---
title: Dark Side of Madrid Ghosts Executions and Murders Walking Tour
lang: en
alternate_de: https://guidekin.com/de/spain/madrid/tours/dark-side-of-madrid-ghosts-executions-and-murders-walking-tour/
type: tour
city: Madrid
country: Spain
price: 26
currency: EUR
price_unit: per_person
availability: bookable
rating: 4.89
reviews: 416
duration_minutes: 120
languages: [en]
free_cancellation: "true"
guidekin_pick: Which themed walk?
rank_in_category: 17 of 22 (Walking Tours)
schedule_checked: 2026-10-02
data_updated: 2026-10-12
canonical: https://guidekin.com/spain/madrid/tours/dark-side-of-madrid-ghosts-executions-and-murders-walking-tour/
---

# Dark Side of Madrid Ghosts Executions and Murders Walking Tour

**Guidekin's take:** Start at Plaza Mayor after dark and explore Madrid's old streets through stories of executions, unsolved murders and ghost sightings. A local guide is included; the walk is English only and stories or stops may vary with the group. 4.89 from 416 reviews at €26 per person for 2h.

**Which themed walk?:** For ghost and murder stories, book Dark Side of Madrid after dark: 2h at €26 per person, 4.89 from 416 reviews; English only. Trade-off: Stories and stops may vary. (last checked September 15, 2026)

In our comparison: #17 of 22 in Walking Tours, by rating weighted by review volume (table below).

## Overview

Madrid isn't just a city of royal palaces and sunny plazas. After dark, its streets reveal stories of executions, unsolved murders, ghostly sightings, and forbidden love.

Begin in Plaza Mayor, once the stage for Spanish Inquisition trials and executions, before exploring Madrid's oldest streets, where tales of political conspiracies, tragic romances, and supernatural encounters still linger. Discover the assassination that changed Spanish politics forever.

The tour ends at Palacio de Linares, one of Spain's most haunted buildings. Hear the tragic story of Raimundita, the family secrets behind Madrid's most enduring ghost legend, and why the palace continues to fascinate believers and skeptics alike.

Blending history, true crime, royal scandal, folklore, and local legends, this immersive tour reveals Madrid's darkest side—and leaves you to decide whether its ghosts belong only to the past.

## Before you book

- Meeting point: Your Madrid's Dark Side Walking Tour…
- Starts 18:00: one departure a day
- Strollers OK: infants accepted

**Pickup:** No hotel pickup: everyone meets at the start point

## Key facts

- Price: from €26 per person
- Duration: 2h
- Rating: 4.89/5 from 416 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor)
- Free cancellation (see policy below)
- Operator: SANDEMANs Tours - Madrid
- Group: Shared tour
- Guide languages: English
- Start times: 18:00
- Booking: Instant confirmation, mobile ticket
- Price checked on Viator: 2026-10-02

## Reviews

4.89 from 416 ratings on Guidekin, Viator & Tripadvisor.
98% of ratings with a star breakdown are 4 or 5 stars: 408 of 416.

- 5 stars: 390 (94%)
- 4 stars: 18 (4%)
- 3 stars: 1 (0%)
- 2 stars: 2 (0%)
- 1 star: 5 (1%)

### What reviewers say

Reviewers praise engaging accounts of Madrid's darker history; some found few visible sites directly linked to the stories.

**Praised:**
- Knowledgeable guides who make complex history easy to follow
- Storytelling that combines historical detail with humour
- Sensitive handling of the Inquisition without excessive gruesome detail
- Stops in streets and locations visitors might otherwise overlook
- A manageable walking pace and time to ask questions

**Complaints:**
- Some found few visible sites directly connected to the historical accounts

Written by Guidekin from the 100 most recent English reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor (2022-02-10 to 2026-09-04); last checked 2026-10-04.

## What's included

- Local guide

## Not included

- Hotel pickup and drop off

## Itinerary

1. **Plaza Mayor** (15m) - Step into the square where Madrid staged its most public reckonings! For centuries, Plaza Mayor doubled as courtroom and theater — Inquisition trials were held here, verdicts read aloud to crowds who came expecting spectacle as much as justice. Heretics, criminals, and the...
2. **This narrow, unassuming street hides some of Madrid's oldest ghost stories** (10m) - Tucked into the medieval core of the city, Calle de la Sal has long been whispered about as a site of unsolved murders and restless spirits who never found peace. Locals for generations have claimed strange sounds and sudden chills along its shadowed stretch after dark. Walk...
3. **Iglesia de San Gines** (pass by, no stop) - One of Madrid's oldest churches holds one of its grimmest legends: a murder committed at the altar itself, a violation so severe it's said to have cursed the ground. Since then, visitors and clergy alike have reported sightings of a headless phantom wandering the church's dim...
4. **Puerta del Sol** (15m) - Madrid's most famous square has witnessed more bloodshed than its cheerful crowds and street performers suggest. This is where political assassination plots were hatched and carried out, near where an assassin's bomb was thrown at a royal wedding procession in 1906, killing...
5. **Plaza De Santa Ana** (10m) - Once the beating heart of Spain's Golden Age, this plaza was as dangerous as it was artistic. Behind the charm of café terraces and street musicians lies a history of tavern brawls, jealous rivalries, and a creative scene fueled as much by ego and violence as by genius! Santa...
6. **Congreso de Los Diputados** (15m) - Spain's parliament building has been the backdrop for some of the country's most dramatic political violence — assassinations of statesmen, attempted coups, and power struggles that shaped the nation's fate. Most infamously, in 1981 armed officers stormed the chamber in a...
7. **Behind its stately walls, this palace was once the setting for scandals the n...** (10m) - Behind its stately walls, this palace was once the setting for scandals the nobility tried desperately to bury: forbidden romances between people who should never have met, whispered affairs, and at least one death attributed to poison rather than illness. As a symbol of...
8. **Palacio de Linares** (15m) - Widely regarded as the most haunted building in all of Spain, Palacio de Linares carries a legend as dark as its opulence is grand. Family secrets — including whispers of a forbidden and scandalous marriage — are said to have doomed the household to generations of misfortune...

## Schedule

- Runs: Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Departures: 18:00
- Schedule last checked: 2026-10-02
- These are published departures, not a live seat count; availability is confirmed at checkout.

## Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

## Meeting point

Your Madrid's Dark Side Walking Tour starts in front of the Tourist Information Centre in Plaza Mayor. Look for the SANDEMANs Tours team with a red umbrella.
Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ2eBf2H4oQg0R6CV21vDEAtI

Ends: Finish at Palacio de Linares (steps from Banco de España Metro)

## Good to know

- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children up to 13 years old are welcome to join this tour for free.
- Our guides have your best interests in mind; while the tour usually includes the sites & stories mentioned and lasts about 2 hours, your tour may vary depending on what your guide thinks is best for your group.

## Compared with other Walking Tours

| Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **This tour · #17 of 22** | €26 | 2h | 4.89 (416) | shared |
| [Madrid Walking Tour from Puerta del Sol to Retiro Park](/spain/madrid/tours/madrid-walking-tour-from-puerta-del-sol-to-retiro-park/?format=md) | €3 per group | 2h 25m | 4.98 (2826) | shared |
| [Madrid Old City Guided Exclusive Guided Walking Tour](/spain/madrid/tours/madrid-old-city-guided-exclusive-guided-walking-tour/?format=md) | €25 | 2h 30m | 4.97 (633) | private |
| [Eating Madrid: Food Walking Tour, Small-Group Tapas & Wine](/spain/madrid/tours/eating-madrid-food-walking-tour-small-group-tapas-wine/?format=md) | €89 | 3h 30m | 4.97 (421) | shared |

Ranked #17 of 22 in Walking Tours by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €3 to €217, median €29; typical length 2h 30m. 7 of 22 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market.

Full list: https://guidekin.com/spain/madrid/walking-tours-madrid/?format=md

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