Isabelle was an amazing guide. She took the time to curate the entire day. It was absolutely perfect.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Semi-Private Museum Tour
- Duration 5.5 Hours (Including A Lunch Break)
- All Entrance Fees
- Professional Tour Guide
- Semi-Private" Means Group Size Is Never More Than 8 Guests Maximum
Excludes
- Tour price does NOT include hotel pickup or drop-off (we recommend UBER or Taxi)
- Tour price does NOT include gratuities (optional)
- Tour is NOT available for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair
- Temporary exhibitions NOT included
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Meet your guide by the Goya statue at the main entrance, outside of the Prado Museum
Itinerary
Start at the Prado, Spain’s response to the Louvre. One of the most visited sites in the world, the Prado is essential for any trip to Madrid. Housed in an 18th century neoclassical building, the Prado Museum displays thousands of works from its vast collection, spanning the 1200s to the 1900s. Some of the stand-out pieces include “Las Meninas” (The Maids of Honor), an inventive self-portrait by Spanish-born Velázquez, and “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” a triptych from Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. You’ll wander its hall as your expert guided reveals the stories and secrets behind works by Goya, Fra Angelico, El Greco, Rembrandt, and others. Explore the largest collection of Italian masterpieces outside of Italy in addition to a fine selection of prints and sculptures.
After a break for lunch, make your way to the Reina Sofia Museum, which houses an exquisite collection of Spanish modern and contemporary art. Part of a former hospital, the Reina Sofia became gallery space for 20th century art back in the 1990s. On this tour, your guide will introduce you to the different artistic movements showcased here, including abstractionism, cubism, surrealism, and modernism. You’ll come face to face with works by the iconic Pablo Picasso, including his world-changing painting, “Guernica.” You’ll browse works by Joan Miró, like “The Man with a Pipe,” and Salvador Dali’s “Face of the Great Masturbator,” learning about the techniques and strategies they used to create their oftentimes quirky works of art. You’ll discover all about the social and political movements that shaped these artists and their work, including the Spanish Civil War. You’ll leave with a richer understanding of 20th century Spain, allowing you to wander confidently through one of the world’s largest contemporary art collections.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
Isabella was a wonderful guide! She was very knowledgeable and covered plenty of great pieces. I felt like we saw so much.
Isabelle was absolutely amazing. One of the best curated tours I have ever been on. I would not hesitate to recommend her for any Madrid based tour.
Tour is long but so so worth it. I had a great experience. ISABELLA our guide was AWESOME. It’s very helpful to have a guide as crowds can be big and both museums are full of important pieces. Having someone there to isolate and explain specific pieces in their historical context is amazing. Admission fee to both museums is included in the price which is fair for the incredible value. This tour is great for anyone interested in history, art, social and political economics, or anyone who wants to learn.
Rosita is a masterful storyteller and a fountain of historical and art knowledge. Not only did she teach us Spanish history, she walked us through the evolution of art how political movements influenced artistic expression. Highly recommend Rosita. Worth every centavo.
Excellent experience. Rosita is very knowledgeable and we were treated to the most amazing pieces of art and their connections to Madrid and the history of Spain. It was informative and deeply moving. Rosita could not have been more friendly and accommodating. A plus
Rosita was the best tour guide I’ve ever had! Her knowledge of art and history was expressed with such passion and enthusiasm. You must request her when visiting Madrid. When you have a private tour you get 100 times more knowledge. Loved seeing both museums highlights with Rosita
Almu was a fantastic guide, helping us understand without overwhelming us. Her knowledge and passion are evident and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour!
We booked a semi-private tour with Babylon, which turned out to be a private one, a wonderful surprise. Our guide, Rosita M, was exceptional: warm, engaging, and impressively knowledgeable. She connected each artwork to its historical and cultural context, helping us understand its place within the broader timeline of Spanish history. Her explanations were clear, fascinating, and enriched with details about restoration work at the Prado. Although five hours of art could be demanding, Rosita M kept my 15-year-old daughter fully engaged and inspired throughout the tour. Her professionalism, deep knowledge, and passion for art made this an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended — especially with Rosita M!
This tour was truly an amazing experience where we spent hours learning about the history of Spain and of art together! Jose was an incredibly knowledgeable guide with mastery of the history and the techniques of art. He was really enthusiastic, knew the answer to every question, and kept everything interesting so we didn’t even notice the time passing. We felt so lucky to have him engaging directly with us while all these large groups of people filed by with earpieces.
Enrique was AHHHMMAAZING-super knowledgeable and a fantastic day!!!! Definitely book!!! He made the experience the very best!🌻🌺
We had the tour with Jaime and he was fantastic. Did a great job at weaving all the artists and history together. Highly recommend this tour to anyone!
Our tour guide Beatrix was amazing. She had deep knowledge of her subject matter and passion in her presentation made the tour informative and exciting.
David was so amazing!!! Very engaging and excited to teach us about the art. I learned so much, best experience ever!!!!!
The tour was amazing and the Palace was beautiful! Our tour guide was phenomenal, he was very knowledgeable and excellent at explaining the history of the country. Even after the tour we were finding things that he connected to the tour. Very much recommend.
Wonderful experience with a talented tour guide Marta. Best guided museum tour that I have experienced. I highly recommend doing it after seeing the Prado.
Phenomenal tour of the Prado and Reina Sofia museums! Our tour guide, Jaime, was energetic and knowledgeable - a true art history expert. He tailored the tour for our interests. He had an iPad, which he used to show us relevant historical figures and details, helping us learn the greater contexts of the art displayed in the museums. We had a great time and learned so much. We will definitely be seeking out Jaime if we return to Madrid.
Jaime was fantastic! He took us through both museums pointing out many pieces of art, while at the same time giving us lots of background and really interesting stories. We had lunch at a cafe in-between. The whole experience was like touring the museums with a friend in Madrid. I would highly recommend this tour and Jaime!
Marta was an excellent guide. Would recommend this guide and tour. We enjoyed both museums and learned so much that without a guide we would never have learned.
Enrique is the best tour guide I’ve ever had and I a am seasoned traveler. He makes spending three hours in a museum fun whether you are very interested in the history of the arts or just curious. He helps you connect the dots between different art periods, he loves his job, and he loves Madrid. Enrique has a vast knowledge of history and all his information is accurate, which is not always the case with many tour guides. I highly recommend Babylon Tours
Excellent guides, Violet at El Prado on 10.06.2022, at 9:45, and Guia José Miguel at Reina Sophia in the afternoon. I recommend it to everyone!! I would always do them!!! Congratulations! Thank you
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