Private Eco Tuk Tuk Express Tour with Local Guide

Meeting point

Where

It is held at the Plaza de Oriente bus station (underground), next to the Royal Palace. There is no 4 on Bailén Street, but searching it on Google Maps indicates the exact location of the Prince's Gate. Directly opposite you will find EcoTukTuk access stairs and signs. · Open in Google Maps

Departure

16 start times between 09:00 and 19:00 daily; scheduled year-round (operator schedule, seats confirmed at checkout)

Return

This activity ends back at the meeting point

Pickup

No hotel pickup: everyone meets at the start point

Operator

Eco Tuk Tuk - Spain; booking and payment are completed on Viator

1. Museo de la Catedral de la Almudena

   The Almudena Cathedral is the most important religious building in Madrid. On June 15, 1993, it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II, becoming the first consecrated cathedral outside Rome. The Almudena Cathedral Museum gathers dozens of objects that tell the story of the diocese of Madrid. In the twelve rooms that the museum has you will see from mosaics to episcopal shields and ornament.

   Pass by, no stop
2. Mercado San Miguel

   Opened in May 1916 as a food market, this centennial establishment becomes in May 2009 the first gastronomic market in Madrid. During 2018 the market experiences a period of consolidation of much of its gastronomic content, with renowned chefs nationally and internationally.

   Pass by, no stop
3. Casa de Cervantes

   Located in the very characteristic Barrio de las Letras, we are opposite the place where one of the most famous writers in history lived and died: Miguel de Cervantes. After a life full of adventures, the writer of "Don Quixote de la Mancha" lived among the narrow streets of 16th century Madrid, where novels, theatrical performances in comedy pens, poetry and art coexisted, with street picaresque, duels between gentlemen and liars.

   Pass by, no stop
4. Plaza de las Cortes

   The Palace of the Spanish Courts, was built on the site of the former convent of the Holy Spirit that was used as the seat of Congress between 1834 and 1841. On the main facade, a staircase ascends to the neoclassical porch, with six imposing striated columns, of a Corinthian order, on which the triangular pediment decorated with reliefs of Ponciano Ponzano rises. The emblematic lions that flank the entrance are the work of the same sculptor and were cast with the iron of the cannons captured during the war in Africa. Under the pediment, the chiseled bronze door opens only on very marked occasions. Among the rooms of the building, symmetrical, highlights the well-known Session room, but also the library or the Conference room, better known as the "lost steps" room.

   Pass by, no stop
5. Fuente de Neptuno

   Both gods occupy prominent positions within the Greek mythological hierarchy and rival in the sports field, since the fans of Atlético de Madrid celebrate their victories in the square of the god of the sea, while that of Real Madrid does so in that of Cibeles. As part of the original Ventura Rodríguez project, both sources were initially confronted, looking at each other on the side of Paseo del Prado. Both Cibeles and Neptune experienced restructuring and transfer processes at the end of the 19th century, finally occupying the center of the Cibeles and Cánovas del Castillo squares, respectively.

   Pass by, no stop
6. Museo Nacional del Prado

   Singularly rich in paintings by European masters from the 16th to the 19th centuries, according to art historian and hispanist Jonathan Brown "few would dare to doubt that it is the most important museum in the world in European painting." Its main attraction lies in the wide presence of Velázquez, El Greco, Goya (the most widely represented artist in the museum), Tiziano, Rubens and El Bosco, of which he has the best and most extensive collections that exist worldwide, a what should be added outstanding sets of authors as important as Murillo, Ribera, Zurbarán, Fra Angelico, Rafael, Veronese, Tintoretto, Patinir, Antonio Moro, Van Dyck or Poussin, to name just a few of the most relevant.

   Pass by, no stop
7. Jeronimos

   Popularly known as "Los Jerónimos", its official name is that of Parish Church of San Jerónimo el Real. It is located next to the Prado Museum, at the back, and is late Gothic with Renaissance influences from the early 16th century. Although there is little left of the original building, it has been remodeled and restored many times over the centuries. His name refers to his special relationship with the kings of Spain, to begin with it was built by order of the Catholic Monarchs and throughout history it became the place of spiritual retreat of several monarchs. In addition, for centuries it has been the scene of royal investiture in the absence of a cathedral and the wedding of Alfonso XIII was also held here, for which the great stairway leading to its door was built in 1906.

   Pass by, no stop
8. Puerta de Alcala

   This monumental door, built by mandate of Carlos III to replace a previous one dating from the 16th century, was inaugurated in 1778. Designed by Francesco Sabatini, it is a granite arc of triumph of neoclassical style, the first built in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, a precursor to others known as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris or the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Unlike the Puerta de Toledo or San Vicente, it has five openings instead of the usual three. The two facades of which it is composed show different decorations, making the inner face easier (initially the one facing the city, which includes the four virtues: Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortress) than the exterior, chaired by the royal shield and with greater decorative wealth, which was what those who entered Madrid saw. It receives its name for being located next to the road that led to Alcalá de Henares.

   Pass by, no stop
9. Cibeles Fountain

   Surrounded by the buildings of the Palacio de Buenavista (Army Headquarters), Palacio de Linares (Casa de América), Palacio de Comunicaciones (formerly the Post Office headquarters and currently the City Council of Madrid) and Banco de España. The fountain represents the Roman goddess Cibeles, symbol of the land, agriculture and fertility, on a car pulled by two lions, the mythological characters Hipomenes and Atalanta. The goddess and the lions were carved in marble and the rest in stone. The sculpture of the goddess is the work of Francisco Gutiérrez. The two lions have been sculpted by the Frenchman Roberto Michel. The goddess is an icon for the followers of the Real Madrid football team, since the Madrid team titles are celebrated, as well as the successes of the Spanish soccer team.

   Pass by, no stop
10. Banco de Espana

    All a decorative waste, awarded at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts of 1884. The building was built with the aim of providing the National Bank with a seat more in line with the importance of its functions, such as the single issuance of coins and bills for everything Spanish territory The interior of the building can only be visited by groups of educational centers and universities. Exceptionally, also by non-profit cultural and associative entities.

    Pass by, no stop
11. Plaza De Santa Ana

    Plaza de Santa Ana is an open space in the Cortes neighborhood, in the Centro district of Madrid. It dates from 1810 and throughout its history it has undergone numerous urbanization processes that have modified its appearance with varying degrees of success.

    Pass by, no stop

About this tour, from the operator