More about: Prado Museum in Madrid: Tickets and Tours
The Prado Museum is the jewel not only of Madrid but of all Spain and much of Europe. The names associated with one of the world's most famous art galleries include Velázquez, El Greco, Raphael, Goya, Rubens, and Bosch.
Buying tickets in advance online is the best way to ensure a visit to the Prado without queues and with more peace of mind, avoiding entering the museum tired after a long wait. These are, in order, the best online options for visiting the Prado:
Madrid Prado Museum Tickets
Direct access to the Prado Museum without queuing
Perfect if you're looking for the most convenient and flexible way to discover the Prado's masterpieces at your own pace.
If this is your first visit to the museum or you simply want complete freedom to decide which rooms to explore and how much time to spend on each work, this skip-the-line ticket to the Prado Museum is the best option. With direct access, you can avoid the long waits that often form at the ticket office and start your tour as soon as you arrive.
This pass includes access to the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, allowing you to view universal icons such as Las Meninas, The Garden of Earthly Delights, and Saturn Devouring His Son without time restrictions or organized groups. In addition, you can explore the more than 7,000 works on display at your own pace, focusing on the artists and styles that interest you most.
Why I like this option: it's the easiest and most flexible way to visit the Prado, guaranteeing you a place without queuing and giving you the peace of mind of being able to plan your experience as you wish.
Recommended if... you want to enter the museum directly and explore one of the world's most famous art collections in complete comfort.
Madrid Paseo del Arte Card: Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen Museum Tickets
The Art Walk: access Madrid's three major museums
Ideal if you want to discover not only the Prado, but also the Reina Sofía and Thyssen museums in a single experience.
If you want to extend your visit beyond the Prado and immerse yourself in the Art Triangle, this Paseo del Arte Pass is perfect. It includes direct, skip-the-line access to the permanent collections of Madrid's three most iconic museums: the Prado, the Reina Sofía, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza.
With this pass, you can freely explore art from the Renaissance to the contemporary avant-garde, contemplating such iconic works as Goya's The Naked Maja, Picasso's Guernica, and Monet's Impressionist series. What's more, you have a full year from the date of purchase to plan your tour as you wish, without rushing or being tied to specific dates.
Why I like this option: it combines Madrid's greatest artistic landmarks in a single ticket, with the flexibility to visit them whenever you want and the convenience of skip-the-line access.
Recommended if... you want to discover the cultural richness of the entire Art Walk and visit the three great art galleries at your own pace.
Madrid Prado Museum Guided Tour
The best of the Prado, guided by an expert
Perfect for taking a tour of the essential works of the Prado Museum, accompanied by a professional guide.
This two-hour tour of the Prado Museum will allow you to discover the museum's most important paintings with an expert guide. The quality of the art can be appreciated for itself, but the messages behind each work are what make this museum truly fascinating. When you stand in front of works such as Las Meninas, The Garden of Earthly Delights, or The Third of May 1830, don't rush to move on to the next one.
I've put this option ahead of individual tickets because, in a place like the Prado, with so much history and symbolism behind its walls and each of its works, I think a two-hour introductory guided tour is the best way to get to know the museum and make the most of it. The group will have a maximum of 30 people.
Why I like this option: I think a guided tour of the Prado is essential due to its size and the large number of works it houses. With this option, you'll also get the best price.
Recommended if... you want to take a guided tour of the Prado without spending too much time or money to see the museum's most essential works.
In summary, here's how the options compare:
Direct access to the Prado Museum without queuing
Perfect if you're looking for the most convenient and flexible way to discover the Prado's masterpieces at your own pace.
The Art Walk: access Madrid's three major museums
Ideal if you want to discover not only the Prado, but also the Reina Sofía and Thyssen museums in a single experience.
The best of the Prado, guided by an expert
Perfect for taking a tour of the essential works of the Prado Museum, accompanied by a professional guide.
How to buy tickets for the Prado Museum
The most convenient and recommended way to visit the Prado is to book your tickets online at Hellotickets in advance, starting at $22 This way, you can ensure access on the date you prefer, compare visit options, and, above all, avoid the long lines that usually form at the ticket office throughout the day.
In front of the imposing Prado Museum building, you will see gardens dotted with classical statues and bordered by cobbled paths. All this would be very beautiful if it weren't for the queues of visitors that can be several meters long at certain times of the day... If you still decide to buy your tickets at the ticket office, I recommend doing so first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds of tourists.
What are the guided tours of the Prado Museum like?
If you want to learn more about the most famous works and understand their historical and artistic context, guided tours of the Prado Museum are an excellent option. Depending on the tour you choose, you can focus solely on the Prado or combine your visit with other essential sights in Madrid. Here is a summary of the main options, their duration, and what they include:
- Guided tour of the Prado Museum - Duration: approximately 1 hour and a half. Take a tour with an expert guide through the most emblematic rooms and see masterpieces such as Las Meninas and The Garden of Earthly Delights. Includes skip-the-line admission and radio guide system.
- Guided tour of the Prado and Reina Sofía Museum - Duration: approx. 4 hours. Combine classical and contemporary art in a single tour with admission to both museums and an art history guide.
- Guided tour of the Prado and Royal Palace - Duration: approx. 5 hours. Discover two of Madrid's most important monuments with direct access and detailed explanations from a local guide.
- Panoramic bus tour + guided tour of the Prado - Duration: approx. 4 hours 30 minutes. Tour the city in an air-conditioned bus and finish with a 90-minute guided tour of the museum. Includes admission and audio guide.
Organize your visit to the Prado
When to go
The Prado Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays and public holidays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The best time to go and avoid the crowds is any weekday morning, as free admission begins in the afternoon and visitor numbers increase significantly.
How to
The Prado is located on Madrid's Paseo del Arte, between the Botanical Gardens and the Cibeles fountain. The nearest metro stop is Atocha, and you can easily find it on any map. The entrance is at the end closest to Cibeles, preceded by a double staircase.
Audio guide
Visiting the museum with an audio guide is a must, at least on your first visit. It is available at the entrance for four euros in several languages, and although some of the explanations can be a bit dense, it is well worth it. Of course, you will always enjoy a guided tour more.
Can you visit the Prado Museum with children?
The Prado Museum is one of the best museums for children; they have an audio guide with video for the visit, in which animated characters explain the paintings in their own language. Be sure to take them to see the museum during your visit to Madrid.
Where to eat nearby
There aren't many restaurants near the museum, although there is a Starbucks and a Museo del Jamón (ham sandwiches for €1 to eat standing up) across the street. If you walk to the center, you'll find many more restaurants to eat at, although the most typical taverns are usually in the Barrio de las Letras or in other more distant areas such as Lavapiés or Malasaña.
What to see around El Prado
The Paseo del Arte is a beautiful place to stroll. When you visit the museum, you can get off at Atocha and walk up the hill lined with bookshops that leads to the Retiro Park. There you will find street stalls with hundreds of art books, novels, and real treasures if you know where to look. Leave your visit to the Retiro Park for another time and go up through the Botanical Gardens towards the museum (passing the station).
Behind it, up the stairs, you will find the fabulous church of San Jerónimo el Real; the views of it from the museum are breathtaking. When you've finished your visit, you can walk to Cibeles and from there head down to the center via Gran Vía towards the Metropolitan building, one of the most emblematic in Madrid.
Very close to the Prado is also the Reina Sofía Museum, highly recommended for art lovers. Here's a practical guide to help you organize your visit to the Reina Sofía: Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid: Tickets and Tours.
If you visit the Prado Museum with children, there is an audio guide with video adapted for them that will bring them closer to art in a fun way.
What to see at the Prado
You can see the Prado Museum in two hours (if you take a guided tour and they show you the most important paintings) or you can spend five hours exploring the galleries. The length of your visit depends on you and your interest in art. In any case, there are some works that you simply cannot miss. Here is a selection of some of the most essential ones:
- Las Meninas by Velázquez. A family portrait featuring the Infanta Margarita and a complex interplay of gazes and perspectives.
- The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch. A fascinating triptych depicting heaven and hell in hundreds of details.
- The Third of May 1808 by Goya. A dramatic scene of Napoleonic repression in Madrid.
- Rubens' The Three Graces. An allegory of Baroque beauty and classical mythology.
- The Annunciation by Fra Angelico. One of the museum's best-known religious scenes.
- Van der Weyden's Descent from the Cross. A detailed composition depicting the moment of Christ's descent.
- Goya's Saturn Devouring His Children. The artist's most shocking and disturbing black painting.
- Goya's The Naked Maja. An icon of the Prado that was confiscated by the Inquisition.
- The Fable of Arachne by Velázquez. Also known as Las Hilanderas, surrounded by mystery about its meaning.
- Velázquez's The Forge of Vulcan. A mythological scene depicting the betrayal of Venus and Mars.