Madrid Segway's Iconic Retiro Park Tour: What to Know Before You Book
Madrid Segway’s one-hour Retiro loop includes training, a helmet, accident insurance, a guide in English, Spanish or French, and the photos the guide takes at each stop. Many of the lower-rated reviews say the ride felt short once training and a late start were taken out of the hour.
Tour details
- Rating: 4.8/5 from more than 950 reviews (checked 2 November 2026)
- Price: from $38 per person
- Duration: 1 hour, with a short training session at the shop first
- Group: up to 12 people
- Languages: English, Spanish and French (French Wednesday to Sunday only)
- Start and finish: the shop at Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo 9, on the east side of the park
- Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before
Retiro Park costs nothing to walk into, and every stop on this tour, from the Fallen Angel fountain to the lake below the Alfonso XII colonnade, is on a path anyone can walk. The Iconic Retiro Park Segway Tour is Madrid Segway’s guided loop of those sights on two wheels, from $38 per person when we checked, with training, a helmet, insurance and the guide’s photos included.
The calendar below shows which start times still have space on your date. The listing currently offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve without paying today.
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What to expect on the Retiro Park Segway tour
The eight stops are spread across the park: the old Casa de Fieras, the Cecilio Rodríguez gardens where the peacocks live, Ricardo Bellver’s 1877 Fallen Angel, the Rosaleda, the Palacio de Cristal, the Estanque Grande with the Alfonso XII monument, and the formal Parterre on the way back. Retiro is large enough that several reviewers say they chose a Segway because they did not want to cover it on foot.
Guides and transportation are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the listing, and value for money 4.7. Alan is the name that appears most in recent reviews, followed by Felipe and Chris, and much of the praise is about patience during training. First-time riders, including a 64-year-old who booked it with an adult son, describe feeling steady within a few minutes.
What travellers get from the hour varies more than the score suggests. Some describe a relaxed ride with stories at each stop and restaurant tips at the end. Others describe it as a Segway ride with photo stops and little history. One recent reviewer said it was “more about learning and enjoying Segway ride as opposed to touring the park”, and then spent another three hours in Retiro on foot.
We haven’t taken this tour ourselves. What follows comes from the GetYourGuide listing, Madrid Segway’s booking notes and traveller reviews, including the lower-rated ones in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese. Four things affect how the hour goes:
- The tour is one hour, training comes first, and reviewers describe starts running 20 to 45 minutes late, which leaves less time in the park.
- French and Spanish bookings are sometimes placed in an English group, or in a group where the guide switches between two languages.
- Commentary is light on some departures. Several reviewers wanted more history than they got.
- The Palacio de Cristal is closed for restoration and wrapped for the works, so you see it from outside only.
Most of these points depend on the group you join on the day. The listing caps groups at 12, and several recent reviewers rode with only the guide. Fewer than one review in ten is below four stars.
If your group is small and gets going on time, the hour covers all eight stops with time for photos at each. The experience is noticeably weaker if you need the commentary in French or Spanish and end up in a mixed group, because the guide has to say everything twice.
It suits a first Segway ride and a quick look at Retiro’s best-known sights. It is not a history tour of the park.
Is one hour enough, or is the two-hour Retiro tour better?
How much of the loop you ride depends mostly on how long your group takes to get through training. The listing gives the duration as one hour and puts a “brief training session” at the shop before the ride. It does not say whether the training counts inside that hour, and reviews describe both.
When everyone picks it up quickly, the guide speeds up once they are sure the group can handle the paths, and one family with three children said they covered a lot of ground. When one or two riders need longer, the rest wait. One 2025 reviewer said training took more than 30 minutes, the group left 35 minutes after the booked time, and the guide turned back after the lake. Another said the start was delayed by about 20 minutes because of the previous group. GetYourGuide’s own summary of the past year’s reviews says some travellers find the tour short and would like more time at the stops.
Two reviewers in 2025 also said the guide offered to extend the tour by 30 minutes for an extra charge partway through. Riders who had plans afterwards could not stay, and one said they had to wait before someone could take them back to the shop.
The two-hour Retiro Park Segway Tour from All Ways Madrid is the main alternative. It started from $41 per person when we checked, is rated 4.8/5 from more than 100 reviews and is limited to eight riders. It starts at Plaza de Ópera, rides through the Barrio de las Letras in both directions and spends about an hour and a half inside Retiro, so it adds a slice of the old town too.
The one-hour loop makes more sense if you are trying a Segway for the first time and want the park’s main sights in a short morning or afternoon. The two-hour tour suits you better if you want longer at each stop and are happy to start in the centre rather than at the park gate. For a group that wants to set its own pace, the private Retiro Park Segway Tour from SEGCITYTOURS runs for one, one and a half or two hours, started from $39 per person when we checked, and is rated 4.8/5 from more than 100 reviews.
Five tips before you book
- Check every rider’s age, height and weight against the listing before you pay. The tour is not suitable for children under nine, anyone under 130 cm, anyone over 120 kg (264 lb) or during pregnancy. Riders aged 9 to 17 must be with an adult. The families page compares the limits on every Madrid route.
- Ask the operator whether your French or Spanish group will be single-language. French tours run Wednesday to Sunday only, and the listing says weekend French tours are subject to availability. Reviewers who booked French or Spanish describe being placed with English speakers, and German is not one of the listing’s languages.
- Book the first start of the day if you can. It has no earlier group to wait for.
- Arrive at Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo 9 fifteen minutes before your start. The booking notes give a 10-minute grace period, after which you are moved to a later tour if one has space. Bring an ID or a copy, and wear closed shoes.
- Tell the guide at the start if you need to finish by a set time. Some reviewers who were offered extra time partway through had plans afterwards and had to wait to be taken back.
How the hour runs
You meet at the operator’s shop on Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo, a short ride from the park’s eastern gates. The guide fits helmets, runs through getting on and off, and has everyone practise on flat ground before the group rides out. Reviewers say the briefing concentrates on getting on and off safely, which is where first-timers wobble.
Inside the park the group rides in a line on the main paths and stops at each sight for a few minutes of explanation and photos. You cannot hold a phone while riding, so the guide takes the photos and shares them afterwards. Some reviewers say they were also given time to walk around a garden or two.
The tour runs all year, and reviews describe rides in December, January and February. The listing gives no rule for rain, so check the forecast before the free-cancellation deadline. The city can also close Retiro, or parts of it, under its weather-alert protocol, mainly in strong wind. One reviewer in February 2026 found several areas shut because of fallen trees. Our best time guide covers the months, start times and closures in more detail.
Stop 1: Antigua Casa de Fieras
The first stop is Madrid’s first zoo, which the listing describes as now a cultural space used for exhibitions. The group stops outside it on the path.
Stop 2: Cecilio Rodríguez Gardens
This walled garden is where Retiro’s peacocks live. One reviewer said the group stopped outside it, so whether you walk in depends on the time left and the group. If you want to see the peacocks properly, it is easy to come back on foot after the tour.
Stop 3: Fountain of the Fallen Angel
Ricardo Bellver’s bronze of Lucifer was made in 1877 and installed here in 1885. The listing adds that the fountain stands 666 metres above sea level, a detail the guides tend to mention.
Stop 4: Rose Garden
The Rosaleda has more than 4,000 rose bushes, according to the listing, and it is at its best when they flower in spring. Outside the flowering months there is less to see, so it is mainly a photo stop.
Stop 5: Palacio de Cristal
The cast-iron and glass pavilion was built for the 1887 Philippines Exposition and is one of the main photos on this route. It is currently closed for restoration, with the works expected to run into 2027, and the building is wrapped for the duration. The listing still describes the glass structure “that seems to float among the trees”, but recent reviewers describe seeing it under construction from outside. One said the guide showed photos on his phone of the parts that were closed.
The lake in front of it is still open, and the stop still works as a pause on the ride. If an exhibition matters to you, the Palacio de Velázquez, the Reina Sofía’s other venue in the park, has stayed open with free entry during the works. Check the museum’s site for what is on.
Stop 6: Estanque Grande and the Alfonso XII monument
The large lake, with the colonnaded Alfonso XII monument above it, takes up two entries on the itinerary. Rowing boats can be hired on the lake, and one family said they went back to take one out after the tour. The city has announced plans to drain the lake for repairs during 2027, so check before you go if the water matters to you.
Stop 7: Parterre Garden
The last stop is the French-style Parterre, where the guide points out El Ahuehuete, described in the listing as the oldest tree in Madrid. From here the group rides back to the shop.
Other practical things to know
- Segway condition varies a little. A few reviewers say a machine felt out of line or hard to control, and one said a swap to another machine fixed it. Tell the guide straight away if yours feels wrong.
- Falls are rare in the reviews but not unknown, so keep both hands on the bar, especially on uneven ground. The price includes a helmet and accident insurance.
- Food, drink and transport to the shop are not included. Bring water in summer.
- Tips are optional and not included in the price.
Is the Retiro Park Segway tour worth it?
Yes, if you want to try a Segway and see Retiro’s main sights in one go. The $38 price includes the training, a helmet, accident insurance, a live guide and the photos, and the 1.5- and two-hour Retiro routes started from $39 to $41 when we checked. The trade-off is time: on a slow day, the ride inside the park can be shorter than the label suggests.
If you mainly want the history of Retiro, the park is free and easy to walk, and our guide to what to see in Retiro Park gives a route. If you need the commentary in French or Spanish and want to be sure of it, the private SEGCITYTOURS tour runs in English, French or Spanish for your group alone. For more time at each stop, the two-hour All Ways Madrid tour costs a few dollars more and keeps groups smaller. You can compare every park route on the Retiro Park Segway tours page.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Retiro Park Segway tour?
The listing gives one hour, with a short training session at the shop first. Reviewers describe starts running 20 to 45 minutes late on some days, so leave about an hour and a half from your booked time before your next plan.
Is the Palacio de Cristal open on the tour?
No. The Palacio de Cristal is closed for restoration, with the works expected to run into 2027, so the tour stops outside it. The lake in front of it is open.
What languages is the Retiro Park Segway tour in?
English, Spanish and French. French tours run Wednesday to Sunday only, and weekend French tours are subject to availability. Some reviewers who booked French or Spanish were placed in an English or bilingual group, so ask the operator if a single-language group matters to you.
What is the minimum age for the Retiro Segway tour?
Nine. Riders aged 9 to 17 must be with an adult. The tour is also not suitable for anyone under 130 cm, anyone over 120 kg (264 lb), or during pregnancy.
Do I need to have ridden a Segway before?
No. Training is included at the shop before the ride, and many first-time riders in the reviews describe feeling comfortable within a few minutes.
What happens if it rains or the park closes?
The listing does not give a rain rule, so check the forecast before the free-cancellation deadline, which is 24 hours before the start. The city can close Retiro or parts of it in strong wind, and one reviewer found areas shut after a storm. Ask the operator what route they use if that happens.
How we put this together
We have not ridden this tour. This page is based on the GetYourGuide listing and its booking notes, the lower-rated and five-star reviews in several languages, and published reports on the Palacio de Cristal restoration and Retiro’s weather closures. Prices, ratings and review counts were checked on 2 November 2026 and change often, so confirm them on the listing. We earn a commission if you book through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
Ride Retiro Park on a Segway
Rated 4.8/5 by 964 guests. Helmet, training, guide and photos included, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before you ride.
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