MADRID - LOCATION GUIDE
SPANISH LANGUAGE
Exceptional Tours Expertly Delivered
Our location guide offers you information on the range of visits available in Madrid. All visits are selected with your subject and the curriculum in mind, along with the most popular choices for sightseeing, culture and leisure in the area.
The information in your location guide has been provided by our partners in Madrid who have expert on the ground knowledge of the area, combined with advice from education professionals so that the visits and information recommended are the most relevant to meet your learning objectives.
Making Life Easier for You
This location guide is not a catalogue of opening times. Our Tour Experts will design your itinerary with opening times and location in mind so that you can really maximise your time on tour.
Our location guides are designed to give you the information that you really need, including what are the highlights of the visit, location, suitability and educational resources. We’ll give you top tips like when is the best time to go, dress code and extra local knowledge.
Peace of Mind
So that you don’t need to carry additional money around with you we will state in your initial quote letter, which visits are included within your inclusive tour price and if there is anything that can’t be pre-paid we will advise you of the entrance fees so that you know how much money to take along.
You also have the added reassurance that, WST is a member of the STF and our featured visits are all covered as part of our externally verified Safety Management System.
SPANISH LANGUAGE VISITS
Language Workshops Students will take part in listening and speaking sessions based around your key topics. They are ideal for preparation and practise in the morning before going out and about in the afternoon to try out their new range of vocabulary.
Guided tour of Madrid A guided tour on foot or by coach is the perfect introduction to the city, giving you the opportunity to get your bearings around the city and to see all the major sights and landmarks. Highlights include the Royal Palace, Gran Via, La Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Parque del Retiro. If you want to work on your students’ language skills we can request the tour to be delivered in Spanish.
Top Tip: We really recommend a walking tour which gets you closer to all the main sights for photo opportunities. If you take this tour you will need comfortable shoes and in the summer months don’t forget suncream.
Bernabeu Stadium The home of Real Madrid is always a popular visit with students. This is a great opportunity to get up close with a guided tour of the trophy room, panoramic view of the stadium, the tunnel and the changing rooms. You can encourage your students by taking the tour in Spanish.
Metro: www.realmadrid.com/en/tickets/bernabeu-tour Website: Santiago Bernabeu
El Rastro El Rastro is the most popular open air market in Spain. Its held every Sunday. This is a great opportunity for your students to practise their shopping vocabulary.
Metro: La Latina or Puerta de Toledo Website: www.madridtourist.info/rastro_market.html
Flamenco Lessons A traditional flamenco lesson is a great way for your students to throw away their inhibitions and improve their language skills whilst having fun.
Las Ventas Bullring A guided tour of this bullring gives you a real piece of Spanish heritage and culture.
Top Tip: This is still a working bullring which hosts regular shows, so its not possible to take a guided tour on Sundays when these take place.
Metro: Sales Website: http://lasventastour.com/en/
City Centre Treasure Hunt
A great way for your students to practise written and spoken Spanish, whilst exploring the beautifully elegant city centre. Our exclusive, free 90 minute Treasure Hunt through the centre encourages groups to interact with the streets, take photos and have fun together.
CULTURAL VISITS IN MADRID
Casa de Campo This is a large urban park in the west of the city. Within its 1700 hectares there’s lots of green spaces, a lake, the zoo, an amusement park and the cable car finishes here.
Metro: Casa de Campo or Batán
Museum del Prado This world famous gallery features one of the world’s finest collections of European art from 12th to 19th Centuries. It is based around the former Spanish Royal collection and boasts the best single collection of Spanish art.
Metro: Banco de España and Atocha Website: www.museodelprado.es/en
Palacio Real Madrid’s royal palace and largest building, it’s also the largest royal palace in Western Europe. The palace contains furniture, tapestries, paintings and ceramics as well as other important works of art and frescos by Tiépolo. Velázquez, Goya, Giordano and Mengs are all represented here amongst the dozens of valuable tapestries and paintings. The palace gardens, called the Campo del Moro, are also open to visitors.
Metro: Opera
Flamenco Show An ideal way to spend an evening is taking your students to a flamenco show. You can also add on a meal before the show.
Madrid Zoo Aquarium Located in the centre of the city at Casa de Campo this is one of the few zoos around the world that houses giant pandas. The aquarium specialises in tropical marine life and there’s also a dolphinarium which hosts regular shows.
Metro: Batán Website: www.zoomadrid.com/
Parque de Atracciones This theme park is easily accessible in the centre of the city at Casa de Campo. It has 6 major adventure zones and has a wide range of exciting rides and roller coasters. Its open daily from mid April through to mid September.
Top Tip: As this is Spain, this theme park only opens at 12.00 mid day and closes in the evening – any time from 9.00 pm – midnight in the summer. This means it’s a great visit to include in your evening activities .
Metro: Batán Website: http://parquedeatracciones.es/
Reina Sofia Galleria This is Spain’s national museum of 20th Century art, mainly dedicated to Spanish art. Highlights include collections from Picasso and Dali and work from Joan Miro, Antoni Tàpies, Pablo Serrano and Julio Gonzáles. It’s best known piece is Picasso’s Guernica. This museum is closed on Tuesdays.
Metro: Lavapiés and Atocha Website: www.museoreinasofia.es/en
Thyssen- Bornemisza Museum This was once one of the largest private collections in the world. With the Prado and the Reina Sofia it’s part of the "Golden Triangle of Art”.
Metro: Banco de España Website: www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/home
Teléferico Cable Car This cable car ride gives you a great birds eye view of the city. It takes you from the Paseo del Pintor Rosales near the Parc des Atracciones and you’ll finish at the Casa de Campo. The cable car runs daily from mid March to September but from October to early March its open on weekends only.
Metro: Argüelles Website: www.teleferico.com/en
Warner Brothers Park This is one of Europe’s top theme parks. It’s divided into 5 major areas; Hollywood Boulevard, Warner Brothers Studios, DC Superheroes World, Far West and Cartoon Village. There are over 36 rides throughout the park along with daily shows and parades. Please note the park is only open daily from mid June to early September. March to June and September to October it is open on weekends and it’s closed over winter.
Location: Outskirts of the city – coach hire is required Website: http://www.parquewarner.com/
CULTURAL VISITS OUTSIDE MADRID
If you’re looking to get our of the city for a day there are some great opportunities close by where you kind discover more about the culture, heritage and history of Spain.
Avila Avila is a medieval town and a UNSECO world heritage site. You can easily spend a few hours here visiting the cathedral, the monastery and the town walls along with the usual shops and café’s.
Website: www.avilaturismo.com/en/home/welcome
El Escorial The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the King of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Its seen as the most architectural monument of the Spanish Renaissance. The monastery and palace are open to visitors as its now a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most visited landmarks in Spain.
Website: www.monasteriodelescorial.com/
Segovia Segovia is another UNESCO world heritage site, famous for its Roman aqueduct, cathedral and fortress.
Website: www.spain.info/en_GB/que-quieres/ciudades-pueblos/otros- destinos/segovia.html
Toledo Known as the “city of the three cultures”, because Christians, Arabs and Jews lived together there for centuries, behind its walls Toledo preserves an artistic and cultural legacy in the form of churches, palaces, fortresses, mosques and synagogues. This great diversity of artistic styles makes the old quarter of the capital of Castile - La Mancha a real open-air museum, which has led to it being declared a World Heritage Site.
Website: http://www.spain.info/en_GB/que-quieres/ciudades- pueblos/otros-destinos/toledo.html