Madrid´s open-top bus sightseeing tour

Madrid City Tour is one of the easiest and most comfortable ways of discovering the capital city of Spain. All you have to do is buy your ticket; hop on the bus; put on your earphones; listen to the recorded commentaries; and enjoy the streets, monuments, and places of interest that you pass by. Plus you can hop off wherever you want. You can buy a one-day or two-day ticket and use it on route one, route two, or on both routes as many times as you wish.

For example, say on the same day you want to visit Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, the Prado Museum, and the Royal Palace. Thanks to Madrid City Tour you can get to them all quickly and easily without having to know the local bus routes or change lines on the underground. The buses are equipped with recorded commentaries in 14 languages (Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Dutch, Chinese, Arabic, Catalan, Basque, and Galician).

Route One

The first route starts off from Calle Felipe IV, next to the Prado Museum, and then goes on to Puerta de Alcalaand the Prado-Recoletos artery where you can find the Neptuno and Cibeles fountains, followed by Gran Via. The bus continues along this central avenue to Plaza de Espana and then, after passing the Temple of Debod, enters the old part of the city where you’ll discover the Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral, and Puerta del Sol. The last part of the journey takes you back along Paseo del Prado, past the Botanical Gardens and the Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, before arriving back at the Prado Museum.

The extended route takes place twice a day (at 4:40 pm and 8:40 pm,) and takes you all the way to Madrid Rio, the city’s new urban beach and park. It also goes to the area around Moncloa, taking in the Ejercito del Aire (Spanish Air Force Base), the Faro de la Moncloa viewpoint tower, and Arco de la Victoria (Victory Arch).

Route Two

The second route offered by Madrid City Tour starts off from the same point as Route One, next to the Prado Museum, but then continues along some of the city’s main arteries, such as Castellana, Prado, and Recoletos, and their side streets, showing you more of the city’s landmarks. Sights include Palacio de Cibeles, now home to the Madrid City Council and one of the most spectacular buildings along this route. Along Castellana, the bus passes by the Marques de Salamanca Palace, the Nuevos Ministerios buildings, the AZCA shopping complex, and the legendary Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. This route also takes you into the Salamanca district, with its designer boutiques, and the Lazaro Galdiano Museum. The final stage of the journey takes in Puerta del Sol, the Congreso de los Diputados (the Congress of Deputies), and Plaza de Neptuno, the square at which the journey comes to an end.

The extended version of this route is also available twice a day (at 4:50 pm and 8:50 pm), going all the way to the new high-rise business center Cuatro Torres Business Area in one direction, and to the famous Las Ventas Bullring in the other.