The National Gallery Updated: 1 year ago

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The National Gallery is London's third most popular museum. Its collection includes over 2300 European artworks since the 1300s. The museum is right next to Trafalgar Square, in the borough of Westminster.

The National Gallery was established in 1824. You can find artworks from many famous artists, like van Gogh, Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo and Rembrandt.


The museum hosts many events, some of which you can partake in yourself. One example would be the Sketchbook tour, where an artist gives guidance about painting specific topics, and you can draw inspiration from the artworks in the museum.


Special exhibitions are typically focused on different fields of art or an artist, some of which require a ticket. In October 2019 is an exhibition of Gauguin’s portraits, and in 2020 is an exhibition of Nicolaes Maes, Dutch Master of the Golden Age.

Virtual tours

A Google Street View virtual tour of the museum is available covering seven rooms and the Central Hall. It’s an excellent way to get acquainted with museum offerings before going. The most immersive of the virtual offerings is the Sainsbury Wing VR tour, which works on a computer with or without a VR headset. The tour shows over 270 Early Renaissance paintings from 1200-1500. There’s also a virtual tour from 2011 including 18 gallery rooms and hundreds of paintings.

How to get to The National Gallery?

The nearest underground stations are Charing Cross (Bakerloo, Northern) and Leicester Square (Piccadilly), both only a few minutes away.

What is near The National Gallery?

National Gallery is right above Trafalgar Square, so you can visit both at the same time. The National Portrait Gallery is right around the corner, and Leicester Square is also nearby.

Nearest Stations to The National Gallery

Leicester Square - 4 min

Piccadilly Northern London Underground Zone: 1

Piccadilly Circus - 4 min

Bakerloo Piccadilly London Underground Zone: 1

Charing Cross - 4 min

Bakerloo Northern London Underground Zone: 1

Activities from Get Your Guide