Madrid Valley of the Fallen and Monastery Trip

Join this private day trip to El Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen. Travel deeply into Spain's past and legacy. Admire the grand design of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de Escorial, which functioned as a palace, monastery, and royal mausoleum listed by UNESCO. Discover the highlights of the monastery, including the Pantheon of Kings, where Spanish kings rest eternally, the great Basilica, and the austere but arresting Library with ancient manuscripts. Next, travel to the monumentally beautiful Valley of the Fallen, a site honoring those who died in the Spanish Civil War. Built on a mountainside amid the Guadarrama Mountains, this large basilica is seen for miles from the top view by a soaring cross. Inside, honor the site's complicated legacy as both a memorial and a divisive emblem of Spain's past in the crypt. Your guide will tell stories about the background of this imposing monument, helping to explain its significance within contemporary Spanish memory.