Update 10/28/25
TUESDAY,
We arrive at Terminal 1 in the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport
9:15 AM: Arrive at Madrid Airport.
Most likely, it will take us 90 minutes to deplane, pass through immigration, pick up our luggage, and meet our Tauck transfer to the Palace. It is 18 minutes to the Palace
11 AM: Arrive at the Palace
12:30 PM: Lunch and meet everyone at the hotel's LaCupula,
It is open from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Go when rooms are ready and study Tauck's instructions for our tour.
3:00 PM: Hotel room check-in
5:00 PM: Tapas and beverages
Walk a block from the hotel to at the Cervecería Cervantes (1) or Taberna El Rincón de José (2).
Also within walking distance is East 47 Restaurant-Bar
10 UNSPOKEN RULES for Ordering in Tapas Bars in Spain
7:00 - 8:00 AM: Tauck's breakfast most likely at the hotel's LaCupula.
After breakfast, I'm doing a walkabout in old town Madrid, and after lunch, a walkabout in Parque del Retiro.
10 AM - 2 PM: Sidos are doing the paella cooking/lunch class.
4:30 PM: Back at the hotel and preparation to the tour to begin.
5:30 PM: The tour begins with our Welcome Reception and dinner at the Palace
1.8-mile walk to visit Puerta de Sol, Plaza Mayor, Mercado San Miguel, and Las Letras region with lots of restaurants and a Flamenco dance. ATM and restrooms are available.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53163554
9:00 AM: Walk a half-mile to Puerta de Sol,
From Puerta de Sol, I'll walk another half mile to Plaza Mayor
The Plaza Mayor is a major public space in the heart of Madrid, the capital of Spain. It was once the centre of Old Madrid. It was first built (1580–1619) during the reign of Philip III.
The Plaza Mayor houses three famous landmarks and buildings:
- Equestrian statue of Philip III: This sculpture was designed in 1616 by Juan de Bolonia and Pietro Tacca. It was given as a present by the Duke of Florence to the King of Spain. Until the mid-nineteenth century, the statue was kept in the Casa de Campo (Madrid’s largest park).
- Casa de la Panadería: The plaza’s most striking building is the Casa de la Panadería and was the first to be established, in 1590. It was initially the most important bakery in Madrid. Its remarkable façade was decorated by Carlos Franco.
- El Arco de Cuchilleros: Is the most famous of the nine entrances to Plaza Mayor. This porch is named after the street with the same name.
Next to the Plaza is the Mercado San Miguel. It will be a good place to stop for a beer, coffee, snack, relaxation, and restroom before heading back to the hotel.
Even more important for a walking tour of Madrid is a restroom. We can find help at Sol & Mercado (fee). Public toilets are not generally free, but they are very inexpensive. Many public restrooms require a small fee, often around 10 euro cents, to use.
AFTERNOON WALKABOUT
1:00 PM: After a brief stop at the hotel do a 2.5-mile walk past the Prado to the Parque del Retiro.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53163093
Covering over 125 hectares and comprising more than 15,000 trees, El Retiro Park–recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site–is a green oasis in the heart of the city. In it you’ll find all kinds of interesting monuments and gardens, including Jardín de Vivaces, Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez (Andalusian-inspired classicistic gardens), Jardines del Arquitecto Herrero Palacios, the recently-restored Cat Mountain, the Rosaleda rose garden and Parterre Francés, which holds a Mexican conifer that is nearly 400 years old and is believed to be Madrid’s oldest tree.
In addition to its role as one of the city’s green lungs, it is also a popular spot among Madrileños who like to go there for a stroll, to do some sport, visit an exhibition or take the kids to a puppet show. The park is home to a large artificial lake, where you can rent a rowing boat, and to the Velázquez Palace and Glass Palace which are both currently used as exhibition halls by the Reina Sofía Museum. The latter is a beautiful glass pavilion built in 1887 to house exotic plants for an exhibition on the Philippines. It is one the finest examples of cast-iron architecture in Spain.
Other "see and do" in Madrid
THURSDAY
Tauck offers two optional excursions: 1) their Coach Orientation or 2) a Walking Orientation.
Tauck ends its orientation at the Royal Palace.
I can easily do the one-hour Walking Orientation on my own on Wednesday. I am choosing the Coach Orientation.
7:00 - 8:00 AM: Tauck's breakfast most likely at the hotel's LaCupula.
9:00 AM: Tauck's Coach Orientation
10:30 AM: Tauck drops us at the Royal Palace for touring of our own and includes making our way back to the hotel.
12:00 AM: We receive small tapa samples
AFTERNOON ON OUR OWN
Located at the center of dynamic Madrid, the Palace is ideally positioned in the Las Letras quarter, with its collection of restaurants and boutiques; it´s at the heart of The Art Walk, an area linking the city’s museums, Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen-Bornemisza.
Cynthia (our TA) has shared her Signature from Cynthia
DINNER ON OUR OWN
4:00 PM: Tapas and beverages at the Cervecería Cervantes or Taberna El Rincón de José.
5:30 PM: Walk to Essential Flamenco (show at 6:00 PM)
Everyone who goes to Madrid must watch a Flamenco Dance. 100% verified reviews by TripAdvisor, the Essential Flamenco (90 minutes) is only a half-mile away from the Palace at Calle de la Cruz 26
7:30 PM: Walk to the hotel and have a nightcap at LaCulupa or on our way back to the hotel
Here are 2 restaurants we went to before 8:00pm. See what you think. Both were nice, small, fun places, and very popular/busy, with good food. But we’re open to anything.
