Paid 6€ with student reduced price. Totally worth it. Took me around 2 hours to get through the entire site. No photos allowed inside. Favorite part was the magnificent basilica found inside El Escorial. It is very similar to an art museum experience plus the rooms are ornate. The gardens are not particularly special, but they are well kept. Makes for a great day trip from Madrid.

Great place to visit if love palaces. I really liked it but it depends on how many days you spend on Madrid to make the visit worth it. There is only the palace to visit so, travelling 1 hour from Madrid just for that is Ok but too many other better places to visit. If you go to Madrid 3/4 days make sure instead you go to Toledo, and Segovia or at least Toledo will do it. If you stay 1 week or more add this location to visit. If you go by tour or bus, do not forget to visit the Fallen Valley " Valle de los caídos"

We were quite lucky enough to get the free entrance that day we visited. The palace looked magnificent and it was even more spectacular inside. I had never seen a Basílica before and it was just so beautiful.

Amazing monumental monastery with beautiful gardens and undergrounds, impressive history, excellent place to have some reflection moment and pray. Highly recommend

It takes some effort to get there, but it's we'll worth it. This site is actually a UN World Heritage site. Take a subway train to Marcola and then get a bus. Google will tell you which bus to get, and keep in mind that the ones heading out to the monastery leave from below street level. At first I was looking for the departure point from the bus stops on the street level. It took about an hour to get there starting from the Atocha train station. Then there is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the bus stop to the monastery. Although it's called a monastery, it's more of a royal palace with a church and monastery attached. The monastery includes the most amazing library, architecturally, that you will probably have ever seen. Unfortunately no photography is permitted throughout, but I managed to sneak some, as most people seem to do, but none in the library as they were watching like hawks in there. Google some images of the library!

I did this in two stages. I walked around the village the night before as well as the outside while it is quieter. It is worth getting a guided tour as there is so much to see and it is easy to miss out whole sections. There are no photos allowed on the inside but plenty of illustrated books are available. Be prepared to spend at least three hours here and consider a trip to the controversial valley of the fallen just 20 minutes away while you are in the area.

It’s only a short 50 minute train ride from Madrid. Beautiful little town that you can walk through or take the bus. The Palace/ Monastery is stunning and the self guided tour is well done. We saw so much on the tour. After we had a great lunch a block away. Great last minute day trip from Madrid.

The library was incredible. And also the tombs of the royals. A very interesting place for all the people, not only for tourism. To see the hand written books is incredible. A must see in Spain..

Full of stories to know, check out the Windows of the King and his daughter on the both sides of the altar. Check the second most important library of western Europe in the middle ages after Vatican. And the grill feagure why its the symbol of that monastery.

Beautiful small town of El Escorial with a magnificent palace to explore. The palace gardens are beautiful, so are the breathtaking ceiling paintings. A pleasant, if somewhat long, walk to the palace from the main train station, but definitely worth it to see the town up close. An hour train ride from Madrid. Local baguetes are delicious for lunch.

It was my third visit to Escorial, on a cold winter day, so that it wasn't crowded as it sometimes might be. I keep marvelling at this site. Every time I must remind myself that this huge building is much smaller than Portugal's Mafra (biggest religious building in the world) yet it seems larger and grander, and that is for its austere style, straight lines with minimal decoration, laid at the feet of an imposing mountain crest. Inside, the library is (as it's often the case in places like this) a masterpiece. Great collection of painting and, also, impressive, the crypt where the remains of almost all the Spanish kings and queens of the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties were laid to rest.

Beautiful place! It took us three hours to visit the whole place, and we had some lunch in the gardens. It wasn't crowded. There's a lot of bars and restaurants around, and the bus station is 10 minutes by foot.

No words can describe El Escorial. Besides being a glorious architectural gem and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the burial place of most (only very few exceptions) queens/kings of Spain. However, the complex includes one of the greatest libraries in the world, majestic art, and an impressive cathedral whose dome and main alter are masterpieces. To arrive, you can take the Cercanias suburban train directly to Madrid, although you’ll have to walk a bit to arrive to the monastery. It is usually full: when in off-season, it is packed with school trips and other national visitors. The audioguide is highly recommended as the information provided is not enough to describe the wonderful place it is. Allow 2-3 hrs to visit the place (and that’s even few hours).

The is one of the most beautiful monastery's I've ever seen!! You don't have to pay to see the basilica but to see all the corners of the monastery you do have to pay 12€. There's discounts for students, children and seniors. I really advice the visit!!!! You can't take fotos or videos inside some rooms. It take more or less 3 hours to see everything. This place has incredible paintings and frescos. High recommend a tour throughout the big place!!

Beautiful place, totally worth visiting. On Wednesday and Sunday 15:00-18:00 the entrance is free. Love how not crowded and beautiful it was.

My group wanted to take advantage of the free admission hours. It was okay but really not enough time to see everything since the free hours are so limited. If you're slow like me and want to read all the signs, just buy tickets for general admission. You won't be rushed and you'll have time to enjoy everything. The location is beautiful and the buildings are fantastic. Be aware you are not supposed to take photos indoors and they're pretty strict about it, so just don't.

A really beautiful building with amazing stories. The library was truly an incredible space. The audio guide is available through an app on your phone (that you have to pay for sadly) and was really annoying to use- you have to keep your phone unlocked the whole time to listen to it, and if your phone locks accidentally the your resets the tour and you have to click through all the options again which is a bit of a pain! The entry also doesn’t include the gardens from what I could tell.

A little overrated attraction. Of course important historic ground. It is bleak and cold. Bring your jackets, we needed them in March! Enourmous thick walls and sometimes low ceilings. It is much more a monastery than a palace. But not one, one likes to live in. The stuff is very friendly and there is a wheelchair service, although you can't avoid stairs or you will see nothing. Parking can be a problem, there are places near by, but not much. There is a great app, easy park, that will help a lot! The crypts are very cool, marvel and statues all around. Also a lot of El Greco paintings. The church might be closed sometimes for tourists, when there is a mass. Happened to us. To take pictures is annoyingly strictly forbidden in most of the rooms. Maybe the want to sell their overpriced postcards and guidebooks.

This is the closest to a modern “wonder of the world” as it could be, a crossover between a state-of-art museum/library and a “pyramid” (yes) to preserve the worldly remains of Phillip II and his descendants. Today a sleepy miracle full of portraits of Habsburg sickly infants in a dusty remote town where kids play ball and elders gather for a chat on the plaza - give you special thoughts about rise and fall of civilizations. There’s one thing I can’t stand though - they won’t let you take pictures anywhere inside the complex.

I wasn't quite sure what this place was, but it turned out to be a Cathedral, the resting place of the Spanish kings and queens, a repository of incredible paintings and tapestries, filled with Frescos and murals and grand hallways, and also the site of the Royal Library. The size of the entire structure is incredible and it's a very interesting place, especially since it was built in the 1500s. We stopped here and also visited the nearby Valley of the Fallen.

We are so glad we decided to fit this into our itinerary. We took the bus from Madrid/Moncloa as it drops you off very close to the monument. The bus fare was under 4 Euros per person, it is best to pay with a 5euro bill. The driver cannot give back over 5 euros in change. We came back on the train enjoying the nice walk through the park, it is over 2 miles. Basic entry is 12euros per person. There are three rooms i recommend you do not miss, they make it easy to check these of if you follow the guide. I recommend you visit the Basilica first, Royal library second then work your way through the rooms to the royal pantheon. Was not to impressed by the hall of battles. The do not permit photos in most of the inside.

Love it. Impressive place highly recommend! Keep in mind photo/video not allowed inside the site due to local laws.

Beautiful. Transported back in time. Tapestries, art work, furnishings, burial areas. Just a short bus ride or drive from Madrid. Many, many stairs to climb on an unforgiving stone floor. Not friendly for those with mobility issues

Wonderful place to visit!! No photos are allowed inside. There are free lockers for backpacks and bags off the the left when you first walk in after buying your ticket and bathrooms. Give yourself at least two hours to explore. There is so much to see - cloisters, the library (across a courtyard and up a bunch of steps), then, the basilica, crypt, art, rooms, halls and so much detail! Keep your ticket handy for the library and after the basilica. They will check in both places and ask to make sure you have seen the library. So nice, definitely wouldn't want to miss that! If you have time before you leave city, walk around the the left and explore the gardens and garden views!

Spectacular monastery. Architecturally, one of the best buildings I’ve seen. Highly recommend visiting.

Really one of the best, if not the best palace ive seen in Europe. You shouldnt miss this gem, simply because of the paintings on the walls, the collections and how majestics their buildings are! and also cross the street for a unique coffee with the view too!

The monastery of king Philip II, a representation of power of that time the behest empire of the world. Visit the cathedral and library is a must. Can’t show all amazing pictures as some are prohibited so is best you see it for yourself.

Wow!!! It’s worth seeing for sure!! I went with one other guest from the hostel we stayed in, we hiked thru the peak of one of the trails and we got to see the most breathtaking views of the city and the monastery, then we spent about 2+ hours wondering in their beautiful monastery. We sneaked in some photos eventho it’s not allowed. But so hard not to capture these amazing architectural elements. Worth going! As we both Americans, we had to pay full price.

There are security check and lockers for backpake. Audioguide is recommended with screen showing pictures. Spent at least one hour there

Purchased tkt at the gate. Wasn’t busy at all we had a wonderful time. Beautiful weather.. we. Took a bus and. Then a train from Gran via to El Escorial. Totally worth it. Half a day trip to and. Back. Quiet city…

Beautiful and peaceful place to visit. Phenomenal art collection and amazing history within its walls.

Currently they have no audioguides available due to COVID, but the placards in the exhibits were sufficient. Not too crowded during this time. Had an informative experience!

It's beautiful! You can't take pictures on the inside, but it's stunning and quite a variety of things to see within, from the basilica to palaces to the library, gardens, and more.

Truly unique experience. Best done with a guide.

An amazing place to visit. It was interesting that the facility still serves as a school so there are quite a bit of children around. The entrance is a bit hard to find, but once you get inside, it’s well marked out. Probably to most interesting aspect of this place is the tombs underground. It’s unique and amazing.

I have read something about this place, I though I was more like a palace but in deed is a monastery with a lot of Catholical influence, not just the Basilica, but the crypts and all the art around. The town is also influenced by this complex of buildings which allow us to understand the power of the Spanish kings at that time.

Awesome place! If you have the opportunity do not miss this piece of Spanish History.

Its a beautiful place, sadly we couldn’t go inside because they are closed on Mondays. At least thats what the lady told us, not sure if its true, Google said it was open. There isn’t much to do if you cant go in, but nearby is a small plaza with restaurants. Since it was December they had a mock-Jerusalem village set up to walk through.

The tour was nice. The tour guide could speak both English and Spanish for our group that spoke one language or the other. My favorite parts were the royal library and the tomb. They were decorated with gold, but in a tasteful way. Since we were not allowed to take photos, you will just have to take a look for yourself. Just be warned that some days, outside of the monastery the wind is very intense, enough to rip off your glasses intense.

A great place to be, it's very huge and the tombs are a must see! Admission is €12 (Dec 2021) and €6 for students and younger people.

The monastery is so beautiful. It's got amazing architecture inside and outside. You have to pay 12€ to get in, the only thing is you aren't allowed to take photos inside. I still think it's worth it because they have the most amazing library and so many other beautiful rooms. If you want to see more photos check out my Instagram @mystymemories

The Library is one of a kind. Wonderful landscape, in a quiet place, that allows the visitor to enjoy a beautiful sunset in a medieval environment.

Large, monumental, spectacular, etc.,... these are the qualifying adjectives that come to mind when you are in front of this majestic work of art or monument, The monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial is also in a place of great beauty , at the foot of the northern mountains of Madrid and surrounded by meadows, trees, etc.,... in addition to visiting the Monastery you can see other nearby buildings such as the University, the Casita del Principe, the gardens, etc.,... I personally think that if you are one of those who like art, with the visit of the 5 main elements of the Monastery, such as: The basilica, the cloister, the refectory, the palace and the gardens, you will have a king size premium de lux ration top of the art range, with which you will end up more than satisfied...

This is believed to be the largest Renaissance structure in the world. El Escorial is a complex of many buildings with different functions within one huge structure. The two major parts of the structure are the royal palace and the monastery. And within the premises of those two structures you happen upon a basilica, pantheon, library, museum, university, school, and hospital. Along the time a small town developed around the building. El Escorial served as one of the seats for the Spanish monarchy. The mood in this palace is a little bit austere and somber. The Escorial is almost 50 km from Madrid. A bus service will take there. The admission fee is 10€ (2021 prices). Keep in mind that the Escorial is closed on Mondays. After visiting the Palace and the Monastery, you can walk to the adjacent town. There you will find many nice cafes and restaurants. The prices are fair and the mood is very relaxing.

100% a must visit. A very well kept structure with fascinating architecture and a small yet pretty garden with views all the way to Madrid.

Billed as the 8th wonder of the world, it's certainly impressive. Built by King Philip II who retired here in the late 16th century, it's a massive pile of a structure with a monastery and basilica, the tombs of a great many Spanish royals- and the final resting place of Emperor Charles V , great opponent of Martin Luther, and his son, King Philip II. There are also the royal quarters of the Bourbon monarchs of the 18th century

This is a must see if you visit Spain. Not much else to say. You will see the mausoleum of the kings and queens if Spain from Charles I until today (Alfonzo XIII)

It is a great place, full of history. Unfortunately you cannot take pictures inside

A gorgeous monastery with beautiful architecture, it is huge and takes a while to cover. Since we visited on a Sunday, we could not see the church because there was mass going on. Only disappointment was that we were told time and again that we aren't allowed to take pictures, so it's kind of a bummer not having any pictures of the interior of the monastery. Carry a hand fan during summers, it tends to get warm inside. Overall, it is still stunning.

Very impressive building, interesting history of both it's creation and growth as well as it's uses over the years. Few too many paintings, but worth a visit nonetheless. Free after 1500 for spanish, or at least was on Sunday. If you don't want to go in, still worth a visit for the walk up.