Prado Museum Tour & VIP Meal at Botin

Experience two Madrid legends in one unforgettable half-day tour.

The Prado Museum is one of Madrid’s foremost artistic and cultural gems, but navigating its thousands of pieces can be overwhelming even for the most intrepid art aficionado. And record-breaking restaurant Botín isn’t just famously hard to book, it’s also full of hidden legends and secret corners that even those who do manage to snag a table will never get to experience. On this unforgettable tour and the only one of its kind in Madrid, we’ll demystify both of these Madrid icons. First with a skip-the-line guided visit of the Prado, followed by a VIP behind-the-scenes tour and three-course meal at Botín.
 

Meet your expert guide outside the Prado Museum for a crash course in Spain’s most legendary collection of art and the dramatic stories behind it. From there, you’ll breeze past the line and head straight into the museum. Over the next 90 minutes, your guide will showcase the Prado’s most essential masterpieces, including Las Meninas, with knowledgeable and lively commentary that will help you appreciate each one even more. Are there symbols hidden in Las Meninas? Who really is the subject? Your guide will fill you in. You’ll learn the context and characters behind each piece and get a peek inside the minds of artistic masters like Velazquez, Goya, and Bosch. After your Prado highlights tour, you'll have free time to browse the museum gift shop and pick up a souvenir or purchase a snack. 

Next, you'll follow your guide into the charming Literary Quarter, the former haunt of many of Spain’s greatest literary minds. Your cultural stroll continues to the Historic Center where you'll stop in Plaza Mayor to reflect on the how the square has shaped Spain's history. 

Then, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. Breeze right past the crowd already forming outside the door, head into Sobrino de Botín, the world’s oldest restaurant, before it opens to the public. On an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, peek at the original 300-year-old ovens, explore the hidden underground tunnels, and unravel centuries of culinary history.   

Finally, sit down and enjoy a traditional three-course meal washed down with Rioja red wine. The star of the show is Botín’s world-famous suckling pig, roasted to perfection in the same centuries-old ovens you got a look at earlier. This leisurely meal is the perfect opportunity to ask your guide all your burning Madrid, and Spain, related questions so you can make the most of the rest of your trip! 

By the time you wave goodbye to your guide and group outside Botín, you’ll have experienced two local icons in a way that most travelers never will, and understand how both of them fit into Madrid’s centuries of history. 

Sites Visited
Prado Museum, Literary Quarter, Plaza Mayor, Botín restaurant, Botín kitchen and wine cellar