Tours

Plaza Mayor Tourist Office. Madrid's main tourist office, open 365 days a year, is a treasure trove of maps and resources and will happily recommend popular bus, segway, cycling, and walking tours to meet your needs. Pl. Mayor 27, Sol, Madrid, Madrid, 28012. 91/531--0074; www.esmadrid.com.

Bike Tours

Biking in Madrid can be a white-knuckle experience for those unaccustomed to biking in traffic, but for leisurely sightseeing through parks and along the river, bike tours can be a pleasant activity.

BravoBike. BravoBike offers guided bike tours in English (from €15 for two hours). It also offers multiday guided and self-guided bike tours near Madrid, in Toledo, Aranjuez, Chinchón, and Segovia, as well as tours along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela and Andalusia, among others. Calle Juan Álvarez Mendizábal 19, Calle Juan Álvarez Mendizábal 19, Moncloa, Madrid, Madrid, 28008. 91/758--2945; 60/744--8440; www.bravobike.com. From €15.

Bus Tours

Madrid City Tours. These ubiquitous red double-decker tourist buses make 1½-hour circuits of the city, allowing you to get on and off at various attractions (there is a Historic Madrid tour and a Modern Madrid tour, plus a Night Tour June 16–September 15) with recorded English commentary. There are one- and two-day passes. 90/202--4758; www.madrid.city-tour.com . From €20.

Walking Tours

Asociación Nacional de Guías de Turismo (APIT). This tour operator offers custom history and art walks by government-certified travel guides. Calle Jacometrezo 4, 9º 13, Sol, Madrid, Madrid, 28013. 91/542--1214; www.apit.es.

Carpetania Madrid. This company offers niche, brainy tours and literary walks on topics like "Women of Malasaña" and "Almodóvar's Madrid." (Spanish only.) Calle Jesús del Valle 11, Malasaña, Madrid, Madrid, 28004. 91/531--1418; www.carpetaniamadrid.com. From €10.

Devour Madrid. A hip, young tour company catering to foodie travelers of all interests and ages (custom and kids' tours are available), Devour Madrid hosts walks that run the gamut from an "Ultimate Spanish Cuisine" neighborhood crawl to a "Prado Museum Tour" that culminates in a lunch at Botín, the world's oldest restaurant, according to Guinness World Records. Calle de la Torrecilla del Leal 10, Cortes, Madrid, Madrid, 28012. 94/458--1022; www.madridfoodtour.com. From €49.