Planning a trip to Madrid and visiting Museo del Prado? I couldn’t be more excited for you! Museo del Prado is one of the most important art museums in both Spain and the world – making it a must visit when in Madrid. I visited for the first time in November 2024, and all I can say is – get ready for your jaw to hurt from how awe-struck you will be.😅😍
Being an immense museum, I wanted to share a few tips and things to know before visiting Museo del Prado. From tickets to dress code, paintings to not miss out on, and strict policies – these tips will help you know what’s ahead with your visit and how to best prepare for it.
Without further ado, here are my Museo del Prado tips!👇
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Here are Museo Del Prado Tips to Know
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Museo del Prado Tickets | How to Book them & More
The Museo del Prado tickets are very easy to book – you can do so through the official site, or on Get Your Guide. The official site price is 15 euros, while Get Your Guide is 18 euros as it includes a booking fee. Booking through the official site is a great option to save money, as you can also access free or reduced admissions, while GYG is great to have all your tickets in one platform and see reviews.
Whichever way you choose to book your tickets, just make sure to book them in advance to save your spot!
If you want to dive deeper and not worry about what route to follow, a guided tour is a great option! Here are the two best rated tours – a Pre-Opening, VIP Tour and a Regular Guided Tour. Book them here!👇
How much time do you need at Museo del Prado?
With over 8,600 paintings and 700 statues, Museo del Prado is the type of art museum where you can spend 2 to 3 hours and feel like it’s not enough. Time here seems to stand still, and simultaneously fly by.
From my personal experience, I would recommend staying at least two hours in the Museo del Prado. 2 hours in the museum is enough to admire a decent amount of masterpieces, and not feel like a pin ball rushing from place to place.
3 hours is a great amount if it’s a rainy day, or if you have many days in Madrid. During these three hours you can also take a nice break at the cafeteria, or in one of the corridors with benches.
Best Time to Visit the Prado Museum
The best time to visit Museo del Prado is during the week, first thing in the morning, when it opens at 10 AM, or around lunch time and siesta time, 2 – 4 PM. During these times, you should experience a more relaxed and less crowded ambiance.
Free Entry Tip. If you’re on a budget and don’t qualify for reduced, or free, admission, Museo del Prado has free entry from 6 – 8 PM from Monday to Saturday, and 5 – 7 PM on Sundays.
The only downside of the free entry is that this is the most popular time for people to line up to enter the museum, and the visit is limited. If you these two factors don’t bother you, definitely head to the Museum at least 30 minutes before the free entry hours – as people will already be lining up.
The Masterpieces to Not Miss Out on
Something really neat is that Museo del Prado crafted 3 itineraries based on the amount of time you have – 1 hour, 2 hours, or 3 hours.
While there are many world-renowned masterpieces, the most famous picture in the Prado museum is certainly Las Meninas by Velázquez.
If you compare me and my art knowledge to art students and historians, I am a complete “uncultured swine” (😂), but nonetheless I have deep appreciation for the art my eyes got to indulge in.
A few of my personal favorite paintings included The Milky Way by Rubens, Fabula del Perro y la Presa by Paul de Vos, Garland by Daniel Seghers. As well as 5 Senses by Jan Brueghel el Viejo, Migrants by Ventura Alvarez Sala, and all the monkey paintings by David Teniers.
All in all, I strongly recommend admiring Velazquez, Rubens, and Jan Brueghel el Viejo. Goya is one of the most important artists and has a room dedicated to his last paintings – all of which are really dark. While that’s another must-visit, I’d recommend admiring flowers paintings after that room.😅
A personal tip for the art lovers, look at the map of the Museo del Prado before hand to make a visit plan. This museum is immense, so having a route semi-planned out can help you stay on track of the masterpieces you want to see, and not feel overwhelmed.
Museo del Prado Dresscode
There is no dress code for Museo del Prado. In addition, if you’re the type of person who wants nice pictures in museums, don’t bother dressing for pictures – as they are heavily prohibited.
However, from what I’ve seen during my visit, people tend to dress more business casual than anything else.
Museo del Prado FAQS
Why can’t you take pictures in Museo del Prado?
From what I’ve learned, you cannot take pictures in the Museo del Prado for copyright purposes, and flash. While it might seem annoying at first (it did to me), I can easily say that I am thankful for this rule.
Why? Because I was forced to put my phone and give all of my attention to the paintings, and reading their descriptions. It allowed me to truly dive into each work of art I was admiring, and “see” it. I’ve noticed that, personally, when I take pictures or videos, I don’t take things in to the fullest – because I know they are safe on my phone.
One thing I did, and recommend doing, is to bring a notebook, or use your phone’s note app, and write down the titles of the paintings you loved. This will help you remember them even more, and you can always look up pictures when you want to see them.
Is the Museo del Prado worth it?
Museo del Prado is one of the best art museums in the world, and is simply a must visit when in Madrid. With so many paintings, there is something for everyone to admire and appreciate – whether you want historic paintings, modern, landscape, still life, and so forth.
Do you need a passport for Prado museum?
If you qualify for a discounted entry, you will need to bring a physical passport or ID to prove you qualify for that discounted rate. You also must have a passport with you if you plan to visit the Library or Archive of the Museo del Prado research centers.
I definitely recommend bringing your passport, or ID.
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I have to ask…
Which of these Museo del Prado tips surprised you the most? Did this article make you feel more at ease? Let me know in the comments!😊
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