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Free Madrid Walking Tours

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This post covers free walking tours in Madrid, including outings that cover the historic district, the best-kept secrets of the city, and even a look at the city after dark.


OVERVIEW + SCHEDULE

Madrid has been one of the epicenters of Western art in Europe for centuries and is now home to world-class museums, culture, architecture, monuments, and other attractions.

While exploring the Spanish capital, you will navigate through the city’s fascinating history from its foundation as a Moorish town to its modern and vibrant current state.


Free Walking Tour of Madrid

Below is a calendar of some of the great free walking tours led by locals that are available in Madrid. Click on the entry below to expand the listing for more details.

The tours listed below are run through us. More tours are available in the following sections.

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Here is a calendar with more of the best free walking tours in Madrid.

Take a walking tour and become a Madrileño for a day, because in the words of the great writer Calderón de la Barca: “Madrid is everyone’s homeland…”

This model of tours is pay-what-you-wish, meaning you can pay your local guides what you think the tour was worth, or what you could afford after your walk is over.

Free Walking Tours

According to online reviews, most tourists pay between €5 to €20 per person for free walking tours Madrid-style.

We offer tours globally. Here are just a few cities.


HISTORIC DISTRICT TOURS + ESSENTIALS 

Several free walking tours take you through the most historic neighborhoods in Madrid, providing a closer look at notable landmarks and explaining what life was like during medieval times.

While you can expect to learn some history on these outings, you’ll also receive tips about the best places to visit, great restaurants in the area, and more.

Royal Palace of Madrid

In addition to discovering how the capital of Spain developed into the city we see today, you can also expect to visit some of the following locations:

  • Puerta del Sol
  • Plaza Mayor
  • The Royal Palace
  • Almudena Cathedral
  • Mercado de San Miguel
  • And more!

If you want to learn more about these sites, consider one of the pay-what-you-wish tours listed below.


TOURSTILLA

Learn about the royal families of the past and how this city rose to prominence as you visit some of the most notable sites on this 2-hour free tour of Madrid.

This pay-what-you-wish tour is available in both English and Spanish twice a day at 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 11:30 am and 17:00 (5 pm) on every day.

The tour will start at the Puerta del Sol also known as the Sun Gate.

Get more information or book this tour.


You may also want to consider a self-guided exploration game instead. This service puts you in the role of someone escaping the Spanish Inquisition.

Although the self-guided game is not free, at only €10, it's around what most people would consider tipping their guide for a pay-what-you-wish walking tour.

This tour game lasts 2 hours and runs daily from C. de San Bernardo, 1, 28013 Madrid, Spain


MAJESTIC MADRID

If you’re looking to take a more unique tour of the city, there are at least a couple of options you may want to consider.

While some cover the basic history of Madrid from a different perspective, others are more focused on the culture of the city, including details about famous writers and artists from the area.

Puerta de Alcalá

At least one of these outings includes free food samples!

You can expect to see some of the following highlights on these tours:

  • Circle of Fine Arts
  • Puerta de Alcalá
  • Plaza de la Armería
  • Fuente de Cibeles (Cibele Fountain)
  • The Royal Theatre (Opera House)
  • Monastery of the Royal Barefoot
  • Prado Museum
  • And more!

For more information about locations like these, consider taking one of the pay-what-you-wish walking tours listed below.


Xtreme Tours

Discover the other side of Madrid on a tour covering several notable sites you won't see on the typical tour of the city centre.

In addition to the unique take on history, you’ll also get some free drinks just for taking this 2 ½ hour tour.

The tour is available every day at 11:30 am and 17:30 (5:30 pm).

The tour starts at Puerta del Sol in front of the equestrian statue of Carlos III. Your tour guide will be waiting with a distinctive white umbrella with the Xtreme Tours Madrid logo.

Book the tour or learn more.


Sandemans

If you’re interested in learning about the most famous artists who ever lived in Madrid, Sandemans Majestic Madrid tour is an excellent choice.

Learn about the history of Miguel de Cervantes (Don Quixote), Ernest Hemingway (A Farewell to Arms), and many other literary geniuses who once walked the streets of this city.

Although this tour is free, it will only cost €3 for adults and €15 for groups (per guest) to get priority tickets. Many travelers tip between €10-€15 after a pay-what-you-wish tour, so this is a quite fairly priced outing.

This Madrid tour is available in both English and Spanish on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 15:00 (3:00 pm).

The Tour starts in front of the Tourist Information Centre in Plaza Mayor


TAPAS TOURS

There’s a lot of great food in Madrid, but tapas are one of the most popular dishes in all of Spain, so you can expect to find a wide variety of them at restaurants in this city.

These tasty treats are so prevalent that there are some free walking tours you can take which will help you find the best tapas in all of Madrid.

Most of the locations you will visit are known as tapas bars, which specialize in making several different styles of meals.

Each of these tapas tours will allow you to decide how much food you try, as you’ll be paying for your food along the way.


Leaf Madrid

This tour company offers a free tour that will take you to popular bars and restaurants which specialize in making a variety of different tapas.

Rather than paying one flat price upfront, you’ll pay for all the food you want to try along the way, giving you control over the cost of the tour.

Available in both English and Spanish, this 2 ½ hours free tapas tour is limited to groups of 10 or fewer and it’s offered on Thursday at 18:00 (6 pm).

Meeting point of the tour is Puerta del Sol at Carlos III on Horse Statue. Tour guide will be holding a Sky Blue Umbrella in his hands.

Book your tour or learn more.


Unseen Footprints

If you’d rather explore the city and try some of the best food in Madrid on your own, this self-guided tapas tour is an excellent choice.

This outing includes multiple different stops at tapas bars in the city, allowing you to try several different types of this popular dish.

The best part about this option is that you don’t have to pay anything for a tour guide and you can decide how much you want to spend on the actual food as you make your way to each location.

The tour starts around 9 pm and the first stop of the tour is El Oso y el Madroño.

Take this self-guided tapas tour or learn more.


Enmanuel Tours

Note: Tour is currently unavailable.

This expert local guide offers a tour called "Delicious Madrid," which covers some of the best foods to eat in the city.

Rather than focusing just on Tapas, this is both a gastronomy and historical tour, providing details about Spanish traditions, customs, and history.

Along the way, you'll have opportunities to taste some of the best dishes in Madrid at local, family-run businesses.

This tour is offered every Saturday and Sunday at 11 am and 16:30 (4:30 pm).

Find out more about the Delicious Madrid tour.


NIGHT TOURS + PUB CRAWLS

These are pretty much the same as a tour of the historic district, but they are offered after the sun goes down.

That said, some night tours offer additional tips and tricks to help guests find their way around the city.

If you’re interested in seeing what Madrid looks like either as the sun is setting or after it goes down, these are excellent sightseeing opportunities.

It’s also worth noting that the free tapas tour from Leaf Madrid starts at 6 pm, so you could easily consider this a night tour as well.

We’ll also provide a few options for pub crawls in Madrid to help you find the best sangria, beer, wine, and vermouth in the city!

Here are a few of the sites you can expect to see after dark:

  • The Royal Palace
  • Almudena Cathedral
  • Plaza de la Villa
  • Puerta del Sol
  • Plaza Mayor
  • And more!

Discover what Madrid looks like at night on one of the following free walking tours.


Tours Tilla

This is the same historic district tour that we have listed above, but it should be noted that they offer their service after dark, and it’s one of the best free night tour options in Madrid.

Guests can take the tour every night in either English or Spanish at 17:00 (5 pm), and it’s approximately 2 hours in length, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore the city after dark.

The tour will start at the Puerta del Sol also known as the Sun Gate.

Learn more about this option or book the tour now.


Madrid’s Origin

This outing provides information stretching back over 1200 years of history, and it includes stops at some of the most famous locations in the city.

Although this 2-hour tour is offered in both English and Spanish three times a day – once at 17:30 pm, 21:00 pm and again at 22:30 pm Daily!

Meeting point of the tour is Puerta del Sol and guide will be carrying a light blue umbrella.

Find out more or book this tour.


GPS My City

If you’re looking for a free pub crawl, there is one self-guided option provided by GPS My City that you might want to consider.

This guide will use GPS to help you find your way from one bar to the next and it has a total of 18 stops.

You can download it to your smartphone using their app on either iTunes or Android.

Since you don’t have to pay for a tour guide, you can save all your money on trying out a variety of different drinks at the bars you’ll visit along the way.

Take this self-guided pub crawl or learn more.


Other Madrid Pub Crawls

Most pub crawls in this city are not free, but they do often include at least one free drink at each of the bars visited in addition to some drink specials to save you even more money.

Prices range from just €11 to €39, and these outings can last up to 6 hours depending on which one you choose.

If you want to learn more or see what’s available, please check this list of Madrid pub crawls.


FLAMENCO TOURS 

Madrid is home to some wonderful artistic and cultural traditions, and it’s the origin of a popular form of music and dance known as Flamenco.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about this dance form, there is at least one free walking tour you may want to consider.

You can expect to visit some of the dance schools and Spanish bars where famous Flamenco dancers and musicians have performed throughout the years.

You’ll also visit some artisan shops which sell items such as Flamenco shoes and handmade guitars for artists who perform either the dance or the music that goes along with it.


MAD Tours

Note: Tour is currently unavailable.

Your tour guide will also provide information about Flamenco to help you understand its artistry of it and get the most out of any show you might choose to see after this outing.

This 1 ½ hour free walking tour is only available every Saturday at 11:45 am, so it’ll be important to sign up for the service well in advance to ensure you’re included in the group.

Book this tour or learn more.


See a Flamenco Show

If you want to see this music and dancing for yourself either before or after the tour, several venues offer tickets you can purchase well in advance.

Here are a few of the best Flamenco shows currently available in Madrid:


Museum Tours

In addition to all of the other types of free walking tours, you can take in Madrid, there are also several companies offering pay-what-you-wish tours of notable museums.

While these services do not include admission to the museums in question, they are an excellent way to make sure that you're seeing all the best exhibits and sites at each museum.

The only issue with these museum tours is that they aren't always consistently offered on a regular basis, so availability really depends upon when you plan to visit and how far in advance you reserve your spot.

Here are a few of the best options currently available:


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