Free Madrid: museums, parks and sights without paying (2026)

Madrid is one of the European capitals where you can see the most without paying: the three great museums of the Paseo del Arte open their collections for free every week, several national museums cost nothing on Saturday afternoons or Sundays, and monuments such as the Temple of Debod are always free. You still need to know the time slots, which vary from one place to another and often exclude Mondays. This guide brings together the free hours museum by museum, the places that are always free, the parks and the free days of the year, with a summary table to plan your week. Prices observed in October 2026.

The three great museums of the Paseo del Arte

The Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza are less than 15 minutes' walk from one another. Each has its own free slot: late in the day for the first two, in the middle of the day on Monday for the third.

Prado Museum

The Prado Museum is free for everyone Monday to Saturday from 6pm to 8pm, and on Sundays and public holidays from 5pm to 7pm. Free entry covers the permanent collection; temporary exhibitions are then half price. It does not apply on days with reduced hours (6 January, 24 and 31 December). The museum is also free all day on 19 November, its anniversary. Outside these slots, admission costs €15.

A queue often forms before 6pm at the ticket desks. Two hours are enough for a focused selection: Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings and Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights.

Reina Sofía Museum

The Reina Sofía Museum, home to Picasso's Guernica, is free on Monday and from Wednesday to Saturday from 7pm to 9pm, and on Sunday from 12:30pm to 2:30pm (the museum is closed on Tuesday). A free ticket is still required: book it online before you come, as these slots are in high demand. The standard ticket costs €12. Free entry is for individual visitors only, not groups.

The Velázquez Palace, in the heart of the Retiro park, hosts Reina Sofía temporary exhibitions with free admission.

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is free on Monday from 12pm to 4pm for the permanent collection, which is in fact its only opening time that day. On Saturday from 9pm to 11pm, the temporary exhibitions on level -1 and the ground floor become free. No ticket needs to be collected during these slots. The rest of the time, admission costs €14.

Monday is therefore the best day to combine all three: the Thyssen at midday, the Prado at 6pm, then the Reina Sofía at 7pm if you still have the energy.

The Royal Palace and the changing of the guard

The Royal Palace costs €18 (€9 reduced), but it is free Monday to Thursday for European Union citizens, residents and work permit holders in the EU and Latin American citizens, on presentation of an identity card, passport or driving licence. From October to March, the slot runs from 4pm to 6pm (last entry 5pm); from April to September, from 5pm to 7pm (last entry 6pm). Free tickets are only available at the ticket desk, the visit is self-guided, without a guide, and the royal kitchens are not included. There is no free entry on Friday or at the weekend.

The Campo del Moro gardens, below the west façade, are open every day and free. Finally, the solemn changing of the Royal Guard takes place on the first Wednesday of each month at 12pm (except in January, August and September) on the Plaza de la Armería: entry is free through the Santiago gate, calle de Bailén, and the ceremony lasts about 50 minutes, followed by a military band concert in front of the Prince's gate.

National museums and house museums

Less crowded than the Paseo del Arte, these museums have remarkable collections and cheap tickets, often free on Saturday afternoon or Sunday.

Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando

A short walk from the Puerta del Sol, at calle de Alcalá 13, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando displays Goya, Zurbarán and Rubens. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 3pm. The permanent collection is free Tuesday to Friday from 1:30pm to 3pm; general admission costs €10. The museum's second floor has been closed since 2 May 2026 until further notice.

National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum, on calle de Serrano, houses the Lady of Elche and a replica of the Altamira cave. It opens Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30am to 8pm, and on Sundays and public holidays from 9:30am to 3pm. Admission costs €3 and becomes free for everyone on Saturday from 2pm (except public holidays) and on Sunday morning.

Cerralbo Museum

The Cerralbo Museum, calle de Ventura Rodríguez 17 near Plaza de España, preserves intact the palace of a 19th-century collector marquis. It opens Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30am to 3pm, also on Thursday from 5pm to 8pm, and on Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Admission (€3) is free on Thursday from 5pm to 7pm, except public holidays, and every Sunday. The museum does not sell tickets in advance: go to the ticket desk no later than one hour before closing.

Lázaro Galdiano Museum

At calle de Serrano 122, the Lázaro Galdiano Museum brings together paintings, jewellery and objets d'art in the mansion of a publisher and collector. It is free Tuesday to Friday from 2pm to 3pm; the rest of the time, the ticket costs €8. The garden is free to enter during opening hours. The Treasure Chamber is temporarily closed.

Sorolla Museum

The Sorolla Museum, calle del General Martínez Campos 37, reopens on 15 October after extension works, with free admission for everyone. For now the visit is limited to the new building; the painter's house and studio remain closed for restoration. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30am to 8pm and on Sunday from 10am to 3pm, and tickets are only available at the ticket desk.

Monuments and places that are always free

The gates of the Temple of Debod, in the Parque del Oeste

Some places never require a paid ticket, whatever the day.

Temple of Debod. This Egyptian temple given to Spain in 1968, calle de Ferraz 1 (metro Plaza de España or Ventura Rodríguez), can be visited free of charge Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm, last entry 7:30pm (10am to 7pm from 15 June to 15 September); it is closed on Monday. The interior is small and booking online on the city council website is recommended. The grounds of the Temple of Debod are the place to watch the sunset.
Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida. Reopened on 12 June 2026 after conservation works, the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida preserves the dome painted in fresco by Goya, who is buried there. Admission is free.
Madrid History Museum. Housed in the former San Fernando hospice, at calle de Fuencarral 78, it traces the city's development and never charges admission.
Almudena Cathedral. The nave is free to enter, with a suggested donation; only the museum and the dome are paid.
Cibeles Palace. The hall of the Cibeles Palace, seat of the city council, is free to enter.

Parks, gardens and walks

The Retiro lake and the monument to Alfonso XII

Madrid's large green spaces are free and lend themselves to long walks between two museums.

Retiro park. The Retiro park is open every day from 6am to 10pm from October to March, and until midnight from April to September. The lake, the rose garden and the Velázquez Palace can be visited without a ticket; the Crystal Palace, closed for restoration, can only be seen from outside.
Royal Botanical Garden. The Royal Botanical Garden, next to the Prado, costs €4 but is free for everyone on Tuesday from 10am to 1:30pm.
Madrid Río. The landscaped walks along the Manzanares at Madrid Río pass beneath the Segovia Bridge and the Toledo Bridge among others, and are free to explore on foot or by bike.
CaixaForum. The 460 m² vertical garden of CaixaForum, on the Paseo del Prado, can be admired for free from the square.
Campo del Moro. The gardens below the Royal Palace are free and open every day.

Free days of the year

A few dates open normally paid museums for free. Queues are long on those days: come at opening time.

18 April (International Day for Monuments and Sites): Reina Sofía, National Archaeological Museum, Cerralbo Museum.
18 May (International Museum Day): Prado, Royal Palace, Reina Sofía, San Fernando Academy, National Archaeological Museum; the Cerralbo Museum, however, is closed that day. The Reina Sofía is also free on 22 May.
23 May (Night of Museums): Cerralbo Museum.
12 October (national holiday): Prado, Royal Palace, Reina Sofía, San Fernando Academy, National Archaeological Museum, Cerralbo Museum.
19 November (museum anniversary): Prado, all day.
6 December (Constitution Day): Reina Sofía, San Fernando Academy, National Archaeological Museum, Cerralbo Museum.

Summary table of free slots

Place	Free slot	Price outside free hours
Prado Museum	Mon-Sat 6pm-8pm, Sun and holidays 5pm-7pm	€15
Reina Sofía Museum	Mon and Wed-Sat 7pm-9pm, Sun 12:30pm-2:30pm	€12
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum	Mon 12pm-4pm (collection), Sat 9pm-11pm (exhibitions)	€14
Royal Palace	Mon-Thu 4pm-6pm from October to March, 5pm-7pm from April to September (EU, residents, Latin America)	€18
San Fernando Academy	Tue-Fri 1:30pm-3pm	€10
National Archaeological Museum	Sat from 2pm, Sun morning	€3
Cerralbo Museum	Thu 5pm-7pm, Sun	€3
Lázaro Galdiano Museum	Tue-Fri 2pm-3pm	€8
Sorolla Museum	always free (new building, from 15 October)	free
Royal Botanical Garden	Tue 10am-1:30pm	€4
Temple of Debod, Retiro, Madrid Río	always free	free

Prices observed in October 2026. Free hours generally cover the permanent collection; temporary exhibitions remain paid or at a reduced rate.

Tips for making the most of free hours

Avoid Monday for the smaller museums. The Archaeological Museum, the Cerralbo, Sorolla and Lázaro Galdiano museums and the Temple of Debod are closed that day; keep it for the Thyssen, the Prado and the Reina Sofía.
Arrive 20 to 30 minutes before the slot starts. At the Prado as at the Reina Sofía, the queue forms early and last entries are well before closing.
Target a few rooms. One or two hours are not enough to see everything: choose three or four works and go straight to them.
Keep your ID with you. It is required for free entry to the Royal Palace and for free admission by category (under-18s, students, jobseekers), granted on proof at the ticket desk.
Combine by neighbourhood. On Saturday, visit the Archaeological Museum from 2pm, then the Thyssen exhibitions from 9pm to 11pm; on Sunday, the Cerralbo in the morning then the Temple of Debod, five minutes' walk away.