National Gallery

National Gallery

National Gallery
4.5
10:00 - 21:00
Monday
10:00 - 18:00
Tuesday
10:00 - 18:00
Wednesday
10:00 - 18:00
Thursday
10:00 - 18:00
Friday
10:00 - 21:00
Saturday
10:00 - 18:00
Sunday
10:00 - 18:00
About
The National Gallery houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. It is on show 361 days a year, free of charge.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Admission tickets
from
€9.76
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience National Gallery
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Trafalgar Square / Embankment
With its iconic Nelson’s Column, majestic oversized lions and brightly-lit fountains, Trafalgar Square is not just considered the heart of this bustling London hub, but the very core of the city itself. Beyond this esteemed gathering place are more famous icons, as well as a disproportionate numbers of the city’s most popular cultural attractions including the National Gallery and many West End theaters. Along the way to these major sites are quiet lanes and antiquated pubs to discover, as well as riverside vistas to enjoy on the embankment. With a calendar full of celebratory events, any time of year is a fine time to visit.
How to get there
  • Charing Cross • 2 min walk
  • Leicester Square • 4 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Carolina E
    Buenos Aires, Argentina282 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Safety pin
    We entered by chance. There was no line and we wanted to go to the bathroom and entry was free. While we were there we took a walk that was really long. Surprised by the collection, the beautiful place, the kindness of the staff It really is an impressive collection, by far the most beautiful Museum in London
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 14 February 2024
  • JerseyBean
    Jersey, United Kingdom135 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Joyous visit
    Always a joy to visit this free entry gallery. Unlike Tate this gallery remains truly free with all artwork available to all ie no ticketed displays. Gallery representative Alan was outstanding providing great insight and enthusiasm around the artworks. Muriel’s Cafe in the National Gallery also highly recommended with delicious soups, salads, savoury pies, quiches and delicious cakes etc. Polite and efficient staff.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 17 February 2024
  • Sarny
    Bexleyheath, United Kingdom1,139 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So much to see
    My adult son and I popped in because we were in the area - free to enter and no tickets or pre-booking needed. Neither of us are particularly into art but we both really enjoyed the visit. There is a lot to see and you can just wander about. The cafe looked reasonably priced - we checked for a future visit and the shop was also interesting. We ran out of time but will be returning.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 22 February 2024
  • Mafalda L
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unmissable
    It is the museum in London that fascinates me the most, an absolutely obligatory stop. Furthermore, this year there are 3 magnificent paintings by Turner the painter that I adore. And then the impressionists, Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, Gauguin, Van Gogh always exciting and the Italian Renaissance, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Flemish painting..... to get lost in the midst of so much charm
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 February 2024
  • AJ
    Austin, Texas1,646 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Busy! But completely expected with this many masterpieces in one place
    Plan your visit in advance - otherwise you risk getting lost, which is not necessarily a bad thing, unless you've got somewhere to be. I knew which rooms I was looking for and even so had a difficult time finding what I was looking for. Note that the National Gallery is free to enter, which is excellent.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 5 March 2024
  • DanKimSouthampton
    Totton, United Kingdom638 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Complete philistine blown away !
    Having a few hours to kill before catching a train, we visited the National Gallery, and how seriously impressed we were. The scale of the collection is vast, requiring many more hours than we had available. We saw enough to be wowed by some of the all-time great artists and their work. The artists who's work is on show reads like a collection of the most prominent people from history. I never appreciated the brilliance of artists like Rembrandt or da Vinci until stood a few feet away from their pure genius. A massively impressive, eye opening visit for someone with very little art knowledge.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 March 2024
  • Susan S
    Durham, United Kingdom39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Trip to the National Gallery in London
    Love the National Gallery, spent time in the main restaurant then looked at all the key exhibits. Mainly the rennaisance artists. Always a great visit and well worth a visit. Staff are very friendly and helpful too.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 17 March 2024
  • Lee
    Liverpool, United Kingdom750 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A flying visit
    We only visited briefly this time as we didn’t have long and I just wanted to see specific Turners. I checked the website in advance to see which room the pictures would be in and discovered that it was room 34. Upon arrival at the gallery, it was actually quite difficult to navigate our way to this specific room. The rooms are not clearly marked as you pass through them. Sometimes the sign is on the wall other times it is above the door. There were not many members of staff around to ask either. Eventually, I found the paintings that I wanted, which was great to see them in real life as this was the purpose of my visit. It was very confusing, finding the toilets, which were downstairs. we definitely needed more time to explore the gallery, but due to our restrictions this was not possible. I did get to see what I wanted though.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 22 March 2024
  • MrHanns
    67 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful collection of Arts
    I did not finish touring the whole gallery. So many collection valuable collection. Even the interior building itself is masterpiece, to me. Got to go back and finish the whole exhibits one day.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 April 2024
  • busymum4216
    Scotland, United Kingdom18 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive
    A wide range of paintings of different styles. The Impressionist section contained some amazing art works that are world famous. I'm sure the other sections were equally impressive, but we were limited on time and only had a few hours. Use the guide leaflet to pick your area of interest, as it has several different areas. The cafe food was great and the loo was very quiet.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 April 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles40,886 reviews
Excellent
30,202
Very good
8,744
Average
1,528
Poor
260
Terrible
153

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

mrstraveller1
York, UK2,251 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Friends
On at the NG until 19th January 2025, and marking its bicentenary, this exhibition brings together 60+ pieces, some rarely on public display. All are from the period 1888 to 1890 which includes the year Van Gogh spent in an asylum in Saint-Rémy and up to his death in 1890. It is such a worthwhile see, and thankfully, the generously proportioned rooms in which it is displayed, meant that, on our visit at least, it wasn't too much of a bunfight, despite the clamour for tickets. Plan ahead as it is sold out on many days, but if so, you do have the option of becoming a member of the NG (£68/£78) which permits entry at any time. It also means you have access to the members entrance - thereby bypassing the potentially enormous non-members queue (100's long on the day of our visit).
Written 2 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

caroline2
Paris, France525 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Solo
This review is only about the Van Gogh Exhibition at the National Gallery. Overall the exhibition is well presented, well lit and very informative. A little bit too crowded for my taste but still enjoyable. It is better to book a ticket ahead in order to avoid disappointment once in the National Gallery; the day I was there the exhibition was sold out for that day. Certainly worth going to!!
Written 6 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dylan g
16 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
I visited the National Gallery in August 2024, at around 10.30am. At the time I was nit aware that 10-11am is there peak time, due to it only opening at 10am, meaning that we had to stand in a queue outside for around 15 minutes and the museum was very crowded in many rooms. I would definitely recommend visiting the gallery later in the afternoon, to avoid queues and crowds. I used the QR code map to help with navigation and to determine what rooms I wanted to visit, depending on the artists. I viewed the entire gallery, but mainly focused on rooms 30-45 as they contained Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet. The gallery also contains a peaceful cafe downstairs and very clean toilets, aswell as a stunning gift shop. Exhibitions are constantly changing so there is always something new and interesting to see. From my visit, I was introduced to many new artists while still recognising the ones I knew and this made the experience so much better. Although the crowds bothered me I was still astounded by the gorgeous artworks and continued to admire their beauty. The employees are also very polite and helpful when you need guidance. The gallery is located right by Trafalgar Square which makes it very easy to access from Charing Cross train or tube station and it is very close to cafes and restaurants. Overall, I rated the National Gallery four stars as anyone can find something they like as it contains numerous different art pieces by different artists and it has helped me complete a part of my Silver Arts Award However, it can be very crowded at peak time, which is why I have not rated it five stars.
Written 20 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Martin G
6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Friends
Visited the Van Gogh exhibition, which was fabulous, as you would expect. A great range of paintings, well laid out, and an informative (and free) brochure.

The rooms were fairly crowded which whilst expected was not helped by visitors being allowed in before their allotted time - we arrived an hour early, aiming to get a coffee, but were told we could go in when we liked.

However, the worst bit was at the end of our visit. We had booked for 5pm (the only time available) but were allowed in early so were coming to the end at 5.30pm ish. At this point staff started shouting that the gallery was hutting and we should start leaving. If we had come in at 5pm we would have been very hurried. Also, the shops and toilets were shut early, with no prior warning or notice. The NG must have forgone £000' of lost income from people such as us who wanted to buy the guide (there were three of us - that's £105 on its own). And many people wanted/needed to use the toilets but were prevented from doing so.

So I'm afraid whilst the exhibition was wonderful, we left with a bad feeling.
Written 16 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alison L
2 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Family
To be fair the actual paintings were amazing. However, the overall experience was poor. Queuing for entry to have our bags searched, we were barked at by overofficious staff to queue in the correct place. The man detailed to do my bag search was spectacularly rude, aggressively shouting orders and getting very het up when I didnt understand what he meant. I felt like a chastised schoolchild by the time he'd allowed me through. The exhibition was overcrowded, and it was very difficult to view the paintings clearly or for any length of time, with people jostling for position and taking photos at each one. It was not a pleasant or calm experience. I would also add that coming from outside London, the cost of entry to the exhibition, the train fare, and a meal made it an expensive day too.
Written 18 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Alison, we're sorry to hear about your experience visiting the exhibition. We'd like to look into this further and we have sent you a direct message. Please do have a look when you can. Thanks
Written 29 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

goldfinchUK
London, UK87 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Couples
The National Gallery is an amazing art collection of course. There are countless star works exhibited. However the current security situation is absurd. Visitors are queueing in ridiclously long lines even when they have booked time-slot tickets. This is especially miserable when it is cold and wet. Quite reasonably the National Gallery has decided it has to take a much firmer line on security following the Just Stop Oil vandalism. However, the Gallery needs to employ more polite efficient security staff and invest in enough scanners of the level they need so that visitors are not queueing for ages just to get in. Management needs to sort this situation out and quickly. When we went the lines for pre-booked tickets were considerably longer than the line without pre-booked slots. That makes no sense either. Go elsewhere until the Gallery has sorted out the security issues it currently has.
Written 23 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sarah G
London, UK2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Family
I am sure the Van Gogh exhibit was great but be forwarned that even if you’ve bought tickets you still have to wait in a queue for an hour or so. Really badly organised. Don’t bother wasting money for tickets - buy a membership which is what I’m sure they’re trying to make you do by making you wait over an hour after spending £140 for tickets. It means they are oversold. Poor organisation.
Written 1 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Viaggiatore per passione
Rome, Italy44 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Family
One of the largest art galleries in the world, with free admission, but with an online guide downloaded via confusing app and with an unclear path that makes you lose patience. So we lost some masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, caravaggio
It would be appropriate to use radio lines and improve the signage
In addition to the storage wardrobe (for a fee) the rude staff to deserve a call: we had left the bag, but we remembered to have earphones to listen to the explanation but told us rudely that if we wanted to take them back we would have to redo the same line of about 20 minutes
Not acceptable
Automatically translated
Written 4 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Debby T
Tel Aviv District, Israel10 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Couples
The exhibition is great, but 2 technical things spoiled it for us:
1. We had paid £5 each for the audio guide which involved clicking a link and listening to commentary on our own mobile phones with our own earphones. It kept going off, and the only way to get it back was to go back to the entrance where an attendant would provide the link to click anew. After this happened twice we gave up. Even had it been free, this audio experience would have been frustrating.
2. At the entrance visitors are obliged to discard any liquids. I understand why, but poured my water away reluctantly because I need to drink water frequently. The attendant assured me I'd be able to refill my bottle with ease. However when I became very dry and needed water, the attendant gave complicated instructions to a faraway watertap and we had no choice but to go to the cafe and buy a bottle of water. I don't think this is considerate or acceptable.
Written 13 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Debby, we're sorry to hear about your experience using the audio guide for our Van Gogh exhibition. We have passed this feedback onto the relevant team to look into. We would like to get in touch with you regarding your experience. Would you be able to share your email address with us so our Ticketing team can get in touch? You can do this by either messaging us here or on any of our other social media channels. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks
Written 19 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

DaveKujan
7 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Solo
Went to Van Gogh Poets and Lovers at 4:30pm and for a £24 paid event it was too busy. Don't get me wrong I have been to busier exhibitions but it was a total bun fight. Never being able to get to see paintings because there was 25 people trying to view 2 pictures in each corner. I enjoyed the audio tour but was unable to view the art in a relaxed fashion. The art was amazing, the hosting less so.
Written 8 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 24,264
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

NATIONAL GALLERY: All You MUST Know Before You Go (2025)

All London HotelsLondon Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in London
All things to do in London
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire