Prado Museum
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Majestic and wonderfully intense, Prado Museum, officially Museo Nacional del Prado, is Madrid's great royal art collection on Paseo del Prado. Inside the Villanueva Building, you move from Las Meninas to The Garden of Earthly Delights, Goya's dark rooms, and one of Europe's richest painter-led collections.
For a first visit, book a guided tour with timed entry, because the route turns a huge museum into a focused story and saves you from masterpiece overload.
For a first visit, book a guided tour with timed entry, because the route turns a huge museum into a focused story and saves you from masterpiece overload.
Select a date to find available tickets, tours & activities:
Guided Prado tours
Choose this if you want a curated route through Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, and the busiest masterpiece rooms with less decision fatigue.Madrid: Small Group of Prado Museum Tour & Optional Tapas
4.6(2672)
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Museo del Prado & Royal Palace of Madrid Skip-the-Line Guided Tour
4.3(1366)
headout.com
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Museo del Prado Skip-the-Line Guided Tour
4.5(3379)
headout.com
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Madrid: Prado Museum Guided Tour
4.6(396)
getyourguide.com
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See all Guided Prado tours
Timed entry and audio tickets
Best for flexible self-guided visits: timed entry, optional audio-guide formats, and full-day museum access let you set your own Prado pace.Prado Museum: Entry Ticket
4.6(10924)
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Madrid: Prado Museum Ticket with In-App Audio Guide
3.7(1380)
getyourguide.com
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Museo del Prado Timed Entry Tickets with Audio Guide
4.0(997)
headout.com
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Madrid: VIP Private visit to Royal Palace and Prado Museum
4.9(17)
getyourguide.com
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See all Timed entry and audio tickets
Art Walk passes
Use these passes when you plan to connect Prado Museum with Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and Museo Reina Sofía across Madrid's art corridor.Art Walk Pass: Museo del Prado + Thyssen Bornemisza + Reina Sofia Entry Tickets
4.5(5369)
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Private Combo Tour Prado Museum and Reina Sofia
viator.com
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More Madrid combo experiences
Look here for broader Madrid formats that pair the Prado with city highlights, food stops, private routes, or other museum-heavy plans.Madrid: Royal Palace, Prado Museum & Historic Center Tour
4.6(52)
getyourguide.com
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Prado Museum self-guided audio tour
2.7(3)
musement.com
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Current exhibitions
The Female Perspective III. Queen Isabella Farnese (1692-1766) and the Museo del Prado
Thematic route
This route explores how Queen Isabella Farnese shaped the Prado's collections through paintings and classical sculpture. Spread across the Villanueva Building, it highlights her role as one of the most influential artistic patrons behind the museum's holdings.
Dec 1, 2025 – May 24, 2026
The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew
Rubens's late masterpiece is on view at the Prado thanks to Fundación Carlos de Amberes. Displayed with its original frame in Room 16 B of the Villanueva Building, it highlights the museum's major Rubens holdings and the artist's final years.
Mar 3, 2025 – Jun 30, 2026
The artist's world through the camera
Drawing on the Prado's archives, this exhibition looks at how 19th- and early-20th-century artists used photography to record studios, working methods, and social circles. The display in Room 60 brings together professional and more intimate images from artists' lives.
Apr 13, 2026 – Jul 5, 2026
The Famine Painting
This exhibition reexamines José Aparicio's The Year of Famine in Madrid (1818), once famous and later sidelined. In Room 66, it uses the painting's changing reputation to reflect on museum canons, public taste, and the early history of the Prado.
Apr 27, 2026 – Sep 13, 2026
In the Italian Manner. Spain and the Mediterranean Gothic, 1320-1420
This major Jerónimos Building exhibition explores how Italian models shaped Gothic art in the Iberian kingdoms between 1320 and 1420. More than 100 works trace Mediterranean exchanges in painting, sculpture, manuscripts, textiles, and goldsmiths' work.
May 26, 2026 – Sep 20, 2026
Prado. 21st Century
This exhibition looks at how the Prado transformed over the first quarter of the 21st century. Through recent acquisitions and documentary material in the Jerónimos Building, it traces changes in the collection, conservation work, visitor services, and the museum's public role.
Jun 9, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026
7 tips for visiting the Prado Museum
1
Book the first calm slot
If this is your first Prado Museum visit, choose a paid weekday slot close to 10 am. You reach the Villanueva Building before the late-morning wave fills Paseo del Prado, so your first look at Las Meninas feels focused, not rushed.
2
Treat free hours as a tradeoff
If budget is your priority, the last two hours before closing are useful. The tradeoff is shorter viewing time and a busier queue, especially near the Goya Entrance. Arrive with a three-room plan, and you avoid spending your free visit deciding what to see.
3
Use the right entrance
For collection tickets and ticket offices, the Goya Entrance is the classic anchor. If you have reduced mobility or a stroller, plan around the Jerónimos Entrance, where priority access is built into the route. Starting at the right door saves the first bit of museum-day friction.
4
Pick your masterpiece route first
If you try to see everything, the Prado will win. Choose a tight first route: Las Meninas, The Garden of Earthly Delights, The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid, and one room that simply catches your eye. That way the museum feels generous instead of endless.
5
Go guided if context matters
If your priority is understanding why the royal collection looks the way it does, a 90-minute guided tour is usually the cleanest first decision. You get a route through Velázquez, Goya, and the European schools without turning every room into homework.
6
Save photos for the allowed spaces
The galleries are not photo zones, so put your phone away before the masterpieces. Photos are only allowed in selected spaces such as the Jerónimos Hall, Hall of the Muses, and cloister. This keeps the visit calmer, and you spend more time actually looking.
7
Do not overpack your art day
If you add Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum or Museo Reina Sofía, give yourself a reset in Buen Retiro park or over coffee near Atocha. Three great museums in one day sounds efficient, but your eyes may file a formal complaint. One strong pairing usually gives you better memories.
How to plan a Prado Museum visit
Prado Museum rewards a plan. The best visits start with a ticket format, a first route, and one realistic pairing in Madrid's art corridor.
Start with the ticket, not the map
A timed entry ticket works well if you enjoy choosing your own route through the Villanueva Building. A guided tour is better if you want someone to connect Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, and the royal collection before museum fatigue sets in. Decide that first, then build the rest of your Paseo del Prado day around it.
Build a first route through the icons
A strong first loop can stay simple: Las Meninas for courtly theater, The Garden of Earthly Delights for dreamlike detail, Goya for Madrid's darker edge, and the Central Gallery for the grand sweep of European painting. Keep one extra room open for surprise. The Prado is at its best when you leave with a few vivid moments, not a checklist bruise.
Use free entry with a smaller goal
The last two hours before closing can be a gift, especially if your Madrid budget is tight. The catch is obvious at the entrance: many other visitors have the same idea. Use free entry for one compact theme, such as Goya or Velázquez, and save the full slow visit for a paid slot.
Match the visit to your travel style
Families often do best with a 60 to 90-minute highlights route and a walk in Buen Retiro park afterward. Solo travelers can lean into the audio guide and linger. Limited-mobility visitors should start from the Jerónimos Entrance and use the accessible map, especially when the free-entry queue is building near Paseo del Prado.
Prado Museum ticket types
The product choice is not only about price. It shapes how much context you get, how much you queue, and whether you pair the Prado with Madrid's wider art scene.
Guided tours for a clear first visit
Best for first-timers: a guided route turns a huge collection into a story, usually in about 90 minutes. It is especially useful if you want the royal-collection logic behind Titian, Rubens, Velázquez, and Goya without stopping at every label. Book now.
Timed entry for flexible museum time
Choose timed entry if you already know your must-sees or prefer to wander at your own speed. It is the simplest way to enter the Collection and temporary exhibitions, then decide whether to linger in the Central Gallery, the Goya rooms, or the Flemish galleries. Book now.
Audio-guide tickets for independent context
Great when you want structure without a group: audio-guide tickets help you slow down at key works while keeping freedom in the galleries. They suit solo travelers, repeat visitors, and anyone who wants to pause in front of The Garden of Earthly Delights without matching a guide's pace. Book now.
Art Walk passes for three-museum plans
Best for museum-heavy trips: the Paseo del Arte pass links Prado Museum, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and Museo Reina Sofía within one year. It is strongest when you spread the visits across two or three days, with a walk through Paseo del Prado or Buen Retiro park between them. Book now.
Combo tours beyond the museum corridor
Choose a combo format if your Madrid day needs more than paintings. Products often pair the Prado with Royal Palace of Madrid, city-center walks, tapas stops, or private highlights, which can work well when you want art, monarchy, and street life in one itinerary. Book now.
Collection and history of Prado Museum
The Prado feels different because it grew from royal taste, not encyclopedic collecting. That is why some artists appear here with astonishing force.
From science cabinet to royal museum
The building visitors enter today began in 1785 as Juan de Villanueva's design for a Natural History Cabinet under Charles III. Its public life changed course in November 1819, when it opened as the royal museum that would become Museo Nacional del Prado. That origin still matters: the galleries feel like a walk through court taste, power, and patronage.
A museum of painters, not just paintings
The Prado is often understood as a museum of painters rather than paintings. That means you do not just see one Goya or one Rubens. You see artists in depth, with enough works to feel how a style changes across rooms. For art lovers, that density is the real luxury of the visit.
Goya changes the mood
The royal collection gives the Prado grandeur, but Goya gives it voltage. The 1881 donation of the Black Paintings added a late, disturbing chapter that contrasts sharply with court portraits and mythological color. If you feel the museum darken in those rooms, that is not your imagination.
The Golden Triangle beyond the Prado
The Prado anchors Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art, but the triangle only works if you pace it. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum broadens the European timeline, while Museo Reina Sofía shifts the story toward modern Spain and Guernica. Treat the corridor as a sequence, not a sprint, and the city becomes easier to read.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I plan for Prado Museum?
Plan 2 to 3 hours for a balanced first visit. A guided highlights tour usually takes about 90 minutes, while art-focused visitors can easily spend half a day in the Villanueva Building.
Read more.Is the free entry window worth it?
Yes, if you are on a budget and know exactly what you want to see. The free window is short and can be crowded, so it works best for a focused route rather than a relaxed first visit.
Read more.What does a Prado ticket include?
A standard ticket includes the Collection and temporary exhibitions, except for any clearly excluded special activity. A timed pass is needed for entry, and general admission costs €15.
Read more.Is a guided tour worth it?
Usually yes for first-timers. The Prado is dense, and a guided route helps you connect Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, Titian, and Rubens without losing energy in the gallery map.
Read more.Which masterpieces should I see first?
Start with Las Meninas, The Garden of Earthly Delights, The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid, The Three Graces, and Emperor Charles V at Mühlberg. That gives you a strong first thread through Spanish, Flemish, and Venetian power in the collection.
Read more.Are photos allowed inside Prado Museum?
Not in the galleries. Photography and filming are limited to selected spaces such as the Jerónimos Hall, Hall of the Muses, and Cloister, so expect a mostly camera-free art visit.
Read more.Is Prado Museum wheelchair accessible?
Yes. The route includes lifts, ramps, platforms, adapted toilets, priority access at the Jerónimos Entrance, and wheelchair loan at the cloakroom. A quieter paid slot usually makes the visit smoother than the free-entry rush.
Read more.Can I bring a backpack or suitcase?
Small bags can usually go through screening, but items measuring 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) or more in height or width must be stored. The cloakroom is free but limited, so travel light if you are coming from Atocha.
Read more.Is the Art Walk pass worth it?
It makes sense if you will visit Prado Museum, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and Museo Reina Sofía within the same trip. The official pass costs €32.80 and is valid for one visit to each museum within one year.
Read more.Which nearby stop pairs best with Prado Museum?
For art continuity, choose Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. For a sharper modern contrast, choose Museo Reina Sofía. For fresh air after dense galleries, walk into Buen Retiro park before your next ticketed stop.
Read more.General information
opening hours
Prado Museum is generally open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm, and Sundays and public holidays from 10 am to 7 pm. It is closed January 1, May 1, and December 25, with reduced hours from 10 am to 2 pm on January 6, December 24, and December 31.
Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, and galleries clear 10 minutes before closing.
Free access to the Collection runs during the last two hours before closing: usually 6 pm to 8 pm Monday to Saturday and 5 pm to 7 pm on Sundays and holidays.
Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, and galleries clear 10 minutes before closing.
Free access to the Collection runs during the last two hours before closing: usually 6 pm to 8 pm Monday to Saturday and 5 pm to 7 pm on Sundays and holidays.
tickets
Ticket prices and add-ons:
- General admission: €15
- Reduced admission: €7.50
- Audio guide: ticket + €5
- Guided visit: ticket + €10, usually about 90 minutes
- Admission + copy of the Prado Guide: €24
- Private 9 am to 10 am visit: €50 per person, minimum 12 people, purchased at least 72 hours ahead
- Art Walk pass: €32.80, valid for one visit each to Prado Museum, Museo Reina Sofía, and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum within one year
Tickets include the Collection and temporary exhibitions, and a timed pass is needed for access.
- General admission: €15
- Reduced admission: €7.50
- Audio guide: ticket + €5
- Guided visit: ticket + €10, usually about 90 minutes
- Admission + copy of the Prado Guide: €24
- Private 9 am to 10 am visit: €50 per person, minimum 12 people, purchased at least 72 hours ahead
- Art Walk pass: €32.80, valid for one visit each to Prado Museum, Museo Reina Sofía, and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum within one year
Tickets include the Collection and temporary exhibitions, and a timed pass is needed for access.
address
Museo Nacional del Prado
Paseo del Prado, s/n
28014 Madrid
Spain
Paseo del Prado, s/n
28014 Madrid
Spain
security
All bags and packages pass through security screening. Weapons, hazardous materials, scooters, bicycles, skates, and items too large for the scanner cannot enter. Groups should arrive with a buffer, and individual visitors should leave time for the entrance check during busy free-entry windows.
how to get there
Metro: Estación del Arte is about 800 m (0.5 mi) away, Banco de España about 650 m (0.4 mi), and Retiro about 1.3 km (0.8 mi).
Cercanías/Renfe: Atocha RENFE is about 1 km (0.6 mi) away, and Recoletos about 1.1 km (0.7 mi).
Bus: useful nearby stops include Museo del Prado-Botanical Garden, Alfonso XII-Botanical Garden, Prado-Atocha, and Cibeles.
Car: the closest listed car parks are at Plaza de las Cortes and Montalbán 4.
Cercanías/Renfe: Atocha RENFE is about 1 km (0.6 mi) away, and Recoletos about 1.1 km (0.7 mi).
Bus: useful nearby stops include Museo del Prado-Botanical Garden, Alfonso XII-Botanical Garden, Prado-Atocha, and Cibeles.
Car: the closest listed car parks are at Plaza de las Cortes and Montalbán 4.
accessibility
Visitors with disabilities have free admission and priority access through ticket offices 1 and 2 and the Jerónimos Entrance. The museum route includes accessible toilets, lifts, ramps, platforms, induction loops at service points, wheelchair and stroller loans at the cloakroom, accessible maps, adapted devices, and guide dog access.
cloakroom
The cloakroom is free and available at the entrances, but capacity is limited. Backpacks, suitcases, bags, and packages measuring 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) or more in height or width must be stored, as do non-folding umbrellas, metal-tipped walking sticks, sharp items, and food or drinks kept inside bags. Wheelchairs and strollers can also be borrowed from the cloakroom.
photography and filming
Photography and filming are not allowed in the galleries. They are only permitted in selected non-gallery spaces, including the Jerónimos Hall, Hall of the Muses, and Cloister. Plan to look, sketch with dry materials if you like, and save your camera for the permitted areas.
website
Official site: https://www.museodelprado.es/
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