Madrid · Visitor Guide

Museo del Prado
Tickets 2026

Spain's national gallery and one of the world's great collections of European art — Velázquez, Goya, Bosch and El Greco under one roof. Everything you need before you go, including the free evening hours.

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1819
Opened
Las Meninas
Velázquez
~2.5h
Recommended visit
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Prado Tickets & Tours

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Why Book Ahead

Plan Around the Crowds

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Queues and free-hour crushes
The walk-up line builds through the day, and the free evening slots draw a crowd. A timed ticket lets you walk past both.
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The collection is vast
From Bosch to Goya across dozens of rooms — going in without a plan means missing the masterpieces. A guided route gets you to them fast.
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Book the slot you want
Timed entries and guided tours sell out in season. Reserving ahead locks in your time and skips the ticket line.
Prado Tickets — Visitor Guide

What to Know Before You Visit

From Royal Collection to National Treasure

The Prado opened in 1819 to show the Spanish crown's art collection, and it still reads like the taste of kings — centuries of court painters and the masters they admired. Today it holds one of the most concentrated collections of European painting anywhere, with Spanish art at a depth no other museum can match.

The Works You Came For

Velázquez's Las Meninas is the museum's beating heart; nearby hang Goya's haunting Black Paintings and his Third of May 1808. Add Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, El Greco's elongated saints and rooms of Titian and Rubens, and the highlights alone justify the trip. The museum's own itineraries point you to the essential 50.

Practical Advice for the Visit

Admission is free for the last two hours each day, but those slots are crowded and queue-bound — a paid timed ticket is the calmer choice if your schedule allows. Photography is not permitted inside. Allow at least two and a half hours; a guided highlights tour is the efficient way in if your time is short.

Expert Advice

Visiting Museo del Prado — What to Know

Best Time to Visit

Opening time on a weekday is the calmest slot.
The free last two hours are busy and queue-bound — book a timed ticket to skip it.
Avoid weekend afternoons and Spanish public holidays.
Spring and autumn are the most pleasant for Madrid overall.

What to Bring & Know

Photography is not allowed inside the galleries.
Free entry is the last 2 hours daily — but crowded; a timed ticket is calmer.
Large bags and umbrellas go in the cloakroom.
Use a highlights route — the collection is too big to see in one visit.
FAQ

Prado Tickets — Questions Answered

It is strongly recommended. The walk-up queue builds through the day and the free evening slots draw crowds. A timed ticket lets you skip the line and guarantees entry at the time you want.
Yes — admission is free for the last two hours of each day (and longer on some Sundays and holidays). Those windows are popular and queue-bound, so a paid timed ticket is often the calmer option if your schedule allows.
Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings and Third of May 1808, Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights and El Greco's saints top most lists, alongside rooms of Titian and Rubens. The museum publishes its own essential-works itineraries.
Right at opening on a weekday is the quietest. Avoid weekend afternoons, public holidays and the free last-two-hours window if you prefer calm over saving the entry fee.
No. Photography is not permitted in the galleries, which keeps the rooms calmer and protects the works. Leave the camera in your bag.
At least two and a half hours for the highlights; art lovers can easily spend half a day. The collection is too large to see fully in one visit, so a highlights route or guided tour helps if time is tight.
Go Further

Plan your full
Madrid visit

Pair the Prado with the Reina Sofía, the Royal Palace and the Retiro on our complete Madrid guide — or let the AI build your day-by-day itinerary.

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