El Escorial: Royal Monastery entry ticket
Entry ticket to the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial: basilica, royal pantheon, library and Habsburg palace, self-guided. 4.5/5 with 312 reviews.
4.5312 reviews
Practical details
- Duration
- 2-3 hours
- Guide languages
- Spanish · English
- Mobile ticket
- No need to print
- Instant confirmation
- Right after booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- No
- Minimum age
- No restriction
- Pets
- Not allowed
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24h before
Highlights
- World Heritage Site and Philip II's great building
- Pantheon of Kings: 26 Spanish monarchs in a marble crypt
- Renaissance library with 40,000 volumes
- 50 minutes from Madrid by commuter train
Our take
El Escorial is the most serious half-day trip from Madrid: less picturesque than Toledo or Segovia, but the building is overwhelming and the Pantheon of Kings stays with you. Cheap ticket, easy by train. Book ahead to skip the weekend box office.
What's included
- Entry ticket to the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Not included
- Transport from Madrid
- Guide or audio guide
- Casita del Príncipe and Casita del Infante
Good to know
What to bring
- Warm layer: it is cold inside even in summer
- Comfortable shoes
Things to keep in mind
- Closed on Mondays
- Wednesday and Thursday afternoons (last 3 hours) are free for EU citizens, with queues
- The official route is one-way and takes about 2 hours
Meeting point
Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Av. Juan de Borbón y Battemberg
Cercanías C-3 or C-8 from Atocha, Sol or Chamartín to El Escorial (50-60 min) then a 15-minute uphill walk, or bus 661/664 from Moncloa (50 min), which stops next to the monastery.
The experience
What you'll see
The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is the building in which Philip II summed up his reign: monastery, palace, basilica, library and pantheon in 33,000 m² of grey granite. A World Heritage Site since 1984.
The official route
- Habsburg Palace: Philip II's austere rooms, with the bed from which he heard Mass through a window.
- Pantheon of Kings: a circular crypt of marble and bronze where 26 kings and queens of Spain rest, from Charles I to Alfonso XIII.
- Pantheon of the Infantes and Chapter Rooms, with paintings by Bosch, Titian and Velázquez.
- Library: one of the most beautiful of the Renaissance, with a painted vault and 40,000 volumes.
- Basilica: a 92-metre dome and the jasper and bronze altarpiece.
Planning the trip
Leave Madrid at 9 am, arrive at 10 when it opens, do the route in two hours and have lunch in town. In the afternoon, the Friars' Garden and, time permitting, Philip II's Seat 3 km away, from where the king watched the construction.
Accessibility
Mostly accessible; the Pantheon of Kings has stairs.
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before with full refund.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get there from Madrid?
Can I combine it with the Valley of Cuelgamuros?
How long do I need?
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