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Our Madrid Walking Tour

06/17/16 | Europe, Madrid, Spain, Travel

Madrid Walking Tour 04

One of my favorite ways to orient myself with a new city is to take a walking tour and I found in Prague that it was an excellent adventure to plan for your first day.   When my mom and I arrived in Madrid one afternoon in April we spent the the day exploring Retiro Park and the Prado Museum and when we woke up the the following morning, we were ready to go!  On our first full day in town we took a free three hour SANDEMANs NEW Europe walking tour of the city starting in the very hub – the Plaza Mayor. Two minutes into the the tour we were handed a map that read, “we’ll take you down the medical streets, across majestic squares, and through 1,200 years of history.” I love that there are cities with hundreds and hundreds of years of history and this Madrid walking tour did an excellent job highlighting the centuries of Madrid.  

We saw the Royal Opera House, the world’s oldest restaurant, the Catedral de Almeunda, and we ended outside the Royal Palace. Two of our highlights were while walking through the old quarter we learned an abridged version of the Spanish inquisition and the history of Tapas.  One of my favorite things that the guide showed us was that the city had recently undergone a renovations and the street signs were remade not only into tiles placed high on buildings so you can see them over cars, but they were also illustrated to show the meaning of the street name or what it is historically used for. 

Consejo de Estado de Espan?a ?Madrid Walking Tour Street SignsMadrid Walking Tour 01Almudena Cathedral through GatesFront of Almudena CathedralMadrid Walking Tour 05Mom with Giant Frog at Casino Gran Madrid Colo?n at Paseo de RecoletosPlaza de Oriente MadridStatues in Plaza de Oriente MadridRoyal Palace of MadridFront of Royal Palace of MadridRoyal Palace of Madrid Guards on HorsebackGates of Jardines De SabatiniIn front of Royal Palace of MadridJardines De Sabatini
Later in the day we made sure to go back to Plaza Mayor, where we had started our Madrid walking tour, for delicious cocktails and tapas, because why not? We enjoyed watching locals and tourists alike play with bubbles while we sipped on sangria and white wine respectively. 

Bubbles in Plaza MayorTapas in Plaza MayorCocktails in Plaza Mayor

 

Which is your favorite photo from our Madrid walking tour?

Have you ever been on a walking tour? 

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Comments

  1. Sabina says

    June 20, 2016 at 5:51 am

    Very beautiful photos showing the city – the architecture looks amazing! Hope to visit next year 🙂 Thanks for sharing! xx

    Sabina | http://www.IveGotSunshine.com

  2. Lucille Zielke says

    June 20, 2016 at 4:17 am

    Amazing photos!

  3. Trang Do says

    June 20, 2016 at 2:55 am

    Great pictures!!
    Hugs,
    Love from http://www.trangscorner.com {a lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and food blog}

  4. Hailey says

    June 19, 2016 at 10:56 pm

    Ah, Madrid looks gorgeous! Love your outfit and photos!

    Hailey
    http://www.themiddlecloset.com

  5. Abby says

    June 19, 2016 at 10:17 pm

    These photos are amazing – I would love to visit Madrid (and Barcelona) someday. Love your outfit too, that teal scarf is my fave!

    Abby | Life in the Fash Lane

  6. Chelsea says

    June 19, 2016 at 7:27 pm

    Love this, I’m all about walking around a new city when travelling! Madrid looks like a gorgeous city to visit, and I think my fave photo is of the food! 🙂

    Chelsea
    Chow Down USA
    Instagram

  7. Kristina says

    June 19, 2016 at 1:32 pm

    I’ve never been to Madrid but Spain was one of my favorite places to visit – more tapas please!

    Kristina does the Internets

  8. Shira says

    June 19, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    Ooh this looks amazing! Wish I could travel more!

    http://asequinloveaffair.com

  9. molly says

    June 19, 2016 at 12:12 pm

    Oh my gosh this looks amazing! I’ve always wanted to go to Madrid.

    Xx
    Molly
    http://www.trendychickadee.com

  10. andrea says

    June 19, 2016 at 11:26 am

    Nice post
    http://www.ilblogdelmarchese.com

  11. vera says

    June 19, 2016 at 6:42 am

    Beautiful photos!

    Blonde in Cashmere

  12. Chelsea says

    June 19, 2016 at 1:53 am

    When my boyfriend and I backpacked Europe, we did a free walking tour in pretty much every single city we went to. It’s the best when you don’t know your way around! I loved getting all the history and “local” info from the tour guides. Oh man, I want to go back to Spain so bad!

  13. Andreea says

    June 18, 2016 at 6:30 am

    Great outfit and pictures of the city! x

    Have a great weekend,
    Andreea
    http://couturezilla.com/

  14. Megan says

    June 17, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    This looks like so much fun!
    ~~Megan~~
    http://www.poshprime.com

  15. Hannah says

    June 17, 2016 at 8:43 am

    Looks like such an amazing experience!

    Shop & Get Inspired | http://www.dailyopulence.com

  16. Carmen says

    June 17, 2016 at 8:17 am

    I always love to walk around when I am in a city I don’t know. It’s the best way to discover everything! These pictures are so beautiful 🙂
    xx, Carmen – http://www.carmitive.com

Hi, I am Kelly and welcome to Sparkles and Shoes, a fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog.  I am a New York City girl at heart but I moved to London in the Spring of 2018!

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