Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Place · Paseo del Arte: Prado, Reina Sofía, Atocha
The easiest big museum to finish: European painting from 1300 to Pop Art in about two hours; go in the afternoon, when the Prado queue is long, and on Monday afternoon for the free entry.
- European painting 1300 to Pop Art
- Monday free session
- Two hours is enough
- 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
- Hours unknown
- Crowds
Quietest around 10:00 or 18:00
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Tue–Thu · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: about €13–16 (≈ US$16–19) (2026 estimate)
free for children (check)
- Time to spend
- 105–130 min · up to 180 min if you linger
Best time to go
Quiet on weekday mornings; busy at the free Monday session.
Queue rule: switch if the queue passes 25 min; come back when under 10.
By weekday: quietest Tue–Thu, busiest Sat, Sun.
Opening hours
- Note
- Opening hours and the Monday free session change by season; not printed until verified.
- Hours note
- About 10:00–19:00 Tue–Sun; Monday a short free session (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
- Paseo del Prado 8; Metro Banco de España or a walk from the Prado
- Ticket
- timed advance official · official site
- Stairs
- lifts to all floors; start on the top floor and walk down
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Accessibility
- YesStep-free entrance · lifts to all floors; start on the top floor and walk down
- YesLifts
- YesAccessible toilet
- YesWheelchair · Ask at the cloakroom.
- YesStroller · Folding strollers are allowed (check).
Sensory load
- Sensory load3/5 Medium
- Peak crowd4/5 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: cafe-paseo-prado
- rain: Inside the museum
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Prado Museum, Goya entrance (AC, WC)
Problem
Red lines
- Large bags go to the cloakroom; no flash photography.
- Do not touch the paintings.
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
- The collection is arranged in chronological order from the top floor.
- Monday has a free session for the permanent collection with a queue; check the hours.
- Photography without flash is allowed in the permanent rooms.
- The museum shop and the café are on the ground floor.
- Closed on some holidays; check.
Best time of day
Plan 105–130 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
- Monday has a free session for the permanent collection with a queue; check the hours.
- Free days
Free entry days in Madrid (pick Madrid in the tool; check)
- What's closed
- Jan 1, Dec 25checkClosed.
- MondaycheckA shorter free session instead of full hours.
- Special exhibitionscheckSome galleries close between shows.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult ticket | about €13–16 (≈ US$16–19) (2026 estimate) | Special exhibitions may be extra. |
| Monday free session | free, permanent collection (check) | A queue forms before the doors open. |
| Audio guide | about €5 (≈ US$6) | Optional. |
How to do it well
- 1Book a timed ticket online, or come on Monday for the free session (check the hours).
- 2Take the lift to the second floor and walk down through time: Italian primitives to the 20th century.
- 3Finish at the ground-floor café.
- 4Combine with the Prado for a two-museum day only if you split them by lunch.
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
75min
Worthwhile
105min
Typical
130min
p95
180min
How much time do you have?
Room to linger: a typical visit is 130 min, people who stay on take up to 180.
With the other 50 min, these are a walk away (their own visit time is on their page):
- Prado Museum5 min on foot · 45 min spare
- Plaza de Cibeles8 min on foot · 42 min spare
- Royal Botanical Garden8 min on foot · 42 min spare
- Retiro Park12 min on foot · 38 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 · yeslifts to all floors; start on the top floor and walk down
- Lifts: yes · yes
- Accessible toilet: yes · yes
- Wheelchair: yes · yesAsk at the cloakroom.
- Stroller: yes · yesFolding strollers are allowed (check).
Lifts to every floor; wheelchairs on loan.
Who it suits
| Traveler | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-time museum visitors | good | The collection is easy to take in. |
| Rainy afternoons | good | Indoor and calm. |
| Wheelchair users | good | Lifts everywhere. |
Skip it if
- You only want the Spanish masters: the Prado has them.
With kids
- with kids
- A compact museum with a trail for children; short visits.
- child price
- free for children (check)
Combine with
Combine with
- 5 minPrado Museum
- 8 minPlaza de Cibeles
- 8 minRoyal Botanical Garden
- 12 minRetiro Park
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
Where do I start?
On the top floor with the early Italian and Flemish rooms.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is it crowded?
Less than the Prado except at the free session.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
How long do I need?
About two hours; less with a focus on the top floor.
Is it free?
On Monday, for a limited window; check the hours.
Is it better than the Prado?
Different: it is broader and smaller; many visitors do both.
Photos
Photos
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum Photo: Kyle Magnuson from Los Angeles, United States, CC BY 2.0
Deep dive
Sources
- officialMuseo Thyssen-Bornemisza (official)
- secondaryWikivoyage — Madrid
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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.
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.