Best tours of Marbella

Marbella is a city that can be toured in a lot of different ways. There are gastronomic plans, sports, luxury and exclusivity and there are also other activities with a historical focus. I invite you to familiarize yourself with the best alternatives.

Keyvis Montilva

Keyvis Montilva

10 min read

Best tours of Marbella

Sunbathing | Daniel Nouri

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 the Spanish 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 activities not to be missed by all types of visitors.

With this in mind I suggest you continue reading this compilation of the best tours of Marbella that exist today. Knowing the characteristics that define each one of them you will be able to understand the benefits 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 favorite one and which are the sites that make up that specific tourist route.

1. A bike tour through the tourist attractions of Marbella

Bicycle| ©Carl Nenzen Loven
Bicycle| ©Carl Nenzen Loven

Bicycle tours are a tourist formula that is entertaining for all kinds of people and if you are someone who usually do cycling as a means of entertainment, then bicycle tours in the city of Marbella are something you can't miss while in the city. Usually, they are an extensive itinerary in terms of kilometers, but can be completed in a couple of hours which is convenient for those who have few days on the Costa del Sol and want to take advantage of each date to make as many plans as possible.

The route of this type of tours usually starts in places like the Barrio Alto and Barrio Nuevo of Marbella and then go through the historic center in places like the Plaza de los Naranjos. The Hospital de la Misericordia and the Botanical Garden of Marbella are other stops on these bike tours. They continue their way along the famous promenade to Puerto Banus, the community of the rich and famous located about 7 kilometers from Marbella.

Keep in mind that this is a tour guided by a specialist in cycling in Marbella that will ensure that at all times appropriate streets are being chosen for the driving of this two-wheeled vehicle. It is a shared activity and usually there are about 15 to 20 participants. Although you have to know that the number can be higher or lower depending on the tourist affluence 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 broader tourist itinerary that is focused on other more conventional plans.

Details of interest

  • Price: it is usually around 30 euros per person. This includes payment for the guide, bike rental and also safety equipment such as helmets and elbow pads.
  • Duration: it can last approximately 2 hours and it is usually an activity scheduled for early in the morning or before noon at the latest.
  • Means of transportation: the bicycle is clearly the main means of transportation, but the way to get to the meeting point is up to you. So it could be a bus, a cab or even a scooter of your own.
  • Advantages of this option: a cycling session is the perfect combination between an acceleration of sightseeing, the enjoyment of an entertaining activity and the addition of some 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, since they do not have the possibility of riding a bicycle that doubles or triples the extension of their legs.

Book your City Tour by bike in Marbella

2. A tapas tour to explore the gastronomic offer of Marbella

Tapas at the bar| ©Life Of Pix
Tapas at the bar| ©Life Of Pix

You can get to know a place through the palate, that's an almost universal reality. That's why a tapas tour in 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 this kind of tours is that they are partially focused on taverns, bars and restaurants of authentic Spanish food, focusing mainly on the Andalusian culinary proposals of the historic center.

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

Throughout this tour you will also have the opportunity to appreciate the architectural beauty that defines the historic center of Marbella among its most commercial and recognized streets. Actually, the whole itinerary is a bit more focused on appreciating the city from the perspective of a guide specialized 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 old. It usually takes place in the hours after sunset, but the exact time changes throughout the year depending on the influx of tourists and the opening and closing times of the bars and taverns you intend to visit.

Details of interest

  • Price: it is usually around 80 euros per person. This includes the payment of the guide as well as the pre-established consumption in the sites to be 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 transportation: in this case there is no means of transportation, since 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 ancient areas.
  • Disadvantages of this option: there are those who are looking for a little more excitement for their evenings in Marbella and perhaps a historical tour is not what they are expecting. This especially if you highlight the fact that it is not a proper family activity, as it leaves all the children out of the equation.

Enjoy an original Tapas Adventure in Marbella

3. A boat ride along the coast with views of Marbella and its surroundings

A stroll along the sea| ©Jo Bebop
A stroll along the sea| ©Jo Bebop

The calm coasts that stretch along the 27 kilometers of beaches of the region to which Marbella belongs makes a boat ride along this territory one of the best existing tours for tourists looking to admire the beauty of this city.

There are different types of boat tours in Marbella that can be classified as a real tour of the city. However, the ones that leave 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 Banus.

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

The rides on small luxury yachts that include a dinner of local products along with a wine accompaniment during the sunset are an excellent example of what you can do in this type of tours. However, you should know that this type of itineraries are designed for two people. So in the case of a family group it is preferable to go for a dolphin watching tour, although that would no longer be a tour of Marbella because it does not focus on appreciating the coastline and the architecture that characterizes it.

Details of interest

  • Price: they adjust according to the type of boat and according to the focus of the activity. Those that are available for groups of two people for a dinner with views of the coast and sunset usually have a rate of 150 euros per person.
  • Duration: they usually last about 2 hours approximately, as there must be enough time for dinner, but also to go along a good stretch of the coast that allows visitors to detail the image of Marbella and its surroundings.
  • Means of transport: they are usually small luxury yachts, although it is also possible that they are catamarans or even sailboats.
  • Advantages of this option: being on a boat while observing the most iconic sites of the coast of Marbella is the best option for those who have no interest in walking, let alone cycling. Also, if you choose an option for two people with dinner included the whole thing can become quite a special occasion.
  • Disadvantages of this option: a boat ride to appreciate the coast of Marbella can be a boring plan for some people and it is definitely not so economical when compared to other more modest and conventional tours.

How to book the best Marbella tours?

Girl looking for the best deal| ©Andrew Neel
Girl looking for the best deal| ©Andrew Neel

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 offer that there is for the time of your trip about a similar activity.

The reality is that online booking is a method of purchase that works for any tourist activity in a place like Marbella. For through these services you can schedule plans that are free in places where you have to book the 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.

Duration of the best Marbella tours

Empty seats before the tour| ©Jonathan Borba
Empty seats before the tour| ©Jonathan Borba

The duration of the best Marbella tours is somewhat varied, as being on a boat moving at a significantly high speed is not the same as having to ride a bicycle. Which would imply 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 offered. 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 handled. And is that stopping at different restaurants to enjoy some tapas is something that can delay the itinerary with respect 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 this city are one of the best activities to do in summer in Marbella. Especially those that incorporate water such as a boat ride. This is because they are a good use of the favorable climate that defines this region during the most touristic time of the year.

What am I going to see in this type of tours?

Orange Square| ©Melinda van den Brink
Orange Square| ©Melinda van den Brink

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 approach that the guide who organizes the route offered wants to handle.

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 case it is a family trip. And it is not the same an itinerary exclusively for adults than a trip in which you have to take into account the little ones in the house.

Tips to enjoy the best tours in Marbella

Marbella Poster| ©Roberto medina
Marbella Poster| ©Roberto medina

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 travel you are having. Since a historical tour of the city may not be the most appropriate activity for a trip that is focused on nightlife and parties that are associated with the image of Marbella in the rest of the world.

The second recommendation I can make regarding the 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 that you would still like to do and that can be enjoyed in a tour focused on the urban panorama of this city.