Excellent! - We only choose to go to El Escorial and El Valle de los Caídos. It was excellent! Great trip, calm and the tour guide, I believe it was Toby, did a great job! Just the right talking and information.

This is a must if you are staying in Madrid - We didn't know much about El Escorial and nothing about the Valley of the Fallen before we went on our yellow bus tour but thanks to our guide Campo we knew a lot at the end of the day. We would highly recommend doing this trip. The only thing that we didn't know was just how many stairs we would be going up and down and it would not be possible if you were in a wheelchair. But if you are interested in Spanish history and past kings and queens then this is the tour for you. The Valley of the Fallen was an amazing building and the only thing with doing this after Escorial was that it was a bit too rushed to see all its splender.

Kind of a solemn tour for a change... - <p>Kind of a solemn tour for a change. Well-paced. No photography allowed on the inside of both structures but oh well some still sneak a snap or two, maybe they do not understand the verbal instructions of the guide and the instructions which are boldly written in different languages including the English language accompanying the visual signs posted at the entrance and everywhere else along the tour sites. There is 1 area in El Escorial of which you can take a photo of, the inside courtyard or garden of the palace facing the restricted stairwell. Visiting The Valley of the Fallen gives one a really nice break from the busy city of Madrid.Beautiful structures inside and out!</p>

Excellent tour and a must see when in Madrid but difficult on your own - The tour takes you to two important places in Spanish history and culture. El Escorial is much bigger than you think and it really takes a tour guide to give you all the important details of the place. It is beautiful and interesting. The Valley of the Fallen features a scenic view over the entire valley. The Basilica is dug into the mountain and is the longest Basilica outside of the Vatican. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes since most of the day is spent walking. Take water and a hat if touring in the summer. The tour lasts about six hours and is really not suitable for younger children. There is no break for lunch.

Nice Experience - Liked both sites. Driver and tour guide were good and efficient. Would book again with this outfit. Thanks...Viva Franco!

It was ok with this tour. It's not... - <p>It was ok with this tour. It's not so far from Madrid. But it could be a little longer to have more time visiting El Escorial and Valley of the Fallen.</p>

Amazing - The tour lasts all day, but you cover a great deal. My only issue was the guide gave the tour in both English and Spanish. He ran both languages together so following along with what he was saying was difficult. Also be aware that this tour involves a great deal of walking and climbing stairs, especially in Toledo.

Mediocre Tour, Rushed - Mediocre tour at best. It was rushed, and the guide did not allow sufficient time at each site. I would recommend taking the train to El Escorial and then taking an Uber or Taxi to Valley of the Fallen from El Escorial so that you can have enough time at each site. The bus is comfortable and convenient, however.

good sites, poor tour - If you are only in Madrid for a short time and you do not already know Spanish history, do not take this trip.El Escorial is where Spanish kings are buried. The complex is huge, imposing, somber. The interior is lavish, convoluted and torturous to walk in.Valley of the Fallen is monolithic and has spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, but is otherwise mundane.Each of these places has its own fantastic history worthy of study and review, but taking a half day trip from Madrid to see them both on the same day is a waste of time and money.We missed our scheduled tour day and the company generously allowed us to take the tour on the following day with no charges. There were only 6 people on the tour, 3 Spanish speakers and 3 English speakers. Our guide's English was good but not perfect, "kins an der cowr" = "kings and their court". And understandably she appeared to spend more time during the tour talking to the Spanish group than the English group. The 45 minute drive to El Escorial was a "waste of time" because the guide only introduced herself, asked for names and talked generally for about 10 minutes then sat back and enjoyed the ride. She could have used the time to talk about the history of the sites or at least spend time talking to all the tourists.

These are two separate sites so giving an overall rating is misleading - Escorial was, for me, extremely dull and boring . It’s not for everyone and best left to people with an interest in Spanish history.The visit to the Valley of the Fallen was more Interesting - an impressive structure. Sadly there was next to no information given by the guide on the Civil War or its aftermath which would have added a great deal of value to the tour.