Tour do Mosteiro El Escorial e Vale dos Caídos saindo de Madri

Disfruté mucho del tour. Casi lo cancelo porque quería ver cosas en Madrid y me alegro de no haberlo hecho. ¡El monasterio fue increíble! Definitivamente una de las mejores vistas alrededor de Madrid. Podría haber prescindido del Valle. Tenía algunas vistas bonitas, pero la iglesia no era tan interesante. Quizás si estuvieras más interesado en la historia, sería mejor. Tampoco hubo tiempo para ver toda la iglesia y tomar fotos del valle. Realmente disfruté que tuvieran 2 guías turísticos y dividieran el grupo en hablantes de inglés y español. Ayudó a acelerar un poco el recorrido, al no tener que escuchar las explicaciones dos veces.

I participated in a half-day tour to the El Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen. Initially, I planned to go by myself, as a bus ticket plus admission to just the monastery would be around 25-30 euros. However, if I wanted to visit the Valley of the Fallen as well, it would take a whole day, and transportation is inconvenient. To save time, I decided to join this tour. The activity started at 8:15 AM at Julia Travel in the city center. After arriving, we waited until 8:30 AM before heading to a nearby underground parking lot to board the tour bus. There weren't many participants that day, so my group of three could comfortably sit one person per double seat. During the drive, the guide provided explanations of the attractions in both English and Spanish, giving us some background knowledge. After about 45 minutes, we arrived at the bus station in the small town of El Escorial. Since there are no other large parking lots nearby, we had to walk about five minutes to reach the monastery. Inside the monastery, the guide led us through the cloisters of the monastery and palace, the tombs of the royal family members, the tombs of the kings (no photos allowed), the king's living quarters, and the library. The guide used a wireless audio guide system for explanations, and while the explanations were detailed, the sound quality of the earpiece was poor, becoming unclear if you were a little far from the guide. After visiting the monastery, we returned to the bus station to board the tour bus, so there was no time to take photos outside the monastery; I could only quickly snap a few pictures on the way back to the station. The drive to the Valley of the Fallen took about 10-15 minutes. The attraction is located deep in a valley, and going by oneself would require driving or taking a bus that only runs once a day in the afternoon. That day was Easter Sunday, and coincidentally, there was a mass in the church in the valley, but fortunately, it had just finished when we arrived, allowing us to enter. However, the guide also mentioned that entry might not always be possible. After staying in the Valley of the Fallen for about 45 minutes, we left around 1:00 PM (after the guided tour, there was 20 minutes of free time, but about five minutes needed to be reserved for walking from the church back to the parking lot). We encountered traffic that day, spending about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and only returned to Madrid at 2:15 PM. The drop-off point was near the Royal Palace, so we could visit nearby attractions afterward. Overall, this activity is highly recommended for travelers interested in history and architecture but short on time, as it allows you to visit two historical periods and architectural sites in Spain in just one morning. The guide was also very professional and happy to answer questions from the group (it would be even better if the wireless audio system had clearer sound). Although the price of this tour is more expensive than going independently, it saves time, eliminates the need to arrange transportation yourself, and provides professional guidance. However, those who wish to take many photos may not have much time to do so.

This trip was truly breathtaking! The interior of the monastery was exquisitely detailed, and the library was stunning! The world's largest cross was also a pleasant surprise, and the church in the valley is definitely worth seeing.

Gran recorrido en general. Ambos lugares merecen una visita. Nuestra guía, Christina, fue amable y conocedora. El único inconveniente fue que todo el recorrido se sintió un poco apresurado. Solo tuvimos menos de 15 minutos de tiempo libre en el Valle de Cuelgamuros para pasear. No fue suficiente para empaparse de las vistas. Pero si solo estás marcando casillas, este tour es la mejor opción por tu dinero.

La grandeza de El Escorial asombra; el Valle de los Caídos es solemne, vasto e inquietante, contrastando el legado espiritual, político e histórico de España.

Cristina is a great guide, I am the only one for English tour but she always look after me. She managed all of us in the monastery and Valle.

Es un viaje bilingüe, así que si no hablas español, la cantidad de información que recibirás será mucho menor. En general, un buen viaje.

Gran monasterio que integraba una basílica y la residencia de la familia real. ¡Buenas vistas desde la cima de la montaña!

Amazing castle with beautiful library and history, stunning surroundings. Must not miss the largest cross in the world.

I visited the El Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen, both of which were very impressive. I particularly liked the El Escorial Monastery; the architecture inside was beautiful. The tour guide was excellent and managed the time well, and all the group members were punctual. The day tour was even cheaper than booking my own tickets, so it was definitely worth participating.