Madrid is a city that is famous for being a collection point of people and cultures from around the world. It is a blend of both the historical and modern attractions with museums full of Renaissance and contemporary artworks gathered from around Europe.
This diverse and welcoming city has an authenticity that is hard to compare to. For art lovers, this is a dream destination that should be atop your bucket list. A Madrid museum pass is the best way to see all the different museums in the area. There are also a host of free things to do in Madrid so that you can save some extra funds for more museum trips.
Highlights:
- Pasa del Arte walk
- Masterpieces by famous artists
- Entry into three museums
- A cultural hub with works from all over Europe
Know before you book::
- Includes admission to all the permanent and temporary exhibitions
- Pass is valid for one year
- Pass is only valid for one entry per museum
- Wheelchair accessible
- Queues can get very long to get into the museums
Lying at the heart of the Iberian Peninsula is the capital city of Spain, Madrid. This is a city of contrasting styles, each reflecting a different period of time and development. The picturesque landscapes come with a host of museums that lend to highlighting the different periods of art.
There is a half-mile (1km) stretch in Madrid called the Paseo del Arte, which translates to ‘Art Walk’, where you will find three of the finest museums in the world. It is a city of joy with a unique aesthetic and each neighbourhood offering a different experience. A Madrid Tourist card, or Madrid City pass, will be the best way for you to get around on public transport. Don’t forget to take a break to enjoy the Madrid tapas along the way.
There is a wide variety of museums in the city of Madrid, even a few unusual ones such as the military and railways museums. The three most important are the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum. The city’s museums are rich with artistic masterpieces within, a Picasso being of particular interest.
Madrid Museum Passes | Paseo del Arte Ticket Prices 2024
The cost of the Museum pass ticket, known locally as the Paseo del Arte card, starts at around €30 ($35 USD). The pass is valid for one year and will allow you one visit to each of the three museums, Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen-Bornemisza, to witness their permanent collections. There are, however, individual guided tours available, as well as general entry tickets.
Compare prices across the ticket providers below:
Madrid City Museum Times
The opening times of the different museums do vary depending on the day of the week. The Reina Sofia for example is only open on Monday and Wednesday during the week. You will have to check for specific times for each museum, but in general, most operate between 10 am and 8 pm with some variances.
Monday – Friday: 10am – 8pm
Saturday – Sunday: 10am – 4pm
Best Time to Go
The best time to visit the museums would be in the early hours of the opening times if you want to try and avoid the large crowds. The three most popular ones should either be first or last on your list to miss the mid-day influx of tourists. This should give you a little more breathing space and freedom to walk around with almost uninterrupted views of the artwork.
If you do happen to go in the winter months, the colder temperatures outside will deter more tourists from visiting Madrid during this time, so the museums will be less crowded overall.
Madrid Museum Tickets for Tours
There are a number of other museums in Madrid as well, some quirky, but others that pay more attention to specific niches of art. For something a little different and a good laugh with friends and family, there is an alternative with a unique experience for all that is the Museum of Illusions. Below is some more information about these museums and what to expect.
The Prado Museum
The Prado Museum is over 200 years old, opening in 1819, and a top-tier and extremely popular tourist spot. This neoclassical building is home to over 8,600 paintings and over 700 sculptures. It is also ranked as one of the most popular attractions in Europe amongst the Louvre and Victoria & Albert Museum.
The Prado is considered by some as a significantly important museum in the world for European painting. It is home to the largest collection of Spanish Art and features masterpieces from the likes of Rubens, El Greco, and Raphael.
- Skip the line ticket
- 2 hour tour
- Private group
- Meals and drinks
A majority of the displays at the Prado Museum originate from Spain’s monarchs, including the two most iconic paintings being Las Meninas by Velázquez and The Family of Charles IV by Goya. If you’d prefer to make this Madrid, Spain attraction more insightful, a guided tour is ideal.
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Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
If you are looking for a melting pot of differing styles from different periods, the Thyssen-Bornemisza is a must-visit. The museum and its collections were transferred over to the ownership of the Kingdom of Spain, following which the Baron and his wife went on to expand the collection.
The entire collection was curated initially by the Baroness, and this is reflected in the presentations. There is a mix of landscape 19th-century paintings, works from American artists, and both Post-Impressionist and Impressionist works of art. There is even a little 20th-century avant-garde art.
This is an all-inclusive tour and includes the price of entry into the museum.
- Entrance to museum
- Guided tour
- No private tour option
Reina Sofia Museum
For all the Salvador Dali and Picasso lovers, the Reina Sofia museum should be on the top of your list of places to visit. This museum was opened in 1990 and currently houses over 22,400 works, with most coming from the 20th-century.
What is special about this museum is that it has two other separate locations in Madrid, the Crystal Palace and Velázquez Palace in Retiro Park. Here, you will find some temporary exhibitions and other art installations created specifically for these spaces.
Hot tip: You can find Picasso’s Guernica in Room 206
- Skip-the-line entry ticket
- Instant confirmation
- Headphones for groups larger than 5
- Pickup service
This tour is wheelchair-friendly, and photos are allowed without the use of a flash or any form of tripod.
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Madrid Museum of Illusions
This is something that is a little different. With the Museum of Illusion, you will be questioning the reality of what is real and what isn’t. Challenge your senses with both optical and photographic illusions, all with the purpose of teaching you about vision and perception.
These mind-bending illusions are designed to surprise you and also happen to be extremely Instagram-worthy.
- Entrance ticket
- Ticket is valid for one month
- Tour guide
Specification: The Best Madrid Museum Pass for Visitors | Tourist Tickets 2024
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Photos: The Best Madrid Museum Pass for Visitors | Tourist Tickets 2024
John_S –
David was our tour guide…. He was pleasant, knowledgeable, caring and so cooperative… we enjoyed the day! He gave us tips for Madrid, also… very helpful!
Kristen_A –
What an amazing tour! While the tour is long the time goes by before you know it! There's so much packed into the day but perfectly balanced with information, taking in the experience and time in your own to explore. David was a great host who is passionate about what you see, packed full of information and a welcoming sense of humor! The bus was spotless, comfortable and adequately sized to allow appropriate distancing. Highly recommend this tour for anyone short on time in Madrid … this truly was an unforgettable experience!
Jeremy_M –
This is a great way to squeeze in 2 day trips in a single day. Note, this does mean that you'll spend a few hours riding on the bus to get to each place, but I enjoyed seeing so much of the countryside outside of Madrid and it gave me a chance to sort through all the pictures I was taking (the bus seats have USB charging ports). David was an excellent tour guide — he was very enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and upbeat. There were a few changes related to COVID and some recent weather conditions, but David & the driver managed to work around them so we still had a great tour. I've seen similar tours on here where people complained about the actual time in each town being short or the guide just rushing through everything, but for this tour David definitely spent a lot of time with us walking through each town and also gave us ample free time for our own exploring.
Anonymous –
It was ok but keep in mind that this is best to go in groups of 2+ as there are props and activities that require more than one person. Also with Covid not ideal to be asking others to take pictures of you. Unfortunately since I was by myself I did not enjoy it or got the full experience so I wasted my $$ for the most part. Luckily, it wasn’t crazy expensive.
Maria –
Alicia was a wonderful guide to the Prado Museum. I had been to the museum on several occasions before, but it was the first time for my family. We all had a very engaged tour with lots of opportunities for questions and discussion. Wonderful experience!
Dana_D –
We really enjoyed, but the crowds were intense and there wasn't enough time to really absorb and explore…both items on our timing.
nenanav1 –
Although the access seemed efficient and best to do with so many tours going on at the same time you could barely hear your tour guide. It would be super helpful if you knew ahead time what artists or period they cover beforehand to see if that tour would be best. We enjoyed it but needs to be better organized so you can actually see the paintings they refer to and hear.
Camer0n_W_13 –
We were two minutes late due to the cooking class that Viator set up that was held earlier that same day and the guide for the Prado Tour left without us. When we ask if we could join them they said no, so we lost all of the money we paid for the tour. We were not happy after all the money we've spent on Viator tours over the years for two minutes!
Anonymous –
Our guide Alicia spoke excellent English. She led us with great expertise to selected masterpieces, gave information about the concrete works as well as the painters and their art-historical environment. This was embedded in an exciting narrative with some unexpected "candy". Highly Recommended! But be careful: the price for the tour does not include admission!
Brigitte –
Absolutely perfect guide. In 2 hours we had a very good cultural tour of the Prado and its main works. We learned a lot from Laeticia, an art historian. Excellent guide. Lots of anecdotes about the paintings. We were delighted! I highly recommend this visit. For the most passionate and less tired, do the one in 3 hours.