What Languages Are the Tours in at Descalzas Reales
Guided visits at the Descalzas Reales are primarily in Spanish. If you walk in and buy a €9 ticket, you will be assigned to a group and a guide, and that guide will probably speak Spanish. If you are fluent in Spanish and you can follow an hour-long art history talk at pace, this is fine. If you speak some Spanish but you would prefer English, you will miss things. If you speak only English, you will be frustrated.
English: not guaranteed on a walk-up ticket
Patrimonio Nacional does not guarantee English on a walk-up ticket. They have English-language guides, but you cannot request one. You might get lucky and be assigned one, or you might not. A real traveller in the reviews asked why they were charged €25 on GetYourGuide when the door price is €8, and the answer is partly this: if you need a guarantee that the entire visit will be explained in English, the €39 GetYourGuide tour is the only way to get it.
English on the GetYourGuide tour
If you book through GetYourGuide (from €39), the tour is guaranteed in English. The guide will explain the staircase fresco, the Rubens tapestries, the relicario, and the burials in English at a pace that lets you ask questions. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Other languages
French is available on the GetYourGuide tour. German, Portuguese, and other languages are not. If you need a specific language and it is not listed, book the Spanish tour and hire a private guide or translator, or ask the monastery directly whether they can arrange it.
Audioguides
There is no audioguide at the monastery. You get a live guide or nothing. The neighbouring Royal Collections Gallery has an audioguide included in the ticket price; the Royal Palace has English-language guides on the official tour and apps available for self-guided visits. But the Descalzas only offers live guides.
If language is your concern, the €39 GetYourGuide tour is worth it. An hour in English with a guide who knows the artworks is better than an hour in Spanish you only half-understand.
Frequently asked questions
Are the tours at the Descalzas Reales in English?
Mostly Spanish. English is not guaranteed on a walk-up ticket. If you need English, book the GetYourGuide tour which includes an English-language guide.
What if you do not speak Spanish?
Book the GetYourGuide tour in English or hire a private guide. The monastery does not offer audioguides or English without booking in advance.
Does the Royal Palace or the Prado offer English tours?
Yes. The Royal Palace has English guides on the GetYourGuide tour (€34) and self-guide options with apps. The Prado has English-language guided tours (€43). Read about Madrid's art tours for more options.