Madrid Segway Tours: Routes, Prices & What to Expect

Madrid is big enough that a walking tour can quickly turn into several hours on your feet, but compact enough that many of its headline sights can be connected in one Segway tour.

Depending on the route, you might ride past the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor, continue toward Plaza de España or Gran Vía, or choose a longer tour that reaches Retiro Park. Madrid’s Segway tours run from one to three hours and currently cost from $32 to $69 per person.

The calendar below is for the 2-Hour Sightseeing Segway Tour of Central Madrid, $54 and rated 4.8/5 from more than 220 reviews, a two-hour highlights route of the kind this guide suggests for a first visit. Prices change with the date, so check yours before you plan around it.

Are Segway tours in Madrid worth it?

They can be, particularly for first-time visitors or short stays.

The biggest advantage is simple: you can cover much more ground than on a walking tour without seeing Madrid through the window of a bus. As a rough guide, one hour on a Segway covers about what a two-hour walk does.

A Segway tour is useful if you want to:

get an overview early in your trip
see several neighbourhoods
reduce walking
combine sightseeing with an activity
reach sights that would take longer to connect on foot

What it does not do is take you inside anything. The palace, the cathedral and the markets are photo stops, and the free walking tour comparison sets out what you give up for the extra ground.

What do you see?

Routes vary.

Common areas include:

Royal Palace
Plaza de Oriente
Almudena Cathedral
Plaza Mayor
Madrid de los Austrias
Plaza de España
Gran Vía
Cibeles
Puerta de Alcalá
Retiro Park

Shorter tours usually stay closer to Old Madrid. Longer tours can connect more of the city, out to the Templo de Debod, the Egyptian temple on the hill west of the palace, or across to Retiro on the other side of the centre.

Historic-centre Segway tours

These often include the Royal Palace, Plaza de Oriente, Almudena Cathedral and Plaza Mayor.

The City Center Guided Segway Tour is the cheapest daytime version at $33 for an hour to an hour and a half. The Madrid Downtown Segway Tour, $45 for 1.5 hours, spends more of its time in the Habsburg streets around Plaza de la Villa. The historic-centre page compares every route here.

The Royal Palace is generally an exterior stop. Interior admission usually requires a separate ticket, and the Royal Palace visiting guide covers how to buy one.

Retiro Park Segway tours

If Retiro is important, look specifically for a tour that includes it.

The park is large enough that a Segway makes a real difference to how much you can see, and its wide, level, largely car-free paths are the easiest place in the city to learn. The Iconic Retiro Park Segway Tour, $39 for an hour and rated 4.8/5 from more than 950 reviews, stops at the Palacio de Cristal, the Estanque Grande and the Fallen Angel fountain. The Retiro Park Segway Tour (2 Hours) covers the park at a slower pace for $36.

For what is in the park, see what to see in Retiro Park; for every Retiro route, the Retiro Park tours page.

Madrid highlights Segway tours

Highlights tours are often the best choice for first-time visitors.

The goal is orientation more than deep exploration.

You see how the city fits together, then return later to the places that interest you most. The 2-Hour Sightseeing Segway Tour of Central Madrid is the clearest example: Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, the Royal Palace and the Almudena, then out to the Templo de Debod.

One-hour Segway tours

A one-hour tour is mostly about the Segway experience.

After training, there is limited time for sightseeing. On most tours training is not counted in the stated time, so allow an extra 20 to 30 minutes.

Best for:

trying a Segway
packed itineraries
people who want a short activity

The Madrid by Night 1-Hour Segway Tour is the cheapest at $32, and the 1-Hour Segway Tour with Chocolate and Churros adds a churros stop for $50.

Two-hour Segway tours

Two hours is the strongest all-round duration for many visitors.

It gives you enough time to get comfortable and still cover a meaningful route. The tour-length guide goes through what each extra half-hour adds.

Three-hour Segway tours

Three hours makes it easier to combine different areas such as Old Madrid and Retiro.

The All Madrid Guided Segway Tour is the longest scheduled route at $52, and the Private Segway Tour of Retiro Park and the Historic Centre lets you choose one, two or three hours, crossing to Retiro on the longer options.

Choose a longer tour because you want the route, not simply because it offers more minutes.

How much do Madrid Segway tours cost?

Prices vary according to:

duration
group size
private vs shared
route
operator
season
inclusions

On current listings, the one-hour tours cost $32 to $50, most shared 1.5- and 2-hour routes $36 to $54, and the three-hour tour $52. Private tours start at about $34 to $40 per person, often only a dollar or two above a shared route, and the Private Off-Road Segway Tour of Casa de Campo is the most expensive at $69. The full price comparison ranks all seventeen tours.

Compare price + duration + route + group size, not price alone.

Is it difficult to ride a Segway?

Usually not once you get used to it.

Most tours include training and practice in:

moving forward
slowing down
stopping
turning
controlling speed

Most first-time riders become comfortable relatively quickly. Getting on and off is the part guides spend longest on, because that is where beginners wobble. The what-to-expect guide covers the training, what to wear and the rules a Segway rides under in Madrid.

Are Segway tours good for families?

They can be excellent for families with older children or teenagers.

But operators may set requirements for:

minimum age
minimum weight
maximum weight
rider height

In Madrid the usual limits are nine or ten years old at the least, at least 130 cm tall and no more than 120 to 125 kg, and one private operator also sets a 35 kg minimum. Check before booking; the family page lists every operator’s limits.

Best time of day

Morning

Excellent for orientation and cooler temperatures.

Afternoon

Good if your morning is already booked. In July and August the afternoon is the hottest part of a Madrid day, so bring water.

Evening

Appealing in summer when temperatures drop. The Madrid by Night Segway Tour is the one route that runs after dark. The best time guide covers the months as well as the hours.

Segway or walking tour?

Choose Segway for:

more sightseeing in less time
less physical effort
broader route
activity-based experience

Choose walking for:

detailed history
hidden streets
flexibility
lower price

Segway or bike tour?

Choose a Segway if sightseeing is the priority.

Choose a bike if cycling itself is part of the fun. The Segway vs bike vs walking comparison has the prices for all three formats.

What to check before booking

Route
Duration
Group size
Age and weight restrictions
Language
Weather policy
Cancellation terms
Private or shared
Whether attraction entry is included
Starting point

Most Madrid routes are guided in English and Spanish, and several also in French. Every tour listed on this site offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Which Madrid Segway tour should you choose?

For most first-time visitors, a two-hour highlights tour is a sensible starting point.

Choose shorter if the activity itself is the main interest.

Choose longer if the itinerary adds places you want to see, especially Retiro. If you want it narrowed down further, which Madrid Segway tour is right for you does it in four questions.

Final thoughts

Madrid is a city where a Segway tour solves a real sightseeing problem.

The attractions are close enough to connect, but spread far enough apart that walking between all of them can take up much of the day.

For most first-time visitors, a two- or three-hour tour with a strong central Madrid itinerary, such as the 2-Hour Sightseeing Segway Tour or the All Madrid Guided Segway Tour, offers more than a very short ride.

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