Madrid Gay Pride Tour
5 Star Accommodations and over-the-top events!

With stunning plazas, impressive architecture, world-renowned museums, great restaurants, and an incredibly vibrant gay scene, Madrid has its finger on the pulse of everything cool at the moment.

During Madrid Gay Pride, hundreds of thousands of gay people come to Madrid to celebrate their pride in a magnificent setting with fellow gay travelers from all over the world!

Did you know that Spain provides one of the highest degrees of liberty in the world for its LGBT community? It is one of ten countries that allows same-sex marriage and permits adoption by same-sex couples.

Gay Pride in Madrid is not just tolerated, but celebrated, and Zoom Vacations has done its research to make sure you get the most out of Gay Pride in Madrid. However, this is more than just a gay pride trip, but a cultural, sophisticated, and even gastronomic celebration of the Spanish experience.

Gay Tour Highlights

• Fully escorted with the services of a Zoom Vacations Concierge throughout the trip.

• 5 nights Accommodations in one of the finest 5 star hotels in Madrid, located in the heart of everything.

• Buffet breakfast daily.

• Welcome cocktails at an exclusive, historic, location.

• Tickets to the week's best dance parties.

• Invitation to a private party at a local gay loft overlooking the city. This is the pefect place to meet locals and new friends from around the world.

• A Taste of Madrid city tour where you will be introduced to the sites, sounds, and tastes that have made Madrid one of the world's most famous and decadent cities.

• Authentic Spanish Flamenco show and dinner.

• Day trip to the historic, medieval walled city of Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch included. Toledo is a true architectural masterpiece, and a where historically Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures coexisted.

• Escorted gay nightlife outings, where we take you to the heart of the action.

• Pride Parade! Watch the parade amongst old and new friends made on the trip, from one of the prime spots on the route.

• Zoom Vacations gay guide to Madrid, including our recommendations for the city's best restaurants, gay nightlife, museums, excursions, and more.

• Optional Flamenco Dancing lessons. Learn the sexy, passionate dance for which Spain is famous.

• Optional Prado Museum tour with an art historian. Many avid museum goers (including Zoom Vacations co-founder Bryan Herb) will tell you that the Prado is their favorite museum.

• Optional party tickets to the best events of the week.

• Add-on trips to Barcelona and Seville (contact us for more information).

Madrid Gay Pride Tour Itinerary

Day 1 - Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Arrive in Madrid
2:00 PM:
Official guest check-in at the AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel. Rooms will be assigned early, if possible.

Evening:
Welcome Cocktail Excursion, Dinner and Flamenco Show
After our welcome cocktail excursion, we will proceed directly to dinner and a fabulous Flamenco Show. Flamenco embodies a complex musical and cultural tradition and is considered part of the culture of Spain. It is generally acknowledged that flamenco grew out of the unique interplay of native Arabic, Andalusian, Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures that existed in Andalusia prior to and after the Reconquest.

Accommodations: AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel

Meals Included: Dinner with Spanish wine

Day 2 - Thursday, June 28, 2012
Madrid
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM:
Champagne Buffet Breakfast, served in the AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel restaurant.

Morning:
A "Taste of Madrid" City Walking Tour
Departs from the hotel lobby. Madrid will truly come alive before your eyes as our native Madrid gay guide gives us the insider's edge to this famous city. Experience the rich history of Madrid, hear about the city highlights, and learn what led to its becoming Spain's capital. On this tour you will learn about the history of Madrid and how it emerged as one of the most gay-friendly cities in Europe and what made Spain into one of the most liberal countries in the world with legalized gay marriages, gay adoptions etc. Wear comfortable walking shoes.

Rest of the day:
Rest of the day is at your leisure to shop, visit the one of Madrid's incredible museums, enjoy a long lunch, and so much more. Our Zoom Concierge is on hand to help you make the most out of your day.

Accommodations: AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel

Meals Included: Buffet Champagne Breakfast

Day 3 - Friday, June 29, 2012
Madrid and Toledo
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM:
Champagne Buffet Breakfast, served in the AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel restaurant.

Morning/afternoon:
Medieval Walled City of Toledo Excursion
Depart the hotel lobby for our train to the Toledo. We will return at approximately 3:30 PM.

Today, we visit one of Spain's most captivating cities, Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Toledo was the capital of Spain from the Gothic period until 1560, which explains its impressive medieval architecture. Walking through its streets you feel as though you have stepped back into the Middle-Ages. It remains one of the most intriguing Medieval walled cities in all of Europe. We will take a train to Toledo, and then a 5-10 minute bus to the heart of the city.

Evening:
Possible Private Party at a beautiful loft in Madrid.
This private party will be the place to be tonight, and Zoom Vacations will have you on the guest list. After the party, you may wish to go to Fantasy at the Circulo de Bellas Artes (amazing place) & Space (Bravo). Or, you may wish to hit the regular bar scene.

Accommodations: AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel

Meals Included: Buffet Champagne Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4 - Saturday, June 30, 2012
Madrid
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM:
Champagne Buffet Breakfast, served in the AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel restaurant.

Morning:
Morning at Leisure to relax after a busy yesterday. Explore the city, do a little shopping, people-watch in Chueca, and more.

4:30 PM:
Madrid Gay Pride Parade
Departs from the hotel lobby. View the famous Madrid Gay Pride Parade. We will depart the lobby to view the parade, which starts at 5 PM. For eight days, the neighborhood of Chueca turns into what has to be one of the most inclusive and quirky Gay Pride festivals in the world.

The fiesta culminates on the first Saturday in July with a huge parade down the Gran Via. A truly crazy pastiche of Madrileños show up to march or simply to kick off the summer party season: grannies in their retro housedresses, families, old gay (legally since 2006!) married couples, young hipsters, straight folks... As soon as the sun starts to go down, the plazas and streets turn into outdoor dance parties with DJs spinning until the sun comes up.

Accommodations: AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel

Meals Included: Buffet Champagne Breakfast

Day 5 - Sunday, July 1, 2012
Madrid
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM:
Champagne Buffet Breakfast, served in the AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel restaurant.

Morning/afternoon:
Day at leisure.
Day at leisure to "recover" from Saturday night. There will also be several parties taking place tonight, and Zoom Vacations will assist you in finding the perfect way to spend your Sunday.

Accommodations: AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel

Meals Included: Buffet Champagne Breakfast

Day 6 - Monday, July 2, 2012
Madrid
7:30 AM to 11:00 AM:
Champagne Buffet Breakfast, served in the AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel restaurant.

12:00 PM:
Official guest check-out at the AC Palacio Del Retiro Hotel

Meals Included: Buffet Champagne Breakfast

Luxury Gay Friendly Accommodations

The AC Palacio del Retiro Hotel *****

50-room hotel built at the beginning of the 20th Century converted into a discreet luxury hotel. Unique building protected by National Heritage status where you can enjoy the pleasure of resting in one of the monuments of the historic centre of the city, located in front of the famous Retiro Park and close to the Paseo de Recoletos.

It occupies the centre of the magical Art Triangle, Prado Museum, the Tyssen-Bornemisza Collection and Reina Sofia National Art Museum. Ideally located in the center of the cultural area, and just a short walk to the adjacent gay area, Chueca.

The AC Palacio del Retiro Hotel offers the pleasure of resting in one of the monuments of the historic city center with the luxury of a great hotel. A Mansion of fifty-one bedrooms where both discretion and tranquility reign at all times. You will also enjoy the exclusive Complementary SPA, well-appointed gym, restaurant, and bar.

When you cross the threshold of your room you will feel you are in a space that is all yours, full of the exclusive details:
• free Mini-Bar
• Special reading light
• Personalized air-conditioning
• Plasma TV (High brightness panel TV, PC Monitor compatible)
• TV with more than 20 channels
• High-speed Wi-Fi Internet access
• in-room safe
• 24 hour laundry service
• Complimentary Shoe Shine
• 24 hour Room Service
• Bathrobes and slippers

Videos from Zoom 2009 Madrid Gay Pride Tour

Madrid Gay Pride with Zoom Vacations 2009, Part 1
Gay Pride in Madrid is not just tolerated, but celebrated, and Zoom Vacations did its research to make sure we got the most out of Gay Pride in Madrid. However, this is more than just a gay pride trip, but a cultural, sophisticated, celebration of the Spanish experience. Part one covers Madrid and Toledo. Part 2 covers the Kylie concert, Mr. Gay Spain competition, and the parade.

Madrid Gay Pride with Zoom Vacations 2009, Part 2
During Madrid Gay Pride, hundreds of thousands of gay people come to Madrid to celebrate their pride in a magnificent setting with fellow gay travelers from all over the world! We split the coverage of Zoom Vacations' trip to Gay Pride into two parts: Part one covers Madrid and Toledo. Part 2 covers the Kylie concert, Mr. Gay Spain competition, and the parade.