Prado and Reina Sofia Museum in one day: Mission impossible?

I was just looking at the website for the Prado today, and they outline the "important" things to see if you have 1 hour, 2 hours, or 3 hours. You wouldn't be able to see the whole museum, but I think you could get the highlights and do both in one day.

I visited both in the same day. The amount of time really depends on your interest in art. I like art, but rarely spend more than 2 to 3 hours in any single museum visit so I always pick and choose what I see. The Prado is very large and also crowded and I'd suggest that you start there. You might want to look at the online websites to narrow down what you see in the collection. I went on a guided tour and then browsed through some of the galleries afterwards. With the Reina Sofia, I primarily went to see Picasso's Guernica. I then picked a few of the other collections to look at and spent some time in the outdoor garden area.

Not impossible, but you'll have to plan what your highlights are going to be and definitely skip parts. I did the Reina Sofia (just for the Picasso - it was free and packed, only spent time on the one painting) plus the Thyssen-Bornemisza and a quick stop at the Caixa Forum all in one afternoon. It was pretty blurry by the end, but I felt like I saw what I wanted (I saw the Prado on a different day).

Of course you can. You can spend as much or as little time as you want in each museum. The Prado will take the longest and I recommend starting with that. I personally get museum fatigue but I also like spending lot's of time looking at the art and reading the descriptions or having an audio guide. The Reina Sofia is worth it for Guernica but unless you really like modern art, the rest of it can be done quickly.

I go early to the Prado, stay there until after lunch, and then to the others. When entering the prado, get a handheld guide at the information desk. Well worth it. Then head to the third floor (escalators) beside/behind the information desk to the recreated cloister...then back down to the lower floors. You can easily see much of the main work by noon. The cafeteria in the main level, near the information desk, is a good place to sit for a light lunch and rest a while as well. The Renia Soffia is down a block on the other side of the street. You will pass the botanicc gardens and get a glimpse of them as you walk down the sidewalk. The Thysein Gallery is in the same area.,..another good eating spot as well.

I go early to the Prado, stay there until after lunch, and then to the others. When entering the prado, get a handheld guide at the information desk. Well worth it. Then head to the third floor (escalators) beside/behind the information desk to the recreated cloister...then back down to the lower floors. You can easily see much of the main work by noon. The cafeteria in the main level, near the information desk, is a good place to sit for a light lunch and rest a while as well. The Renia Soffia is down a block on the other side of the street. You will pass the botanicc gardens and get a glimpse of them as you walk down the sidewalk. The Thysein Gallery is in the same area.,..another good eating spot as well.

Based upon a quick Google search, Reina Sofia is open until 9pm most days and it's not far from the Prado so I am sure seeing both in one day is very possible, if you have the energy. The Prado is one of the great art museums of Europe, and is worth 3-5 hours or even more. Reina Sofia is worthwhile mostly to see Guernica which does not disappoint. The Thyssen is the second best art museum in Madrid, and is also very worth a visit.

I believe you can easily see major portions of both museums in a single day, and I agree with other posters that you should start at the Prado EARLY, with an advanced purchased ticket. Depending on the time of year, the waiting times in line to purchase tickets can be extensive. With a ticket in hand when you arrive at the Prado you are ready to begin your tour.

We did both in one day, but we did it a little differently than the others who replied. Both museums offer free entrance for part of each day which you can look up on their websites. We went to Reina Sofia on a Sunday morning for a few hours (free entrance), found some lunch (the places in the plaza in front the museum were full so we walked to Calle Atocha and found places offering reasonably priced menu del dia), then relaxed in Parque El Retiro until shortly before the Prado started their free entrance hours. The line of people waiting to enter was quite long but moved very quickly. We got just under 2 hours in Prado and it was crowded but we got to see a lot. If you want to be very organized you can visit the websites for both museums to become familiar with their collections in advance to determine what works you want to view; Prado even suggests what to see of you have only 1, 2, or 3 hours to visit.

Hit the Prado when it opens and leave when all the school kids arrive. Have lunch and then head to the Reina refreshed. It is very doable and will be enjoyable. We went to the Prado 2 Xs for 3 HRs each. That's about all the FOCUS that I can muster. We loop back and forth through the various rooms and try to spend extra time on the pieces that we really like. My wife and I separate and meet here & there. I do not read everything because I won't remember it anyways. Enjoy your visits.

As others have pointed out, it is perfectly possible. It largely depends on what time you have, and your desire to see both. We went to the Prado and the Thyssen in one day- Prado first. By about half way through the Thyssen I was in art gallery overload and felt as if I saw one more religious painting I might scream. But this is an entirely personal thing - I find more than a couple of hours, especially in a museum or gallery, too much. Sensory overload or something.