Best tours of Marbella

The best things to see or do in Marbella have everything to do with admiring and exploring the urban and natural beauty that defines this corner of Spain's Costa del Sol. There are hundreds of things to do in Marbella, but walking its streets, sitting in its restaurants and enjoying its beaches will always be a must-do activity for all types of visitors.

With this in mind , I suggest you continue reading this compilation of the best Marbella tours available today. Knowing the characteristics that define each of them, you will be able to understand the benefits that you can find in the alternative you decide to choose. You will also understand how much time you should dedicate to each tour, how much it would cost you to participate in your favourite one and what are the sites that make up that specific tourist route.

Bicycle tours are a tourist formula that is entertaining for all types of people and if you are someone who regularly cycles as a means of entertainment, then bicycle tours of Marbella city are something you can't miss out on when you are in the city. They are usually an extensive itinerary in terms of kilometres, but can be completed in a couple of hours, which is convenient for those who only have a few days on the Costa del Sol and want to make the most of each date to do as many things as possible.

The route of this type of excursion usually starts in places like the Barrio Alto and Barrio Nuevo of Marbella and then passes through the historic centre in places like the Plaza de los Naranjos. The Hospital de la Misericordia and the Marbella Botanical Gardens are other stops on these bike tours. They continue their way along the famous promenade until they reach Puerto Banús, the community of the rich and famous located about 7 kilometres from Marbella.

Keep in mind that this is a tour guided by a Marbella cycling specialist who will ensure that at all times appropriate streets are being chosen for riding this two-wheeled vehicle. It is a shared activity and there are usually around 15 to 20 participants. Although you should be aware that the number can be higher or lower depending on the tourist influx of the season of your visit.

It is a good plan for people of all ages as long as they are in physical condition to face a round trip from Marbella to Puerto Banus. So this tour can be a family activity or it can also be a small personal escape from a much wider tourist itinerary that is focused on other more conventional plans.

Interesting details

• Price: usually around 30 euros per person. This includes the guide's fee, bike hire and also safety equipment such as helmets and elbow pads.
• Duration: it can last approximately 2 hours and is usually scheduled for early in the morning or before midday at the latest.
• Means of transport: the bicycle is clearly the main means of transport, but the way to get to the meeting point is up to you. So it could be a bus, a taxi or even a scooter of your own.
• Advantages of this option: A cycling session is the perfect combination of speeding up sightseeing, enjoying a fun activity and adding a bit of physical exercise that is healthy for everyone.
• Disadvantages of this option: although there are no age limitations, it is clearly not an activity for young children, as they do not have the possibility of riding a bike that doubles or triples the extension of their legs.

You can get to know a place through the palate, that's an almost universal reality. That's why a tapas tour of Marbella could be the activity you've been looking for to explore the city in a more intimate, much more original and undoubtedly quite interesting way. The first thing to know about these types of tours is that they are partially focused on taverns, bars and restaurants serving authentic Spanish food, focusing mainly on the Andalusian culinary offerings of the historic centre.

This means that the big, expensive and glamorous restaurants of the golden mile are kept away from the tour. This is to make way for those establishments that manage to capture with great detail and appreciation the true essence of Marbella beyond the mass tourism that defines it. Bear in mind that every place where there is a stop to enjoy tapas is also accompanied by locally produced wines, ciders and beers. This allows you to enjoy the flavours of Andalusia beyond the food.

Throughout this tour you will also have the opportunity to appreciate the architectural beauty that defines the historic centre of Marbella among its most commercial and renowned streets. In fact, the whole itinerary is a little more focused on appreciating the city from the perspective of a guide who specialises in its history. So the accompaniment of tapas, wines and ciders is a great added bonus that adds to the equation to make it more interesting.

It is a relatively private activity, as it is intended for groups of no more than 12 people and is definitely not a tour for the whole family, as it is only suitable for those over 14 years of age. It usually takes place after sunset, but the exact time changes throughout the year depending on the number of tourists and the opening and closing times of the bars and taverns you intend to visit.

Interesting details

• Price: usually around 80 euros per person. This includes the payment of the guide as well as the pre-established consumption in the places visited.
• Duration: it can last approximately 3 hours, which is more than enough time to enjoy the food and appreciate the beauty of the area.
• Means of transport: in this case there is no means of transport, as it is a guided tour that takes place exclusively on foot.
• Advantages of this option: although it is not a gastronomic tour in the strict sense of the term, it is a good way to get to know first-hand the culinary world of Marbella while enjoying a good walk through its most important and oldest areas.
• Drawbacks of this option: there are those who are looking for a little more excitement for their nights out in Marbella and perhaps a historical tour is not what they are looking for. This is especially so if you highlight the fact that it is not a proper family activity, as it leaves all the children out of the equation.

The tranquil coastline that stretches along the 27 kilometres of beaches of the region to which Marbella belongs makes a boat trip along this territory one of the best tours available for tourists looking to admire the beauty of this city.

There are different types of boat trips in Marbella that can be classified as a real tour of the city. However, the ones that depart from the marina of Marbella are always the most appropriate, as they give you a direct perspective of this city. As well as the rest of the communities that have formed around it, such as Puerto Banús.

There are also some tours that depart from the Estepona marina and they are just as convenient knowing that they will allow you to appreciate all the existing constructions from this town located at the other end of the Costa del Sol. That is until you reach the historic centre of Marbella, some 30 kilometres to the northwest approximately.

Tours on small luxury yachts that include a dinner of local produce along with an accompaniment of wine at sunset are an excellent example of what you can do on this type of tour. However, you should be aware that these types of itineraries are designed for two people. So in the case of a family group it is preferable to opt for a dolphin watching tour, although that would no longer be a tour of Marbella as it does not focus on appreciating the coastline and the architecture that characterises it.

Interesting details

• Price: prices vary according to the type of boat and the focus of the activity. Those available for groups of two for a dinner with views of the coast and sunset usually cost 150 euros per person.
• Duration: they usually last about 2 hours, as there should be enough time for dinner, but also enough time to cover a good stretch of the coastline to allow visitors to get a detailed picture of Marbella and its surroundings.
• Means of transport: usually small luxury yachts, although catamarans or even sailing boats are also possible.
• Advantages of this option: Being on a boat while viewing the most iconic sites of Marbella's coastline is the best option for those who have no interest in walking, let alone cycling, around them. Plus, if you choose an option for two with dinner included the whole thing can turn into quite a special occasion.
• Downsides of this option: a boat trip to appreciate the Marbella coastline can be a boring plan for some people and it is definitely not that economical when compared to other more modest and conventional tours.

Booking the best Marbella tours is something that can be done in a variety of ways, however, an online booking is a convenient alternative for all types of consumers. This knowing that it is an option that allows you to cancel your purchase for free, pay with a credit card and also see the availability of dates and times of the same service. You can even make an extensive comparison between all the tourist offers that are available at the time of your trip for a similar activity.

The reality is that online booking is a purchasing method that works for any tourist activity in a place like Marbella. Through these services it is possible to book plans that are free of charge in places where you have to book your visit well in advance. You can also buy other paid activities such as the best Marbella boat tours, just like the ones I mentioned in the previous point.

The duration of the best Marbella tours varies greatly, as being on a boat moving at a significantly high speed is not the same as having to ride a bicycle. This would involve a tour of the streets that depends on the willpower of the person driving the two-wheeled vehicle.

Approximately, they usually last between 3 and 5 hours, but the reality is that there are always much shorter and much longer alternatives and it all depends on the activity on offer. One factor that makes the difference in the duration of the best tours in Marbella is the type of plan and the approach is that it is managed. Stopping off at different restaurants to enjoy some tapas is something that can slow down the itinerary compared to a tour that only seeks to walk the streets and highlight the historical details associated with that particular site.

Keep in mind that either way most of the tours in this city are one of the best activities to do in Marbella in the summer. Especially those that incorporate water such as a boat ride. This is because they are a good use of the favourable climate that defines this region during the most touristy time of the year.

All tours in Marbella that are really focused on enjoying the city will show the most important sites of the city from different perspectives. For this reason places like the marina, the promenade, the Avenida del Mar, the old town, the Plaza de Los Naranjos and the main shopping streets are some of the places that are usually part of these tours.

Keep in mind that not all tours incorporate all these sites in the same itinerary due to the fact that some are further away than others and also have less to do with the focus that the guide who organizes the offered route wants to manage.

So it is up to you to choose the ones that best suit your interests. As well as those that have to do with the best things to do with children in Valencia in the case of a family trip. An itinerary exclusively for adults is not the same as a trip in which you have to take into account the little ones in the house.

There are two tips I can give you regarding the choice and enjoyment of the best tours in Marbella. The first one has to do with the fact that you should go for the tours that best match the type of trips you are having. Since a historical tour of the city may not be the most appropriate activity for a trip that is focused on the nightlife and parties that are associated with the image of Marbella in the rest of the world.

The second recommendation I can make regarding tours is that you take into account if you have already done the best activities in Marbella. This is because from this reflection you can make a comparison between the things you would still like to do and what can be enjoyed on a tour focused on the urban panorama of this city.