How to Buy Tickets for the Prado Museum in Madrid

Are you traveling to Madrid and trying to figure out which museums to visit? You can’t go wrong with a stop at the Prado Museum, or Museo Nacional del Prado, as it is known in Spanish. Located on the Paseo del Arte, this centuries-old museum houses exquisite artworks from some of Europe’s greatest painters, such as Titian, Rubens e Bosch. The Prado Museum is a true treasure with a unique collection of over 8,000 paintings from the 11th to the 19th century. It is considered “a museum of painters, not paintings“, as its collection began in the 16th century when monarchs and art collectors focused on amassing works by their favorite artists rather than creating a complete and balanced collection.

With such an extraordinary collection and a historic building, it’s no surprise that more than two million visitors flock to the Prado Museum each year. In this guide, we will share our tips and tricks for visiting the Prado Museum, along with all the ticket and tour options, to help you choose the ones that best suit your travel needs.

If you’re in a hurry: How to buy tickets for the Prado Museum: to avoid spending your holiday under the blazing sun, we highly recommend booking a skip-the-line ticket for the Prado Museum or opting for a guided tour. The latter is generally the best choice, as it provides deeper insights into the artists and masterpieces on display. Moreover, you can combine a visit to the Prado Museum with the Reina Sofia Museum or the Royal Palace in a single guided tour, getting the most for your money.

Best Way to Buy Tickets for the Prado Museum

If you’re wondering where to buy tickets for the Prado Museum, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re looking for a private guided tour, free tickets, or just want to skip the line for tickets, we’ve listed all your options below.

Queuing in person (not recommended)

While you can buy tickets for the Prado Museum directly at the museum, we don’t recommend it. While the Prado Museum is not as crowded as the Reina Sofía Museum, it can still have sold-out timeslots and long lines outside, especially for temporary exhibitions. Instead of taking your chances and waiting in the sun for a ticket, we recommend buying your tickets online in advance. This way, you can save time (and a possible sunburn) by skipping the ticket queue at the museum.

However, if you’re hoping to get free tickets to the Prado Museum during its free access hours, you’ll need to line up outside the ticket office. The museum offers two hours of free admission at the end of each day, but does not allow entry 30 minutes before closing, so you’ll need to arrive early. The line for free tickets can range from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how busy the city is and whether it’s a weekend, so we suggest arriving at least 30 minutes before free access hours begin to make the most of your free ticket. You can get free tickets for the Prado Museum in person from Monday to Saturday between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm (the museum closes at 8:00 pm) and on Sunday from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm (the museum closes at 7:00 pm).

Book online (recommended)

Booking tickets for the Prado Museum in advance online is the smartest way to go. Not only does the pre-purchased pass act as a skip-the-line ticket for the Prado Museum, but it can also be conveniently bought from your air-conditioned hotel room. Booking online in advance also ensures you’ll have a ticket, as the museum uses a timeslot admission system. This is especially important if you have a packed itinerary, since you’ll want to be sure you can enter at a time that fits your group’s schedule. Tickets can be purchased on the official Prado Museum website or through a third-party vendor such as our partner GetYourGuide. The advantage of using the latter, if your home currency isn’t the euro, is that you’ll be able to pay in your local currency as it offers various currency options. This means you can avoid bank fees for charging your card in another currency.

Book a guided tour

If you want to learn more about how the collection was acquired, the artists behind the masterpieces, and the masterpieces themselves, your best option is to book a guided tour of the Prado Museum. 90-minute tours are available during checkout for a general admission ticket on the official website, or you can book a guided tour through a third-party provider. We recommend this90-minute tour of the Prado Museum since the ticket is refundable up to 24 hours before (tickets from the official website of the Prado Museum are non-refundable for all bookings), is accompanied by an expert guide, and offers the option of adding a tapas tasting after the museum tour. You also have the possibility to use GetYourGuide’s “book now, pay later” feature, which means you can reserve and secure a ticket and worry about paying for it later.

Book a ticket for a guided combined tour

If you don’t have much time in the city and would like to visit other Madrid attractions such as the Reina Sofía Museum or the Royal Palace of Madrid, why not combine tours to create a fantastic morning of fun and artistic discovery?

This guided combined tour of the Prado Museum and the Reina Sofía Museum starts at 9:45 in the morning, where you’ll be taken on a 90-minute guided tour of the museum followed by 30 minutes of free time to explore the artworks independently. Afterward, the group will head to the Reina Sofía Museum to visit incredible contemporary and modern works by Spanish artists such as Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miró for 75 minutes.

If you want to combine a visit to the Prado Museum with a guided tour of the Royal Palace of Madrid, check out this five-hour combined tour from our partner. The tour starts at 9:45 at the Prado Museum for a two-hour guided visit of the museum and its artworks. Afterward, you’ll walk for 15 minutes along the road to the Royal Palace, where your tour group will enjoy a two-hour guided visit of the royal residence.

Buy a tourist pass

If you’re a traveler who likes to experience as many attractions and activities as possible during the holidays, a Madrid tourist pass might be the right choice. There are two fantastic tourist passes that will not only give you access to the Prado Museum, but also to over 30 other attractions and tours in Madrid, such as the Reina Sofía Museum, a tour of Madrid’s main sights, a flamenco show and food tour, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum.

Buy an Paseo del Arte Pass

Art and museum lovers who plan to visit the three big museums (the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum) on the Prado MuseumPrado Museum might be interested in this comprehensive museum pass. The Paseo del Arte Pass allows unlimited visits to all three museums for one year. It can be purchased on the official websites of any of the three museums and picked up at the same museum.

Useful information for visiting the Prado Museum

What is the best time to visit the Prado Museum?

The best time to visit the Prado Museum to avoid the crowds is on weekdays in the morning right when the museum opens. This way, you avoid the weekend tourists and residents who come after work. Mornings also tend to be less crowded since most tourists prefer entry times between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Peak season will also impact the number of visitors inside, so if possible, visit the museum during the low season (March-May) or the off-season (November-February).

What are the opening hours of the Prado Museum?

The Prado Museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM and on Sundays from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The museum is closed on January 1, May 1, and December 25. Visitors will also find reduced hours on December 24, December 31, and January 6. Free admission hours are Monday to Saturday from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Sundays/holidays from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

How to get to the Prado Museum?

The Prado Museum is located on the Paseo del Arte, in the heart of Madrid. There are several ways to get there, on foot, by public transport, or by rental service. Those who want to drive and park at the museum will not find parking on site, but there are paid garages nearby. For those using public transport, buses number 001, 10, 14, 27, 34, 37, 45, and C03 have stops a short walk from the museum. The same goes for the metro; both the blue line 1 and the red line 2 have stops about 10 minutes away on foot. Those who have purchased a Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus ticket will also find a stop nearby.

What are the tickets for the Prado Museum?

Tickets for the Prado Museum operate on a timed entry system, which means there is a limit to the number of people who can enter each hour or time slot. To enter, purchase Prado Museum tickets online in advanceor at the museum’s ticket office. We recommend that you arrive at least 15 minutes before your entry time, as you may have to wait in line for a ticket check and you never know when traffic might slow you down on your way to the museum. Simply show your ticket on your mobile device or as a printed copy at the gate and you will be granted access to the museum.

How much are tickets to the Prado Museum?

Tickets to the Prado Museum are quite reasonable and there are several free tickets available. The price of a general admission ticket is €15, including access to temporary exhibitions. Tourists can opt to add a 90-minute guided tour for €10 or an audio guide for €5. A reduced admission ticket is available for €7.50 for those over 65, Youth Card holders, and large families composed of at least one adult and three children, or two children if one has a disability.

Children under 18, students between 18 and 25 years old, people with a degree of disability of 33% or higher, active teachers, journalists, and students aged 25 or older who are studying an undergraduate or postgraduate art course within the Spanish Educational System are all entitled to free tickets to the Prado Museum, but they will need to provide proof. This means you will need to bring proof (e.g., university card, etc.) to the ticket office on the day of your visit to validate your free ticket, but you can obtain the free ticket online on the official website to make sure you have a reserved time slot.

What are the best hotels near the Prado Museum?

Since the Prado Museum is located right in the heart of the city and close to attractions such as Retiro Park, the Naval Museum, and the Royal Palace of Madrid, you and your group may want to stay nearby. The Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes is an excellent choice for tourists, especially those looking for a pet-friendly hotel in Madrid. The four-star property offers air-conditioned and soundproofed rooms in a contemporary style, as well as an in-house restaurant and café offering complimentary snacks and sandwiches. The Catalonia is a 10-minute walk from the Prado Museum and Plaza Mayor, and just a block from the lively tapas bars and restaurants of Calle de las Huertas.

The Only YOU Hotel Atocha is also a great option for those wanting to be within walking distance of several attractions. This four-star hotel is right next to the Royal Observatory of Madrid and is less than a 5-minute walk along the road from Retiro Park.

Inside this modern hotel, visitors will find a café, a bakery, and a rooftop panoramic restaurant, as well as soundproofed rooms and private parking.

Those who prefer to cook their own meals might be interested in booking a room at the Bob W Arte Hotel. This beautiful aparthotel offers comfortable contemporary rooms equipped with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and air conditioning. Guests are also provided with a complimentary breakfast. The hotel is located just down the street from the Reina Sofía Museum and less than 20 minutes’ walk from the Prado Museum, the Railway Museum, and Retiro Park.

Museo del Prado Security Information

The Museo del Prado has a security and baggage check that all visitors must pass through before entering the museum. Large bags (bigger than 40 cm by 40 cm), outside food and drinks, scooters, and bicycles, including water, are prohibited inside the museum. Guests may leave backpacks, coats, and larger bags in the cloakroom in a locker free of charge during their visit. The Museo del Prado also has a strict photography ban, so cameras must be left in the locker.

Visiting the Museo del Prado with a Disability

Like other museums in Madrid, the Museo del Prado has made great efforts to make its attraction as accessible as possible for those with a disability. Not only do those with a disability of 33% or more qualify for free admission, but wheelchairs, audio guides, Signoguide in LSE, and induction loops are also available for free. The museum also offers an accessibility plan for visits, outlining an accessible and friendly route for 10 of the museum’s masterpieces, as well as a program of accessible activities and tactile meninas for the blind or visually impaired.

Fun Facts about the Museo del Prado

What is the Museo del Prado?

The Museo del Prado is Spain’s main national art museum with an incredible collection of Spanish and European artworks ranging from the 6th century BC to the 19th century. Spread out over three floors with more than 7,500 paintings, visitors will find masterpieces by artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, Rembrandt, and Velázquez.

What are the must-see paintings at the Museo del Prado?

There are several impressive works on display at the Museo del Prado, but the top five to see are Bosch’s Triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, El Greco’s The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest, Velázquez’s Las Meninas, Goya’s The Third of May, and Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son.

Where is the Museo del Prado located?

The Museo del Prado is located in the heart of Madrid, next to the Real Jardín Botánico and two blocks from Retiro Park.

How old is the Museo del Prado?

The Museo del Prado is one of the oldest museums in the world and was founded in 1819, making it just over 200 years old.

Who built the Museo del Prado?

The original design of the Prado Museum was not for works of art. It was actually designed by the architect Juan de Villanueva in 1785 by order of King Charles III as the new headquarters of the Cabinet of Natural History. However, it was the king’s grandson, King Ferdinand VII, who made the final decision that it would be used as a national museum for the Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures, which later became the Prado Museum.

How much time should I spend inside the Prado Museum?

It’s impossible to see everything the Prado Museum has to offer in a single visit. However, visitors should aim to spend three to four hours inside to make the most of their ticket and see some of the most famous paintings.

Can I get free tickets to the Prado Museum?

Yes, free tickets are available every day at the museum’s ticket office during the last two hours before closing. Free tickets are also available online for children under 18, students, active teachers, and more.

Are there audio guides at the Prado Museum?

Yes, audio guides can be rented for €5 either when booking your tickets in advance or at the audio guide station.

Can I buy skip-the-line tickets for the Prado Museum?

Yes and no. Technically, any ticket purchased in advance online allows you to skip the initial ticket office line just like a skip-the-line pass. However, there is no skip-the-line ticket for the Prado Museum that lets you bypass the security line. Priority is given only to those with a disability.

Now that you’re an expert on how to visit the Prado Museum in Madrid, all that’s left is to decide how you want to experience this incredible attraction! We hope you immerse yourself in all the amazing art on display and create unforgettable memories in the Spanish capital.