Prado Museum: Frequently Asked Questions

The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00 and on Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 19:00. On 6 January, 24 and 31 December it opens from 10:00 to 14:00. It is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. See the full timetable.

The general admission ticket costs €15, the same price at the box office and online. Through Civitatis you can purchase a skip-the-line ticket from €18 (includes booking fee). See all ticket options.

Admission is free at the following times:

• Monday–Saturday: from 18:00 to 20:00
• Sundays and public holidays: from 17:00 to 19:00

Entry is also free on special days: 18 April, 18 May, 12 October, 9 November (museum anniversary) and 6 December. More details at Prado free entry.

Las Meninas (1656) by Velázquez is displayed in Room 012 in the Villanueva building, on the ground floor. The painting is signposted from all main entrances. To fully understand the work, consider a guided tour.

Yes. The Prado Museum is open on Mondays from 10:00 to 20:00 (free admission from 18:00 to 20:00). There is no fixed weekly closing day; it only closes on national public holidays: 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.

The most convenient option is the metro: Estación del Arte station (Line 1) or Banco de España (Line 2). You can also arrive from Atocha Renfe and Cercanías (5 minutes on foot). Bus: lines 9, 10, 14, 19, 27, 34, 37 and 45 along the Paseo del Prado. More details at getting there.

Yes. Guided tours in Spanish and English cover the most important works: Las Meninas, Goya's paintings and The Garden of Earthly Delights, among others. They include admission and priority skip-the-line access. From €43.50. Book online in advance.

A tour of the essential works (Velázquez, Goya, Bosch) takes between 2 and 3 hours. To explore the full permanent collection at a relaxed pace, allow a full morning or afternoon. See what to see at the Prado for a suggested itinerary.

Yes, photography is permitted for personal use in most galleries. Tripods and flash are not allowed. Some temporary exhibitions may have specific restrictions; always follow the museum's signage.

Yes. The museum has lifts, ramps and accessibility services. Wheelchairs are available at the cloakroom and support staff are on hand. If you need specific adaptations, mention this when booking.

The main building is the Villanueva, designed by Juan de Villanueva in 1785 in neoclassical style, which houses the permanent collection. The most recent extension is the Jerónimos Cloister, designed by Rafael Moneo and opened in 2007. More about the Prado building.

The collection includes: Las Meninas, The Spinners and The Surrender of Breda by Velázquez; The Nude Maja, The Third of May 1808, The Family of Charles IV and the Black Paintings by Goya; The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch; The Three Graces by Rubens; works by El Greco, Titian, Dürer, Fra Angelico, Raphael and Tintoretto. See Prado masterpieces.

It is not mandatory, but highly recommended in summer, on weekends and during public holidays. Buying online avoids the ticket office queue and guarantees access. See available tickets.

Yes. The museum has a café-restaurant accessible from inside, and there is also a museum shop selling reproductions, catalogues and design objects related to the collection.

Yes. The Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum make up the so-called Paseo del Arte (Art Triangle): three of Europe's finest museums within 15 minutes' walk of each other. See the Madrid Art Triangle.

Most tickets and tours booked through Civitatis offer free cancellation up to shortly before the activity. Check the specific terms when booking.

The best time is at opening (10:00-11:00) or mid-afternoon; there are fewer people. Avoid the free 18:00-20:00 slot and the free-admission days, when queues form. Tuesday to Thursday are the quietest days.

Tuesday to Thursday see fewer visitors than weekends or public holidays. January and February are the quietest months. If you go at the weekend, arrive at opening and book online to avoid the box-office queue.

No. Picasso's Guernica is at the Reina Sofía Museum, a 10-minute walk from the Prado. The Prado holds painting up to the 19th century (Velázquez, Goya, Bosch); 20th-century art is at the Reina Sofía.

The official audio guide costs about €5 on top of the ticket (€15), roughly €20 in total. You pick it up in the Jerónimos lobby, in several languages. The museum's official app is a free alternative with audio for more than 400 works.

Yes. You just show the voucher or ticket on your phone; there's no need to print it. It's emailed to you when you book. Keep your phone charged and, just in case, take a screenshot.