Skip the Line: Prado Museum Tour in Madrid

Skip the long lines and get right inside the Prado, Madrid’s most famous art museum, during this guided tour covering its top highlights. This insider’s discovery of this top-notch cultural institution, limited to just 20 guests per group, is sure to give you a new perspective on Spain’s incredible art history.

Start your visit outside the Prado, where you’ll meet your guide for the day and receive your priority-access admission to the museum, allowing you to jump right past the crowds and head straight inside. 

This incredible art museum is one of Spain’s, and Europe’s, finest, covering more than 9,000 paintings plus numerous sculptures, drawings and prints. Learn about the museum’s founding as you wander with your guide. Originally devised by King Charles III in the 18th century, the collections housed in this neo-classical building soon outgrew the space available, resulting two-further expansions.

Follow your guide as you visit some of the museum’s top pieces in chronological order, beginning with a look at the work of Hieronymus Bosch including his The Garden of Earthly Delights and The Seven Deadly Sins. Proceed next on an exploration of the works of Spanish renaissance artist El Greco, whose output includes sculpture, architecture and painting. Learn about his unique style as evidenced in his work The Annunciation. Continue to view Las Meninas by Velazquez, considered by many to be one of the most iconic artworks in Western history. End your art tour with a look at The Family of Carlos IV by Francisco Goya, a work that includes an image of the artist himself — an unexpected decision at the time it was painted in the 19th century.

End your Prado visit inside the museum, where you can continue your exploration at your leisure.