Food, Wine and Monumental Short Break City Stay in Madrid

Discovering Madrid´s Heritage: Tapas & Art

Enjoy a short stay city break in Madrid. This tour package includes food & wine related tours and accommodation in a city centre either in a 5* or 4* hotel. The hotel is within walking distance from many places of enormous interest like Reina Sofia Art Gallery, Retiro Park, Botanic Gardens, Atocha Railway Station, Gran Vía Street, Puerta del Sol and Mayor Square.

Tapas are a traditional way of eating in Spain; we go to bars and order a drink and several snacks in the form of tapas to start the night off with friends. There is no better way to start your trip than acting like a Spaniard and getting to know the country’s culinary heritage Going on a tapa tour is a must when in Madrid. On the Madrid Tapas Tour, the guide will take you to the spots cherished by true madrileños for tasting the finest Spanish tapas and indulging in local wines. Immerse yourself in historical bars and restaurants, where the owners have perfected the art of cooking and serving authentic and delightful Spanish cuisine, preserving traditions from one generation to the next.

The next day you will visit the Prado Museum. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819, it also contains important collections of other types of works. El Prado is one of the most visited sites in the world, and it is considered one of the greatest art museums in the world. It has been described as a museum of painters not of paintings, given that its artists are represented superlatively with, for example, the largest holdings of Bosch, Titian, El Greco, Rubens, Velázquez and Goya, some numbering more than 100 works.

After the Prado, you will visit Madrid's Royal Palace (also known as the Palacio Real or Palacio de Oriente), a beautiful baroque structure with some 3,000 rooms, making it one of Europe's largest castles. Although the royal family no longer lives here, the Palacio Real still serves as the king and queen's official residence, a venue for state ceremonies, and a place for tourists to get a peek into the royal history of Spain.

Choose Your Wine Adventure in La Mancha or Ribera del Duero

On your third day, you will have to choose whether to visit La Mancha wine region or the Ribera del Duero wine Region.

Castilla La Mancha region stretches out from all directions south of Madrid and remains today Spain’s largest wine producing area. It is the largest continuous wine-producing area in the world; approximately 450,000 hectares are under vine. The La Mancha D.O. (appellation) accounts for almost half of all vines grown in Spain and produces half of all Spanish wines, many of which it must be said, could scarcely rise above the level of mediocre. You will visit Bodegas Osborne, one of the best wineries in the area where you will taste some of their best wines.

But if you decide to go for the other option, Ribera del Duero is also a wine region punctuated with Crusader castles and mile after mile of vineyards. The primary grape here is Tinto Fino (a.k.a Tempranillo) and it is used to make a range of mid-level up to ultra-premium wines. Vega Sicilia and Pingus are wine royalty at the super top end. Towns of interest in the region include historic Peñafiel, medieval Peñaranda de Duero and Aranda de Duero with its gorgeous underground wine tunnels. In this option, we will visit 2 wineries: Bodegas Ismael Arroyo-Valsotillo and Abadía Retuerta, a jewel among the string of exclusive wine estates found along the Duero River.

They are both fantastic wine regions to taste some of the best wines that Spain has to offer.

On your last day, your private chauffeur will take you to the airport and say the final goodbye.

DAY 1:
MADRID AIRPORT - MADRID

• Arrival in Madrid, the capital of Spain.
• Private Transfer from Madrid Airport to your hotel  (NOTE: Please advise flight time and no.)
• Drop off at hotel in Madrid.
• Check in hotel.
• Free time to rest after your trip. 
• In the evening you will enjoy an exclusive Small Group Wine & Gourmet Tapas Tour in Madrid.
• Meet your English-Speaking Food/Wine Specialist Guide at a designated meeting point in Madrid.
• The Madrid evening tapas tour starts in the Las Letras neighbourhood, led by an expert guide who will accompany you on a walk to three different stops. Here, you'll have the opportunity to savour a diverse selection of Spanish tapas and beverages.
• The 1st stop of our gastronomic journey is at a tavern that opened its doors nearly two centuries ago. Savour both food and beverages dating back to that era, with all the recipes meticulously preserved and passed down through generations.
• Our 2nd stop on the tapas tour in Madrid merges traditional tapas with classic Spanish music in a centuries-old bar.
• The tour ends at one of Madrid´s most exclusive restaurants, where you can indulge in a gastronomic dinner featuring multiple courses, exquisite Spanish wines, and a mouthwatering dessert to sweetly conclude the tapas experience.
  
• Overnight in Madrid.

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DAY 2:
MADRID

• Breakfast.
• Begin this day with a Prado Museum and Royal Palace Tour.
• Meet your Private English-speaking official local guide and Chauffeur in the lobby of your hotel.
• A detailed visit of the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace.
• You will then be dropped off at a recommended restaurant where we have reserved a table for your lunch after the tour.
• Dinner on your own(This evening you could add on a flamenco show and dinner event. Please see the Add-On section.)
  
• Overnight in Madrid.

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DAY 3:
MADRID - LA MANCHA WINE COUNTRY - MALPICA DE TAJO – MADRID or MADRID- BODEGAS ISMAEL ARROYO (VALSOTILLO) - ABADÍA RETUERTA - MADRID

 OPTION 1: LaMancha Wine Tour from Madrid

•  Breakfast.
• La Mancha Wine Tour from Madrid.
• On this wine excursion, you will start by driving to the La Mancha region which is about 1hr30mins. away from Madrid.
•  Drive on through the wine country to Malpica de Tajo where you will have a special visit of the winery, vineyards and tasting with appetizers at Bodega Osborne Malpica.
• Then you will return to Madrid by highway.
• Drop off at your hotel and final goodbye from your chauffeur.
• Overnight in Madrid.

OPTION 2: VIP Wine Excursion to Ribera del Duero from Madrid

•  Breakfast.
•  Meet your Private English-speaking chauffeur in the lobby of your hotel.
• On this wine excursion, you will start by driving with your private chauffeur to the Ribera del Duero region which is about 2 hrs away from Madrid.
• We will visit the Bodegas Ismael Arroyo - Valsotillo winery and taste some of their wines.
• Then on to the 2nd winery driving through the Ribeira del Duero Countryside. Here we will enjoy a  special group visit, visit the abbey, go on a 4×4 tour of the estate and vineyards and taste the fabulous winery Abadía Retuerta.  (other winery option is Bodega Arzuaga Navarro.)
• Enjoy a gourmet lunch at the winery restaurant.
• After lunch return back to your hotel thru the wine country.
• Drop off at your hotel and final goodbye from your chauffeur.
• Overnight in Madrid.

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DAY 4:
MADRID

• Breakfast.
  
• Private Transfer from  your hotel to Madrid Airport  (NOTE: Please advise flight time and no.)
• Board the plane and return to the point of origin.

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