OMGGGGGG YOU GUYS FELIX IS AWESOME!!…read more First off, do NOT go on this tour if you don't enjoy or want to learn about the fascinating history of Madrid. And by history, I mean, Felix goes all the way back to 200BC when the Romans conquered the Iberian Peninsula, LOL. But if you want to get a better sense of Madrid (and Spain) and how it came to be and what you're looking at, then book this tour! My husband LOVED it and he does not often gush about people or things. I was also amazed that he said he prefers the smaller groups, which is exactly what I wanted/needed. I didn't want to be attracting a ton of attention as a horde of tourists, nor strain to hear at the back of a giant crowd. Second, be prepared to walk...a LOT. I can't remember how long the tour is advertised as (I was looking at so many sites, they all blended together), but it was probably almost 3 hours, but I'm sure if we'd told him to cut it shorter he would've. He is passionate about his work, about Madrid, about Spain, its people and its history and his love shows. We didn't walk the entire time because he does a broad overview of the Spanish timeline of who controls what before starting. But just be aware of the weather--it was early June and it was mostly pleasant when we met him at 11am, but the sun quickly got more uncomfortable as time went on, so wear sunscreen and good shoes and bring a water bottle (he'll even show you where to fill it up along the way). We didn't necessarily hit all the sites on the tour description because I think he kind of tailored it to us. We met at Puerta del Sol, strolled down Calle del Arenal to the Opera House, walked thru the Plaza de Oriente to the Royal Palace, over to Plaza de Espana, then to Templo de Debod, and the lookout over the city, over to the main Palace entrance and Almudena Cathedral and the ancient Moorish wall. We wrapped up in Plaza de la Villa where we tipped him and said goodbye (you'll have to bring cash). I noticed he skipped Plaza Mayor and Mercado de San Miguel, which was fine by us because we'd already seen them and I imagine it would've been packed with tourists and pickpockets :) Don't know if you can request Felix, but I know he does the Essential Madrid tour (that's the one we booked). Hope you can get him! ***Edit: so to get Felix, select the tour you want and then look to the right of the name of the tour and it lists which guide is leading the selected tour. Felix is named as "Under My Umbrella Tours."

This was a tour I did not expect much because it was FREE !…read more Made a free online reservation before leaving for Madrid for our group of 4 and initially did not expect much because it was a no cost tour. Upon arrival to the Opera metro station, our guide: Rodrigo was there half hour early with his bright red Strawberry Tour umbrella. A lot of people stopped by and inquired about the tour because the umbrella said "gratis". Rodrigo greeted us with humor and enthusiasm - had us sign in and took a group photo of us all. He asked each tour participant if they had any allergies or dislikes. Rodrigo really showed he cared about our experience before we took off tapas eating! There were 11 of us who were in the group and all were accommodated perfectly at all the businesses. Sure enough, our first tapas stop was within easy walking distance from the metro station. Rodrigo explained before stepping into the business of how things will go, how food will be paid, what is served, specialties of the house, etc... All 4 stops were just amazing. At each stop, you can decide what you want to eat with your beverage of choice. He also will share the common tapas items (olives, nuts, chips, etc)... Cost was about 5€ per person at each place. We ended up at a final place: cider tasting event where we had to pour the cider from above your head to your cup near your knees. The cider is a rough, rustic apple fermented drink that is bad tasting from the bottle, but when poured at a height, the air mixes with the beverage and tastes a bit better. Very low alcohol in the hard cider.... We paid Rodrigo what we thought the tour was worth at the end of the tour - about 10€ per person = 40€ was our tip to Rodrigo. An excellent event that I highly recommend - especially those who are unsure of what to expect or pay a large amount to an unknown tour operator. You pay only what you think it's worth to you! A very good business model indeed!

If you're planning a trip to Seville (or Sevilla as pronounced by locals), you must include Devour…read moreSeville Food Tours on your first day/night in the city. I had the opportunity of joining them on their Tapas, Tavern & History tour and it was probably the highlight of my weekend visit to the this beautiful city. This 4-hour tour takes throughout the winding streets of Sevilla to taste, see and learn about this city's incredible history. There were 5 food stops on the tour where each stop outdid the last one. Enjoy sweet vermouth the right way with the best jamon this side of the world, try orange wine from a second generation flamenco singer's family and learn how to eat tapas in a country known for these little plates of food. Each place we visited was locally owned and operated with some of them being in business from the late 1800s! Talk about history. The greatest part about this tour was all the history that was covered without feeling like I was being sucked into a black hole of boredom as I often feel when I go on "historical" tours. It gave me a nice landscape of places I wanted to return to the following day and foods I wanted to try as well! The tour guide, Jamie, made it fun and exciting and had the group laughing and chatting the night away. I really didn't want the tour to end but as the saying goes... They also provided a handout that offered their recommendations of places to have breakfast, lunch, dinner, modern tapas, authentic tapas, dessert and drinks. They also recommended where to go to catch the best flamenco shows and where to buy authentic ceramics at a reasonable cost. I'm excited to know that they have tours in other parts of Spain like Barcelona, Madrid & Malaga. I will be checking out their tours in these other locations as well for a thorough introduction to the city, food & history combined!

From the owner: nos encanta compartir nuestros conocimientos de la ciudad de Madrid y su historia con personas de…read moretodo el mundo y hacer nuevos amigos, la mejor manera que tenemos para hacerlo es mediante nuestro Free tour llamado Madrid pie, de la mano de nosotros descubre, conoce y aprende de una forma muy divertida. Al final, podrá pagarnos lo que considere, dependiendo de como le haya gustado la actividad.

Ogo is a great option if you're looking for an organized way to sightsee the historic parts of…read moreMadrid and learn a lot along the way. There's no fee, but tip as you feel comfortable at the conclusion of the tour. It was very easy to find and meet the tour guide. They call to meet 15 minutes early to make sure everyone has time to locate them in the center of the square. The tour didn't include much walking, and would be doable for many ability levels. We saw sights including the Puerta del Sol square, plaza mayor, the oldest restaurant in the world, town square, the palace and more! Our tour guide was very animated and extremely well-versed in Spanish history - you could definitely tell it was a passion of hers. Many of the things we stopped at you wouldn't have otherwise, and our tor guide provided a lot of in-depth history of the country.

We took two wonderful tours with Javier! He gave us a great overview of the city in the general…read moretour, and we loved being able to focus on Madrid's rich culture during the Literary Tour & Paseo del Prado excursion. Javier is so knowledgeable and engaging. We look forward to going back and taking more Ogo Tours in the future!

I live in Catalunya and I usually go to Madrid every two months. I love the city of Madrid, its…read moremuseums and monuments, the gastronomy and the people. I have booked several private tours with this company "driveme.tours", not only of Madrid, but also of Toledo and Aranjuez, and I have to say that its an incredibly friendly professional company, which makes your tours very special. Their drivers are 5 star people, they really are. They explain lots of things and are always keen to make the most of your tour for you. Their vehicles are very new, luxurious and comfortable. And the customer service is excellent. If you want to hire an outstanding private tour, this is the company you are looking for. I promise!

From the owner: We offer you a selection of 12 private day tours, 6 in Madrid city and 6 in the surroundings…read more(Toledo, Segovia, Avila, El Escorial, Aranjuez, etc.). The tour price is for a group of any size, to a maximum of 7 or 8 people (7 for guided tours / 8 for no guided tours). Our fleet consists of only new and late model Mercedes Benz limousines and luxury vans. All our drivers have a good command of English.

If you are visiting Madrid, the Royal Palace is an absolute must-see. It is an amazing space that…read morefeels less like a museum and more like a living testament to Spanish grandeur. The palace is very interesting and full of history, sitting on the site of an old 9th-century fortress and reborn in the 18th century after a massive fire.  The scale of the building is almost hard to wrap your head around. It actually has 3,400 rooms (3,418 to be exact!), making it the largest royal palace in Western Europe. Thankfully, the visitor route is easy to follow, and we made it through about 35 rooms, which was just enough to see the highlights without feeling completely overwhelmed. Each room is more jaw-dropping than the last--from the velvet-draped Throne Room to the stunning frescoes on the ceilings.  I highly recommend visiting with a tour guide. Not only do they provide the context that brings the tapestries and armor to life, but it's the best way to avoid the long lines that wrap around the Plaza de la Armería. Having a pro lead the way made the entrance seamless and ensured we didn't miss the "hidden" stories behind the Royal Pharmacy and the Grand Staircase. Whether you are a history buff or just want to see some of the most beautiful interiors in the world, don't skip this. It was easily the highlight of our time in the city!

We had pre booked our tickets online for the first entry of the day. We got there before hand and…read morelined up in the pre booked line. They ended up opening the doors an hour after the website said, and because that was after our reservation they wouldn't honor our tickets. They said we had to buy new ones and request a refund for the tickets we had purchased already. Now two weeks later and I have yet to hear back from their team regarding my request. The visit was cool and it's a really great experience. Just be careful with your reservation, I'd recommend a few hours into their opening time to be safe.