Madrid
Madrid is the cinderella of school tour destinations for Irish schools – right under our noses but we never seem to notice that it has everything you could want forom your school’s trip abroad. Culture (and how!), top-notch theme park, compact city centre, great accommodation options, fabulous football stadium, great guided tours and even some top-class shopping! The only question is – why hasn’t your school travelled here before?
Madrid is quintessentially Spanish; it’s the capital of Spain and home to the Spanish Government and Royal family.
Its landmarks include the Royal Palace, the Plaza Mayor and some of the world’s finest art museums, such as the Prado and the Reina Sofia.
Puerta del Sol is the precise centre of the capital city, from here all roads
Sample 4 day / 3 night itinerary
Day 1
- Flight from Ireland to Madrid.
- Guided walking tour of the city centre, including Puerta del Sol, Plaza Real, the Royal Palace and many of central Madrid’s most famous landmarks.
- El Vecino Curioso is a typical example of the quirky side of Madrid that you’ll see with our friends in Ogo Tours – here he’s just having a curious look at the remains near the Almudena cathedral…as you do!
- Lunch: Free time around Mercado San Miguel.
- Afternoon: Visit the Prado, Madrid’s most famous art gallery and home to works by Goya, El Greco, Velázquez, Rubens, Titan and others.
- Transfer to accommodation for check-in and evening meal.
Day 2
- Breakfast in accommodation.
- Visit Segovia, a UNESCO World Heritage site. See its amazing Roman aqueduct and then visit the Alcázar de Segovia, the castle that partly inspired Disney’s Cinderella castle.
- Afternoon: Visit El Escorial, burial place of Spanish royalty and a place where you can sense much of Spain’s history in one location.
- Return to your accommodation for evening meal.
Day 3
- Breakfast at accommodation.
- Spend a full day in Parque Warner – Drop 100m at 80 km/h on La Venganza del Enigma, speed along the flourless trains of Superman: La Attraction de Acero or turn white on the inverted rollercoaster of Batman: Arkham Asylum!
- Return to your accommodation in Madrid for late dinner.
Day 4
- Breakfast in accommodation.
- Free time for last-minute shopping in the morning – Penney’s is calling!
- Visit Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, home to Real Madrid. See Europe’s finest trophy collection in the stadium museum.
- Time allowing – spend some free time in El Retiro, Madrid’s most famous park.
- Transfer to Barajas airport for your return flight home.
Building Your Itinerary - Cornerstones
Cornerstones are the attractions that should form the core of any itinerary – the “do not miss” items!
Walking tour of Madrid: Despite being home to more than 3 million people, Madrid is easily explored on foot – Ogo Tours will show you its quirky side.
Art museum(s): The Golden Triangle of the Prado. Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza art museums leaves you with only one dilemma – do you leave any out?
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu: There isn’t a trophy collection like this anywhere in Europe – how could you not visit the home of Real Madrid?
Parque Warner: Every tour needs a fun day and Parque Warner is exactly that! A useful tip is to include your adventure park towards the end of your itinerary – students will go home on a high!
Itinerary - Day Trips
There are some fascinating places to visit within an hour or so of Madrid – the secret is in combining the right combinations to make the most of your day!
Segovia and El Escorial: Segovia offers a trio of historic sites in close proximity to each other – the Roman aqueduct, the cathedral and the Disney-inspiring Alcazar castle. Continue to El Escorial to feel the weight of centuries of Spanish royalty.
Toledo and the windmills: Toledo is a former Spanish capital and famous for its steel swords, Jewish quarter and a variety of stunning vistas. Continue to see the windmills of Consuegra – typical of Cervantes’ masterpiece Don Quixote.
Itinerary Fillers and Evening Activities
You cannot get a better location for your accommodation than staying with our preferred partners at Generator Madrid – Gran Via is at the heart of the city.
That opens up a variety of possible add-ons to your tour, these are just a flavour of what’s possible!
- Chocolate con churros is a staple treat – San Gines chocolatería is Madrid’s most famous.
- Stroll around the Retiro park and take a boat out on the lake.
- Be amazed by the ceiling artwork in the tiny Iglesia de San Antonio de los Alemanes.
- If you are in Madrid on a Sunday, El Rastro street market has been a feature for over 100 years.
- Explore the Palacio Real – time it right and you might even get in for free!
- If the Prado is the first art museum on your itinerary, Picasso’s Guernica in the Reina Sofia is worth the visit alone.
Accommodation Options
We really don’t feel the need to go much beyond our accommodation partners in Generator Madrid!
Situated just off Gran Vía, the city-centre location can’t be beaten; you can visit many of Madrid’s finest attractions without ever having to hire a coach. Gran Vía is Madrid’s shopping district – home to Primark’s flagship European store and a host of international brands – your only problem might be getting the teachers (never mind the students) to return home!
Generator is a hostel in name but a hotel in design. All the dorms are ensuite and small in size and there are twin rooms for teachers too. They also serve your group’s meals so it really is a one-stop shop when looking for the best accommodation available n Madrid.
Connections from Ireland
Flight routes change all the time, but currently the options all involve flying from and back to Dublin. The route is well served though; operators include:
- Aer Lingus
- Ryanair
- Iberia
- Iberia Express
One advantage is that there’s usually an option of early morning flights out and late evening flights back, meaning that you can cram a lot into a 2 or 3 night trip.
All our itineraries are designed to make the best use of the time available to you – the above itinerary is just a sample of what’s possible.
Our Tour Guides - You can't beat local knowledge!
For our Madrid tours, we have teamed up with Ogo Tours to guide you around the city (and beyond). Javier and Tatiana will bring the city to you and help you notice the little details and the quirky scenes that you just won’t spot from a guide book or with external guides.
San Gines’ famous chocolatería, the El Vecino Curioso statue, the biscuits made by a silent order of nuns, the brass plates in the ground indicating a business is over 100 years old, the 5 centuries of architecture at Plaza de la Villa, where the locals eat bocadillos de calamares and so on – it will be a treasure trove of local knowledge!
