Things to Do in Alcalá de Henares

Welcome to the Alcalá World Heritage Tour!

With this tour, you'll have the perfect introduction to understand a city with over 2,000 years of history. We will uncover the intricacies of the world's first University City designed by Cardinal Cisneros, the coexistence in Alcalá of the "3 Cultures", and, of course, the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, the genius behind Don Quixote.

We will start at the Plaza de las Bernardas, a quiet corner that will allow us to unravel the Historic Center from less to more. We reserve the main attraction, the University, for the end... like the climax of a good novel! All spiced up with curiosities, fun explanations, and a final game.

What will we visit?

We will tour the most emblematic points and, depending on the chosen schedule, enjoy access to some monuments:

• Plaza de las Bernardas (Start)
• Archbishop's Palace
• House of the Interview
• Magistral Cathedral of the Santos Niños
• Main Street
• Cervantes Birthplace Museum
• Old Antezana Hospital
• Cervantes Square
• Comedy Theater
• Oidor Chapel (Where Cervantes' Baptism Record is)
• Old University of Alcalá

📍 Important Information

To ensure your experience is complete, we have adapted the visits to groups of a maximum of 20 people and according to the opening of the monuments:

• Tour 10:00h - Includes access to the Cervantes Birthplace Museum.
• Tour 12:00h - Includes access to the Oidor Chapel.
• Tour 17:00h - Includes access to the Oidor Chapel.
• Tour 19:00h - Exterior Tour. Due to the closing time of monuments, we will enjoy all the Heritage from the main squares and streets.

I look forward to discovering Alcalá together with you! I assure you that you will fall in love with it. 😊

Visit itinerary:
Our tour begins in Palace Square, where we recall the meeting between Christopher Columbus and the Catholic Monarchs that marked the beginning of the Age of Discovery.
From there, we will walk to Casa Cervantes and Calle Mayor to explore the Cervantes universe.
We will continue to Plaza de Cervantes and the University of Alcalá, where we will admire the façade of the university, the cradle of humanism and a model exported to America.
-We conclude the tour with a look at the artistic and monumental heritage of the city: the Plaza del Oidor, the Cathedral of Alcalá de Henares and the convents.

The tour ends where we started, in the Palace Square.

An experience that intertwines history and culture, ideal for all audiences.

With our travel insurance, you can travel with peace of mind and focus solely on unwinding and enjoying your holiday. Don't let anything spoil your trip!

THE GUIDED TOURS IN ALCALÁ DE HENARES #1 ON GOOGLE AND TRIPADVISOR SINCE 2019, conducted by freelance guides with over 15 years of experience, graduates in history, and holders of an official guide license.

IMPORTANT: Participation of groups of more than 6 people in the free tours, regardless of whether multiple reservations have been made from different email addresses, is subject to a prior payment of €10 / person VAT included. Contact us to learn about the participation conditions for large groups in free tours.

Birthplace of the greatest figure in Spanish literature, Miguel de Cervantes, the monumental town of Alcalá de Henares has held the title of UNESCO World Heritage City since December 2, 1998, ranking among the cities with the highest number of cultural heritage sites in all of Spain.
Despite this, and very unfairly, it remains a great mystery to many visitors who have arrived in Madrid and wish to explore its surroundings in addition to the capital. Our tour, approximately 1.5 hours long, offers a journey through time via its medieval layout, Roman remains, baroque palaces and churches, and its prestigious university, founded over five centuries ago, ensuring that Alcalá de Henares becomes a must-see in your travel journal.

Places we will visit externally during the tour:

Plaza de Cervantes

Regional Archaeological Museum

Magistral Cathedral

Cisnerian University

Birthplace of Cervantes

Complutense gastronomy

Archbishop's Palace

One of the oldest hospitals in the world

The medieval Jewish quarter and much more…

Important Information:

*Participation of groups of more than 6 people in the free tours is subject to a prior payment of €10 / person VAT included.

*Minimum group size to start the tour: 4.

*The tour is conducted entirely on foot and is fully accessible. 

*No tickets are required, the mentioned monuments are visited externally. 

*Minors are not accepted without adult accompaniment. 

*Reservations from travel agencies or wholesalers are not accepted.

*Pets are welcome.

A free tour to know the history and beauty of Alcalá de Henares . Our tour consists of a visit that will bring us closer to the fundamental places in the history of Alcalá de Henares. A story linked to the great events in the history of Spain , of which Alcalá de Henares was the protagonist for many centuries.

Some of the places that we will see during the tour are:

• Cervantes Square.
• Main Street
• The Jewish Quarter
• Synagogue Corral
• Exterior of the Cervantes Birthplace Museum and the old Antezana Hospital.
• Image Street.
• Palace Square
• Plaza de las Bernardas and external archaeological museum.
• Plaza de los Santos Niños and exterior Catedral-Magistral
• San Diego Square
• The facade of the university.
• Chapel of the Oidor (Interior)
• And some surprise ...

** It is possible to change the route and schedules depending on the availability of the buildings included in the visit.

We will take a walk through the Alcalá de Cervantes y Cisneros, a World Heritage city that will not leave you indifferent.

Main stops:

• Cervantes Square.
• Madrid Gate
• Main street
• The Jewish Quarter
• Exterior of the Cervantes Birthplace Museum and the former Antezana Hospital.
• Image Street.
• Archbishop's Palace Square
• Plaza de los Santos Niños and exterior of the Cathedral-Magistral.
• Facade of the university.
• Chapel of the Oidor

The meeting point will be the Puerta de Madrid.

* Groups of more than six people are not allowed, even if they make separate reservations. If there are more than 6 of you, please contact me using the message option to arrange a private tour.

Join me as we discover Alcalá de Henares through its convent and university history. Through its secrets and legends, its streets where writers, artists, and legendary figures from our history have passed through. A walk through the history of art that emerges at every turn in this brilliant city of the Renaissance and the Golden Age. We will visit its university colleges, convents, hermitages, and palaces to witness the living history of our city of students, the cradle of knowledge and wisdom.

On our tour we will visit:

-The Magistral Cathedral of the Holy Children: 15th-16th century.

-Archbishop's Palace: 13th-19th century.

-Cistercian Convent of San Bernardo: 17th century.

-Convent of the Mother of God (17th century) and old Muslim quarter (Santiago Street).

-Convent of La Imágen: 16th century.

-Calle Mayor: Cervantes House-Museum, Synagogue Corral and Antezana Hospital (15th century).

-Irish College: 17th century.

-Convent of the Augustinians of Saint Mary Magdalene: 17th century.

-Convent of San José de Los Caracciolos: 17th century-18th century.

-Minor College of Discalced Trinitarians: 17th century.

-College of Malaga: 17th century.

-Tower and ruins of Santa María (15th century) and Chapel of the Oidor (16th-17th century).

-Plaza de Cervantes: Town Hall (Former College-Convent of San Carlos Borromeo (17th-19th century).

-Chapel of San Ildefonso (15th-16th centuries).

-San Ildefonso College (XVI).

-Church of Santa María La Mayor and Chapel of the Holy Forms (17th-18th century).

-Maximum College of the Society of Jesus (17th century).