Reina Sofía Museum
Place · Paseo del Arte: Prado, Reina Sofía, Atocha
Guernica on the second floor is the reason to go: 60–90 minutes; check which days it is closed before you plan.
- Guernica
- Closed Tuesday
- Free evening slots
- Timed ticket: book ahead
- Queue: switch at 25 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 10:00–21:00 · closed TueUsually 10:00 AM–9:00 PM · closed Tue
- Crowds
Quietest around 10:00 or 17:00
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Tue · busiest Sat · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: about €12 (≈ US$14) (2026 estimate)
free for under 18 (check)
- Time to spend
- 75–90 min · up to 150 min if you linger
Best time to go
Guernica room is packed mid-day; the evening free-entry slot is crowded.
Queue rule: switch if the queue passes 25 min; come back when under 10.
By weekday: quietest Tue, busiest Sat.
Opening hours
- Hours
- 10:00–21:00 (typical, check)
- Closed
- Tue
- Note
- Opening hours and last entry change by season; not printed until verified.
- Hours note
- Mon and Wed–Sat 10:00–21:00; Sun shorter; closed Tue (check).
Which month is quietest
- Janlight
- Febbusy
- Marbusy
- Aprheavy
- Mayheavy
- Junbusy
- Julbusy
- Augbusy
- Sepbusy
- Octheavy
- Novbusy
- Decheavy
Quietest Jan · busiest Apr–May · 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
- Calle Santa Isabel entrance
- Ticket
- timed advance official · official site
- Stairs
- none of note
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Accessibility
- YesStep-free entrance · none of note
- YesLifts
- YesAccessible toilet
- YesWheelchair · Loan chairs at the desk (check).
- YesStroller · Allowed in the galleries; folding 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: Atrium café (AC)
- rain: Inside the museum
Nearest rescue anchor: B — Reina Sofía atrium (AC, WC)
Problem
Red lines
- No photos of Guernica; bags in the cloakroom.
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
- Closed on Tuesday.
- Guernica is behind a rope and a guard; photography is not allowed in that room.
- Free entry runs on several evenings and on Sunday afternoons; check the hours on the official site.
- The museum is large; skip the top floors if you are short of time.
- Bags are checked at the door.
Best time of day
Plan 75–90 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 online and check which weekday the museum closes.
- Free days
- Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday · 19:00–21:00 — Closed Tuesdays.
- Every Sunday · 12:30–14:30 — Closes at 14:30 on Sundays.
Free entry days in Madrid (pick Madrid in the tool; check)
- What's closed
- TuesdayClosed all day.
- Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25checkUsually closed.
- SundaycheckShorter hours in the afternoon.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult ticket | about €12 (≈ US$14) (2026 estimate) | Free entry slots exist. |
| Free entry slot | free, on set evenings and Sunday afternoons (check) | Crowded; go at the start. |
| Audio guide | about €4–6 (≈ US$5–7) | Useful for Guernica. |
How to do it well
- 1Book online and check which weekday the museum closes.
- 2Go straight to Guernica (second floor) before the rest.
- 3Use the glass lifts if the stairs are busy.
Facilities
- toilets
- On every floor.
- tickets
- Online ahead; check free-entry hours.
- shade
- Indoor; AC.
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
45min
Worthwhile
75min
Typical
90min
p95
150min
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (90 min).
Nothing else in our notes is a short enough walk from here for the time that is left.
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 · yesLoan chairs at the desk (check).
- Stroller: yes · yesAllowed in the galleries; folding preferred.
Lifts throughout; the old building and the new Nouvel wing are both step-free.
Who it suits
| Traveler | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Art lovers | good | Guernica and the 20th-century collection. |
| Rainy days | good | A big indoor collection. |
| Kids | ok | Older children. |
Skip it if
- It is Tuesday.
- You have only time for one museum and prefer the old masters.
With kids
- with kids
- Modern art holds older children; young ones tire fast.
- child price
- free for under 18 (check)
Combine with
Combine with
- 6 minAtocha station and its tropical garden
- 8 minCaixaForum
- 10 minLavapiés
- 14 minPrado Museum
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
Do I need to book?
For the opening slot in high season, yes; free evening slots are first come, first served.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is there a café?
A ground-floor café and a terrace.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Where is Guernica?
On the second floor, room 206.
When is it closed?
Tuesday and some holidays.
How long do I need?
About 90 minutes for the highlights.
Photos
Photos
Reina Sofía Museum Photo: Malopez 21, CC BY-SA 4.0
Deep dive
Sources
- officialMuseo Reina Sofía (official)
Was this useful?
Add Reina Sofía Museum to a day
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.
Taken from the desk crowd estimate by hour. It is not a count of visitors.
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.