Frequently asked questions

Yes, it really is free. You book your spot online without paying anything, and at the end of the tour you decide what the experience was worth and tip the guide whatever you think is fair. No hidden fees, no surprises. The model works because guides live on tips, so the better the tour, the better travelers tip. We have been doing this for 9 years.

You book online, receive a confirmation, and on the day of the tour you head to Plaza Mayor in Madrid, next to the statue of Felipe III. Look for the guide with the rainbow umbrella 🌈 — we are impossible to miss. Arrive 5–10 minutes early, give your name to the guide, and you are set. The tour lasts about 2.5 hours and at the end you decide the tip.

A paid tour usually costs €20–€30 per person and has a fixed price whether you love it or not. With a free walking tour, you decide what it was worth at the end. Our guides are passionate Madrileños who live on tips: if the tour is mediocre, they earn little. That guarantees they pour everything into it. Groups tend to be smaller and the experience more personal.

Our free walking tours last between 2 and 2.5 hours. The Habsburg Madrid and Monumental Bourbon tours run 2.5h. The Literary Quarter and Civil War tours are around 2 hours. Enough to discover Madrid without exhausting yourself, leaving time to grab lunch, visit the Prado or keep exploring the city on your own.

Our guides are real Madrileños, trained in history, art or tourism, with years of experience and genuine passion for Madrid. We are not actors with an umbrella: we are locals who know the corners, legends and stories you will not find in any guidebook. You feel that within the first 5 minutes.

It depends on the tour you choose. The Habsburg Madrid covers Plaza Mayor, Mercado de San Miguel, Plaza de la Villa, Almudena Cathedral and the Royal Palace. The Monumental Bourbons covers Sol, Cibeles, Gran Vía, Puerta de Alcalá and Paseo del Prado. The Literary Quarter focuses on the Madrid of Cervantes, Quevedo and Lope de Vega. Each one has its own character.

Booking is free and highly recommended. We keep group sizes limited, especially on weekends, Easter, summer and bank holidays. If you show up without a booking and there is space, we will sign you up on the spot, but we cannot guarantee a slot. Booking secures your place and you also get a reminder with all the details.

We keep groups small on purpose. Our tours are around 15–20 people maximum, not the 50–60 you will see with other operators. This means you can hear the guide clearly, ask questions, and the experience stays personal. If you are coming as a large family or group of friends (8+), message us on WhatsApp and we will arrange something tailored.

Plaza Mayor in Madrid, right next to the equestrian statue of Felipe III (the one in the center of the square). Look for the guide with the rainbow umbrella 🌈 — it is our trademark and you will spot it from far. If you have any doubts, message us on WhatsApp at +34 642 78 47 32 and we will help you find us. The closest metro stops are Sol and Tirso de Molina.

Try to arrive 5–10 minutes early. If you are late and the group is still in Plaza Mayor, no problem, you join. If the group has already left, message us on WhatsApp at +34 642 78 47 32 and we will tell you where the guide is so you can catch up on the route. If something has come up and you cannot make it, let us know to free your spot.

Yes, free of charge and no need to give an explanation. Since the booking is free, cancelling it is too. We only ask one favor: if you already know you cannot come, message us on WhatsApp or reply to the confirmation email so we can free up your slot for another traveler. That gesture means a lot.

The 2026 average in Madrid is between €10 and €15 per person. That is what most travelers consider fair for a 2.5h tour with a good guide. If you loved it, give more; if it did not convince you, give less. There is no fixed rule: you decide based on how much you enjoyed it and your budget. Americans tend to tip more (€15–€25), southern Europeans a bit less.

It is not mandatory, but it is expected. Guides live on tips, they do not get a fixed salary: if no one tips, they earn nothing. So if you enjoyed the tour, leaving something is the fair thing. If for any reason you cannot or do not want to tip, no one is going to chase you or say anything. But keep in mind you are enjoying someone's work.

Most of our guides accept Bizum (a Spanish instant payment app), card and cash. The most common in 2026 is Bizum: instant and easy. If you are visiting from abroad and do not have Bizum, pay in cash (€) or by card — the guide will tell you at the end how they prefer to receive it. If you only have dollars or pounds, exchange them before the tour.

The tip is per person, not per group. If the average is €10–€15 per person and there are 4 of you, the fair amount would be €40–€60 between you. This sometimes surprises people, but the guide puts the same effort into a group of 4 as into 4 individual travelers. Small children who are not following the tour do not count; teenagers and adults do.

At the end of the tour, at the last stop. The guide says goodbye to the group, thanks everyone and stays available for a few minutes. You walk over, share a few words (they appreciate that more than the money), and hand the tip in person (cash) or say "can you send me your Bizum?". No hats, no pressure, no collection. Only if you enjoyed it, you walk over.

It depends on your time. If you only have one day and want to visit both, yes it is worth it: each is less than 1h from Madrid. But if you have 2 free days, it is better to split them: Toledo deserves a full unhurried day and Segovia, with its aqueduct and alcázar, also. On our combined day trips we optimize the route so you see the essentials of both.

Going on your own by AVE high-speed train (30 min) is cheap but you have to plan everything: what to see, in what order, where to eat, what history is behind it all. With a guided day trip everything is organized: transport, optimized route, guide who tells you the city, skip-the-line tickets. You save time, energy, and learn 10× more. The difference is especially clear in Toledo, with 2,000 years of history.

Yes, on all our day trips to Toledo, Segovia and Ávila transport is included. We leave by comfortable bus from a central point in Madrid and return to the same spot. The price you see is the final price: no hidden bus costs. Monument entrance fees and food are separate (we tell you before booking so there are no surprises).

Ávila can be properly explored in a day. It is a small city but has one of the best-preserved medieval walls in Europe. In 4–5 hours on the ground you have time to walk the wall, visit the cathedral, explore the old town and enjoy a great chuletón steak. Perfect to combine with Segovia (1h apart) or as a quiet day trip from Madrid.

We have tours in Spanish, English and Italian, depending on the tour. The Habsburg and Monumental Bourbons tours have versions in Spanish, English and Italian. The Literary Quarter and Civil War tours are in Spanish. The Medieval Madrid tour is only in English. When you book you choose your language, and groups do not mix: each language has its own tour so you understand everything.

The main tours start mid-morning (between 11:00 and 12:00). Some tours have extra afternoon slots at 17:00, especially in high season and on weekends. The exact times appear when you book — they are updated in real time. If you need a very specific time for a group, message us on WhatsApp and we will see what we can do.

Tours run rain or shine. Madrid is enjoyed differently with an umbrella, and our guides are ready to adapt. We only cancel in extreme conditions (orange weather alert, dangerous storms) and always notify in advance by WhatsApp/email. Tip: bring an umbrella or rain jacket, comfortable shoes, and enjoy. Madrid in the rain has its own magic, we promise.

Yes, children are welcome. Our guides know how to adapt their tone when there are little ones in the group: more visual anecdotes, legend-based stories, more frequent stops. If you are coming with children under 6, message us on WhatsApp first to confirm the chosen tour fits well — some have long walking stretches. For larger family groups we can arrange tailor-made private tours.

Most of central Madrid is accessible, but there are some cobbled stretches and the occasional gentle slope. If you are using a wheelchair or have reduced mobility, message us before the tour on WhatsApp at +34 642 78 47 32: we will confirm which tour suits you best and, if needed, adapt the pace or suggest a more comfortable alternative route. We want you to enjoy it just like any other traveler.

Three things: 1) we have been in Madrid for 9 years, we are among the veterans of the sector and over 600 reviews back us with 4.7⭐. 2) small groups (15–20 people max), not those massive groups impossible to follow. 3) real Madrileño guides, with neighborhood stories you will not find in any guidebook. And our rainbow umbrella 🌈 is already a symbol in Plaza Mayor.

Of course, it is one of our travelers' favorite moments. After the tour ask the guide anything: where to eat authentic, which neighborhood to visit next, where to grab the best caña, what to see with kids. We have been in Madrid for years and know every corner. That post-tour chat is free and often gives more value than many travel guides.

We do not use headphones because we prefer to keep things personal: small groups where you can hear the guide without needing tech. In noisy areas like Sol or Gran Vía, the guide pauses strategically in quieter spots to share the important parts. If you have hearing difficulties, message us before the tour on WhatsApp and we will figure out how to make the experience easier for you.

When you book you receive an immediate email confirmation with all the details. If your tour is the next day, you also receive a reminder. If you want extra peace of mind, message us on WhatsApp at +34 642 78 47 32 the day of the tour: we will confirm the guide is on their way. We have been at this for 9 years and we do not flake: if anything unexpected comes up, we notify you ahead and reorganize.

Yes, we run tailor-made private tours for groups, families or companies. It is not exactly "free" because it has a fixed price, but it is flexible: you choose the date, time, route, language and length. Perfect for hen/stag parties, family trips, corporate incentives, or simply if you prefer not to share a group. More info at /grupos-privados or by WhatsApp at +34 642 78 47 32.

We are real Madrileños — we live here, we know the neighborhoods from the inside, and most of us have been doing tours for years. We know which bar has the best tortilla, which hidden street does not appear on TripAdvisor and which local legend grandparents still tell. Telling Madrid from outside is not the same as living it. That, alongside the rainbow umbrella, is our signature.