Must see museums and galleries in London
BRITISH MUSEUM
Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG
With many museums in London to choose from, this one is a great place to start. A huge museum with an impressive glass-roofed Great Court, housing a collection of over 8 million pieces representing two million years of human history and culture – you could easily spend a day here! From Egyptian mummies to Greek sculptures and the world famous Rosetta stone, this museum is not to be missed!
Admission: Free with tickets available to special one-off exhibitions
How to get there: 45 minute walk from hotel or take central line from Lancaster Gate 5 stops to Holborn and walk 7 minutes.
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM
Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL
The world’s leading museum for design and arts housing 5000 years of human creativity with over 2.3 million objects; from fashion to embroidery, furniture to architecture and photography to manuscripts.
Families can enjoy free activities and events every day, plus the Natural History Museum is right next door for those looking to tick as many as possible off their bucket list!
Admission: Free with tickets available to special one-off exhibitions
How to get there: 25 minute walk from hotel
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD
From dinosaurs fossils (including the UK’s most complete dinosaur) to Dodo skeletons and moon rocks from space, discover over 70 million artefacts housed in an incredibly impressive building.
Find Hope, the iconic 25m blue whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling of Hintze Hall on arrival before delving into one of the world’s largest collections of natural history, with highlights including the first T Rex fossil ever found, a 14,000 year old cup made from a human skull and The Wold Cottage meteorite (which is 4.6 billion years old!) plus interactive activities such as an earthquake simulator.
This jam-packed museum is a firm favourite with children and adults alike, offering interactive exhibitions and family activities (especially during school holidays).
Admission: Free with tickets available to special one-off exhibitions
How to get there: 25 minute walk from hotel (next to V&A Museum)
THE NATIONAL GALLERY
Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, London WC2N 5DN
This stunning European art museum comprises over 2500 masterpieces from the mid-13th century up to 1900, including artwork from Rembrandt, Monet and Van Gogh – a collection not to be missed by art lovers!
Admission: Free with tickets available to special one-off exhibitions
How to get there: 50 minute from hotel or take central line from Lancaster Gate 4 stops to Tottenham Court Road and walk 10 minutes.
LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM
Covent Garden, London WC2E 7BB
A family-friendly museum nestled in Covent Garden’s Flower Market, bringing to life the history of London’s public transport network from the 19th century to the present day – from horse-drawn buses to the modern day London Underground. With lots of interactive fun, the exhibits range from impressive historic vehicles to the transport network’s famous poster art and graphic design.
Admission: £18 for adults / Under 17s Free
How to get there: 60 minute walk from hotel or take central line from Lancaster Gate 5 stops to Holborn and walk 10 minutes.
CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS
Clive Steps, King Charles St, London SW1A 2AQ
Part of the Imperial War Museums, discover where Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his inner circle directed WWII, hidden beneath the streets of Westminster. Find out the secrets of British wartime and Cabinet War Rooms and see the Map Room, perfectly preserved as it was when the lights were switched off in 1945!
Admission: £23 for adults / Children 5-15 £11.50 / Under-5s Free
How to get there: 45 minute walk from hotel or take central line from Lancaster Gate 2 stops to Bond Street and then take the Jubilee line 2 stops to Westminster and walk for 7 minutes.
