When it comes to walking around the Spanish capital city, there is a wide range of possibilities for those interested in alternative aspects. We have been offering guided tours for groups in Madrid since 2016, and we are sure that some of the options you will read below may be of your interest. Are Urban art, graffiti, architecture or feminism of your taste?
Whatever the reason that brought you to our website, you should know that by joining Cooltourspain’s routes, you will participate in a sustainable touristic activity. This means that thanks to your contribution, there will be someone in the local area who will benefit from it. Have you ever participated in such a responsible and sustainable tour?
For your information, we use some of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals dictated by the United Nations in the content of our alternative tours. These include social justice, women’s empowerment and the development of all people, equally.
- Tour types
- Neighborhoods visited
- Group pricing
- Customers’ reviews
Out of all our services, which guided tours for groups in Madrid are the most booked?
In addition to offering services for those who want to discover the city in a classic way, we have an alternative point of view to offer you. As a matter of fact, the guided tours we lead for groups in Madrid will show you what you wouldn’t see on your own. Regardless of your age, or the population group you belong to, there is a part of our culture that is waiting for you.
We have been running these tours for 6 years now, and so far we have received participants from many different countries: Netherlands, USA, Sweden… Each one, with a different need, but all with the idea of visiting Madrid in an alternative way. Whether it’s around Lavapiés, Malasaña or the centre, there is an interesting story waiting for you!
Depending on the occasion, we will communicate in English, French or Spanish, but the common goal is to speak to each other in a graffiti language. Learn stories unknown to many, and hear details about the artists’ creative process. Both the legal ones, and those who work without permission. In your own words, what’s the difference between street art and graffiti?
The ‘best seller’: graffiti tour around Lavapiés district
The tour we offer around Embajadores district represents at least 65% of our services. There is no doubt that the guided tours for groups in Madrid are our specialy, and when it comes to teams of more than 20 people, we have at your disposal a team of qualified professionals. They all share the same passion.
Lavapiés is a symbol of multiculturalism and colour. Both for the different communities present here, as well as for the ‘bombing’ graffiti style, and the managed walls. You will see Moroccan, Senegalese, Indian restaurants and other diverse community projects. Together we will pay attention to the things that few people stop to think about. Let us explain you the district’s hidden stories.
CALLE Lavapiés, Urvanity or Muros Tabacalera are the street art festivals we will observe during the tour. Along the way, we will talk about each of the festivals’ themes. That is to say, public street art accessible to everyone. If you are aware of issues such as the struggle for social justice, then we recommend you sign up for this tour.
Guided tours for groups around Malasaña district, Madrid
Then, the second most requested service corresponds to a traditional and hipster neighbourhood. Are you familiar with the topic of gentrification? Around Malasaña, these guided tours for groups in Madrid have a restricted capacity (it’s Cooltourspain’s contribution to the problem). Our way of collaborating in this respect is to offer a ratio of 1 guide for every 15-18 participants.
The area around Plaza del Dos de Mayo and Tribunal metro station represents the hustle and bustle of young people over the weekends. At the same time, this particular area represents for many the neighbourhood’s golden era, known as La Movida Madrileña. A countercultural movement that brought new trends in the 80s. Among them, graffiti. All of it after Franco’s dictatorship.
Similarly to what happens around Lavapiés neighbourhood, the tour will show you several municipal markets and other events related to contemporary art. If you wish, we can even show you the urban art at the Akeah Hotel, or offer you this service on an urban or electric bicycle.
Madrid’s architecture from the rooftops
At last, we will summarise a section dedicated to the most exclusive services. Those offered by a professional architect, that will make you discover Madrid city from a panoramic view, from an architectural point of view. Apart from that tour, we have guided tours for groups in Madrid which focus on the following:
- Gran Vía from the terraces of the CBA (Circulo Bellas Artes) and from the RIU Hotel.
- Madrid ‘Austrias’
- Lavapiés, stories about corralas (typical housing style from the XVII century and post-industrial architecture.)
As you can imagine, these activities aim to offer a tourist, cultural and social solution for those travellers/curious about (re)discovering the city. Sign up for any of them! The tour is guaranteed for a minimum of 4 participants, and you can get there by clicking on the following link:
What are the strengths of our guided tours for groups in Madrid?
In order to sell your services you have to know what people think about you. What do customers, who have already participated, say about the tours? For us, user experience is the key, and it is essential to know their opinion. For example, through Tripadvisor. However, our guided tours for groups in Madrid do not stop there. They go beyond that. For your information, Cooltourspain works with SICTED for a quality certification. That is our first premise, a guaranteed service, full of quality and tailored to customer needs.
We are not a free tour company in Madrid, although we do our work through a volunteering project. We are committed to offer a social service for those who can’t afford it, or for those who, even if they can afford it, don’t look for it directly. Cooltourspain works with Madrid Convention Bureau on “legacy” activities. Do you know what they are?
You can talk to us by email, info@cooltourspain.com, or by whatsapp to establish a faster communication. Write to us at +34638399784, and in less than 24 hours you will receive a personalised proposal. For your information, when it comes to groups, we require 50% down payment. In other words, in order to block the date in our calendar, you will need to have pay such a deposit.
Practical and active part of the experience
In order to add a bit of action to the whole thing, we have added a part where you can paint. Guided tours for groups in Madrid are not only about listening and hearing to information, but also about getting hands-on. Depending on how long you want the activity to last, we can offer you from a stencil with spray cans on on A3 sized paper, to a 100% cotton tote bag. What about a complete workshop on the wall with a professional graffiti artist/graffiti artist?
Thanks to our experience as educators, we will make sure that anyone, without any knowledge of how to pick up a spray can, will get the most out of the activity and enjoy it with their friends and/or work colleagues. The activity is available for all types of groups, even those who are in town for a hen or stag party.
These are some of the artists and graffiti artists who collaborate with Cooltourspain, leading workshops for an open public: El Rey de la Ruina, Ze Carrión, Pyramid 6 Eyes, DMS, Miek, Sea162… Surely their names ring a bell. They are active members of the street art community in town.
Guided tours for groups in Madrid led by graffiti and street art specialists.
Just so you know a bit more about us, we come from different fields, including education, fine arts and art history. We started the project as a hobby, and the work grew until we realised the need to organise ourselves. These guided tours for groups in Madrid started 6 years ago, and we are currently working on developing the same project in Barcelona.
In addition to the years we have been in the graffiti’s shadows from 2012 to 2016, our experience gives us a clear differentiation within the tourism sector. It all started by solving a touristic project, and we have now specialised in offering a tailored service. Full of curiosities and anecdotes. Among other facts, this is some of the information we will share with you:
- When do graffiti artists usually go out to paint? How do they do it?
- What could happen to you if you get caught?
- Is there any code or unwritten law among graffiti artists?
Tailored to each audience: MICE, DMC agencies, school groups, hen parties…
Out of the approximately 3,000 people who visited us in 2022, 70% of them took part in one of our guided tours for groups in Madrid. The truth is that most of them belonged to a professional profile, visiting the city on a business trip or participating in a congress/event. That’s what we call MICE or DMC agencies in the tourism industry. Then, our second most repetitive customer come from school groups.
English/Spanish language teachers, primary education tutors or Fine Arts’ instructors usually contact us. FYI, we’ve prepared a graffiti lesson plan that you’ll receive on your inbox. In this way, the tour itself will connect to something they have seen in class. Later, they will have to elaborate a final work. These groups come from Madrid, while the second type of group comes from France.
In this sense, educational agencies who contact us, book our activities for 40-60 people. They take care of booking hotels/hostels, transport and restaurants, and rely on local projects like ours to run the tours. On the other hand, you will find groups of friends who come to Spain to celebrate a bachelor or bachelorette party. If the person getting married is into graffiti and street art, then that could be the perfect fit.
How much do the guided tours in Madrid cost for groups?
Now that you know some of the guided tours we offer for groups in Madrid, we will inform you about their price. Just so you know, we work with an approximate ratio of 15-18 participants per guide, so if you bring more than that amount of people, we will have several professionals in the team. If they are graffiti related activities, we’ll count with professional graffiti artists, and if they are more common experiences, we will provide you with official guides.
The price per person ranges from €5 for school groups to €15 for event agencies. Then you will have to add the fee for certified guides, which ranges from €131 to approximately €151. These costs are associated with services lasting 2 hours, without transport.
In both cases, the prices are payable in advance. The amount corresponds to the 50%. In other words, to block the date in our calendar we will have to receive this deposit. In case of cancellation by Covid, or any other cause, this amount will be paid as administrative fees. The remaining payment will be made in the week before the event.
Cooltourspain’s opinion about these private tours
We are grateful to all our private clients and agencies for trusting in our guided tours for groups in Madrid. For us, it all started as a hobby, but we receive more and more requests everyday and that makes us believe in our work. It’s been more than 6 years now, and things are still growing. Did you know that we are now in the process of expanding to the city of Barcelona?
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