We wanted to do a "hop on/hop off" in Madrid; but apparently none of the tour bus companies have…read morethat option any longer. There were several different tour bus companies, all red and all with similar pricing. We went with Madrid City Tours on the recommendation of our hotel. It was €28 pp and the start/end location was right near the Prado Museum. The ticket price includes two separate loops, but we only went to the one that went through the historic District. We sat on the top floor, under the canopy, but being summer in Madrid it was still really hot. (Especially when the bus would be stopped in traffic.). The historic loop took just over an hour and there were plenty of sites on both sides of the bus. We saw the Prado, City Walls, parks, statues, and other areas of interest. I was kind of disappointed that we could not get off at any of the areas that looked interesting and get pictures, especially since the bus was moving and pictures didn't always come out great when the bus was in motion. As you board they give you a set of headphones; and the city narration is done in all of the most common languages. It was easy to hear and understand the information. We enjoyed our tour; but after 1 hour of sitting on a bus, we didn't really want to do the second loop that goes to the financial area and sit on a bus for another 2 hours. We really had no complaints about the bus. It was clean and had plenty of open seats. We would have preferred the "hop on/hop off" option.....hopefully they will be allowed to operate that way again in the future. Overall it's a good way to see much of Madrid without renting a car.

The bus is very hot with a cooling AC that can't be felt it's useless. No fan or mist. Your guide…read morestopped to use the bathroom and didn't offer anyone else an opportunity. No water or cooking relief, you're on your own while you are stuck for 1 hour and thirty to forty five minutes depending on traffic. You can really take time each day to explore the sites they drive you to. Never will be too soon for Thai again.

We took several tours with this operator while in Madrid, Spain…read more What attracted us was the moderate price and the fact that we had time on our own to explore the place at our own pace. We took a full day tour to Toledo. Transportation on buses back and forth departing from Plaza de España which was close to our apartment. We were given about 45 min guided tour and the rest of the time was on our own. They provided stops for panoramic views of the City. The Second Tour we took during our stay was Segovia-Ávila. That was fantastic too. Our guide in this tour Alex was a young History Major Student with a light funny touch to the narrative. Another unforgettable trip. And, when you book tours with them you get a complimentary tour of Madrid. It took us places in Madrid that otherwise we would have missed. We thoroughly enjoyed all these tours, and certainly got our monies worth.

I did two different tours with Devour during my trip to Madrid…read more The first was the Madrid Prado Museum Tour & VIP Botin Lunch. I highly recommend this if you are interested in a streamlined visit to the Prado really highlighting and focusing on particular noteworthy works. This worked well for me because I'm not as familiar with some of the artists whose work are showcased here, and I learned A LOT by taking this tour. You also stop for a little tapa and vermouth before having lunch at Botin, which was quite an experience. It's a tough reservation to get on your own, and enjoying it as part of this tour is well worth it. The second tour I did was the Ultimate Spanish Cuisine tour. This tour stopped at a variety of locations. We sampled porra (basically thick churros) and chocolate, "pregnant" sourdough buns stuffed with chorizo, a variety of olives, vermouth, boquerones, olive oil, several hams, some fruit, a cheese selection with wine pairing, and cake. It was a delicious and well-rounded food experience. Montse was my guide for both of these tours and she is absolutely fantastic! After meeting her on the first tour, I told her I was taking another tour and her office was able to schedule her to be my tour guide again for the second one. She actually studied art so she was extra knowledgeable at the Prado, but also had so much to share about Madrid and answered so many of our questions. I'm so glad I booked these tours with Devour on my trip. I would definitely consider their tours for other cities I visit in the future as well.

Dani was amazing! He was entertaining and knowledgeable about the taverns, tapas and history he…read moretook us to. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and highly recommend this tour group.

My mom and I did their 4:00 PM E-bike tour this past week. It was a great experience and our guide…read morewas excellent! I would recommend doing this tour on your first day/afternoon in Madrid so you can get acclimated to the city and see some of the main sites. Our guide, Fran, was knowledgeable, personable, and animated. The background he provided at each of the sites was interesting and helped us learn more about Madrid and Spanish history. He also had great tips and recommendations for where to go in Madrid. The tour was about 10-15 people I'd say. It was a good size to command enough attention to safely drive on the road in a lane but have everyone stay together. They provided a water bottle, helmet, bike. Fran even took us to a special "surprise stop" at the end (churros!). With the E-bike, you could adjust the assistance and you still pedaled to make the assist go, but it was a good choice to have some assist as there are hills and you don't want to worry about having to keep up on going when you're driving in a lane on the road. The shop also has bikes, roller blades, and skate/penny boards for rent.

Best way to spend 2 hours at Parque De El Retiro. The park is rather large but flat so exploring…read moreby bike is not only fun but makes for a fun way to see the park. Rental was quick and easy, you have to leave your ID and 2 hours was about $7.50 euros per person. We easily explored the parque in 1 hour with time for photos and admiring the beauty it offers. Definitely recommend!

Had a great experience on this walking tour led by Jovan. He was engaging, energetic, and knew his…read moreway in and out of the city. Very knowledgeable about both history and food which was appreciated. This tour highlights historical aspects of Madrid's Plaza Mayor, theories behind the architecture of the city, the conquest and reconquest of the city, gastronomical highlights, and some fun trivia. The tour itself is 3 hours long with a break in the middle where the group stopped at a cafe to get drinks and use the restroom. Wear comfortable shoes! While the tour is officially free, tips are highly encouraged to continue the existence of the company and its excellent tour guides.

My husband and I signed up for the "Majestic Madrid Walking Tour" with Sandemans on the second day…read moreof our trip to Madrid. Our guide Mark did a great job showing us the city while giving us an entertaining history lesson. Not only was he very knowledgeable on the history and culture of Madrid, but he was also very friendly and took the time to get to know our group and answered any questions we had. The tour takes about 2.5 hours with a 10-15 minute coffee/bathroom break in the middle. Definitely plan to wear comfortable walking shoes, as the tour covers quite a bit of ground. Our tour started at Plaza Mayor (just took for the red Sandemans umbrella) and ended at Plaza de Isabel II. While it is free to sign up, remember to bring cash if you choose to tip your tour guides at the end. Overall, the tour was a great introduction to the city of Madrid. We learned a lot (always remember 1561!) and highly recommend the experience!

1-10?...9.5 Very enjoyable. The tour is detailed with maps and audio guides. It's best to sit on…read morethe 2nd level seats on top to get a better look on the surroundings.

My family and I had booked flights to Lisbon, Portugal and to leave Madrid Spain. We were a family…read moreof four traveling (2 parents with 2 kids in the middle teen years) and with 2 grandparents in their 70s. Our goal was to stay in Lisbon one week, Madrid for one week, and then look for day trips outside of enjoying the city areas. I had spoken with several tour groups but they focus primarily either for Portugal or Spain. Usually not both. I chose Letango for the main reason that they could develop an itinerary along with scheduling drivers. I knew that with the grandparents traveling by bus or train would be harder on them with the extra walking involved. Carlos did a great job of planning the entire itinerary. He planned 2 walking tours in Lisbon, 2 day trips out of Lisbon (Sintra and Evora), 2 walking tours of Madrid, a tapas tour in Madrid, 2 days trips from Madrid (Segovia/Avilla, and Toledo), a Flamenco show, and a cooking class. That allowed our family to focus on the culture and the trip versus focusing on the logistics. All of the tour guides provided were courteous and helpful. They all recognized the wide range areas and adapted speaking points, walking pace, or in answering questions to all of us. They were also flexible when our whims caused us to stay in one place longer or ask about stopping at a specific location. I hope to travel back to those countries and will be looking to work with Letango again.

Carlos was excellent to work with in planning multiple tours in and around Madrid this past summer…read more I preferred to purchase my own entry tickets and he was very flexible when I had specific requests. We had great guides and terrific communication from Carlos at all times even after the tours.

I am writing this at 3am as it's the last drop for me having a hard time sleeping here, the bed is…read morehard and it's not for 2 people, it's a bit bigger than a twin bed. Started with us having to change rooms upon arrival from a long flight because the bath tub didn't work properly. It wasn't an easy process since they tried to convince us to "just take showers instead". Er... no. We are tired and sick and we paid for a room with a working tub. Nobody offered to carry our bags from the start and they tried their best not change our room but we stood our ground. In the new room the bath tub also doesn't work properly but whatever we were able to make it work manually in order to have a bath full of water without leaking. The bathroom has no towel warmer, the bath is super slippery and dangerous I almost slipped twice even tho I was using the safety mat provided by the hotel which poorly fits the tub. Ours is a very outdated room and it's honestly the WORST bed I've ever tried to sleep in my life, my husband and I are not big people! We are tall but not wide, we can't barely fit in the bed and it's hard like a table!! Tho the service was great, the food at the bar was not good, nothing we ordered tasted fresh, even tho we ordered local dishes, it just doesn't feel like a 5 star hotel at all here. I stayed at intercontinental hotel in Porto march of this year and the experience was completely different. I'm so disappointed and feel like I would have had better sleep, saved my $ had a more comfortable stay at a Hilton or even a Marriot courtyard but now it's too late and we have to suck it up because we only have a little over a couple more days here in Europe. My advice: don't stay here!

I really enjoyed my stay at this hotel…read more The breakfast buffet included with the room reservation is one of the best breakfast buffets I have had. There is so much food, not a typical buffet. There are churros, Chinese churros, omelets, scrambled eggs, cheese, deli meats, regular sausage, blood sausage, four types of juice, countless pieces of fruit, etc. I could not even sample everything. The staff is friendly and efficient. For example, when I was checking out, by the time I was fully checked out, a taxi was already waiting for me at the front door and the driver knew the information for my airline and terminal! This is phenomenal service. The standard rooms are on the smaller side, but they are clean. The beds are comfortable and the pillows are fluffy. There is a bidet in each room. I guess this is not that noteworthy for an European hotel, but as an ignorant American, I cannot help but laugh at it.