The many faces of the City of Cibeles on a 3-hour walk
Starting at the beginning is usually good advice. That's why we recommend beginning your guided tour experience with their Historical Madrid tour. This experience suits both classic backpack-toting tourists with maps in hand and long-term residents who've lost count of their years in the capital.
You'll meet your guide at Plaza de Isabel II to begin a journey that will contextualise everything. You'll understand how the capital evolved to its current state, looking back from the 9th century when Muslims inhabited it, through to the 18th century Bourbon dynasty. At this point you might think this stroll differs little from history book pages - if so, you'd be completely mistaken.
As you walk from Plaza de Oriente towards Calle Mayor, this friendly chat will reveal how nothing in this great city is accidental. The most visible footprints are those left by monarchs in the architecture of places like Plaza de la Villa or Puerta de Alcalá. Yet other characters have left subtler marks that created traditions still alive today. Traditional sweets and dishes also resulted from historical evolution that shaped Madrid's character. Why do people typically eat calamari sandwiches in Plaza Mayor rather than tortilla ones? You'll discover why.
This tour also offers educational and budget-friendly leisure for the whole family - children under 6 can join completely free.
A Legendary Madrid
If you're the type who looks beyond what meets the eye, continue your capital expedition through Legendary Madrid. Here, the statues in Plaza de Oriente will seem to come alive through legends that have permeated this so-called "Villa y Corte" for centuries.
This curiosity-driven tour takes you through myths that influenced societal behaviour. Your route includes landmarks like Costanilla de San Andrés and Plaza de Puerta Cerrada until reaching Puerta del Sol. There you'll realise what hundreds of daily visitors see is just a tiny fraction of what this place has to show.
The perfect plan for families and schools
Madrid a 1 Paso has also solved the challenge of finding child-friendly activities. Bank holidays or Christmas are dates children anticipate as much as you do - you'll want to reward them, not leave them at home. On special dates, routes adapt for family outings, proving even to little ones that leisure can be educational. These can become city-centre treasure hunts making the experience even more interactive.
Students joining their special school visits also never see history the same way again. Guides tailor explanations to pupils' ages, quickly sparking their interest in what they're seeing. So teachers should remember - Madrid a 1 Paso puts the capital within their students' reach.
