Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.comEl Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen from Madrid
based on 35 reviews of El Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen from Madrid
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the El Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen from Madrid. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
Very good tour!
Reviewed by: Anonymous, Puerto Rico, March 2008
We missed the tour the day we had originally planned because we could not find the office. Though we were able to re-schedule, it would be nice to modify the directions a bit more to make the office easier to find, especially since it doesn't have the same name as the tour company on the Internet. Other than that, the tour was great.
Reviewed by: Lauren B, Canada, March 2008
This is too short a tour for something as complex and huge as the Escorial. If possible, go for a longer visit. We were rushed through the Escorial because there was one other stop to make: the Valle de Los Caidos. To my mind, Franco's monument to the fallen of Spain's civil war was a distant second to the Escorial, artistically and historically. Unfortunately, we could not find a tour just to the Escorial.
Reviewed by: Thomas H, Switzerland, January 2008
This is a quick way to get in and out of both locations.
Reviewed by: Juan B, United States, January 2008
The guide spoke fluent English. The information was valuable.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States, November 2007
We took the half day tour to visit Valley of the Fallen and El Escorial. We had a small sized group, which was nice as it made it easy to hear the guide. Our guide was very good and complete in her descriptions. Valley of the Fallen is interesting to see, as it is built into the mountainside. You would never know its size unless you visit and go inside. El Escorial is amazing in its scale and size. The tour includes a walk through many rooms filled with art and the crypt area where many are buried. The guide gave good descriptions in both English and Spanish. We found that the tours with smaller group sizes were more enjoyable and more personalized. Overall, this is worth a half day visit.
Reviewed by: Nancy R, United States, September 2007
The guide was excellent. The bus was comfortable. These sights are not to be missed in any trip to the Madrid area.
Reviewed by: David B, United States, September 2007
We had an excellent guide and a well-organised tour. We saw the most interesting sights, and the trip was not too long. The coaches were air-conditioned and comfortable.
Reviewed by: Tecwyn V, United Kingdom, July 2007
The bus was comfortable and left on time. The tour was concise and very interesting while the guide was friendly and helpful. In short worth the money.
Reviewed by: Peter A, Spain, June 2007
The crypt was the only place worth seeing in the castle. The Valley of the Fallen was worthwhile but a bit rushed.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, Canada, August 2008
The tour would have been much more enjoyable if the guide had given us more time to ourselves. When we stepped off of the bus at El Escorial, we were rushed straight to the tour and were not even given a chance to use the bathrooms. When the tour was over, there was no time to take pictures. At our second stop, Valley of the Fallen, my husband and I walked through the church ourselves and did not take advantage of the guided tour because we were fearful of missing another opportunity to take pictures. Our guide was very friendly, but not an engaging speaker. Additionally, the tour was given in Spanish and English; however, more Spanish was spoken than English, and we were not able to understand. I think the trip is definitely worth doing, but maybe with a different tour company.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States, July 2008
English of our guide was very bad. It was hard to recognize when she spoke Spanish and English.
Reviewed by: Petr N, Czech Republic, March 2008
Weather was horrible but that was not their fault. However, although guide is informative you are extremely rushed. Also, would be better if they had an extra person to interpret. Sights are very enjoyable though and I think with some slight improvements this tour would be a must.
Reviewed by: Shawn T, United States, March 2008
There is much to recommend about this tour, but the one factor that I found most frustrating was the absolutely breathless pace of the tour of El Escorial - it was impossible to linger in any of the rooms - it was almost like someone hit a fast forward button. You are also limited in the rooms that are visited - rooms that are available for touring were overlooked in the haste to get through the site in what is an apparently designated time period. The tour had to be back in Madrid at a designated time so that those going to Toledo could have their inclusive lunch. That being said the guide was quite knowledgeable - her diction in particular both Spanish & English was superb. The Valley of the Fallen portion of the tour allowed you individual time to linger at the site. I only wish we had had that option at El Escorial since it holds so much more historical significance.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States, February 2008
The pace was a bit too fast for my taste. It felt like the guide was in a hurry, and the explanations were too shallow. It was like taking a regular bus with a stop for a few minutes. I just can't recommend this.
Reviewed by: Ellen B, Israel, October 2007
