and back packs on the bus as the scanners are struggling to keep up with increased checks
· Please try to include a walk by the Royal Palace in your evening activities or point it out on a map to group leaders.
· If you have an afternoon visit to El Escorial etc., have lunch in Madrid just after the end of the guided visit (for example near the Reina Sofía Museum, where the bus can take you from Prado). Arrange rendezvous with driver to pick up group at a suitable location and time.
· Teachers with valid teacher ID can get into Reina Sofía for free – remind them to take it on the day
· All groups are now provided in advance with whisper sets (you will have received a text message confirming this 24 hours before the trip starts) – please make sure everyone in your group has these before heading out on sightseeing ( and that you have the microphone/s for the local guide)
Distribute Whispers in advance if you can. Once you distributed them to the group, make sure to take several extra whispers/batteries/earphones with you in case something breaks during the tour (the headphones tend to fail quite often).
The city sightseeing tour is now all on foot – liaise in advance with your teachers to see what they are most interested in seeing bearing in mind your appointment time at Prado museum.
The following places are just suggestions – all will not be possible!
· Cibeles fountain & City Hall (old post office)
· Tropical Garden at Atocha railway station
· Templo de Debod
· Plaza Mayor
· Puerta del sol
· Gran Vía
· Plaza de España
· Retiro Park
· Royal Palace
Group entrances to The Prado are tightly controlled and timed reservations are made in advance.
The guide will enter the museum to pick up the tickets. Meanwhile, your group should line up outside the entrance. This will ensure a faster and smoother entrance into the museum for your group. Large bags must be checked into the luggage store at the museum so it is best to encourage the group to leave their bags on the bus and pick them afterwards.
The Prado Inside visit. Local guides can only be with groups for a maximum of 1 hour and 15 minutes in the museum. We aim to get entrance times that will make The Prado the last stop on your visit, however with new booking regulations this is somewhat out of our hands. Please ensure that the group will have time to look around more / go to the shop after the guided portion of the museum visit.
If sightseeing is scheduled for Saturday afternoon or Sunday, the Royal Palace may be visited instead. Check your itin and vouchers and warn your group about this on arrival day to avoid disappointment. Groups interested in visiting the Prado Museum must do so in their free time. The Tour Manager should reimburse participants upon receipt of entrance tickets, however, please be advised that the museum is free for under 18s (ID required) every day and for everyone from 6pm to 8pm, and on Sundays from 5pm to 8pm.
09:00 Depart Toledo taking the N401
10:30 Arrive in Madrid. Pick up guide at agreed rendezvous.
13:00 The tour ends. Make sure your group know when and where to meet the coach before they spilt up for lunch. New driving regulations and traffic patterns in Madrid have made it more difficult to find a drop off/pick up point. Drivers can usually be picked up at the Four Seasons hotel usually works if you have your group ready to board as drivers cannot wait indefinitely at this spot, however you will need to work with your driver to find the best spot. Any questions, please call the area office.
17:30 Depart Madrid
18:30 Arrive Toledo