Museo Nacional del Prado
Museo Nacional del Prado
4.5
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
The Prado has one of the largest art collections in the world, and is best known for its diverse assortment of works by Velasquez, Goya and El Greco.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingAdmission tickets
from
$28.08
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best?
This award is our highest recognition and is presented annually to those businesses that are the Best of the Best on Tripadvisor, those that earn excellent reviews from travelers and are ranked in the top 1% of properties worldwide.
Top ways to experience Museo Nacional del Prado
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Retiro
How to get there
- Atocha • 7 min walk
- Antón Martín • 8 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
9,436 within 3 miles
Attractions
1,496 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Jackrussell871Edinburgh, United Kingdom56 contributionsPrado perfect!The Prado Museum is amazing. Fabulous art (though Goya takes a bit of getting used to!) and the sculptures blew me away - some from BC! We spent around three hours looking around - and could have spent longer. I had purchased skip the line tickets prior to our visit and also an audio package from a link on the Prado website (which took me to a store called "Headout") - buyer BEWARE! The Headout tickets purchased indeed allowed us access and to skip the queue but as there is no wifi in the museum, the audio we purchased did not work!! On asking Gallery staff to show me how this should work I was told that I had purchased it from a third party and not the Prado Museum (though the link was through their official website) so they couldn't help, they could only sell me another audio package (which I purchased). Anyway, a wonderful experience!Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 5, 2023
- KomatorBarcelona, Spain902 contributionsGreat museumEl Prado is a must-visit in Madrid. Their collection of paintings is amazing. The building and how you go through it, it's also worth. They follow the "no photos" policy, so beware that if you try to take photos, security with try to avoid it. It's quite huge, so either you plan to spend a morning or afternoon there or you have to carefully plan your visit.Visited May 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 8, 2023
- sahara layerLaâyoune, Morocco17 contributionsThe Spanish capital has much to offer to the curious traveler.Most museums in Madrid have time slots when you can visit for free. Check it out. Walking is the best way to enjoy the city centre, but for places outside that area, you can buy a 10-trip pass for the metro.Visited July 2023Traveled soloWritten October 11, 2023
- SnodesLondon, United Kingdom173 contributionsV good traditional art museumFantastic museum focusing on pre 1850 Spanish art so LOTS of religious paintings. The Gita collection is wonderful and there’s the Bosch and 3 Breughels to enjoy. Good few Reuben’s too. Marked down as they stingily don’t let you take photos and the title cards are tiny. Would have liked a bit more thought and theming.Visited October 2023Traveled soloWritten October 17, 2023
- MCDLondon, United Kingdom218 contributionsPlanExcellent Museum with a great selection of Art. Easily take 2-3 hours (Assuming of course, that you like Art!). Difficult to see everything in one visit. Get a ticket in advance as there were queues all day for tickets. Tip - If you haven’t booked a ticket and you are going to get the Art Pass, then get this from one of the other Museums as the queues will be smaller. We got ours from the Reina Sofia one morning – no queue! Then went to the Prado in the afternoon. Use the free map to navigate the rooms otherwise you will miss some of them. Use a pen to mark them off! There is a coffee shop on the 1st floor where you can take a break and re-collect. There are no photo's allowed so you will just need to look with your eyes and keep the memories. Dont let this spoil your visit.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 28, 2023
- RjessMMMVancouver, Washington561 contributionsWonderful national museumTruly a special museum and is representative of the typical national art museum. We have been fortunate to visit a significant number over the years in European capitals and won’t regurgitate what every says about the amazing collection of art that was available to see. Just some practical tips. The ticket line when we arrived on a Tuesday at 1030am in November was not terrible. Probably about 50 yards. We did buy the museum pass online over a month ago for the 3 museum and not doubt saved some time but not a ton. It is just more convenient due to the weather. For us it was in the low 50’s and drizzling. I suspect the line in the heat of summer is obnoxious and no doubt longer. Second, the amount of art is extensive and I would recommend that you just prepare ahead to look at what truly interests you. The audio guide is nice but listening to minutes of descriptions of numerous paintings will just keep you there all day long unless again you are selective. After awhile staring at self financed portraits of the elites and royals during their period of reign just became redundant. Third there is a wonderful garden in the back called Real Jardin Botanico that is enormous and only 4 euros. Given they time of the year we visited, very few plants were blooming but we would have loved to see what it looked like during the summer. EnjoyVisited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 1, 2023
- Simon LRa'anana, Israel24 contributionsThe amazing Prado.The Prado rates as one of the greatest museums of the world. A must to do in Madrid if you want to see classical art. You wander through the spacious galleries full of the greatest artists. Book in in advance on line , in order not to stand in line.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 2, 2023
- CAdaytripperMartinez, California107 contributionsBeautiful classical museumThe Prada is a beautiful classical museum filled with important art from Goya, Ruben, Velazquez. 12th century to 20th century art. It’s a must see at least once during a visit to Madrid. If you are more into modern art, I would recommend choosing a different museum if you are limited on time and can’t do both. This was my second visit and I enjoyed my time there.Visited November 2023Traveled with friendsWritten November 2, 2023
- MandMDenArlington, Tennessee292 contributionsWay too many people to view paintings easily.We only had 1.5 hours for our Tauck tour local guide to show us the highlights of the Prado. He was excellent. Actually 90 minutes was too much as I was tired, the insides of my knees were sore from all the previous walking and thousands of stairs and the slow walking, standing and some sitting for viewing art. The Prado is massive with many huge paintings…almost overwhelming.Visited November 2023Traveled with friendsWritten November 10, 2023
- LamaFoodAshburn, Virginia299 contributionsOutstanding & World ClassAs noted by most of the other TA reviews, this is a must see stop on any visit to Madrid. A couple helpful hints : definitely buy your ticket in advance. If you are going to go early in the day, book tickets for the opening time. We had tickets for 10:30 and arrived at 10:20 but it still took us 40 minutes of waiting in line to get in the door. When we left the museum at 1:30 there was virtually no line to get in. Definitely pay the five euros to get the audio guide instead of a guided tour. This way you control the pace and tempo of your museum experience.Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 11, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
58,414 reviews
Excellent
42,978
Very good
11,923
Average
2,744
Poor
457
Terrible
314
thetravelorganizer
Tega Cay, SC619 contributions
Feb 2020
After the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, The Prado is probably my favorite art museum as it contains some excellent examples of Renaissance giants while still managing to focus on noteworthy national artists like Goya, Velazquez, Dali, etc. Seniors can purchase half-price vouchers online and redeem them for entry at windows 1 and 2 at the Goya entrance (north end). It is well worth one’s time to spend some time on The Prado’s website to identify which works one especially wants to see and then map out a route to them on the museum floor plan which can also be downloaded. Entry is free the last 2 hours every day but expect entry lines to be long and galleries crowded during peak travel times; we found it worthwhile to purchase discounted senior tickets and visit over the lunch hour (1 to 3pm) as crowds were light.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelleygirl2
Sarasota, FL6,295 contributions
Oct 2019
On our way to the Prado we saw vans parked near the road with men working to scrub graffiti off the walls; no modern “art” here. The Prado dates back almost 200 years and houses the collections of works favored by kings from Spain’s 16th and 17th centuries, especially those of El Greco (who worked hard for approval from King Phillip II), Titian, Rubens, Goya, and Velasquez. The museum does not feature modern works like those of Picasso, Dali and Miro.
Each room of the Prado had a very specific collection of works. The kings had controlled the organization of paintings by colors and then by the numbers in the lower left corner of the painting as they still are represented today. Our guide Ama gave us lots of historic details that made viewing and understanding the paintings very helpful. She reminded us that the art works of the period were designed for religious reasons because of the strong Catholic influence. We learned that El Greco’s wife died having her baby. El Greco (the Greek) was so distraught over this that he painted his wife’s likeness as the Virgin Mary in his painting The Adoration of the Shepherds, his most famous work. King Phillip never appreciated El Greco and so he stayed in Toledo where he was better received.
The museum does, however feature long lines, so yes be sure to buy advance tickets or you will waste a lot of time in line as it is always crowded.
Each room of the Prado had a very specific collection of works. The kings had controlled the organization of paintings by colors and then by the numbers in the lower left corner of the painting as they still are represented today. Our guide Ama gave us lots of historic details that made viewing and understanding the paintings very helpful. She reminded us that the art works of the period were designed for religious reasons because of the strong Catholic influence. We learned that El Greco’s wife died having her baby. El Greco (the Greek) was so distraught over this that he painted his wife’s likeness as the Virgin Mary in his painting The Adoration of the Shepherds, his most famous work. King Phillip never appreciated El Greco and so he stayed in Toledo where he was better received.
The museum does, however feature long lines, so yes be sure to buy advance tickets or you will waste a lot of time in line as it is always crowded.
Written January 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
johnxboy
Hilton Head, SC79 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
Incredible but get there early. Extremely crowded towards Noon and throughout the afternoon. If you are there when it opens charge towards the upstairs Dutch collection and you will avoid the crowd that heads immediately towards the Spanish collections on the main floor, Eg., Goya. Eventually you must meet the crowd but the initial solitude is pleasant while it lasts. Also, definitely consider buying tickets in advance online, and you totally avoid the huge crowds at the “same day sale” ticket counter. Plenty of bathrooms and lite luncheon cafes are available.
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Graham Y
Huddersfield, UK28 contributions
Mar 2020
We visited the Prado and decided to use the services of Ana ,a local guide who stopped us as we passed through security and for 15 euros each showed us the most important pictures. She was very knowledgeable about the paintings and showed and explained aspects we would have never seen or understood without her expert guidance. Just finding the room where the painting you know you want to see is difficult enough.
It is warm in the museum even in March when we visited so leave your coats in the lockers in the entrance area before going through security
It is warm in the museum even in March when we visited so leave your coats in the lockers in the entrance area before going through security
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jip79
Doha, Qatar564 contributions
Jun 2021
After calling the museum to check if accompanying students can come in for free, we booked the online tickets a day ahead so that we didn't have to wait in line. At the entrance, the museum staff made us go back to the ticket counter for the free student tickets. Even with the student ID having photo and date of birth, they still insisted on showing the holder's passport or ID.
When we tried to scan the QR code of the museum floor map at the information counter, only the Spanish version was available. We asked if an English version was available, and the lady behind the counter rudely answered that Spanish was an international language and we should just figure it out from that map. We asked another staff later, and he told us that the English version is on the museum's website. The website also failed to point out that currently most parts of the museum are closed, and so we were not able to see some of the important works from the permanent collection. The museum staff is probably the rudest and most unhelpful, following museum visitors around and prohibiting photo-taking, which is contrary to the practice at other places like the Louvre or Rijksmuseum that allows non-flash photography. Worst of all, since we were not allowed to take photos, they didn't have enough postcards of the important works at the museum shop. The museum should either let visitors take photos, or add the selection of its postcards!
When we tried to scan the QR code of the museum floor map at the information counter, only the Spanish version was available. We asked if an English version was available, and the lady behind the counter rudely answered that Spanish was an international language and we should just figure it out from that map. We asked another staff later, and he told us that the English version is on the museum's website. The website also failed to point out that currently most parts of the museum are closed, and so we were not able to see some of the important works from the permanent collection. The museum staff is probably the rudest and most unhelpful, following museum visitors around and prohibiting photo-taking, which is contrary to the practice at other places like the Louvre or Rijksmuseum that allows non-flash photography. Worst of all, since we were not allowed to take photos, they didn't have enough postcards of the important works at the museum shop. The museum should either let visitors take photos, or add the selection of its postcards!
Written July 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fly4fun2
London159 contributions
Feb 2020
This is a fantastic gallery, but make sure you know the style of the art on display and the themes as they are specific. I could see many halves of couples that looked bored while the partner was in rapture.
There are many masterpieces here. So many we were there for 7 hours including breaks. Towards they end they tend to blur. There are a lot of religious type paintings (not surprising given the history) and ones of patrons (ie rich families paying the artists way!). If you've not looked at much art before it could be overwhelming, but thankfully the leaflet highlights the major works (around 50!) and you can focus on hunting those down.
We went during a non-school or other holiday period weekday and it was busy. We bought tickets the day before directly from the gallery as we were passing by and saved a little bit of money compared to buying from an agency or kiosk. I think it was €15. If you are a senior, bring id with your DOB on it to get a decent discount.
The cafe was nice, with a variety of food but get there early to avoid the lunch rush. Staff cleared the tables but at busy times you may find them rushed off their feet trying to clear tables.
There are a number of entrances and cloakrooms but remember which one you used (back packs and larger must be checked in) . We had a bit of a wait to collect our stuff as a large tour group had just come in.
There are many masterpieces here. So many we were there for 7 hours including breaks. Towards they end they tend to blur. There are a lot of religious type paintings (not surprising given the history) and ones of patrons (ie rich families paying the artists way!). If you've not looked at much art before it could be overwhelming, but thankfully the leaflet highlights the major works (around 50!) and you can focus on hunting those down.
We went during a non-school or other holiday period weekday and it was busy. We bought tickets the day before directly from the gallery as we were passing by and saved a little bit of money compared to buying from an agency or kiosk. I think it was €15. If you are a senior, bring id with your DOB on it to get a decent discount.
The cafe was nice, with a variety of food but get there early to avoid the lunch rush. Staff cleared the tables but at busy times you may find them rushed off their feet trying to clear tables.
There are a number of entrances and cloakrooms but remember which one you used (back packs and larger must be checked in) . We had a bit of a wait to collect our stuff as a large tour group had just come in.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexandra A
Madrid, Spain223 contributions
Jan 2020
The Prado Museum houses the most comprehensive collection of Spanish painting in the world.
The Prado's walls are lined with masterpieces from the Spanish, Italian and Flemish schools, including Velázquez’ Las Meninas and Goya’s Third of May, 1808. Its collection comprises 8,600 paintings and over 700 sculptures, so I recommend deciding what you want to see before stepping into the museum. If you are short on time, the Prado's website suggests three itineraries, lasting 1, 2 and 3 hours and covering the museum's most important masterpieces, which for me came really handy. Paintings by Rubens, the Bruegel Family, Jordaens and Teniers. The museum also boasts works by some of the great French, German and Dutch painters including Dürer, Claude Lorrain, Rembrandt and Watteau.
THE BEST PART:
Free entrance monday to saturday from 18.00 to 20.00 p.m.
The Prado's walls are lined with masterpieces from the Spanish, Italian and Flemish schools, including Velázquez’ Las Meninas and Goya’s Third of May, 1808. Its collection comprises 8,600 paintings and over 700 sculptures, so I recommend deciding what you want to see before stepping into the museum. If you are short on time, the Prado's website suggests three itineraries, lasting 1, 2 and 3 hours and covering the museum's most important masterpieces, which for me came really handy. Paintings by Rubens, the Bruegel Family, Jordaens and Teniers. The museum also boasts works by some of the great French, German and Dutch painters including Dürer, Claude Lorrain, Rembrandt and Watteau.
THE BEST PART:
Free entrance monday to saturday from 18.00 to 20.00 p.m.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LiverpoolPeteG
Liverpool, UK143 contributions
Sep 2020 • Solo
A famous and historic art museum with many of the world’s most famous pieces. It has a good customer focus, a really nice restaurant/coffee bar with also an outside terrace, and great toilets. The entrance prices are very reasonable for such an iconic place (especially for older people) and the cafe prices are mid-range for a tourist centre.
I visited in a pandemic and the rules were strictly enforced, in a professional and helpful way, ensuring visitors had their safety prioritised.
It was a huge bonus to find the gallery very uncrowded and to see these great paintings easily from any distance or angle. I visited twice, the second time I signed up for a guided tour with ‘The Best of Madrid’ and I learnt a lot from a friendly, warm and very knowledgeable guide.
I visited in a pandemic and the rules were strictly enforced, in a professional and helpful way, ensuring visitors had their safety prioritised.
It was a huge bonus to find the gallery very uncrowded and to see these great paintings easily from any distance or angle. I visited twice, the second time I signed up for a guided tour with ‘The Best of Madrid’ and I learnt a lot from a friendly, warm and very knowledgeable guide.
Written September 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JDSoui
Tampa, FL6,750 contributions
Jan 2020
The lines are long to get in, but worth the wait. The museum has Spanish, Italian, French, German and other renderings. The Goya gallery was intriguing and reading the motives behind each sketch.
Would suggest purchasing the expedited pass before arriving to assist in skipping the entry into the museum if the goal is arrive first thing.
Note: the museum did not allow any pictures inside galleries in Jan-2020.
Would suggest purchasing the expedited pass before arriving to assist in skipping the entry into the museum if the goal is arrive first thing.
Note: the museum did not allow any pictures inside galleries in Jan-2020.
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard P
Savannah, GA10 contributions
Dec 2019
Second only to the Louvre in my humble opinion. This will take you at least four hours if you move quickly or have specific masters that you want to see. If you try and see it all, it's easily a full day. The masterpieces are sprinkled throughout the museum so as to disperse the crowds. No picture taking of course but I suspect you could get away with a few here and there. This museum is easily maneuverable. Grab a brochure upon entering. They are available at no additional charge and are available in the language you prefer. These brochures are well done and guide you to the halls containing specific artists. They also provide the room location of each masterpiece. Having tickets pre-purchased is a must to avoid the lines. I don't think a tour is necessary since art is in the eye of the beholder as they say. Enjoy!
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the guide book sold along the tickets at Prado Museum official website worth it? Or is there a more comprehensive guide book to buy on site (in English)?
Written May 5, 2024
Better spend your money on a book about some of the art in the collection
Written August 27, 2024
Do the Art Walk Pass and the Annual State Museum Card both include skip-the -line? Does anyone have recent experience with this?
Written April 2, 2024
I am sorry I cannot answer that question as we bought our tickets in advance. Good luck and this was amazing, so enjoy.
Written April 4, 2024
Hello, is there a way to book the official English guided tour for the Prado online? I see that the museum offers their own English tours at 11 AM and 1 PM but I don't see a way to book it online. Should I just buy a ticket for that time slot to avoid the lines and then try to join the tour?
Written August 27, 2023
I bought my ticket through an apps called GET YOUR GUIDE. When you enter the museum, you can buy self guided audio and ask for English version. Sorry took me awhile to check my TripAdvisor account. Good luck!!
Written March 19, 2024
Buenos días!
Soy maestra de español en los niveles 1 al 4 avanzados en una preparatoria en Mansfield, Texas (EEUU). Quisiera saber si los maestros tienen que comprar un boleto de entrada para visitar el museo. Favor de confirmar lo antes posible, pienso visitarlo el 15 de junio.
Gracias.
_____
Good morning,
I teach Spanish at a high school in Mansfield, TX, levels 1-4 advanced. I would like to know if teachers are required to buy a ticket to visit the museum. I am planning on visiting in June 15th, please advise at your earliest convenience.
Thank you
Veronica Morales
Written June 10, 2023
Not sure if exemptions but they do offer free visits some days after 4 pm.
Written June 12, 2023
Buenos días!
Soy maestra de español en los niveles 1 al 4 avanzados en una preparatoria en Mansfield, Texas (EEUU). Quisiera saber si los maestros tienen que comprar un boleto de entrada para visitar el museo. Favor de confirmar lo antes posible, pienso visitarlo el 15 de junio.
Gracias.
_____
Good morning,
I teach Spanish at a high school in Mansfield, TX, levels 1-4 advanced. I would like to know if teachers are required to buy a ticket to visit the museum. I am planning on visiting in June 15th, please advise at your earliest convenience.
Thank you
Veronica Morales
Written June 10, 2023
Hi Veronica. I remember there were lots of exceptions to waive the entrance fee. Most were for citizens of the EU. I’d encourage you to reach out to the museum website directly for the best information.
Written June 13, 2023
Sanan Heydarli
Baku, Azerbaijan
Hi, I bought the online ticket for specific time and date. But it seems i can be late approximately 1 hour for the reserved time. Will they let me in?
Written May 31, 2023
Not sure, but go to the pre-ticketed gate in the back of the museum.
Written June 12, 2023
Hallo, kann man den Audioguide direkt am Eingang kaufen (mieten) oder muss der im Voraus reserviert werden? Gibt es Wartezeit um den Audioguide zu bekommen?
Written May 28, 2023
Hello. Not sure because I did not use it and I had an external tourist guide giving also lots of info on the museum and you also receive a map.
Written May 29, 2023
Bonjour
Est il possible d’acheter le guide audio seul (en français ) si l’on va au Prado à 18h quand cela devient gratuit ?
Y a t il vraiment beaucoup d’attente à 18h pour rentrer dans le musée ?
Merci
Written April 2, 2023
Si,puede comprar audio en francés, espero que le haya ayudado.
Written May 1, 2024
…
Showing results 1-10 of 259
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing