Mesón La Cueva
What to order: a Castilian roast and homemade cake; if there are salt cod days, try it
geocalia
Day itinerary · 40.59° N · 4.15° W
Sunday in El Escorial: monastery, tavern and the Chair.
Philip II's monastery at opening time, a Castilian lunch two streets away and the view from Philip II's Chair in the afternoon light. 50 minutes from Madrid.
Leaving from
Part of San Lorenzo de El EscorialThe Central SystemScenic train journeys in SpainHistoric bookshops and libraries of Europe
Add to my trip
Total time8 h
By car45 min each way
MonasteryFrom €14
WalkingOptional, 7 km
DifficultyEasy
Cost€45–70 pp
Best timeOctober – June
With childrenYes, from age 6
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Madrid 45 min by car
via the A-6 and the M-505, about 50 min
- 1
- 2 min on foot
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2
Friars' Garden and its viewpoint
20 min walk beside the monastery
- 6 min on foot
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3
Mesón La Cueva
Castilian cooking · €€ · booking required
C/ San Antón, 4, 28200 San Lorenzo de El Escorial · +34 918 90 15 16
Restaurant €€Book - 6 min by car4,9 km
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4
Philip II's Seat through La Herrería
5 min by car or 3.5 km on foot through La Herrería
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Back home
You reach Madrid around 19:00
Approximate cost
About €40–55 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
This is the classic El Escorial Sunday done in the right order: the monastery when it opens and before the groups have arrived, lunch in an 18th-century inn and, at the end, the view from Philip II's Chair, with the whole building at your feet and the afternoon light on top of it.
The Day, Hour by Hour
9:00 · Departure. From Madrid, the A-6 to Las Rozas and the M-505 towards El Escorial, about 50 minutes. Park in the Monastery car park, on Calle del Rey, or the one on Plaza de la Constitución: €2.70 an hour. The tourist blue zone next to the monastery charges on Sundays too.
10:00 · Royal Monastery. It opens at 10:00 from Tuesday to Sunday. General admission costs €14 and reduced €7; if you prefer a guide, the Patrimonio Nacional 10:30 visit lasts about two hours and costs €22, and must be bought beforehand. Basilica, pantheons of kings and infantes, library and the palace of the Habsburgs.
13:00 · Jardín de los Frailes. On your way out, go down through the arches of the Compaña to the garden viewpoint, with the monastery's orchards and pond. It is free and closes on Mondays.
14:00 · Lunch at Mesón La Cueva. The former Posada de las Ánimas, from 1768, on Calle San Antón. Castilian cooking of roasts and meats; on Sundays it is open at midday. Book.
16:30 · Philip II's Chair. By car it is five minutes along the M-505 to the area at the foot of the rock. If you feel like walking, the municipal route leaves from the tourist office and crosses La Herrería: 7 km there and back, easy. Climb the carved steps and look at the monastery from where, according to tradition, the king watched it being built.
18:00 · Return. You are in Madrid around seven.
Free in the Afternoon
If you are a citizen of the EU or Latin America, or a resident, the monastery is free on Sundays from 15:00 with a ticket from the ticket office. In that case, reverse the day: the Chair in the morning, lunch and the monastery at 15:00. In winter the last entry is at 16:45.
With Children
The pantheons and the library impress them; the painting rooms, less so. Do the shorter self-guided visit and save the energy for the Chair: climbing the rock is what they will remember. Under-5s do not pay.
Time2 h 30
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Miranda & Suizo Café
What to order: chocolate with picatostes, the town's traditional afternoon snack
Horizontal Restaurant
What to order: grilled meats or a game dish, such as the venison carpaccio or the pigeon risotto
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Any Sunday except the monastery's closure days. In autumn La Herrería turns yellow; in summer the village is cooler than Madrid.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the guided visit beforehand
Patrimonio Nacional sells it at its official ticket office and the morning sessions fill up.
- 2Pay for a car park, not the blue zone
Next to the monastery the blue zone is charged on Sundays too.
- 3Wrap up for the Chair
It is higher and more exposed than the village.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Madrid?
About 50 minutes by car and around an hour by bus from Moncloa.
Is the monastery open on Sundays?
Yes, from 10:00 to 18:00 in winter and until 19:00 from April to September. It closes on Mondays.
Do I need to book lunch?
Yes, on Sundays the centre fills up.
Can Philip II's Chair be done with a pushchair?
From the car park there are steps on the rock; the nearby 1 km Eco Trail is accessible.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/escorial-monastery-and-philip-iis-chair
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.