Update 07/02/25
ON 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 depart the plane, pass 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
11 AM: Arrive at the Palace. Check-in is until 3:00 PM.
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.
In Madrid, Spain, public toilets are not generally free, but they are very inexpensive. Many public restrooms in Madrid require a small fee, often around 10 euro cents, to use. We'll also find free restrooms in places like airports, train stations, museums, and cultural centers.
1:00 PM: I'll walk the mile back to hotel take a brief stop at my room and walk a half-mile to the Parque del Retiro.
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.
4:30 - Back at the hotel and preparation to the tour to begin.
5:30 - The tour begins with our Welcome Reception and dinner at the Palace
JIM/NANCY S (7/2/25)
We
are thinking of something like one of these Paella cooking lunch classes on
Wednesday Nov 5. A possibility. I haven’t checked on how far from
hotel.
Check out my Madrid wishlist on Viator
Spanish Tapas and Paella Class in Madrid With Drinks (About 3 hours)
0.0/5 (0 Reviews)
From $147.78
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Spanish Cooking Class Paella Tapas and Sangria in Madrid (About 4 hours)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5.0/5 (1,246 Reviews)
From $102.13
https://www.viator.com/search/9161P1?mcid=67548
If you don't have the Viator app already, download it
https://my-viator.onelink.me/y0Xw/wishlist
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.
4:00: Tapas and beverages at the Cervecería Cervantes or Taberna El Rincón de José.
7:30 Walk to the hotel
Villa Capri - the route ; Meson Restaurante La Mi Venta - the route
