Madrid: La Latina Wine & Tapas Walking Tour with History

Three Taverns, Five Centuries of Madrid, One Afternoon

You meet your bilingual guide near Puerta del Sol and walk through Madrid's oldest quarters (La Latina, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, and past the Royal Palace) stopping at three traditional taverns to taste Rioja, Ribera, and Rías Baixas wines alongside tapas. The tour includes a sit-down lunch with paella, Spanish omelette, and chorizo, plus an after-dinner liquor shot. Your guide walks you back to the starting point with recommendations for the rest of your stay.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Puerta del Sol15m
2. Plaza Mayor30m
3. Plaza de la Villa15m
4. Royal Palace of Madrid15m

Madrid wine and tapas historical tour

• Meet near Plaza Isabel II
• Walk to Puerta del Sol
• Learn New Year's grape tradition
• Visit first tapas tavern near Puerta del Sol
• Enter Madrid's oldest quarter
• See world's oldest restaurant Botin
• Explore Plaza de la Villa square
• Stop at Plaza Mayor for tapas and wine
• Border Royal Palace and Cathedral
• Enjoy traditional tapas lunch with Rioja and Ribera wines
• Finish with Castilian after-dinner liquor shots
• Guide returns to meeting point with recommendations

The experience

The guide is five minutes late to Plaza Isabel II, which somehow makes the whole thing feel real. You're standing near Puerta del Sol waiting for someone holding a "Native Spanish Tapas" sign, and there's that moment where you wonder if you've got the right spot, but then she arrives with a smile and a small table, and you realize this is how it actually works. Not a bus full of tourists, just a bilingual guide ready to walk you through Madrid's oldest neighborhoods and stop at three places locals actually drink. The tour runs three hours, and it moves at the pace of someone who knows the streets, not someone rushing through a checklist.

You start at Puerta del Sol, which the guide calls Madrid's 1800s "Time Square," and she's got stories: real ones, not the polished kind. Why do Spaniards eat twelve grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve? The answer involves the Bourbon dynasty, the Hapsburgs, and a tradition that stuck around for reasons nobody quite agrees on anymore. Then you walk into Plaza Mayor, the 1600s main square that's somehow still the heart of the city, and stop at a tavern on its edge for white Rueda wine and Spanish ham. The wine comes from grapes that have been growing since the 12th century, which sounds like marketing until you taste it and realize it's just true. After that, La Latina (the oldest quarter, dating back to the 1500s), where the streets narrow and the buildings lean in, and you stop at another tavern for a young, fruity Tempranillo Toledo red wine and croquettes that have been made the same way since 1860.

Plaza de la Villa is next, and it's where you actually want to take photos. Three hundred years of different architecture in one square, and the guide mentions it's where marriage proposals happened for centuries in Madrid. You're standing in something that feels both romantic and worn, which is the only honest way to describe it. Then you walk the edge of the Royal Palace and Cathedral (the guide points out the statues on the roof and tells you things about them that make you look twice), and after that, you sit down for the last part: a proper tapas lunch with Rioja and Ribera reds, Madrid paella, Spanish omelette, chorizo stewed in white wine, and pinchos. There's a Castilian after-dinner liquor shot at the end, and the guide walks you back to where you started, giving you real recommendations for what to do next, not the generic ones.

One thing worth knowing: the guide sometimes manages to get reservations at Botin, the world's oldest standing restaurant, which sits in La Latina. It's not guaranteed, but it happens. If you have dietary needs (vegetarian, allergies, anything), you need to mention it when you book. The minimum drinking age is 18, and while the tour suits most fitness levels, you're walking for three hours through medieval streets that aren't always flat.

What’s included

Your tour includes a professional bilingual guide, wine tastings at three traditional taverns (Rioja, Ribera, Rías Baixas, and Tempranillo), a sit-down tapas lunch with paella, Spanish omelette, chorizo, and pinchos, plus a Castilian after-dinner liquor shot. The guide also provides recommendations for the rest of your stay in Madrid and walks you back to the meeting point.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 12:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (19 to 64 years) · Senior (65 to 85 years) · Youth (12 to 18 years) · Child (7 to 11 years) · Infant (under 7): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Native Spanish Tapas

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to taste real Madrid wines and eat where locals eat, without arranging three separate stops or worrying about which tavern is worth your time. The guide handles the route, the tastings, and the timing, so you just show up and follow.

Traveler reviews

4.95★★★★★★★★★★

107 verified traveler reviews

5 ★104

4 ★2

3 ★0

2 ★1

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 18 years); Child (7 to 11 years); Infant (under 7): free.

What wines are included in the tour?

You'll taste Rioja and Ribera red wines, Rías Baixas white wine, and a young Tempranillo Toledo. A Rueda white wine is also included at one of the tavern stops.

How long is the tour?

Three hours total, including the walking and all three tavern stops plus the final lunch.

Where do we meet?

Plaza Isabel II, a five-minute walk from Puerta del Sol. Your guide will be waiting with a "Native Spanish Tapas" sign.

Is lunch included?

Yes. You'll have a sit-down tapas lunch at a traditional restaurant near the end of the tour, with Madrid paella, Spanish omelette, chorizo, and pinchos.

Can I get a vegetarian option?

Yes, vegetarian options are available. You must request this when you book.

What's the minimum age?

You must be at least 18 years old to participate. Children can join if accompanied by an adult, but they won't be drinking.

Is there a chance to visit Botin restaurant?

Your guide sometimes manages to get reservations at Botin, the world's oldest standing restaurant in La Latina, but it's not guaranteed.

Do I need to be fit to do this tour?

The tour suits most fitness levels, but you'll be walking for three hours through medieval streets that aren't always flat or even.