Prado Museum
Place · Paseo del Arte: Prado, Reina Sofía, Atocha
Go at opening with a booked ticket, or after 17:00; pick three rooms (Velázquez, Goya, Bosch) instead of walking all of it.
- Velázquez, Goya, Bosch
- Free entry in the last two hours
- Book the opening slot
- Go at opening, ticket booked
- Timed ticket: book ahead
- Queue: switch at 30 min
- Works with kids
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 12Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…June to August
- Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
- Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
- Iberia ↗Plan meals on the Iberian clock: Spanish kitchens serve lunch from about 13:30–14:00 and dinner from 20:30–21:00; Portugal eats an hour or so earlier. Early evenings are for tapas or petiscos, not full meals.
- Iberia ↗Inland Spain and Portugal (Seville, Córdoba, Madrid, the Alentejo) pass 40 °C in heatwaves from late June to August: sightsee before 11:00 and after 18:00, and keep July–August for the coasts and the green north.
- Iberia ↗Andorra and Gibraltar have their own border and customs rules and are reached only through Spain (or France for Andorra); read their pages before adding them, especially if you hold a limited Schengen visa.
- Spain ↗Spain is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
- Spain ↗High-speed trains have airport-style baggage screening at the station and boarding gates that close a few minutes before departure: arrive early.
- Spain ↗Carry your passport or ID: police may ask for it, and hotels must register every guest's document.
- Spain ↗The Alhambra in Granada and the Sagrada Família in Barcelona sell timed tickets that sell out weeks ahead in season; book on the official sites before you fix your dates.
- Madrid and Central Spain ↗Book fast-train tickets for Toledo and Segovia ahead on weekends and in spring: return seats can sell out.
- Madrid ↗June to August: plan museums and the palace for the morning or the AC hours; the streets between 14:00 and 18:00 can pass 35°C.
- Madrid ↗Many restaurant kitchens close between about 16:00 and 20:00: lunch at 13:30–15:30, dinner from 20:30.
More
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, best time to go, opening hours
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Usually 10:00–20:00Usually 10:00 AM–8:00 PM
- Crowds
Quietest around 10:00 or 16:00 · go at opening, ticket booked
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Tue–Thu · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: about €15–20 (≈ US$18–25) (2026 estimate)
free for children under 18 (check)
- Time to spend
- 120–150 min · up to 210 min if you linger
Best time to go
Queues build from 10:30; free-entry evening slots are crowded.
Queue rule: switch if the queue passes 30 min; come back when under 10.
By weekday: quietest Tue–Thu, busiest Sat, Sun.
Opening hours
- Hours
- 10:00–20:00 (typical, check)
- Note
- Opening hours and last entry change by season; not printed until verified.
- Hours note
- About 10:00–20:00 on most days; shorter on Sunday and holidays.
Which month is quietest
- Janlight
- Febbusy
- Marbusy
- Aprheavy
- Mayheavy
- Junheavy
- Julheavy
- Augheavy
- Sepheavy
- Octheavy
- Novbusy
- Decheavy
Quietest Jan · busiest Apr–Oct · Dec.
Estimate: desk reasoning from school-trip, weekend, season and holiday patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Puerta de Goya (north side)
- Ticket
- timed advance official · official site
- Stairs
- none of note
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Accessibility
- YesStep-free entrance · none of note
- YesLifts
- YesAccessible toilet
- YesWheelchair · Ask at the cloakroom for a loan chair.
- YesStroller · Allowed in the galleries in some cases; folding strollers preferred.
Sensory load
- Sensory load3/5 Medium
- Peak crowd5/5 Very high
Exposure: medium
What to bring and the rules
- Your booked ticket or QR code · Entry is timed and sold ahead on the official site.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Bailouts
- heat: Museum café (AC)
- rain: Inside the museum
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Prado Museum, Goya entrance (AC, WC)
Problem
Red lines
- Large bags in the cloakroom; no flash photography.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
Tickets, prices and entry
Know before you go
- Book a timed ticket online for the opening slot; the door queue builds from 10:30.Book a timed ticket online for the opening slot; the door queue builds from 10:30 AM.
- Bags larger than a small daypack go to the cloakroom; water bottles are checked.
- Three rooms are enough for a first visit: Velázquez (Las Meninas), Goya and Bosch.
- Free entry runs in the last two hours on most days; the queue can be 40 minutes or more.
- Photos without flash are allowed in the permanent rooms (check the signs).
Best time of day
Go at opening, ticket booked. Plan 120–150 min inside.
quietlightbusyheavypacked· desk estimate for an ordinary weekday; add one level on weekends and holidays
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- Timed entry: book a slot on the official site; walk-up slots can run out.
- Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
- Queues
- Book a timed ticket online for the opening slot; the door queue builds from 10:30.Book a timed ticket online for the opening slot; the door queue builds from 10:30 AM.
- Free entry runs in the last two hours on most days; the queue can be 40 minutes or more.
- Book a timed ticket online for the opening slot.
- Enter at the Goya or Jerónimos side; the main door has the longest queue.
- Free days
Free entry days in Madrid (pick Madrid in the tool; check)
- What's closed
- Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25checkClosed on some public holidays.
- Dec 24 and Dec 31checkShort hours.
- WeeklyOpen every day of the week; check the hours.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult ticket | about €15–20 (≈ US$18–25) (2026 estimate) | Includes the permanent collection; special exhibitions may cost more. |
| Free entry slot | free, last two hours of the day (check) | Long queues; the museum can be tiring by then. |
| Audio guide | about €6 (≈ US$7) | A good summary of the highlights. |
How to do it well
- 1Book a timed ticket online for the opening slot.
- 2Enter at the Goya or Jerónimos side; the main door has the longest queue.
- 3Do the big-name rooms first, then decide.
Facilities
- toilets
- In the ground-floor foyer.
- tickets
- Online ahead; check current price and free-entry hours on the official site.
- shade
- Indoor; AC.
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
90min
Worthwhile
120min
Typical
150min
p95
210min
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (150 min).
With the other 30 min, these are a walk away (their own visit time is on their page):
- Royal Botanical Garden3 min on foot · 27 min spare
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum5 min on foot · 25 min spare
- Retiro Park8 min on foot · 22 min spare
- Reina Sofía14 min on foot · 16 min spare
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: yes · yesnone of note
- Lifts: yes · yes
- Accessible toilet: yes · yes
- Wheelchair: yes · yesAsk at the cloakroom for a loan chair.
- Stroller: yes · yesAllowed in the galleries in some cases; folding strollers preferred.
Step-free entrances and lifts; wheelchairs on loan (check).
Who it suits
| Traveler | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Art lovers | good | One of the great European collections. |
| Families | ok | Trail sheets and short visits. |
| Wheelchair users | good | Lifts and loan chairs. |
Skip it if
- You dislike museum queues and the day has no free slot.
With kids
- with kids
- The museum offers family trails; short visits of 60–90 minutes work best.
- child price
- free for children under 18 (check)
Combine with
Combine with
- 3 minRoyal Botanical Garden
- 5 minThyssen-Bornemisza Museum
- 8 minRetiro Park
- 14 minReina Sofía
Walk the Paseo del Arte: Prado, Reina Sofía, Atocha area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
Deep dive
Questions, photos, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Which rooms first?
Velázquez, then Goya (the black paintings), then Bosch.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is a guide worth it?
For a first visit, a small-group tour saves the guessing.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
How long do I need?
Two hours covers the highlights; three with a break.
Is there free entry?
Yes in the last two hours of the day; queues are long, so book a paid slot if you want to avoid them.
Can I take photos?
Without flash in most rooms; check the signs.
Photos
Photos
Prado Museum Photo: Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Prado Museum Photo: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0
Deep dive
Sources
- officialMuseo del Prado (official)
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Source: Price
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
Prices are 2026 estimates. The official site has the current price.
Source: Opening hours
Source: Best hour
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The quietest window written into this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.
Source: Bag rating
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Rated for the whole walking cluster, from desk research, not for this entrance.