Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.comEl Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen from Madrid
based on 68 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.
In El Escorial, we were not in the basilica at all, and we had no any free time to go in on our own! After returning to Madrid, there was no panoramic tour. We couldn't complain there, because we had to give down our prepaid ticket to the tour operator. It was a great disappointment.
Reviewed by: Ildikó-Erzsebet F, Hungary, November 2009
I was disappointed that we were not able to see the library and the basilica of El Escorial. I would recommend that those sites be included in the itinerary.
Reviewed by: Arthur B, United States of America, July 2009
Very good tour company and very friendly guides. However, the restaurant waiter was very rude and unhelpful when I advised him that I was vegetarian. He simply removed the fish from my salad in front of me and handed back the plate of salad to me. Showed a complete lack of sensitivity to people who are vegetarian for religious reasons. Ruined what was otherwise a very good trip. I would not recommend using the same restaurant again even though it is an "upmarket" restaurant in the city centre as the waiting staff are unhelpful.
Reviewed by: Dharmilla T, United Kingdom, February 2009
The bus started late, then got caught in traffic which led to a rushed tour. The tour guides were excellent, however, and somewhat made up for it.
Reviewed by: David D, United States of America, January 2009
The trip was nice, but not great. We were terribly rushed through all the interesting places such as art in El Escorial, we weren't given ANY time to take a look at the painted ceiling in the dome, and the Basilica was closed for restoration.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, November 2008
Was disappointed in El Escorial. Didn't see half of what I expected to see. Guide at location was pathetic. Valle de los Caidos was magnificent, one of the most impressive war monuments I've seen. Guide was informative, but not really necessary.
Reviewed by: Thomas W. D, United States of America, October 2008
The trip was adequate in length but unfortunately the funicular was not operating which would have been nice.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, October 2008
Tour guide seemed to be not very interested, missed quite a few sections.
Reviewed by: margaret f, Australia, October 2008
I just was not particularly impressed with the Valley of the Fallen. It is a depressing monument to Franco. And the Cathedral at El Escorial was closed, so we could not see it. We should have been told that ahead of time.
Reviewed by: Ann L, United States of America, October 2008
Some of the problem was our own as we misread the time to arrive at the location. Luckily, we were able to exchange our tour for the same tour on the next day. The people at the travel agency were completely rude on both days. DO NOT expect to resolve any issues directly with the local vendor!
The Escorial Monastery is VERY beautiful, and the royal crypts are full of history and reverence. Too bad that you only get a cursory glance at everything as they are rushing to get everyone through.
The Valley of the Fallen is another place of great importance to the history of Spain, but it is currently under construction with scaffolding in the front that we were not made aware of prior to visiting. And again, you get to spend very little time in any of the locations as they are rushing to get you through.
We would definitely go back, but we would take our own transport and really explore both the city and the attractions. We are really glad we were able to go, but it was much more hassle than we bargained for.
There is a cable car to go up to the Valley of the Fallen monument which was out of work, so it's a shame to go there and not get going closer to the monument.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, Brazil, September 2008
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 of America, 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 of America, March 2008
