Had a pleasant & very hot day together here at the valley of the fallen,…read moreThis place is very historical and the upside is that if you love history as much as we do you will definitely want to visit, the downside is.. a lot of walking.

My friend suggested this day trip from Madrid and it did not disappoint. Must go to the cathedral…read moreand marvel at how high the ceilings go - remember this is built in a freaking mountain so the engineering that needed to happen is beyond impressive. The cathedral itself had a very somber yet almost modern feel, probably due to the stone walls and floors. Probably the most memorable cathedral I have ever seen.

Here's something you don't see every day - it's a vertical garden. Not flat like the botanical…read moregardens nearby. This garden is a dramatic four-story (78 feet!) tall green wall near the CaixaForum building. Facing south, the garden gets near constant sunlight as it moves across the sky. And yes, it sure gets hot in Madrid. But you'll find yourself much cooler with a visit to the garden. Worth admiring the 250 different species of plants that survive and thrive without soil. It is an ever-changing, living piece of art. [Review 12542 overall, 2332 of 2019.]

Meanwhile, the companion in some ways of the other review I just wrote, of the Palace of the Stock…read moreExchange in Portugal, this tour is definitely of a gaudy palace built by royalty with a whole *lot* of stolen gold and jewels, so I was glad to learn that it isn't *still* owned by the royal family, it's owned by the state and mostly used for state functions, other than its purpose as far as tourists are concerned, being a museum of a fraction of the riches Spain owns (and not a coincidence, presumably, that they also built a museum of *more* of the riches owned by Spain, on display right next door, for a combined, reduced price.) The self-guided tour is worth it if you like seeing a bunch of super ornate architecture, furniture, artwork, etc. We got snippets of the actual tour as we passed each other at various points - I was happier being able to walk through the route at our own pace, which took about an hour. I felt sorry for the people whose tickets were for any time the following day, though, as it was randomly closed all day the next day we were in Madrid a few months ago, which I gather isn't an altogether rare thing to happen, that they take reservations and then close last minute. We got in in the nick of time, it seemed. By the way, if you have bags, you do have to leave your bags downstairs in a locker at a small additional fee. It was small enough I do remember exactly how much it even was, though, so it clearly wasn't a big deal.

Palacio Real de Madrid is probably my favorite palaces we've seen on our travels…read more I loved that they had these massive air purifiers so it didn't smell stale or dusty (it was incredibly comfortable), but I also adored the absolutely gorgeous purple wallpaper and how much care had been taken in the decor inside the building. Absolutely do a tour if you have a chance as ours gave such a clear impression of the space and added such a nice depth to our visit. It was one of my favorite things we did while in Madrid, and I can't recommend visiting Palacio Real de Madrid enough.

Segovia is a fun town and besides the aqueduct this place is another site to visit because it's a…read morecastle! So much art and architecture to admire It's beautiful and it's always a trip to take a trip down history past!

We enjoyed the Alcázar very much. It wasn't too crowded and we could linger at the displays and not…read morefeel rushed. There are several different levels of tours with some including audio.

We visited El Escorial as part of a team meeting. The monastery is an amazing site to see, with a…read morerich history! We were lucky and had amazing weather, which meant we could see all the way back to Madrid.

There are so many places worth a day trip from Madrid and this is one of them. In wanting to find a…read moreplace that could be a longer half day trip (but not more than this due to the short duration of my trip), this monastery appealed to me in that the commute time via public transportation is about an hour from Madrid Chamartin, or only about a 40 min drive (€40 rideshare price) from the western edge of Madrid city center. Certainly you could take more time around town and make this a full day trip in addition to visiting the Valle de los Caídos (the Valley of the Fallen) monument, there are a number of bus tours that run this exact itinerary. Departing from Madrid Chamartin the Cercanius C8 line arrives at El Escorial station, from which it's about a 25 minute walk or 15 min bus ride to the monastery which is the major tourist destination in town. The town itself is quaint and nice to take a stroll around to get a feel of a suburban downtown area. Tickets are available online and in-person by time slot and while in late September I didn't see times fully booked I imagine during peak tourist season you should book at least a few days in advance. Inside larger bags need to checked in lockers (€1 euro deposit for the lock mechanism function, returned upon unlocking the cubby), and then you follow signs indicating the direction of the tour starting from the main courtyard. Two highlights for me were a) the library with beautiful ceiling murals and filled with antique books, b) the elaborate pantheon crypt facility which are in current functional use as burial chambers for Spanish monarchy. I also appreciated that almost all the description placards were translated into English so there was a lot of information to learn. The grounds and gardens are very expansive and well maintained around the main complex so plenty of tourists and locals alike were enjoying a walk in the afternoon. Bathrooms are located within the building only after ticketed entry. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes within a 5-15 minute walking distance from the main entry/exit of the monastery where you can grab a snack, drink or meal.