The Prado is not a museum you "do"; it is a museum you triage. Nineteen thousand works, of which roughly 1,700 hang at any time — walk in without a plan and you will spend your energy on corridors. The collection is the personal taste of the Spanish Habsburgs and Bourbons, which is why it is so deep in exactly three things: Velázquez, Goya, and the strange Flemish pictures Philip II loved.
Book the first slot (10:00) or use the free evening window. Enter by the Jerónimos door, cloakroom your bag, and go straight to the first floor before the groups land. Two focused hours beat five wandering ones.
The minimum you must see
01
Las Meninas — Velázquez
📍 Room 012, first floor. The axis of the whole museum; the surrounding rooms (009A–015A) are all Velázquez.
02
The Garden of Earthly Delights — Bosch
📍 Room 056A, ground floor. Go early; it draws the densest crowd after Las Meninas.
03
The 3rd of May 1808 — Goya
📍 Room 064, first floor, paired with The 2nd of May.
04
The Black Paintings — Goya
📍 Rooms 066–067, ground floor. Painted on the walls of his house; unmissable and genuinely unsettling.
05
The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest — El Greco
📍 Rooms 008B–010B, first floor.
06
The Three Graces — Rubens
📍 Room 029, first floor.
Tips
The free evening window is the best value in Madrid — but it is two hours with one-way flow in places. Pick ONE of the six must-sees as your anchor and let the rest be bonus.
The café queue at lunch is brutal; the terraces of nearby Calle de Moratín (8 min) are better and cheaper. Re-entry is not allowed on a standard ticket.
Questions, answered
Is the audio guide worth it?
For a first visit, yes (€5) — the room numbering is confusing and the guide’s "masterpieces" route matches the list above almost exactly.
Prado, Reina Sofía or Thyssen if I only have time for one?
Prado for old masters, Reina Sofía for Guernica and the 20th century, Thyssen for a compact “history of everything”. If truly one: Prado.
How much is a Prado ticket?
€15 general. Book the 10:00 slot online to enter before the tour groups land. Re-entry is not allowed, so plan a single visit.
When is the Prado free?
Every day: Mon–Sat 18:00–20:00 and Sun & holidays 17:00–19:00. The queue forms early but moves fast — arrive 30 minutes before the window opens.
How long do you need at the Prado?
Three hours is comfortable; two focused hours with the must-see list above cover the essentials without museum fatigue.
What is the nearest metro to the Prado?
Banco de España (L2) and Estación del Arte (L1), both about ten minutes on foot. Enter by the Jerónimos door — the shortest queue and the closest to the Velázquez rooms.
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