How to visit the Escorial Monastery in Madrid: schedules, tickets

If you have a few days for your tourist trip to Madrid, so you can do some visits aroundFrom my point of view there are two essential, the city of Toledo and Escorial Monastery.

In this regard you should know that in San Lorenzo del Escorial, very nice villa at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama, you have one of the most important monuments that you can visit in Spain.

Of the majesty of Monastery of El EscorialConsidered Heritage awarded by the Unesco, the fact is that when it was built in the 16th century, it became the largest building then in Europe.

When you visit it, among other notable rooms, you will be able to see the Habsburg Palace, with the spectacular Hall of Battles, Pantheon of Kings, a very important place in the history of Spain, the Basilica and Library.

In short, it is a visit that you can make to suit you, well on your own or a guided group (the most advisable), which due to the dimensions of the monument can take several hours.

How to visit the El Escorial monastery from Madrid

In this regard, if instead of going on your own, to go to El Escorial Do you prefer to visit the monastery? from Madrid on a tour with a guide in Spanish, you have several options.

You can sign up for one excursion to the monastery of El Escorial, which also includes the visit of Valley of the Fallen.

It takes place in the mornings with a duration of five hours, and during it the visit of the monastery takes place in which you will visit the Palace of the Austrias, the Pantheon of the Kings and Infants, the Chapter House and the Basilica.

You will arrive in Madrid at 14 p.m. after making a brief visit to the Valley of the Fallen.

You also have the option of private excursion to El Escorial monastery from Madrid, or if you are very tight on time on your trip, the alternative of a excursion to Ávila, Segovia and El Escorial, which will take you a full day.

How to go to El Escorial on your own from Madrid

If instead you prefer go to El Escorial on your own, the following information will be useful for your visit to the monastery.

To begin with, here you have detailed information about how to go to El Escorial from Madrid, either by train or by regular bus.

Tour of El Escorial and visit of the monastery

Once you get to San Lorenzo de El Escorial You also have the option of signing up for a Guided tour of the Escorial Monastery, with guide in spanish and a duration of 2 hours getting to know the main corners of this great monument.

Visiting hours of the Escorial Monastery

If, on the other hand, you decide to do the visit on your own, Hours of the Monastery of El Escorial They are, from Tuesday to Sunday, from April to September, from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m., and from October to March, from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m.

Note that The Escorial monastery is closed on Mondays and the last entry on visiting days is one hour before closing.

La visit on your own It lasts a minimum of two hours.

Likewise, in your visit to the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial You can also see other royal buildings and gardens, such as the Garden of the Friars, next to the monastery building itself, or the Prince's House and its gardens.

In the official website of the National Heritage can check visiting hours de Escorial monastery and from the other corners, as well as the days of the year that the monastery closes.

Escorial Monastery entrance prices

For your excursion you are also interested in knowing how much does it cost to visit the Monastery of El Escorial.

The entrance prices to the Monastery of El Escorial They are, the general rate, 12 euros, and the reduced rate, 6 euros.

Children between 5 and 16 years old, members of large families, students up to 25 years old and people over 65 years old from countries in the region can benefit from the latter. European Union e Ibero-Americans.

How to visit the Escorial monastery for free

In addition, they can visit the El Escorial monastery for free, among other groups, children under 5 years of age, large families, teachers, people legally unemployed and disabled people.

Likewise, the citizens of the aforementioned European Union and of countries Ibero-Americans CAN visit the Monastery of El Escorial for free, from April to September, on Wednesdays and Sundays, from 15 to 19 p.m., and from October to March, Wednesdays and Sundays from 15 to 18 p.m.

Also on specific dates such as May 18, International Museum Day, or October 12, National Holiday in Spain.

How much does the audio guide cost at the El Escorial monastery

If you prefer to visit on your own with the help of a tablets that they give you at the ticket office, the price is 5 euros, and if you prefer to download the APP of the El Escorial monastery, the activation code costs 4 euros.

How to visit the Casita del Príncipe in El Escorial

For its part, to visit the other royal offices of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, specifically, to the Prince's House and Infante Don Gabriel's House, you can only do it by signing up for a guided tour.

El price of admission for Prince's House It is 5 euros, and for the Infant's House, 3 euros.

What they are like and what to see on the guided tours of the El Escorial monastery

If you go on your own, for visit the monastery You also have the possibility of signing up for the official guided tour, which will cost you an additional 4 euros (total ticket price, 16 euros).

En free entry time You can also sign up for guided tours of the monastery of El Escorial paying the aforementioned 4 euros.

In recent years I have visited the El Escorial Monastery several times, always signing up for the guided tour, and on the most recent occasion the route was as follows.

Where do the guided tours of the El Escorial monastery begin?

To make the visit to the Monastery of El Escorial, in the Sierra de Madrid, you should not enter through the door on the main façade, the one that faces west, but through the north façade door.

The guided tours They are made on the fly, so as soon as you buy the ticket at the ticket office you will have to wait a few minutes until a new group is formed and the visit begins.

La tour now it starts with Monastery Basilica.

The most outstanding artistic corner is the sculpture of Jesus Christ crucified by Benvenuto Cellini which is located in one of the chapels. Made of three pieces of marble Carrara, it was a gift to king Philip II by its then Florentine owner.

Visit of the Library of the El Escorial monastery

Then, after passing through the Courtyard of Kings, you will go up to the Library, one of the great jewels contained in the El Escorial Monastery, and where the frescoes in the vault made by Tibaldi.

You will only see the central area of ​​the three rooms dedicated to the library where up to 40.000 copies are preserved, among which are great jewels such as the Cantigas of Alfonso X The Wise.

You will also pass through the main staircase of the monastery in the large central cloister where the so-called opens Courtyard of the Evangelists.

This corner is currently used by the Augustinian monks who reside there, and which you will not be able to see because the gallery is protected by wooden planks that preserve privacy.

On this staircase you will stop to see its great decoration with frescoes.

Old church of the El Escorial monastery

Next, through the gallery you access the old church of the Escorial monastery (o borrowed church), which king Philip II He ordered it to be enabled for masses while the basilica was being finished.

In this venue that is now used for concerts due to its good acoustics, you will be able to see a painting of Titian something dark, which in its day did not please Felipe II, but it is the most important artistic work preserved in the monastery.

During the guided tour you will continue through the chapter houses, which now occupies the monastery painting museum.

In addition to the frescoes that decorate its ceilings, a painting of El Greek, The Martyrdom of Saint Maurice, the largest painted by the Cretan artist, which was considered a pagan painting by the king so it did not enter the Basilica, which was its initial location.

Visit of the Pantheon of Kings and Infants in El Escorial monastery

From there you can access the Pantheon of Infants, which was built in the 19th century by the Queen isabel II, where the tombs of the relatives of the kings of the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties are preserved.

At Pantheon of Infants Above all, the tomb of Don Juan of Austria, with a spectacular recumbent sculpture made of marble, in which you can see a replica of his sword.

You will also see the large three-story tomb, with 60 niches (only 34 occupied), where the remains of children born from consanguineous marriages rest.

The next stage of the guided tour of the Monastery of El Escorial, is to go down to the impressive Pantheon of Kings located under the high altar of the basilica, where the kings of spain of the dynasties of the Habsburgs and  Bourbons.

There are also the tombs of the queens who were mothers of kings, and currently there are only three spaces available, so there is a project to build a new pantheon associated with the current one.

Next you access the Habsburg Palace o House of Philip II.

These are very austere rooms that were set up as a residence for the kings of said dynasty, which surround the main altar of the Basilica of the Monastery of El Escorial.

Visit of the Austrias palace in El Escorial monastery

You will begin the visit in one of the most prominent corners of the monastery, the large room known as the Hall of Battles, which is decorated with large paintings that illustrate battles of the time, such as that of Saint Quentin (1557).

On your journey through Habsburg Palace you will pass through the room Children, where you will see a clavichord from the 16th century or a bed from the same period.

In the decoration there are many Talavera sockets and the paintings of the Spanish and Flemish schools of the 16th century.

In the so-called Guard Room you have the opportunity to see the chair in which he was transported to king Philip II on his last trip from Madrid to El Escorial, when he was already sick with gout.

As a curiosity I will tell you that this "journey" It lasted for seven days!! Because, due to his illness, the king needed long periods of rest. Felipe II He died a few days after arriving at the monastery.

Portrait Room in El Escorial monastery

La Courtroom: Portrait Hall, shows portraits of all the kings of the dynasty of the Austria, among which stands out the Felipe II Painted by Titian.

However, what will catch your attention the most are the impressive carved doors with 17 different woods, which remain without varnish or paint, which were given in 1567 by Maximilian I.

You will also see folding chairs used by Felipe II to support his gout-stricken leg.

Gallery of Paseo de Felipe II in El Escorial monastery

La Philip II's promenade gallery It is a large room located behind the main altar of the basilica, with 51 very curious cartographic maps of the world, which show you the knowledge that existed in the XNUMXth century about the geography of the earth.

Profusely decorated with talavera pottery, in this large rectangular room you can also see fireplaces, armchairs friars, a portable altar of Carlos V and a curious solar meridian, used to set the clocks of the Habsburg Palace.

From the windows you will see the so-called Garden of the Monks of the Monastery of El Escorial.

The room used as a dining room is decorated with paintings from different royal palaces, such as those of Aranjuez, The brown o La Granja.

Philip II's bedroom in El Escorial monastery

Finally, in this guided tour of the Palace of the Austrias of the Monastery of El Escorial, you will reach the room of Felipe II, where you will see his bed, which will undoubtedly catch your attention due to its short length of only 1,58 meters.

From said bed, through a window, Felipe II had direct vision of the high altar of the Basilica, and thus he was able to follow the masses before his death on September 13, 1598, at the age of 71.

Next to the bedroom Felipe II You will find a living room and the king's office, all very austere.

When I last went to the monastery, in tour the so-called Bourbon Palace, a succession of rooms with style decoration bourbon.

It is a much more spacious enclosure than that of the Habsburgs, and where an excellent collection of tapestries stands out, some of his own. Goya.

In this palace they also preserve Flemish and Pompeian-style tapestries brought by Carlos III, and also a sample of the impressive collection of watches from Charles IV, being able to see about 90 of the almost thousand pieces that make it up.

In short, a long and dense visit, in which the time you spend will depend on you, but in which you will be able to give a very interesting review of the history of Spain.