Local Neighborhoods & Gourmet Tapas tour

Your Madrid gourmet market adventure begins in front of the Opera House, in the oldest part of the city. After setting the scene, your expert local guide leads you towards one of the most famous chocolaterias in town, where we enjoy a deliciously sweet breakfast of hot chocolate and churros!

With our energy levels sufficiently topped up, we take a stroll around the city centre as your guide shows you some key landmarks including Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa and regales you with historic tales about the Spanish monarchy and the people of Madrid over the centuries.

Our second stop is the first-ever gourmet tapas market in Spain, Mercado de San Miguel (built in 1916), an important landmark to discover together as we chat about Spanish culinary culture, food traditions, and the introduction of gourmet markets to the foodie shopping scene.

Next, we head over to Madrid’s only remaining cluster convent to buy homemade sweets. This is a proud tradition of Spain that’s slowly getting lost as younger generations change their perspective on religion.

After our visit to the convent, we leave the city centre and make our way to the neighbourhood of La Latina, where you are sure to be surprised to discover hidden historical corners such as the remains of the old walls of Madrid, plus heritage inns from the 18th century. A few of these are privately owned, but we have exclusive access to visit and admire them.

Our third stop is the local grocery market of La Latina, where organic olive oil and wine tastings await. We meet the owner, who is focussed on helping small producers from all over Spain to promote their wines and olive oils. Spain is the orchard of Europe, and its wine and olive oil industries are amongst the largest in the world. The agriculture industry is moving more towards organic production now, respecting the land and promoting high-quality products. This tasting helps you better understand this organic revolution!

After the tasting, we walk through the are of the biggest flea market in Spain, El Rastro. Your guide gives you the lowdown on this popular market, and for anyone staying in Madrid on a Sunday, (the day the market is on) we strongly recommend that you pay it another visit.

The Lavapies neighbourhood is next on our foodie agenda. It’s Madrid’s most multicultural neighbourhood and home to the original born-and-raised Madrileños, a common name for the people of Madrid. This area has now transformed into an exciting (and tasty) fusion of world cultures. African restaurants rub shoulders with Asian shops and Indian cafés, and local traditions mix with what’s hot on the alternative art scene. Along the way, we explore an old Inquisition-era prison and discover its stories. As we’re in a small group, we can enter small places like this without causing much of a disturbance.

Your gourmet tapas tour of Madrid ends in Barrio de las Letras, a very bohemian and chic neighborhood in the heart of Madrid. We make a stop at the market of Anton Martin, where you can taste organic Cava paired with more delicious gourmet tapas dishes. Then we go into the heart of this charming neighbourhood, where your guide is happy to help you get oriented, get back to your accommodation, and/or give you more tips on what else to see, do, and eat in marvelous Madrid.

Additional information

Dress standard: Comfortable clothes and walking shoes are recommended. We recommend that you also bring a water bottle, sunscreen, and a hat during the summer months.

Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. Your guide meets you at the starting point. Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.

Child policy: Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ when booking. Children below the age of 6 are not permitted on this tour.

Local contact

Office phone number: +34 633 344 231
Email address: [email protected]

Mrs. Melinda G. from USA travelled on 05 Nov 2018:

The trip was excellent with the chance to see some hidden gems and have delicious tastes in all the markets!

Mrs. Ashley C. from USA travelled on 04 Oct 2018:

I am happy to say that did the Madrid Markets Tour with Leila! I had looked into daytime tours that would incorporate a good mix of tapas, history and sightseeing. This tour was absolutely perfect! It ended up being that I was the only person on the tour, so it was very personalized; however, I got the the feeling it would have been like that even if there were others on the tour. Throughout the tour we saw several historical sights, had hot chocolate and churros, sampled cheeses, olive oils, paté (there was the opportunity for olives too), and had several different local drinks. All of the vendors were very nice and friendly. This tour is definitely worth it and I highly recommend it!

Mrs. Margaret M. from Australia travelled on 01 Oct 2018:

Despite Leila arriving unadvoidably late her enthusiasm and area knowledge more that made up for the wait. We had such a great experience with her.

Mr. Grace Melecia Cornish L. from Canada travelled on 20 Sep 2018:

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!!! Everything was truly top-of-the line and amazing. We did at least two different tours each day on our 10-day trip to Madrid. And although all were enjoyable, this Urban Adventures tour was by far the very best. The tour guide Andrea truly knows everything about Madrid’s history and culture. She was nothing short of amazing in more ways than one. On our initial night of this 5-hour tapas tour, our daughter unfortunately was dehydrated from accumulated actives and fainted. However, the tour guide Andrea was quick to effectively handle this situation in a calm, efficient, professional and compassionate manner. She rapidly had the local EMT/ambulance there in under five minutes. She stayed by our side and translated for us while the kind medical team examined our daughter (for free!). Once our daughter was cleared and felt strong enough to return to hotel for hydration and rest, Andrea’s manager Cecilia promptly called us to see how she could be of help. She kindly rescheduled the tour for us on another day at no additional charge, and even connected us with her tour counter-part in Barcelona (Alicia), who guided us on a day trip there. It is very comforting and reassuring to know that you can have the right help if an emergency occurs while vacationing in a foreign country. So, for this and the remarkable tapas/history tour I say a great big “THANK YOU” to both tour guide Andrea and Urban Adventures manager Cecilia!!! (Honestly a dynamic duo!)They are truly amazing, kind and professional people. Both my husband and our 24 year-old daughter enjoy this tour to the fullest also! I highly recommend and believe you will love it! Not only will you enjoy the delicious tastings, and rich culture expose, but you can rest assured you’ll be safe and well cared for. Absolutely a five plus stars out of five. I would give this tour ten stars if allowed. Thank you. Grace L.

Mrs. Anne H. from Canada travelled on 14 Jun 2018:

Andrea was an amazing guide around the markets of Madrid. Her enthusiasm for her city and its food was really infectious. She brought the city to life for us with her extensive knowledge of its history and culture. We enjoyed so much delicious food and wine as we went round, and all the interesting information she gave us about its origins.
Andrea was a very concerned group leader and was especially supportive over a lost wallet. Thank you Andrea for a delightful tour, it was the highlight of our stay in Madrid.

Ms. One One C. from USA travelled on 02 Jun 2018:

Andrea is super; knowledgeable, and comfortable to be with. Last minute booking and very responsive, Small group, relaxed pace, had a great time!

Ms. Margy T. from New Zealand travelled on 31 May 2018:

The tour guide was excellent and fun. I have recommended this tour to many since.

Mr. Alex S. from Australia travelled on 05 Mar 2018:

Angela was a very knowledgable and helpful guide to Madrid

Mr. John W. from USA travelled on 02 Dec 2017:

We have taken a number of Urban Adventurers tours and each one gets better. Our guide was excellent: interesting, engaging, and knowledgeable. We gained insight to Spanish history and Madrid, with the focus on the central old city. We are foodies so the visit to the markets was most interesting. The samplings of Spanish foods, beer, and “Campaign” were great.

Ms. Karen H. from Australia travelled on 02 Aug 2017:

Andrea was a great guide! Informative, courteous, happy and caring. Had a great time and would highly recommend this day tour. Locals really do know! Thank you

Mr. David B. from USA travelled on 08 Jul 2017:

Andrea was a wonderful tour guide throughout the city of Madrid! She was so personable and knowledgable and we had a great time with our teenage daughters visiting the amazing neighborhoods and markets. She was also incredibly helpful in giving tips on where to visit and eat throughout Madrid. Highly recommend Urban Adventures – Andrea was a doll!!!

Mrs. Kirsi A. from Finland travelled on 26 Jun 2017:

Places visited were well chosen and service in local markets was excellent – as were the gourmet snacks and our guide, too. Thank you for a fun and tasty tour – we really enjoyed!

Mr. Michael T. from Australia travelled on 31 May 2017:

Andrea was an excellent guide. A very enjoyable morning. The information we received was great. We loved this market tour. Would highly recommend

Mr. Roald B. from USA travelled on 26 Apr 2017:

Cecelia was awesome. We were a group of four and our friends from Edinburgh were a bit skeptical of a tour at the beginning. Cecelia was engaging and clever and had won them over in the first 30 minutes. We enjoyed teasing her a bit with our great tour in San Sebastian with Oihana. They are both excellent representatives of your company!
We actually returned to several of the places that were on the Markets tour and we probably would have missed them if we had not taken the tour. Well done! We will use UA in the future.

Mr. Trevor H. from Australia travelled on 09 Apr 2017:

Having done the tapas tour the previous evening there was quite a bit of duplication of some of the history, bit I guess it is hard to avoid that. This comment is not a complaint. The visits to the markets and the samples offered were first class.

Ms. Loukia M. from Greece travelled on 03 Apr 2017:

Cecilia is the perfect guide. Our tour was great we had seen a Madrid with the eyes of the locals. looking forward to discover more urban adventures tours to our next trip!

Mr. Chris R. from Australia travelled on 23 Oct 2016:

We thoroughly enjoyed this tour and found ourselves going back to the places we were shown.

Mrs. Marie S. from Australia travelled on 10 Oct 2016:

Great tour Great Guide – very pleased would recommend.

Mr. Colin C. from Australia travelled on 05 Oct 2016:

Great tour – we had been in Madrid for a few days, but still learnt much from the tour. David was a knowledgeable, enthusiastic and engaging guide, and we also enjoyed the company of our fellow travellers. We had a lovely time.

Ms. Erina P. from New Zealand travelled on 20 Sep 2016:

Cecilia was amazing , interesting , fun and incredibly knowledgable about food , history and culture. Experience exceeded our already high expectations. Going on the Markets of Madrid urban adventure enabled us to very quickly get oriented , find places we like and make the most of our time in Madrid. We have been back to several places and now know where to get the best food!! A fabulous experience .
Based on this we went on the Barcelona Tapas tour with friends and now back in Madrid have also booked the Tapas Tour here.
Thank You!

Ms. Tania D. from United Kingdom travelled on 15 Jul 2016:

Really wonderful experience with Cecelia – was very lucky to have her all to myself

Ms. Petra G. from Germany travelled on 11 Jul 2016:

I had a fantastic time! I would never gotten to know Madrid and its Markets the way I got it to see with David on my own. I really enjoyed learning a bit about the history of Madrid, the different quarters, the residents and the food. It was an surprising, fun, tasty and illuminating experience. The tour showed me, that you have to only take a few steps away from the main tourist attractions an you will find the “local” Madrid with its friendly and welcoming people. David did a great job showing me this side of the city. Thank you for that!

Mr. David G. from Australia travelled on 05 Jul 2016:

Our walking tour of Madrid with Urban Adventures was wonderful. Our guide Cecelia, was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, patient and very sensitive to our needs and particular interests. The tour included a rich variety of experiences from the grand monuments to meeting local people at the markets and having the opportunity to discuss things with them to enhance our understanding of local culture. This puts the physical experiences into context. Cecelia took us behind closed doors which we would otherwise have bypassed without knowing the richness of experience awaiting inside.
A very worthwhile tour — a rich experience. David and Suzy Gilbert, 9 June 2016 (from Australia)

Mr. Karen W. from Australia travelled on 02 Jul 2016:

This was the best tour of our stay in Madrid. Our guide, Cecilia, was amazing – friendly, warm, knowledgeable and fun. We loved trying out all the wonderful food that she chose for us to experience, thought that the places we visited were such fun and loved hearing about the city of Madrid. I can’t speak more highly of this tour – it was very special.

Ms. Kathleen H. from USA travelled on 21 Nov 2014:

Tom was a fantastic guide! Very passionate about Madrid and he shared his enthusiasm with me! We had a pleasant morning to see all that Madrid has to offer. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and would recommend this tour for others, and especially the opportunity to share an infectiously fun tour around the city! Thanks!