Skip the Lines at the Prado Museum | Save Up To 90 Minutes

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Museo del Prado Tickets

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Flexible duration

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Museo del Prado Skip-the-Line Guided Tour

Free cancellation

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1 hr. 30 min. - 2 hr.

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Museo del Prado Timed Entry Tickets with Audio Guide

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Combo (Save 5%): Prado Museum Tickets with Audio Guide + 2-hour Welcome Tuk-Tuk City Tour

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Art Walk Pass: Museo del Prado + Thyssen Bornemisza + Reina Sofia Entry Tickets

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What are customers saying?

Loved by 44 million+

Irina

Uruguay

Oct 2025

5/5

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Ana Cristina is very good. Very well informed. She made the visit very enjoyable. And we learned a lot. We did not queue. She was waiting for us punctually at the right place. It is a very different experience. We had gone alone. It is much better to do it with who you know.

Joel

Mexico

Sep 2025

5/5

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Really everything was very good, my visit was short, so I hope I can come soon and enjoy the museum with more time.

Elizabeth

United States

May 2025

5/5

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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!

Jutta

Oct 2025

4/5

Great, extensive collection. Despite many visitors, hardly any waiting time and, with a few exceptions, enough space to admire the exhibits. Unfortunately, the audio guide was disappointing. We took advantage of the 3-hour tour. There was no recognizable concept or chronology. Instead, we were constantly sent back and forth between the rooms and floors and spent a lot of time looking for rooms. Unfortunately, the labeling of the rooms was poor. What a pity.

Paolo

Oct 2025

4/5

Ease of purchase, accompanying explanations. I did not like the need to install the app and the instructions on schedules that were only valid during COVID period but are not needed now. Also the ticket redemption is no longer needed, just the pdf on your phone

Jonathan

United Kingdom

Sep 2025

5/5

Booking the tours of the royal palace and Prado museum was easy and problem free and our guide Martha was very knowledgeable and brought whole experience to life - simply the best!! Recommend 100%

Roberto

May 2025

5/5

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 !!!!

Andres

May 2022

4/5

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.

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.