Biking Tours in Madrid

One of the best ways to see the sprawling city of Madrid is on two wheels. Bike tours in Madrid give you a chance to see the emblematic buildings, monuments and places of interest of Madrid at a leisurely pace, without the manic crowds and rush hour traffic. City tours by bike are very popular these days, especially with young, active travelers. There are also several parks outside of the city center, easily reached on bicycles. What’s best about a bike tour in Madrid is that it gives you a chance to be active, enjoy the outdoors and see the city at the same time.
Madrid is a major metropolis; cycling in Madrid can be a bit overwhelming for the first-time bikers, but once you get the hang of it, it will be a walk in the clouds. You don’t need to be a professional biker to do a bike tour; the tour operators only ask for you to be comfortable on a bicycle.
There are generally two types of bike tours in Madrid: self-guided and guided. For self-guided tours, you’ll be given a lightweight mountain bike, a map, a detailed information leaflet and a helmet, and you’ll be on your way. Guided tours tend to go in a group, with your guide stopping at points of interest for some explanations.  Each tour operator has different types of sightseeing tours on bicycles. Here’s a list of bike tour operators in Madrid:

1. Bike Spain

Bike Spain offers guided excursions that pass through the Templo de Debod, Plaza de España, Royal Palace, Town Hall, all of Madrid’s main public squares, Retiro Park, calle Alcalá and Gran Vía. (30euros). It also organizes Madrid city night tours by bike, for 40euros. An interesting full-day tour it offers is the El Escorial Bike Tour, where you will head towards a beautiful village in the mountain to descend by bike towards the castle of Manzanares el Real.

2. Bike Tours Madrid

This bike tour outfitter organizes daily guided tours that depart at 11am, priced at 22euros. It follows a similar itinerary; there is no minimum number of clients so you can even have a private tour if no one else shows up. The tour guide is very informative and knowledgable.

3.27 Bikes

Located near the Retiro Park, this bike company offers guided tours around the city as well as 3-hour tours in the park only. You can also rent the bike on an hourly rate or on a self-guided tour. On weekends, it also organized a field trip by bike to the countryside (27euros each), including visits to Parque del Sureste, Casa de Campo and El Pardo.

4. Bravobike

Bravobike stands out from the rest thanks to the variety of bike tours it has. The standard city tour lasts 3 hours and can be conducted in English, German, French or Dutch (25euros). Besides that, you can also opt for the Madrid and Nature tour.This tour is a little more adventurous: biking on off-road trails and paved cycling paths to experience the greenery outside of the city (32euros). The Bike and Wellness tour involves a quick sightseeing route and then a 1 ½ hour relaxation session in a spa centre with swimming pool, Turkish bath, sauna and Jacuzzi (50euros). Soccer fanatics can join the Crazy About Football tour that includes a one-hour visit to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium and its soccer and trophies museum, as well as a tapas and drinks session. (55euros)
Photo credit: courtesy of Bravobikes
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>> “Free” Madrid Walking Tours
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>> Recommended Day Trips from Madrid