Madrid: The Spanish Inquisition Walking Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Madrid, Spain
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
One of the darkest and most fascinating chapters in the history of Spain is the Spanish Inquisition, when power centralized under the unified Spanish kingdom. On this walking tour that's perfect for history fans, learn how the brutal tribunals played out in Madrid. Uncover the legends of the Inquisition, its key players, and how torture was used against its victims. By the end of the tour, see Madrid through the lens of history.
- Explore Madrid on foot, and learn the history of the Spanish Inquisition
- See Madrid's top sights, like Plaza Mayor, and Monastery of the Encarnación
- Learn about the origins and practices of the Inquisition from your guide
- Enjoy convenient meet-up in Plaza Mayor, a public square in central Madrid
What's Included
- Local guide
- Hotel pickup and drop off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Plaza Mayor, Centro, Madrid, Spain
Your Spanish Inquisition Walking Tour starts in front of the Tourist Information Centre in Plaza Mayor. Look for the SANDEMANs NEW Europe team with a red t-shirt and red umbrella.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.3:00 pm
Itinerary
1
Plaza Mayor
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Madrid
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Madrid
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Madrid
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Inquisition Jail (Carcel de la Inquisicion)
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Madrid
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Madrid
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Madrid
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Children up to 13 years old are welcome to join this tour for free. We reserve the right to ask for a valid ID for children joining our tours
- The independent guides who employ us to market their tours have your best interests in mind; while the tour usually includes the sites & stories mentioned and lasts about 2 hours, your tour may vary depending on what your guide thinks is best for your group.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 405 reviews
Ann_M, Apr 2026
What’s not to love about a tour that teaches us about Spanish history and the inquisition. John, our guide was knowledgeable, personable and entertaining throughout our experience. I would highly recommend this tour.
Brad_M, Mar 2026
Well worth it... Sebastian was very knowledgeable and passionate about Spanish history. Very well done. Sebastian
Pat_M, Mar 2026
this was a wonderful food tour.
I highly recommend this to everyone.
Excellente ExcellenteExcellenteExcellenteExcellenteExcellenteExcellenteExcellenteExcellenteExcellenteExcellente
Paul_C, Feb 2026
John was just fantastic - passionate, incredibly knowledgeable and a great story teller! Would highly recommend this tour
Hricha_R, Jan 2026
Best tour I've had. Learnt so much about the history of Spain all in an hour and a half. Our tiur guide was John Thrower and in light of me having to leave early and also my friends feeling cold (it was 0°C)....John accommodated us with kindness and patience. Please do consider joining this tour
Cecille_G, Oct 2022
Thank you to Joaquin for making such a heavy topic so interesting and engaging while walking through the streets of Madrid. He was passionate and knowledgeable about the Spanish Inquisition and imparted lots of good tips about Madrid.
Steve_R, Oct 2022
The guide, Sebastian, was excellent! Smart, knowledgeable, interesting. He provided a 5-star experience.
Mihaela_N, Oct 2022
The guide (Enrique) was very entertaining and i got a goog idea of the history behind the inquisition.
Arik_R, Oct 2022
Enrique was a very knowledgeable guide and will give you an excellent "crash course" when it comes to the inquisition. That being said, since most of the Inquisition's activities were NOT based in Madrid, there isn't a lot to see on the tour itself. Thus, I would describe this tour as "A 'Crash Course' in the Spanish Inquisition with a short walking tour of Madrid," rather than a "Spanish Inquisition Tour."
Lorraine_W, Oct 2022
Joachin is passionate about the subject. It was a great way to learn more about the history of Madrid and of Spain.
David_T, Aug 2022
Lexi was an excellent historian/tour guide - she really made history come alive and was very well-informed about the events of the Inquisition. I would highly recommend this tour - even to those who aren’t much interested in history - Lexi made it all fascinating!
khush_g, Jul 2022
Jovan Gibbs was absolutely engaging throughout the tour.
He really brought the history to life and the 2 hours flew by.
I would definitely sign up for another tour with him.
Ayoub_H, May 2022
The guide was good but it wasn't as expected in term of visiting indoor sites like museum etc.., it just outside and a lot of walking.
Angela_M, Mar 2022
This was an absolutely fantastic tour. Sebastian was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic and we were gripped throughout. We learned so much about the Spanish Inquisition and how it has shaped Madrid and Spain. This was a real highlight of our trip.
Wills_M, Dec 2021
I got to Plaza Mayor 10 minutes before the tour. I never found anyone with a red umbrella. I called 3 times and all went straight to voicemail. I tried the chat function and never got in touch with anyone and still haven’t gotten a reply. I searched the plaza for 40 minutes before giving up.
Amara_B, Mar 2020
Took this tour knowing nothing about the Spanish inquisition with my 2 older kids. Lexi was awesome full of knowledge explaining and giving lots of details! It super impressed my 19yr old son who still keeps saying mom that was a great tour! Will recommend to everyone.
bryan_m, Feb 2020
Alex was a star. He brought a level of interest to the subject that few instructors seem to be capable of. He added depth of knowledge with a sense of humour on the subject of the Spanish Inquisition in his own unique way. The next time I’m in Madrid it’ll be a must to take in another tour.
christina_f, Feb 2020
Alex did a fantastic job of highlighting the Spanish Inquisition and helping to dispel some of the imaginaries associated with it. Great interactive history lesson!
Kimberly_S, Nov 2019
We enjoyed the tour. Mark did a great job. We enjoyed his personal commentary! Wish there were more of the gritty details but for the price it was great!
Eti_D, Oct 2019
We were in Jovan's team . He was very professional, funny , knowledgeable guy.
We really enjoyed it .
Very recommended!!!
Thank you so much
Jayne G, Sep 2019
Excellent tour by Sebastian. Very interesting and enlightening. Sebastian is very friendly , charismatic and knowledgeable. Definitely worth doing this tour
Michael P, Aug 2019
Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of the guide's name (Ernesto?), which is a shame as he is VERY good. I had read about the Spanish Inquisition before my visit to Madrid but to see the sights and tread the same streets as the infamous organisation was chilling. Ernesto's explanations and insights really brought the story to life and the route through the streets showed areas of the city normally off the tourist trail.
Timothy_T, Jul 2019
Family of 4, it’s cooler at night and actually rained during the tour. There are spots to keep dry and Spain is hot, so a bit of rain helps. The tour was educational and took us thru streets of Madrid. The group lead was helpful and informative. Answered all of our questions. Family if 2 adults, 13 year old and 9 year old attended the tour. Walking tour is more manageable at night when cooler compared to navigating thru the massive traffic congestion in Madrid.
Lance_C, Apr 2019
We went on this tour just hours after arriving in Madrid for the first time. It was a great introduction to the city's (and country's) history but it was also a good introduction to central Madrid. Our tour guide, Alex, was very engaging and entertaining.
From $30.75
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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