# Sunday in El Escorial: the Monastery, a Tavern and Philip II's 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.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/escorial-monastery-and-philip-iis-chair · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:00 · Salida: 45 min by car (via the A-6 and the M-505, about 50 min)
- 10:00 · Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (self-guided or guided visit at 10:30; 2 h 30) · Patrimonio Nacional, From €22 per person
  - 2 min on foot
- 13:00 · Friars' Garden and its viewpoint (20 min walk beside the monastery)
  - 6 min on foot
- 14:00 · Mesón La Cueva (Castilian cooking · €€ · booking required) · Mesón La Cueva, €€
  - 6 min by car, 4,9 km
- 16:30 · Philip II's Seat through La Herrería (5 min by car or 3.5 km on foot through La Herrería)
- 18:00 · Vuelta (You reach Madrid around 19:00)

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.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
A-6 and M-505, about 50 minutes. The car lets you drive up to the Chair in five minutes.

### Without a car
Buses 661 and 664 from the Moncloa interchange to the San Lorenzo bus station, five minutes from the monastery. The Chair, on foot through La Herrería. Check the Sunday timetables with the Transport Consortium.

## Consejos

### Buy the guided visit beforehand
Patrimonio Nacional sells it at its official ticket office and the morning sessions fill up.

### Pay for a car park, not the blue zone
Next to the monastery the blue zone is charged on Sundays too.

### Wrap up for the Chair
It is higher and more exposed than the village.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.