Skip-the-Line tickets to the Prado Museum

4.4(12.1K Ratings)

Headout is an authorized and trusted partner of the venue, offering curated experiences to enjoy this attraction. This is not the venue's website.

Visitors exploring art exhibits inside Prado Museum, Madrid, during a guided tour.


What does skip-the-line mean at the Prado Museum?

The Prado Museum is one of Madrid’s top attractions, so it’s no surprise that the lines here can be quite long. Buying skip-the-line tickets to the Prado Museum lets you skip the wait, turning a 1 or 2-hour-long wait into no more than 30 minutes during the peak season.

Keep in mind that while you get to skip the ticket lines, you will still have to go through the security screening at the museum.

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How long are the queues at the Prado Museum’s entrance?

Tourists exploring the famous Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, showcasing unique art collections

The Prado Museum has five different entrances, each catering to different visitor groups. Puerta de Murillo and Puerta de Goya Baja entrances are typically used by those without pre-booked tickets. Wait times can sometimes range from 30 minutes in the low season to even 2 hours during the peak season between April to June & September to November.

While the museum opens at 10am, crowds start building from around 11am at these entrances, and you’ll find really long queues till around 3 or 4pm.

On the other hand, the Puerta de Velázquez and Puerta de los Jerónimos entrances are reserved for visitors with pre-booked tickets. Wait times, as a result, are a maximum of 30 minutes during the peak season—much better than spending 2 hours in Madrid’s heat, isn’t it?

How can you skip the queues at the Prado Museum?

Even with skip-the-line tickets, your experience will depend on when you visit the museum, the weather, and the season, among other factors. Here’s how to make the most of your time during your visit.

Tourist using a smartphone for online booking of Paris Eiffel Tower tickets.

Book timed entry tickets in advance

Timed entry tickets give you the benefit of reserving a slot for your visit to the museum. You must book your tickets well in advance, as they sell out rather quickly during the peak season.

Book Prado Museum Timed Entry Tickets
Experienced guide leading a group on a guided tour inside the Prado Museum, showcasing famous artworks

Book a skip-the-line guided tour

This ticket lets you skip the long ticket lines, significantly cutting down on your waiting times. The icing on the cake is that you get to tour the museum with an expert local guide leading the way.

prado museum and royal palace of madrid combo tours

Book a guided tour combo

A combo guided tour is a brilliant way to skip the lines at the Prado Museum and squeeze more into your day. The Royal Palace of Madrid & Prado Museum combo gets you priority entry to both attractions, letting you explore them with an expert guide in a single day.

Visitors exploring art exhibits inside the Prado Museum, Madrid, during a guided tour.

Avoid free entry hours

The Prado Museum offers free entry from Monday to Saturday between 6pm and 8pm, and on Sundays and holidays between 5pm and 7pm. This is when the museum is at its most crowded—not the ideal time for a relaxed visit.

Book skip-the-line tickets to the Prado Museum 

Your skip-the-line tickets to the Prado Museum let you breeze past the long ticket lines, especially during the peak season. After a quick security check, you’re free to enter the museum and explore it at your own pace or with an expert guide. Less waiting, less stress, and more time to enjoy the best of European art. No waiting equals less stress and more time to explore the best of European art.

What are customers saying?

Loved by 35 million+
Elizabeth Ann Gorny
US

Elizabeth

United States
May 2025
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Everything was wonderful. We were even treated to a military parade while waiting in line. Thank you for assisting us with rescheduling our ticket dare after a death in the family causing a change in our family plans. We are very grateful to the staff!
Theodorus J.M. Freriks

Theodorus

Mar 2025
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The museum was impressive: we appreciated the fantastic collection. Very bad for us was the limited number of sanitary facilities, and also very hard to find. We were very satisfied and tired after the visit.
PERISTERA ELEFTHERIA
GR

Peristera

Greece
Feb 2025
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Despite I have booked the tour in English the actual tour was in English Spanish language. That was the only défaut! Ticket reservation was very easy and our guide Miguel kind and knowledgeable about the museum, he gave us a lot of useful information and made the tour very interesting. Overall it was a very good experience!
Roberto Notari

Roberto

May 2025
David was a perfect guide. Very knowledgeable. He was able to season historical and artistic tidbits with amusing anecdotes. He was also very careful not to lose anyone in the group. Bravo !!!!
Tracy W. Price
US

Tracy

United States
Nov 2024
I've done a lot of similar guided tours. This was easily the best. Patricia was fantastic. Amazingly knowledgeable and articulate.
Andres C.

Andres

May 2022
La visita guiada del museo el Prado estuvo excelente, sin embargo, la visita con Gabriel en el parque El Retiro dejó mucho que desear. En cada parada daba muy breves reseñas de algo de 2 minutos, algunas de mis preguntas no fueron respondidas, aspecto desaliñado, actitud demasiado seria casi aburrida.
Troy

Troy

Aug 2018
Apparently, many others had early entry, as the Prado was rather crowded. Nevertheless, our guide was superb, and both museums were very interesting. Both should be on the list for anyone visiting Madrid
Monica Garcia Lopez
FR

Monica

France
Jun 2025
Elisa showed us the Prado's main works in great detail. She also introduced us to women painters, which was a big plus for the visit. We really enjoyed it, and thanks to Elisa.

Frequently asked questions about the Prado Museum skip-the-line tickets

Why should you book skip-the-line tickets to the Prado Museum?

Your skip-the-line tickets to the Prado Museum save you anywhere between 1-2 hours during the peak season, giving you plenty of time to explore the art on display.

Do I still need to go through security if I book skip-the-line tickets?

Yes, your skip-the-line tickets only let you bypass the long ticket lines. However, you will still need to go through the museum’s security screening. However, this will take you no more than 15-20 minutes.

What happens if you don’t book skip-the-line tickets to the Prado Museum?

Given how popular the Prado Museum is, not booking skip-the-line tickets means you could end up waiting in ticket lines for an hour or two during the peak season. If you visit later in the evening, you might even have to rush through the experience as a result.

Can I buy skip-the-line tickets at the Prado Museum’s entrance or gate?

Unfortunately, the only way you can buy skip-the-line tickets is to pre-book them in advance, as there isn’t a separate queue for this at the museum. You should book them at least a week in advance during the peak season.

Is there a separate entrance at the Prado Museum for skip-the-line tickets?

Yes, if you have pre-booked your tickets, you can enter the museum via the Puerta de Velázquez (the main entrance) or the Puerta de los Jerónimos (ground floor, on the museum’s eastern side

Why do the Prado Museum skip-the-line tickets cost more?

The key benefit of skip-the-line tickets to the Prado Museum is the time they save—often an hour or two during peak season. So, while others wait in the hot Madrid sun, you can spend your time exploring all the art on display.

Is a guided tour of the Prado Museum better than a skip-the-line ticket?

It depends on your preference—if you simply want to skip the lines and explore at your own pace, skip-the-line tickets are your best bet. The Prado Museum Skip-the-Line Guided Tour, however, also gets you an expert guide who offers fascinating insights into the museum’s collection.

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Headout is an authorized and trusted partner of the venue, offering curated experiences to enjoy this attraction. This is not the venue's website.