Prado National Museum
Prado National Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
The Prado has one of the largest art collections in the world, and is best known for its diverse assortment of works by Velasquez, Goya and El Greco.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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Improve this listingAdmission tickets
from $28.23
All you need to step foot in the door.
Full view
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Top ways to experience Prado National Museum
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Retiro
How to get there
- Atocha • 7 min walk
- Antón Martín • 8 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
8,622 within 3 miles
Attractions
1,168 within 6 miles
See what other travelers are saying
- VinnyP1London, United Kingdom449 contributionsMust see, book in advance.This is rightfully the number one attraction in Madrid. It has an incredible selection of works of art in an impressive gallery that gives them the scale that they need to be enjoyed. Entrance is 15 Euros and I would strongly recommend buying tickets on line in advance. The queue even in the off season is massive. There is no photography allowed, which is unusual these days. They have cloakrooms, which are compulsory for backpacks and larger bags. Plenty of facilities. Unless you really don't like art at all this is a must see.Visited January 2020Traveled soloWritten January 22, 2020
- Clive4999London, United Kingdom33 contributionsWorld class as expectedFirst visit and it is definitely worth the visit. Artists we had not really seen before,loved Velazquez,Goya, El Greco and Bosch - really amazing pictures and the museum itself is easy to navigate. We booked online and skipped the very long queue - We booked the ticket with museum guide expecting the usual short guide not realising it was the €20 complete guide. Fantastic information but seriously heavy to carry round.Visited February 2020Traveled as a coupleWritten February 24, 2020
- Michael PAnnapolis, Maryland274 contributionsUse Rick StevesThe Prado is a world class museum housing some fo the best art in the world. We purchased a special exhibit ticket which allowed us to skip the long line to get into the museum even though there is free admission. I would highly recommend using Rick Steve’s abbreviate tour of the Prodo unless you are diehard art lover. His guide makes sure you see the most relevant art in the museum since you can literally spend all day there.Visited January 2020Traveled as a coupleWritten January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
58,031 reviews
Excellent
42,761
Very good
11,828
Average
2,714
Poor
442
Terrible
288
thetravelorganizer
Tega Cay, SC597 contributions
Feb 2020
After the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, The Prado is probably my favorite art museum as it contains some excellent examples of Renaissance giants while still managing to focus on noteworthy national artists like Goya, Velazquez, Dali, etc. Seniors can purchase half-price vouchers online and redeem them for entry at windows 1 and 2 at the Goya entrance (north end). It is well worth one’s time to spend some time on The Prado’s website to identify which works one especially wants to see and then map out a route to them on the museum floor plan which can also be downloaded. Entry is free the last 2 hours every day but expect entry lines to be long and galleries crowded during peak travel times; we found it worthwhile to purchase discounted senior tickets and visit over the lunch hour (1 to 3pm) as crowds were light.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelleygirl2
Sarasota, FL6,483 contributions
Oct 2019
On our way to the Prado we saw vans parked near the road with men working to scrub graffiti off the walls; no modern “art” here. The Prado dates back almost 200 years and houses the collections of works favored by kings from Spain’s 16th and 17th centuries, especially those of El Greco (who worked hard for approval from King Phillip II), Titian, Rubens, Goya, and Velasquez. The museum does not feature modern works like those of Picasso, Dali and Miro.
Each room of the Prado had a very specific collection of works. The kings had controlled the organization of paintings by colors and then by the numbers in the lower left corner of the painting as they still are represented today. Our guide Ama gave us lots of historic details that made viewing and understanding the paintings very helpful. She reminded us that the art works of the period were designed for religious reasons because of the strong Catholic influence. We learned that El Greco’s wife died having her baby. El Greco (the Greek) was so distraught over this that he painted his wife’s likeness as the Virgin Mary in his painting The Adoration of the Shepherds, his most famous work. King Phillip never appreciated El Greco and so he stayed in Toledo where he was better received.
The museum does, however feature long lines, so yes be sure to buy advance tickets or you will waste a lot of time in line as it is always crowded.
Each room of the Prado had a very specific collection of works. The kings had controlled the organization of paintings by colors and then by the numbers in the lower left corner of the painting as they still are represented today. Our guide Ama gave us lots of historic details that made viewing and understanding the paintings very helpful. She reminded us that the art works of the period were designed for religious reasons because of the strong Catholic influence. We learned that El Greco’s wife died having her baby. El Greco (the Greek) was so distraught over this that he painted his wife’s likeness as the Virgin Mary in his painting The Adoration of the Shepherds, his most famous work. King Phillip never appreciated El Greco and so he stayed in Toledo where he was better received.
The museum does, however feature long lines, so yes be sure to buy advance tickets or you will waste a lot of time in line as it is always crowded.
Written January 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
johnxboy
Hilton Head, SC85 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
Incredible but get there early. Extremely crowded towards Noon and throughout the afternoon. If you are there when it opens charge towards the upstairs Dutch collection and you will avoid the crowd that heads immediately towards the Spanish collections on the main floor, Eg., Goya. Eventually you must meet the crowd but the initial solitude is pleasant while it lasts. Also, definitely consider buying tickets in advance online, and you totally avoid the huge crowds at the “same day sale” ticket counter. Plenty of bathrooms and lite luncheon cafes are available.
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Graham Y
Huddersfield, UK32 contributions
Mar 2020
We visited the Prado and decided to use the services of Ana ,a local guide who stopped us as we passed through security and for 15 euros each showed us the most important pictures. She was very knowledgeable about the paintings and showed and explained aspects we would have never seen or understood without her expert guidance. Just finding the room where the painting you know you want to see is difficult enough.
It is warm in the museum even in March when we visited so leave your coats in the lockers in the entrance area before going through security
It is warm in the museum even in March when we visited so leave your coats in the lockers in the entrance area before going through security
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jip79
Doha, Qatar544 contributions
Jun 2021
After calling the museum to check if accompanying students can come in for free, we booked the online tickets a day ahead so that we didn't have to wait in line. At the entrance, the museum staff made us go back to the ticket counter for the free student tickets. Even with the student ID having photo and date of birth, they still insisted on showing the holder's passport or ID.
When we tried to scan the QR code of the museum floor map at the information counter, only the Spanish version was available. We asked if an English version was available, and the lady behind the counter rudely answered that Spanish was an international language and we should just figure it out from that map. We asked another staff later, and he told us that the English version is on the museum's website. The website also failed to point out that currently most parts of the museum are closed, and so we were not able to see some of the important works from the permanent collection. The museum staff is probably the rudest and most unhelpful, following museum visitors around and prohibiting photo-taking, which is contrary to the practice at other places like the Louvre or Rijksmuseum that allows non-flash photography. Worst of all, since we were not allowed to take photos, they didn't have enough postcards of the important works at the museum shop. The museum should either let visitors take photos, or add the selection of its postcards!
When we tried to scan the QR code of the museum floor map at the information counter, only the Spanish version was available. We asked if an English version was available, and the lady behind the counter rudely answered that Spanish was an international language and we should just figure it out from that map. We asked another staff later, and he told us that the English version is on the museum's website. The website also failed to point out that currently most parts of the museum are closed, and so we were not able to see some of the important works from the permanent collection. The museum staff is probably the rudest and most unhelpful, following museum visitors around and prohibiting photo-taking, which is contrary to the practice at other places like the Louvre or Rijksmuseum that allows non-flash photography. Worst of all, since we were not allowed to take photos, they didn't have enough postcards of the important works at the museum shop. The museum should either let visitors take photos, or add the selection of its postcards!
Written July 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fly4fun2
London166 contributions
Feb 2020
This is a fantastic gallery, but make sure you know the style of the art on display and the themes as they are specific. I could see many halves of couples that looked bored while the partner was in rapture.
There are many masterpieces here. So many we were there for 7 hours including breaks. Towards they end they tend to blur. There are a lot of religious type paintings (not surprising given the history) and ones of patrons (ie rich families paying the artists way!). If you've not looked at much art before it could be overwhelming, but thankfully the leaflet highlights the major works (around 50!) and you can focus on hunting those down.
We went during a non-school or other holiday period weekday and it was busy. We bought tickets the day before directly from the gallery as we were passing by and saved a little bit of money compared to buying from an agency or kiosk. I think it was €15. If you are a senior, bring id with your DOB on it to get a decent discount.
The cafe was nice, with a variety of food but get there early to avoid the lunch rush. Staff cleared the tables but at busy times you may find them rushed off their feet trying to clear tables.
There are a number of entrances and cloakrooms but remember which one you used (back packs and larger must be checked in) . We had a bit of a wait to collect our stuff as a large tour group had just come in.
There are many masterpieces here. So many we were there for 7 hours including breaks. Towards they end they tend to blur. There are a lot of religious type paintings (not surprising given the history) and ones of patrons (ie rich families paying the artists way!). If you've not looked at much art before it could be overwhelming, but thankfully the leaflet highlights the major works (around 50!) and you can focus on hunting those down.
We went during a non-school or other holiday period weekday and it was busy. We bought tickets the day before directly from the gallery as we were passing by and saved a little bit of money compared to buying from an agency or kiosk. I think it was €15. If you are a senior, bring id with your DOB on it to get a decent discount.
The cafe was nice, with a variety of food but get there early to avoid the lunch rush. Staff cleared the tables but at busy times you may find them rushed off their feet trying to clear tables.
There are a number of entrances and cloakrooms but remember which one you used (back packs and larger must be checked in) . We had a bit of a wait to collect our stuff as a large tour group had just come in.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexandra A
Madrid, Spain230 contributions
Jan 2020
The Prado Museum houses the most comprehensive collection of Spanish painting in the world.
The Prado's walls are lined with masterpieces from the Spanish, Italian and Flemish schools, including Velázquez’ Las Meninas and Goya’s Third of May, 1808. Its collection comprises 8,600 paintings and over 700 sculptures, so I recommend deciding what you want to see before stepping into the museum. If you are short on time, the Prado's website suggests three itineraries, lasting 1, 2 and 3 hours and covering the museum's most important masterpieces, which for me came really handy. Paintings by Rubens, the Bruegel Family, Jordaens and Teniers. The museum also boasts works by some of the great French, German and Dutch painters including Dürer, Claude Lorrain, Rembrandt and Watteau.
THE BEST PART:
Free entrance monday to saturday from 18.00 to 20.00 p.m.
The Prado's walls are lined with masterpieces from the Spanish, Italian and Flemish schools, including Velázquez’ Las Meninas and Goya’s Third of May, 1808. Its collection comprises 8,600 paintings and over 700 sculptures, so I recommend deciding what you want to see before stepping into the museum. If you are short on time, the Prado's website suggests three itineraries, lasting 1, 2 and 3 hours and covering the museum's most important masterpieces, which for me came really handy. Paintings by Rubens, the Bruegel Family, Jordaens and Teniers. The museum also boasts works by some of the great French, German and Dutch painters including Dürer, Claude Lorrain, Rembrandt and Watteau.
THE BEST PART:
Free entrance monday to saturday from 18.00 to 20.00 p.m.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LiverpoolPeteG
Liverpool, UK126 contributions
Sep 2020 • Solo
A famous and historic art museum with many of the world’s most famous pieces. It has a good customer focus, a really nice restaurant/coffee bar with also an outside terrace, and great toilets. The entrance prices are very reasonable for such an iconic place (especially for older people) and the cafe prices are mid-range for a tourist centre.
I visited in a pandemic and the rules were strictly enforced, in a professional and helpful way, ensuring visitors had their safety prioritised.
It was a huge bonus to find the gallery very uncrowded and to see these great paintings easily from any distance or angle. I visited twice, the second time I signed up for a guided tour with ‘The Best of Madrid’ and I learnt a lot from a friendly, warm and very knowledgeable guide.
I visited in a pandemic and the rules were strictly enforced, in a professional and helpful way, ensuring visitors had their safety prioritised.
It was a huge bonus to find the gallery very uncrowded and to see these great paintings easily from any distance or angle. I visited twice, the second time I signed up for a guided tour with ‘The Best of Madrid’ and I learnt a lot from a friendly, warm and very knowledgeable guide.
Written September 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JDSoui
Tampa, FL6,475 contributions
Jan 2020
The lines are long to get in, but worth the wait. The museum has Spanish, Italian, French, German and other renderings. The Goya gallery was intriguing and reading the motives behind each sketch.
Would suggest purchasing the expedited pass before arriving to assist in skipping the entry into the museum if the goal is arrive first thing.
Note: the museum did not allow any pictures inside galleries in Jan-2020.
Would suggest purchasing the expedited pass before arriving to assist in skipping the entry into the museum if the goal is arrive first thing.
Note: the museum did not allow any pictures inside galleries in Jan-2020.
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard P
Savannah, GA11 contributions
Dec 2019
Second only to the Louvre in my humble opinion. This will take you at least four hours if you move quickly or have specific masters that you want to see. If you try and see it all, it's easily a full day. The masterpieces are sprinkled throughout the museum so as to disperse the crowds. No picture taking of course but I suspect you could get away with a few here and there. This museum is easily maneuverable. Grab a brochure upon entering. They are available at no additional charge and are available in the language you prefer. These brochures are well done and guide you to the halls containing specific artists. They also provide the room location of each masterpiece. Having tickets pre-purchased is a must to avoid the lines. I don't think a tour is necessary since art is in the eye of the beholder as they say. Enjoy!
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, is there a way to book the official English guided tour for the Prado online? I see that the museum offers their own English tours at 11 AM and 1 PM but I don't see a way to book it online. Should I just buy a ticket for that time slot to avoid the lines and then try to join the tour?
ANGELO V
Milan, Italy2,815 contributions
I checked right now the Prado website - it looks like the "Guided Visit" ticket is not on sale, even if it is listed as an option. There is only the normal ticket, and the ticket + audioguide. The audioguide is quite good.
As an alternative, you might want to contact them directly - email addresses are listed on their website - unfortunately I cannot copy here the email addresses, but there is one for "Visitor Information Centre" and one for "Main Contact".
Enjoy your visit!
Buenos días!
Soy maestra de español en los niveles 1 al 4 avanzados en una preparatoria en Mansfield, Texas (EEUU). Quisiera saber si los maestros tienen que comprar un boleto de entrada para visitar el museo. Favor de confirmar lo antes posible, pienso visitarlo el 15 de junio.
Gracias.
_____
Good morning,
I teach Spanish at a high school in Mansfield, TX, levels 1-4 advanced. I would like to know if teachers are required to buy a ticket to visit the museum. I am planning on visiting in June 15th, please advise at your earliest convenience.
Thank you
Veronica Morales
MPC2of3
Atlanta, GA187 contributions
Not sure if exemptions but they do offer free visits some days after 4 pm.
Buenos días!
Soy maestra de español en los niveles 1 al 4 avanzados en una preparatoria en Mansfield, Texas (EEUU). Quisiera saber si los maestros tienen que comprar un boleto de entrada para visitar el museo. Favor de confirmar lo antes posible, pienso visitarlo el 15 de junio.
Gracias.
_____
Good morning,
I teach Spanish at a high school in Mansfield, TX, levels 1-4 advanced. I would like to know if teachers are required to buy a ticket to visit the museum. I am planning on visiting in June 15th, please advise at your earliest convenience.
Thank you
Veronica Morales
Anna_Maria39_11
Winnipeg, Canada538 contributions
Hi Veronica. I remember there were lots of exceptions to waive the entrance fee. Most were for citizens of the EU. I’d encourage you to reach out to the museum website directly for the best information.
Sanan Heydarli
Baku, Azerbaijan
Hi, I bought the online ticket for specific time and date. But it seems i can be late approximately 1 hour for the reserved time. Will they let me in?
MPC2of3
Atlanta, GA187 contributions
Not sure, but go to the pre-ticketed gate in the back of the museum.
Roger
2 contributions
Hallo, kann man den Audioguide direkt am Eingang kaufen (mieten) oder muss der im Voraus reserviert werden? Gibt es Wartezeit um den Audioguide zu bekommen?
RegloEquitable
Brussels, Belgium91 contributions
Hello. Not sure because I did not use it and I had an external tourist guide giving also lots of info on the museum and you also receive a map.
Coralie P
1 contribution
Bonjour
Est il possible d’acheter le guide audio seul (en français ) si l’on va au Prado à 18h quand cela devient gratuit ?
Y a t il vraiment beaucoup d’attente à 18h pour rentrer dans le musée ?
Merci
MARAYAStgoChile
Santiago, Chile851 contributions
cuando yo fui recién dejan hacer una fila como 30-40 minutos antes, es recomendable estar antes de la hora en que inicia la entrada gratuita ya que igual hacen entrar por turnos
Camila G
1 contribution
Hola! Sé que la entrada es gratuita desde las 18hs, pero me dijeron que tenia que sacar igualmente entrada online. He intentado varias veces y la pagina oficial no me deja sacar la gratuita al menos que agregue una paga. Alguien sabe si se puede ir sin reservar previamente? Gracias!
cessydess
Santander, Spain2 contributions
Si se puede, pero desde internet tienes que poner como si fueses a comprar la entrada y luego te da la opción de marcar la gratuita, como cuando coges las entradas para menores de 18, yo puse comprar 2 entradas y luego ya marque que mi hija era menor y me dio la opción para marcala como gratuita, ya que solo pagaba yo. Merece la pena pagar de todas formas porque es espectacular. Lo malo de coger las entradas allí es la cola de espera, que pude haber algunos días. Disfruta de la experiencia
Sara D
7 contributions
Buongiorno, gentilmente mi sapete dire se l'audioguida c'è anche in italiano e se si può acquistare on line insieme al biglietto salta coda? Grazie infinite. Sara
Mikozdog
86 contributions
Non so se la guida è disponibile in italiano. Vorrei controllare il sito web del museo o chiamarli.
Hi, I wanna transfer my ticket (Feb 28 4pm). May I know how to transfer the ticket or what site?
HHO1970
Limburg Province, The Netherlands136 contributions
I have no idea. Please contact the Prado museum.
Para entrar en horario de gratuitidad hay que ir unas horas antes?
georgeristea
Bucharest, Romania12 contributions
I don’t know sure.
We paid the entrance. We bought bundle ticket for Paseo del Arte - 3 Museum Pass for the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofia and have priority. It’s very good for this ticket that you can visit these 3 museums during an year. The first must be Thyssen.
Anyway at the queues there’s a lot of peoples, so probably you must came 2-3 hours earliet for free entrance.
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Claim your listingPrado National Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Prado National Museum
- Prado National Museum is open:
- Sun - Sun 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
- Mon - Sat 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- Prado National Museum admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost $27.61, while a popular guided tour starts around $3.27 per person. See all 162 Prado National Museum tickets and tours on Tripadvisor
- Prado National Museum can be crowded, so we recommend booking e-tickets ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. See all 162 Prado National Museum tickets and tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Prado National Museum:
- Prado Museum Tickets (From $27.61)
- Private Guided Tour of the Prado Museum in Madrid with fast entrances and pick up at the hotel. (From $136.43)
- Skip the Line: Prado Museum Tour in Madrid (From $39.29)
- Prado Museum Small Group Tour with Skip the Line Ticket (From $53.07)
- Skip the line: Prado Museum with Reina Sofia Museum Guided Tour (From $70.94)
- Hotels near Prado National Museum:
- (0.12 mi) Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
- (0.12 mi) Radisson Blu Hotel, Madrid Prado
- (0.12 mi) Mercure Madrid Centro
- (0.15 mi) NH Collection Paseo del Prado
- (0.10 mi) Bright Apartment next to Museum Prado. Retiro II
- Restaurants near Prado National Museum:
- (0.02 mi) Cafe Prado
- (0.07 mi) Murillo Café - Restaurante
- (0.11 mi) The Spanish Farm
- (0.09 mi) El Botanico
- (0.10 mi) Aura Cafe
Prado National Museum Information
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