Explore Madrid; home of the Royals, where you can visit the enormous city centre public garden known as El Retiro, the Prado museum and the Plaza Major - one of the finest squares in Spain which also has many alluring qualities to attract the visitor. Enjoy a number of days in Madrid, with local English speaking Guides and exploring by yourself. Immerse yourself in the city and discover the beauty of its culture. Use a 24 hrs art pass - allowing you free admission to more than 40 museums in Madrid, visit the Royal Palace and the famous El Prado museum, and enjoy a three course Spanish dinner with Flamenco show. Then escape the city to the tranquility of the recently converted Parador de Alcalá de Henares, a UNESCO site, which is housed in a magnificent seventeenth-century building, the former Santo Tomás Dominican Convent and School. Located only 26km from te city, it will give you a totally different experience of Spanish culture.

As the capital of the Spanish Empire, Madrid was once the richest and most powerful city in the world. That kind of past leaves a big impression on a place and in Madrid it is easy to see. For palaces, museums and concerts it is up there with the best in the world. The museums of the "golden triangle" alone, namely the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza, feature a stunning array of paintings ranging from Old Masters to modern surrealists all housed in some of Spain's most magnificent buildings. And the rest of the city is just as rich in cultural icons and architecture. But Madrid is also a city for going out and partying. The area of Malasana is packed with bars and restaurants that stay open until dawn and rival anything Barcelona has to offer.

Meet your driver for a private airport transfer.

A welcome package with your vouchers, a city map, train tickets (if relevant) and any other touristic information that we deem you may find useful will be waiting for you upon your arrival at your first hotel on your trip.

Upon your arrival, you will receive a special Welcome Gift along with your Welcome Package. Enjoy your time in Spain!

See and do exactly what you feel like today with your 24 hour Madrid Card. The Card is an electronic smart card offering free admission to more than 40 museums in and around Madrid, including the major ones. Your ticket can be used on the 'Madrid Vision' sightseeing bus, allowing you to get on and off the bus as many times as you wish for a day. The card also entitles you to visit the Planetarium, a guided walking tour from the "Discover Madrid Program", use of a Cable Car, visit Faunia Biologic Park and Imax Cinema. You can also benefit from discounts in more than 100 establishments including shops, restaurants, shows, rent a car and leisure centres for adults and children. You will also obtain a guidebook with information on the museums and establishments that are included on the scheme and a map of the city. Exchange your voucher for a Madrid Card at: Madrid Tourist Board, Plaza Mayor 27 between 9.30am and 8.30pm or at Metro Travellers Information Centre. Your pass is valid from 9am until 7pm.

Enjoy half day private tour of the city with your own private vehicle and driver, and admire the principal sights of the city, and discover Madrid under its different historical periods. Drive through the Madrid of the Habsburg epoch, going past the squares Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol. Continue to drive through Madrid of the Bourbon period, gazing at the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), the Teatro Real (Madrid’s opera house), the Museo del Prado (El Prado Museum), Atocha railway station, the Puerta de Alcalá (triumphal arch) and the city’s beautiful fountains of Neptuno and Cibeles. Drive past squares such as Plaza de Colón, Plaza de Castilla, and Plaza de España, with its unmistakable monument to Cervantes. Visit the aristocratic quarter of Salamanca, where distinguished designers have their boutiques in Madrid and drive along the elegant avenue of La Castellana, which leads to the city’s financial quarter, with the Torre Picasso (tower) or the Estadio del Bernabéu (Real Madrid’s stadium), without forgetting the Plaza de Las Ventas (Madrid’s most important Bullring) and the Parque del Retiro.

The five-storey hotel is located in a historic building on Plaza de la Independencia in the centre of Madrid, 200 metres from Retiro Park and 15 kilometres from the airport. Hospes Madrid's 42 modern guestrooms are decorated in warm shades, and include Egyptian cotton sheets, bathrobes, satellite television, wireless Internet, and pillow menus. The hotel spa offers treatments to relax and revitalize including massages and facials, and the onsite Senzone Restaurant and Terrace Bar provides a modern setting to enjoy cocktails.

Overnight at Hospes Madrid (5*).

Enjoy an unforgettable Shopping experience in Madrid in the company of a Personal Shopper. Avail of this exclusive opportunity approaching the world of fashion from Spain. Enjoy visiting famous Spanish designers showrooms and meeting at least one of the designers that present their collections at the internationally known Madrid Fashion Week. Taking your wishes and tastes and tastes as well as Designers aailability into consideration, a truly unique tour will be arrangedfor you. Please note that no transportation is included in this service. Please speak to your Kensington Tours Sales Advisor if you would like to have transportation pre-arranged.

Start your private half day tour with the El Prado museum. Your guide will meet you at the gallery (please see Welcome Pack for meeting point). With your private guide, visit the most important rooms of the most relevant Spanish painters, and, of course, Las Meninas by Velázquez, Las Majas by Goya and the Adoración de los Pastores by El Greco. Continue your tour by walking over to visit the Royal Palace, approx 20min on foot. (If you'd prefer to hop in a taxi and pay for this locally, please just let you guide know or alternatively we can organise a private transfer - please ask and we will re-quote you). The Royal Palace was built during the XVIIIth Century and is housed in the building of the old Alcázar of Madrid. It is one of the richest in Europe and is very well preserved. It is used by the Spanish Crown in Official Receptions, Presentation of Credentials and Official Events, such as State Meetings. Its rooms are full of artistic works belonging to the Royal Family.

Enjoy a three course typical Spanish dinner before watching a breathtaking perfomance of Flamenco. Located in the Old Quarter of Madrid, Corral de La Moreria Flamenco is an authentic tablao (place where flamenco is performed) where singers, guitarists and dancers share their talent to make you feel the art of 'Flamenco'. Enjoy a three course dinner including wine and mineral water before the performance.

Overnight at Hospes Madrid (5*).

Alcala de Henares, meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain. Located in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, 35 km northeast of the city of Madrid, at a height of 588 metres (1929 ft) above sea level, it has a population of around 200,000, the second largest of the region after the Spanish capital itself.

There are so many things to see ad do in and around Madrid that you will be spoit for choice! Consider any of the following (most available on a private or shared basis); See the main sights of the city of a guided tour, enjoy a guided tour of the El Prado museum and the Royal Palace, take in a guided walking tour, enjoy an afternoon shopping with an expert and visiting some of the great boutiques in the city. Further afield, consider an excursion to Avila, Segovia (with its impressive aquaduct which is still intact), El Escorial (a magnificent cathedral and where the King spent a number of years under Franco's thumb as he was educated), The valley of the Fallen (where Franco is buried in a cavernous tomb, and the pretty town of Toledo. For some self exploring, consider getting a Madrid card which allows you access to numerous museums across the city. At night time, consider a dinner and Flamenco show. Please speak to your Sales Advisor if you are interested in any of these optional activities.

Enjoy an unforgettable Shopping experience in Madrid in the company of a Personal Shopper. On this private shopping tour exploring the Traditional Trades of Madrid you can find the historical cloaks, espadrilles (Spanish style sandals), pottery, horse riding equipment, Manila´s shawls, hats, Flamenca and Torero dresses, religious goods, traditional Spanish layers, and more. Please note that no transportation is included in this service. Please speak to your Kensington Tours Sales Advisor if you would like to have transportation pre-arranged.

Avail of a private transfer from Madrid to the Parador de Alcala de Henares.

Relax and rejuvinate poolside in the Parador, or find yourself a cosy spot to read a book and sip on a glass of sangria. if you feel like exploring the town, Alcala de Henares, a UNESCO designated area, has many interesting sites to visit including Cervantes House Museum, Outdoor Modern Sculpture Museum, Chapels of Oidor, University and S. Ildefonso, Magistral Church of Santos Justo y Pastor, and the Bernardas Monastery.

Located a mere 35km from Madrid city, the Parador de Alcalá de Henares is housed in a magnificent seventeenth-century building, the former Santo Tomás Dominican Convent and School. It is one of the city’s landmarks along with Hostería del Estudiante, in the former Minor School of San Jerónimo, founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1510 and overlooking the beautiful Patio Trilingüe at the University of Alcalá de Henares. These monuments form a complex that was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Around the cloisters at the Santo Tomás School-Convent there are the restaurant, the bar, the breakfast room, the guests’ lounge, and the night bar. A spa is currently being built on the premises. The property perfectly marries the historical features of the building with modern architecture using natural materials - especially stone and wood. The rooms are modern and airy in feel with clean lines and contasting furnishings and furniture. The hotel features modern spa facilities and a seasonal outdoor swimming pool. 

Overnight at Parador Alcalá de Henares (4*).

Relax as you are transfered from Alcala de Henares to the Madrid Barajas Airport. The distance is approximately 20 km.

Depart Madrid (Barajas) Airport. End of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.