I am travelling to Madrid end of July with teenagers, 14yo son and 16yo daughter.
Looking for suggestions on (guided) tours, cooking classes (english) and flamenco show.
Which tour to consider, hop on hop off bus, electrical tuktuk or segway?
We want to visit Royal Palace, Thyssen/Prado museum, and my son hopes to have a tour of the Bernabeu stadium.
We will be spending 3full days in Madrid, then one week in Barcelona.
Thank you.
I liked the walking tour of the historic center offered by the Madrid tourist office back in 2016. I assume something comparable is still available. Both the Royal Palace and the Prado have audio guides. I imagine the Thyssen does as well (nearly all art museums do), but I don't remember for sure. Depending on the depth of your interest in the Palacio Real and the art museums, the audio guides might be sufficient for your needs.
I'm sure there are other interesting tours available in Madrid, but I've only taken the one general walking tour mentioned above.
I'm doubtful about the usefulness of Hop On/Hop Off tours in most major cities, because traffic can really slow their progress through the center of the city. Back in 2016 I walked past one of the major stops for the Barcelona HO/HO bus and saw a line so long it was clear not all the people could fit on a single bus even if it arrived empty, and there was no bus in sight. Travel time is too precious to spend it standing at a HO/HO bus stop as regular city buses arrive every few minutes. Both Madrid and Barcelona have useful subway systems as well, for use when you need to cover distances quickly.
The old historic district of Madrid is small and easily walkable without need for hop on/off bus. Subway system is excellent.
https://www.spainrevealed.com/madrid-revealed-travel-guide
James Blick is my recommendation to check out for your tour needs.
I took a food tour when I visited Madrid a few years back with "Devour Tours". It was excellent and one of the highlights of my time there.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza and Prado are separate museums.
The Prado is a must-see, a palace of Spanish masterpieces, full of Valesques and el Greco, among others.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza has some nice work, and some important work, but it lacks curatorial focus or objective, and it is mostly just displayed as "the art that belonged to this dead, rich man". With just a few days in Madrid, there might be better uses for your time. (Unless you have a particular motive to go there.
The Reina Sofia is the modern art museum best known for housing Picasso's Guernica. The museum is massive but worth going to just for that one gallery.
Some of Madrid's minor museums are wonderful: The Sorolla, Cerralbo, Palacio de Lluria
