Updated in September 2026, this Museo del Prado guide covers ticket prices, opening hours, transport, accessibility and what to see.
The Museo del Prado is Spain’s national art museum on the Paseo del Prado in Madrid. General admission costs €15, and you can book tickets in advance through GetYourGuide to secure a timed slot. This guide was updated in September 2026: the museum’s own site no longer lists the five full free days that many guides still quote, such as 18 May or 19 November, so check the official calendar before planning around one.
Quick facts about the Museo del Prado
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Paseo del Prado, s/n, 28014 Madrid, Spain |
| Opening hours | Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00; Sun & public holidays 10:00–19:00 |
| Closed | 1 January, 1 May, 25 December |
| General admission | €15 |
| Reduced admission | €7.50 |
| Free admission | Last two hours before closing, plus eligibility categories |
| Nearest metro | Banco de España or Estación del Arte |
| Typical visit duration | 2–3 hours |
Why book Museo del Prado tickets?
- 🏛️ One of the world’s great art collections: Velázquez’s Las Meninas, Goya’s Black Paintings, and masterpieces by Bosch, Titian and Rubens all hang here.
- 🎟️ Free entry every day: the last two hours before closing are free to everyone, no conditions attached.
- 🌿 Step-free throughout: lifts, ramps and accessible toilets serve the whole collection.
- 📜 Over two centuries of history: founded in 1819, making it one of Europe’s oldest public art museums.
- 💰 Free for under-18s: along with students, teachers and the unemployed who bring proof.
Opening hours at the Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00, and Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 19:00. Hours shrink to 10:00–14:00 on 6 January, 24 December and 31 December. The museum closes entirely on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Entry is allowed up to 30 minutes before closing, and staff ask visitors to start leaving the galleries 10 minutes before that.
Ticket prices for the Museo del Prado
| Ticket type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General admission | €15 | Covers the Collection and temporary exhibitions |
| Reduced admission | €7.50 | Over-65s, youth card holders, large family members |
| Audio guide | Admission + €5 | Over 250 works explained in 15 languages |
| Guided tour | Admission + €10 | About 90 minutes, Spanish and English slots |
| Art Walk pass | €32.80 | One visit each to the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza |
Free admission covers everyone during the last two hours before closing, and applies at any time to under-18s, students aged 18–25, people with a disability of 33% or more, the unemployed and active teachers, among other groups. The current site does not list separate full free days such as 18 April or 6 December, features several older guides still describe, so book in advance through GetYourGuide rather than plan a trip around a date that may no longer apply.
5 Madrid experiences worth booking
- 🍷 Hit the taverns and tapas bars on a highly knowledgeable food tour.
- 🖼️ Skip the lines and take a guided tour of the Prado’s masterpieces.
- 🏰 See two hugely underrated cities on a Segovia and Ávila day tour.
- 💃 Enjoy a flamenco show at Torres Bermejas.
- 👑 Combine a historic walking tour with skip-the-line Royal Palace tickets.
How to get to the Museo del Prado
By metro: Estación del Arte (800m) and Banco de España (650m) are the closest stations, both a short walk from the entrances.
By train: Atocha RENFE station (1km) and Recoletos (1.1km) serve the Cercanías lines C1 to C10.
By bus: routes 001, 10, 14, 27, 34, 37, 45 and C03 all stop within a few hundred metres of the museum.
By bike: BiciMAD docking stations sit on Calle Espalter, Calle Jesús and Calle Almadén.
By car: the nearest car parks are at Plaza de las Cortes and Calle Montalbán.
From the airport: take metro Line 8 with a transfer to Line 4 or 2, or the Cercanías C1 or C10 to Atocha or Recoletos.
Parking at the Museo del Prado
The museum does not run its own car park. The closest public options are on Plaza de las Cortes and Calle Montalbán, while street parking for permit holders with a disability is available on Calle Ruiz de Alarcón and Calle Moreto.
How long to spend at the Museo del Prado
Most visitors need two to three hours to see the highlights at a comfortable pace. Serious art enthusiasts often spend a full morning or afternoon, and the museum’s own suggested itineraries range from a one-hour highlights route to a three-hour deep dive.
Accessibility at the Museo del Prado
Visitors with disabilities receive free admission and priority access through the Jerónimos Entrance and ticket offices 1 and 2. The museum has no architectural barriers, with accessible toilets, lifts, ramps and platforms throughout, plus an induction loop system in the auditorium and at information counters. Wheelchairs and baby strollers are available on loan at the cloakroom, and guide dogs are welcome. The museum has also produced tactile-visual books for blind and partially sighted visitors, alongside an online resource for visitors with autism spectrum disorder.
What to see inside the Museo del Prado
Las Meninas: Velázquez’s most celebrated painting anchors the museum’s Spanish galleries and draws the biggest crowds of any single work.
Goya’s Black Paintings: these unsettling murals, originally painted on the walls of Goya’s own house, occupy Room 67 of the Villanueva Building.
The Garden of Earthly Delights: Bosch’s triptych remains one of the museum’s most-photographed works, packed with strange and inventive detail.
Italian and Flemish masters: rooms devoted to Titian, Rubens, Raphael and El Greco trace centuries of influence on the Spanish royal collection.
The Jerónimos Building: this modern extension houses temporary exhibitions and a growing sculpture and decorative arts collection, including a recently reopened Ionic gallery.
Practical visitor tips for the Museo del Prado
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book a timed slot | Entry requires a time pass, so book tickets in advance through GetYourGuide rather than risk a sold-out day. |
| Visit early on weekdays | Weekday mornings see noticeably shorter queues than weekend afternoons. |
| Use the free hours strategically | The last two hours before closing are free but busier, so expect a queue beforehand. |
| Enter via Jerónimos for accessibility | This entrance offers priority access for reduced mobility and pushchairs. |
| Pair it with Retiro Park | A stroll through the park afterwards makes for an easy, relaxed finish to the visit. |
Frequently asked questions about the Museo del Prado
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are the Prado’s opening hours? | Monday to Saturday 10:00–20:00; Sundays and public holidays 10:00–19:00. |
| How much does a ticket cost? | General admission is €15; reduced admission is €7.50 for eligible visitors. |
| When is entry free? | The last two hours before closing, every day, plus at any time for under-18s and other eligible groups. |
| Is the Prado wheelchair accessible? | Yes, the museum has no architectural barriers and offers wheelchair loan at the cloakroom. |
| How does the Prado compare to the Reina Sofía? | The Prado covers Spanish and European Old Masters, while the Reina Sofía focuses on modern and contemporary art, including Picasso’s Guernica. |
Things to do near the Museo del Prado
Retiro Park offers a boating lake, the glass-walled Palacio de Cristal and shaded paths, just across the road from the museum.
The Royal Botanic Garden (Real Jardín Botánico) sits directly beside the Prado, a quiet spot to rest after a morning of galleries.
Museo Reina Sofía, home to Picasso’s Guernica, stands a short walk south, completing what locals call the Golden Triangle of Art.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, across the Paseo del Prado, bridges the gap between the Prado’s Old Masters and the Reina Sofía’s modern works.
CaixaForum Madrid, with its striking vertical garden, hosts rotating exhibitions a few minutes’ walk from the Prado’s main entrance.
Alternative art museums in and around Madrid
The Museo Sorolla, once the painter’s own house and studio, offers an intimate look at Spanish Impressionism a short metro ride from the centre.
The Museo Lázaro Galdiano houses a private collector’s eclectic hoard of paintings, jewellery and armour inside a grand mansion.
The Museo Cerralbo preserves an aristocratic Madrid townhouse exactly as its owner left it, complete with his personal art collection.
The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando holds an under-visited collection that includes works by Goya and Zurbarán, close to Puerta del Sol.
The Museo del Greco, in nearby Toledo, displays the artist’s work in a house evoking his adopted city, roughly an hour from Madrid.
More Madrid travel
Other Madrid travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- How to get into Madrid’s Royal Palace when tickets have sold out.
- The three cities day tour to Toledo, Ávila and Segovia from Madrid: How it works.
- What you need to know about the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid.
- What to know before booking the Atlético Madrid stadium tour.
- Museo de la Luz in Madrid: Ticket prices, opening hours and visitor tips.
