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Guided tour of the museum
Explore the collection with an expert guide: Las Meninas by Velázquez, Goya's Black Paintings, Bosch, Rubens and much more. Ticket included, skip the line.
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Spain's most visited museum, home to Las Meninas by Velázquez, Goya's Black Paintings and The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch. Book your guided tour with skip-the-line access.
Choose the best way to visit the Prado Museum. Book online with instant confirmation and skip the queue at the box office.
Explore the collection with an expert guide: Las Meninas by Velázquez, Goya's Black Paintings, Bosch, Rubens and much more. Ticket included, skip the line.
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Visit the museum at your own pace with direct entry, no waiting at the box office. Standard admission is €15 (general) or from €18 with booking fee included via Civitatis.
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Madrid's most famous cultural route. Visit the three great museums of the Paseo del Arte (Art Walk) on a single pass.
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The best of classical and modern Spanish art in a single day: Velázquez and Goya at the Prado, Picasso and Miró at the Reina Sofía.
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The Prado holds more than 20,000 works and the collection can be overwhelming without guidance. An expert guide takes you straight to the highlights — Las Meninas, Saturn Devouring His Son, The Garden of Earthly Delights — and gives you the historical context that brings art to life.
These are the must-sees you cannot miss during your visit.
A visual tour of Spain's most important museum.
The Museo Nacional del Prado opened its doors to the public on 19 November 1819 during the reign of Ferdinand VII. It occupies the neoclassical building designed by Juan de Villanueva in 1785, considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Neoclassicism. Originally conceived as a Natural History Museum, its purpose changed to house the exceptional painting collection of the Spanish Crown.
In 2007 the extension designed by Rafael Moneo was inaugurated, integrating the Los Jerónimos Cloister — a 16th-century Gothic cloister — into the new museum space. The extension added more than 16,000 m² to the complex and turned the Prado into one of the most modern and best-equipped museums in Europe. Today it is Spain's most visited museum, attracting approximately 3.5 million visitors a year, and one of the world's greatest art galleries thanks to its unrivalled collection of Spanish, Flemish and Italian painting.
Everything you need to plan your day at the Prado Museum.
| Monday–Saturday | 10:00–20:00 |
|---|---|
| Sunday & public holidays | 10:00–19:00 |
| 6 Jan, 24 & 31 Dec | 10:00–14:00 |
| Closed | 1 Jan · 1 May · 25 Dec |
| Standard admission | €15 (same price online) |
| Guided tour (recommended) | From €43.50, admission included |
| Free admission | Mon–Sat 18:00–20:00 · Sun/hols 17:00–19:00 · and special days (18 Apr, 18 May, 12 Oct, 9 Nov, 6 Dec) |
Last updated: June 2026. Hours and prices may vary; please confirm before your visit.
Book early morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds in front of Las Meninas. On weekends and public holidays, an online ticket guarantees entry without queuing. Combine your visit with the Paseo del Arte (Art Walk): the Thyssen and the Reina Sofía are less than a 10-minute walk away.
Standard admission costs €15, the same as at the box office. Free admission is available Monday–Saturday 18:00–20:00, Sundays and public holidays 17:00–19:00, and on special days (18 Apr, 18 May, 12 Oct, 9 Nov and 6 Dec). The guided tour from €43.50 includes admission and skip-the-line access.
Open Monday–Saturday 10:00–20:00 and Sundays and public holidays 10:00–19:00. On 6 January, 24 and 31 December it opens 10:00–14:00 only. Closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
Las Meninas (1656) is displayed in Room 12 of the Villanueva Building, on the first floor. It is the museum's most visited work and one of the most important paintings in the history of Western art.
The easiest way is by metro: Estación del Arte station on line 1 (Blue) or Banco de España on line 2 (Red). You can also arrive from Atocha (Cercanías commuter rail), about a five-minute walk. The main entrance is at Paseo del Prado s/n (Velázquez Gate).
It is strongly recommended on weekends and public holidays. Booking online guarantees your ticket, avoids queues at the box office and allows free cancellation if your plans change.
Yes. The museum has lifts, ramps and adapted routes. If you need specific assistance, mention it when booking to confirm the arrangements for that day.
This guide is written by the Ticket Visit team: we book the tours, double-check opening hours and prices against the museum's official sources, and test on the ground what works best. Here is how to enjoy it without the stress.
Travellers who book, visit and double-check every detail against official sources. Last reviewed: June 2026. Been to the Prado? Tell us about your visit →
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