Prado or Reina Sofía: Which Museum to Choose?

If you only have time for one museum in Madrid, you must choose between the Prado, the great collection of older painting, and the Reina Sofía, the twentieth-century art museum where Guernica hangs. The two are 10 minutes apart on foot, but they do not answer the same wish. Hours and prices checked in October 2026.

The Answer in One Sentence

Choose the Prado for Velázquez, Goya, El Greco and classical painting; choose the Reina Sofía for Picasso, Dalí, Miró and modern art. If you hesitate and it is your first visit to Madrid, the Prado is the most obvious choice.

The Prado façade and the statue of Velázquez

Quick Comparison

	Prado	Reina Sofía
Period	12th to early 19th century	20th century and contemporary art
Emblematic works	Las Meninas, The Third of May, The Garden of Earthly Delights	Picasso's Guernica
Recommended time	At least 3 hours	2 to 3 hours
General ticket	€15	€12
Hours	Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday and holidays 10am-7pm	Monday and Wednesday-Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 10am-2:30pm
Closing day	None (except 1 January, 1 May, 25 December)	Tuesday
Free hours	Monday-Saturday 6-8pm; Sunday 5-7pm	Monday and Wednesday-Saturday 7-9pm; Sunday 12:30-2:30pm

Choose the Prado If…

you want to see the most famous works of Spanish painting;
you like royal portraits and religious and mythological scenes;
it is your first visit to Madrid and you will only do one museum;
you are visiting with children who like big canvases and details.

The building is large: don't try to see everything. A selection of three or four rooms beats a forced march. See the Prado Museum page and the itinerary in the footsteps of Goya.

Choose the Reina Sofía If…

The Nouvel building of the Reina Sofía

you mainly come for Guernica, or for Picasso, Dalí and Miró;
modern art speaks to you more than the old masters;
you already saw the Prado on a previous stay;
you want a shorter visit that suits an evening (open until 9pm Monday to Saturday, except Tuesday).

See the Reina Sofía page. The collection is being reorganised: some rooms may be closed.

If You Have Little Time or Little Budget

An hour and a half: pick the Prado's main rooms or the Reina Sofía's Picasso route, not both.
Free entry: both museums open free at the end of the day, but with long queues at the Prado. The Reina Sofía asks you to book a free ticket online for these slots. See free things to do in Madrid.
Both museums: the Paseo del Arte ticket at €32.80 covers the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, valid for a year. It only pays off if you visit all three, possibly on different dates. See tourist passes.

If You Want to Do Both

Don't chain them on the same day if you can't stand long visits. A reasonable plan: the Prado one morning, a long lunch in the Barrio de las Letras, then the Reina Sofía on another day, or the same day only in the evening, when it stays open until 9pm. See the Paseo del Arte to organise the walk, and around the Prado for nearby places.

And the Thyssen?

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum bridges the gap: it covers seven centuries of painting, from the old masters to twentieth-century art. If you want a shorter, more varied visit than the Prado, it is a third option.