Castles · Tour
El Escorial Library and Basilica, Then the 152-Metre Cross
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
MadridThis one takes the monastery first, with a guide, and goes to the Valley afterwards. El Escorial is on the UNESCO list and was put up in the 16th century as a statement about who was governing Spain. The Renaissance plan is relentlessly symmetrical, and the guided route works through the parts that matter: the Habsburg Palace, the Chapter House, the Basilica, and the library. The library is the room to slow down in. Its shelves hold one of the most important collections assembled in 16th-century Europe, the vault above them is painted with the liberal arts, and the whole room was designed by a king who wanted his monastery to hold knowledge as well as bones. The Valley of the Fallen is nine kilometres away in the Sierra de Guadarrama, and you see it long before you arrive: the cross above it stands 152 metres and is visible from a long way across the mountains. The church itself is cut into the rock underneath. Check in at the office in central Madrid 15 minutes before departure. The coach is air-conditioned, and the day ends at the Plaza de Oriente underground car park.
What's included
- Local guide
- Admission to the Valley of the Fallen and the Basilica
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Hotel pickup and drop-off service (If option Private Tour selected)
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- Radio-guide system
- Entrance to the Royal Monastery of El Escorial
Itinerary
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C. de San Nicolás, 15, Madrid
Next to Plaza Ramales
Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Check in at the office in central Madrid 15 minutes before the tour, then out of the city on an air-conditioned coach. The Royal Monastery of El Escorial is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It went up in the 16th century as a statement of the power of the government of the day. The guide covers the main parts of it, and the Renaissance symmetry is the thing you notice first: the Habsburg Palace, the Chapter House, the Basilica and the library.
Valley of the Fallen
Back on the coach for the short run to the Valley of the Fallen, 9 km from El Escorial in the Sierra de Guadarrama. It is visible from a distance because of the monumental cross above it. The monument itself is a church cut into the mountain, topped by the largest cross in the world, which can be seen from miles away.
Pl. de Ote., Madrid
Plaza de Oriente underground car park, level -2
Good to know
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please note this is a walking tour on arrival at the site. Wear appropriate attire.
- Julià Travel reserves the right to modify or cancel the tour itinerary without prior notice due to force majeure reasons.
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- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers per guide.
- In accordance with the regulations of the Valley of the Fallen, the guide will not be able to give explanations inside the basilica. All information will be given outside and the visit will be on your own.
- Patrimonio Nacional reserves the right to modify the itinerary and the access to some parts of its monuments.
- Not recommended for people with walking difficulties or reduced mobility, as the interior of the monument has a large number of stairs and full accessibility cannot be guaranteed due to its architectural features.
- Up to 9 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: en, es.
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