The National Gallery
One of the world's great art collections, free to all - masterpieces from Van Gogh's Sunflowers to Turner and Rembrandt, on Trafalgar Square at the heart of London.
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Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.
The National Gallery holds one of the greatest collections of European painting in the world, spanning the centuries from medieval altarpieces to the Impressionists, and it is free to all. Overlooking the fountains and lions of Trafalgar Square at the very heart of London, it hangs masterpieces including Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Turner's seascapes, Rembrandt and Vermeer, a treasury of Western art in a grand and welcoming home.
What you actually see
- Van Gogh's Sunflowers - one of the artist's famous versions.
- Turner and Constable - the great British landscape painters.
- The old masters - Rembrandt, Vermeer, Leonardo and the Renaissance.
- Trafalgar Square - the lions, fountains and Nelson's Column outside.
When to go
Year-round; a free, indoor museum, ideal in any weather. Go early or late and on weekdays to avoid the busiest hours, and pick a few highlights rather than trying to see everything.
Honest expectations
It is free but large, so focus on the highlights rather than every room. It is busy, especially at weekends and around the star paintings. Trafalgar Square outside is a hub of tourists, buskers and protests, lively but rarely quiet.
Nearby
Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the West End and the National Portrait Gallery are all alongside.
What to pack for The National Gallery
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
