The Reina Sofía sells timed tickets, and on bank holiday weekends, Saturdays and in peak season some slots show as sold out online. But what genuinely runs out here is the free hours, which you also have to book. Before giving up, it helps to know which allocation is which: a paid 5pm slot and a free 7pm slot are not competing for the same places.
What options are left?
| If you want… | Option | From |
|---|---|---|
| Another time that day | Official website, slots from 10am to 7pm | €12 |
| To buy on the spot | Museum box office, until 30 min before closing | €12 |
| Free entry | Mon and Wed-Sat 7pm-9pm; Sun 12:30pm-2:30pm | €0 |
| A timed ticket, no guide | Reina Sofía Museum ticket, 4.5★ (10,347) Book | €12 |
| A guide, entry included | Guided tour with Guernica, 4.3★ (676) Book | €29.05 |
| A group of six at most | Small-group tour, 4.9★ (418) Book | €45 |
| Just your party | Private tour with an official guide Book | €124 |
| A nearby alternative | Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, 4.8★ (460) Book | €14 |
1. The official website: prices and time slots
Official sales are at entradas.museoreinasofia.es, linked from museoreinasofia.es. Prices for the main site (the Sabatini and Nouvel buildings):
- General admission: €12. Collection and exhibitions at the main site.
- Two-visit ticket: €18. Lets you come back once more within a year.
- General admission with audio guide: €18.
- Free for under-18s, over-65s and students, but only at the box office with proof.
You pick a time when you buy. Paid slots run from 10am until the free hours begin. If yours is sold out:
- Check other times on the same day. Two or three hours covers the collection well, so going in at 4pm instead of 11am won't wreck your plans.
- Check another day. It's closed on Tuesdays and only opens 10am-2:30pm on Sundays, so Monday and Wednesday are usually safer bets than the weekend.
- Check the opening hours: Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 10am-9pm; Sunday 10am-2:30pm. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
Tickets are personal and non-transferable and let you re-enter on the same day, so keep yours.
2. The free hours: when they are and how to book
According to the museum, entry is free at these times:
| Day | Free hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 7pm-9pm |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday to Saturday | 7pm-9pm |
| Sunday | 12:30pm-2:30pm |
It is also free all day on 18 April, 18 and 22 May, 12 October and 6 December.
Three things most visitors don't realise:
- You need a ticket even during free hours. You book it online for free, just like a paid one.
- Free entry is for individual visitors only, not groups.
- Two hours isn't much. It's enough for Guernica and the second floor of the Sabatini Building, not the whole museum.
If the free booking is gone, don't wait at the door hoping: buy a paid slot before 7pm. It's a different allocation and you get to see the museum properly.
3. The box office
The box office sells same-day tickets and closes 30 minutes before the museum (8:30pm Monday to Saturday, 2pm on Sundays). It is also the only place to get free tickets by age or student status and the 50% reduced rate (large families and cultural volunteers). On bank holiday weekends, expect a queue.
4. A guided tour with entry included
If the website won't give you the time you want, or you'd like someone to unpack Guernica and 20th-century Spanish art for you, operators with their own allocation sell the tour with entry already included:
- 75-minute tour (from €29.05): bilingual Spanish-English, covering Guernica, Dalí and Miró.
- Group of six at most (from €45): an hour and a half, with hotel pick-up.
- Private tour with an official guide (from €124): two hours at your own pace, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
If you're also doing the Prado and the Thyssen, the official Paseo del Arte pass (€32.80) or the Art Walk Pass€38 · 4.4 (from €38) gives you one entry to each museum.
5. If you can't get in: nearby alternatives
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, about 15 minutes' walk up the Paseo del Prado, has strong 20th-century holdings (Expressionism, Pop Art) and is the most natural substitute.
- Prado Museum, about 7 minutes' walk. If that's full too, see Prado tickets sold out.
- Palacio de Cristal and Palacio de Velázquez in the Retiro: both are Reina Sofía venues with temporary exhibitions and free entry. They open 10am-6pm from October to March and until 9pm from April to September. The Palacio de Cristal may close in rain or extreme heat.
When it sells out and how far ahead to book
- Free hours: Friday and Saturday evenings and the Sunday slot are the most sought after. Book as soon as you know your date.
- Paid tickets: outside bank holidays there's usually a slot left on the day. If you're visiting over a long weekend, buy a few days ahead.
- Free days (18 April, 18 and 22 May, 12 October and 6 December): expect long queues.
Common mistakes
- Turning up at 7pm without a free ticket booked. Free entry isn't an open door: without a booking you depend on spare places.
- Going on a Tuesday. It's closed every Tuesday, and on 9 November, a Madrid holiday, too.
- Buying from sites that look like the official one. The official shop is
entradas.museoreinasofia.es; reputable resellers say clearly what extra you're paying for (a guide, flexibility). - Assuming Sunday has an afternoon. It closes at 2:30pm, with last entry at 2pm.
- Trying to see everything in the free hours. Focus on Guernica and the Sabatini second floor.
In a nutshell
If the Reina Sofía is sold out, buy a €12 paid slot at another time or go to the box office; for the free hours, book online; and for a no-risk visit, take a guided tour with entry included from €29. To choose between the big three, read Prado vs Reina Sofía vs Thyssen.
