Tapas, Taverns & History Tour
Madrid's top-rated tapas tour! A 2-in-1 adventure with amazing tapas plus a fascinating tour of Madrid’s historic center.
What's Included
- An insider guide who will teach you to do tapas like a local across 4 legendary tapas bars
- Madrid's main sites on a historic walking tour: the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, Puerta del Sol and more
- A taste of the best authentic tapas in Madrid at places locals cherish
- The chance to touch history as you visit 100-year-old family-run tapas bars and taste recipes passed down through generations
- The riveting story of how the small village of Madrid transformed (almost overnight!) into the capital of an empire
- A quick crash course on local drinking culture, as you taste vermouth, wine, beer and dessert wine
Foodie Highlights
You'll Eat
- Spain's No. 1-rated cured black hoof Iberian ham
- Sizzling garlic shrimp cooked before your eyes
- The best grilled mushrooms you will ever taste
- Beer battered calamari fried in olive oil
- Crispy potatoes in a homemade red pepper sauce
- Paprika-spiced Spanish chorizo
- Padrón peppers. Will you score the spicy one?
- Freshly-pickled white anchovies
- Eggplant drizzled with local honey
- Campo Real olives grown right here in Madrid
- Freshly-made pan con tomate (bread with fresh tomato and olive oil)
- Coconut cookies baked by nuns!
You'll Drink
- Sweet Spanish vermouth straight from the tap
- Tinto de verano (what locals drink instead of sangria!)
- Red, white or fortified wine from the Toro region
- Selection of red tempranillo wines & white wines
- Sweet moscatel dessert wine
What to Expect on Your Tour
TOUR SNAPSHOT
Learn to do tapas like a local as you make your way through Madrid’s city center! In between four iconic Madrid tapas bars, you’ll hear the story of how Madrid went from a small village to the capital of one of the world’s greatest empires! Between sipping Spanish wine and devouring the best of Madrid’s tapas, your expert guide will bring the city’s fascinating history to life as you wind in and out of grand plazas and mystery-filled streets.
STOP-BY-STOP
Start your night by popping into a royally located tavern where you’ll find out what tapas really are! As you sip vermouth, you’ll taste freshly fried chips, local olives and Marcona almonds. Then it’s time for the show-stopper—Spain’s very best jamón ibérico de bellota, or cured acorn-fed Iberian ham.
Next up is Madrid’s royal palace, where you’ll get a mini-lesson on how Madrid was founded. As you wander through the oldest part of Madrid—the Habsburg neighborhood—you’ll discover its hidden squares and secrets.
Before you get to the next tapas bar, your expert guide will continue the story of Madrid’s history as they lead you down a tucked away street to show you a century-old tradition still practiced today!
The next tapas bar is known for one thing—fantastic grilled mushrooms! While here, you’ll learn what most locals drink (it’s NOT sangria!) as you enjoy its famous mushrooms and Padrón peppers.
As you make your way to the third tapas bar of the night, you’ll pass through two of Madrid’s key squares as your guide brings more of Madrid’s storied past to life.
At the third tapas bar, you’ll taste gambas al ajillo—a dish this family-run bar claims to have invented! You’ll also be able to order a glass of wine made from the same family’s vineyard in the Toro region.
To end the night with a bang, you’ll head to a traditional tapas bar to sit down and enjoy hot-off-the-grill raciones—larger portions meant to share! From crispy grilled chorizo to beer-battered calamari and more, this tapas feast will solidify your expertise in doing tapas like a local!
And as with all Devour Madrid tours, your guide will give you a copy of our Devouring Madrid guide, which is packed with all our favorite places to eat and drink in the city! So put down your guidebook and get ready to experience Madrid like a local!
About Our Expert Guides
Your tour will be lead by one of our expert, English-speaking guides. They’re all gifted storytellers who are smart, passionate and talented and whose excitement for this country is contagious!
Meet them here!Map Your Tour
Explore Madrid's most famous historic squares and hidden alleys in the capital's majestic center
