National Gallery
Place · Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and Soho
Free entry to one of Europe's big painting collections: pick two rooms by era and leave; do it on a rainy afternoon.
- Free
- Pick two rooms
- Rainy-afternoon plan
- Free entry
- Works with kids
- Mostly indoors
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 11Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…The tube has steps and crowds
- Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
- Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
- Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
- Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
- Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
- United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
- United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
- United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.
- London and the South East ↗Check the last train home before you book a late dinner outside London; services thin after 22:00 and strikes can remove them.
- London ↗The tube has steps and crowds: two large bags go by taxi or the Elizabeth line, not on a rush-hour tube.
- London ↗Traffic drives on the left: look right first when you cross, and use the signal at crossings.
More
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, best time to go, opening hours
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Hours unknown
- Crowds
- MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Quietest Mon–Thu · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: free
- Time to spend
- 75–100 min · up to 150 min if you linger
Best time to go
Busiest late morning on weekends.
By weekday: quietest Mon–Thu, busiest Sat, Sun.
Opening hours
- Note
- Opening hours and late-opening days vary; not printed until verified.
- Hours note
- Usually 10:00 to 18:00 daily, with a later evening on some Fridays.
Which month is quietest
- Janbusy
- Febbusy
- Marbusy
- Aprheavy
- Mayheavy
- Junheavy
- Julpacked
- Augpacked
- Sepheavy
- Octheavy
- Novbusy
- Decheavy
Quietest Jan–Mar · Nov · busiest Jul–Aug.
Estimate: desk reasoning from school-term, weekend and holiday patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Walk to the main entrance on Trafalgar Square
- Ticket
- free · official site
- Stairs
- Not recorded
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Accessibility
- YesStep-free entrance
- YesLifts
- YesAccessible toilet
- YesWheelchair · Wheelchairs can be borrowed at the desk (check).
- YesStroller · Strollers are welcome.
Sensory load
- Sensory load3/5 Medium
Exposure: low
What to bring and the rules
- A small bag · Large bags and umbrellas go to the cloakroom.
- Large bags and umbrellas go to the cloakroom.
- Bag check at the door.
- Allowed without flash in most rooms; check signs.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Bailouts
- rain: Stay inside; the café is on the ground floor
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Trafalgar Square gallery café (AC, WC, field-verify)
Problem
Red lines
- No flash; bags may be checked; large bags go in the cloakroom.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
Tickets, prices and entry
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- No ticket needed.
- Free days
- Always free — Some ask you to book a free timed ticket at busy times.
Free entry days in London (pick London in the tool; check)
- Bags & lockers
- Large bags and umbrellas go to the cloakroom.
- Bag check at the door.
- Photos
- Allowed without flash in most rooms; check signs.
- What's closed
- Dec 24–26 and Jan 1Closed on those days.
- Late openingscheckSome Fridays open until about 21:00; check the site.Some Fridays open until about 9:00 PM; check the site.
- Room closurescheckIndividual rooms close for rehangs; check the map.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent collection | free | Donations welcome. |
| Special exhibitions | about £16–25 (≈ US$25–35) (2026 estimate) | Book ahead for the popular shows. |
| Audio guide | about £6–8 (≈ US$8–11) (2026 estimate) | Check the desk. |
What to see, in order
01
Rooms by era
Pick Renaissance or Impressionist rooms first.
02
Sainsbury Wing
Early Renaissance paintings.
How to do it well
- 1Walk in through the main entrance; no ticket for the free collection.
- 2Use the floor plan to pick two or three rooms.
- 3Sit in the central rooms when your feet tire.
Facilities
- toilets
- Inside on each floor.
- tickets
- Free; paid special exhibitions need a ticket.
- shade
- Indoor.
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
45min
Worthwhile
75min
Typical
100min
p95
150min
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (100 min).
With the other 20 min, these are a walk away (their own visit time is on their page):
- Trafalgar Square1 min on foot · 19 min spare
- St Martin-in-the-Fields and its café2 min on foot · 18 min spare
- Dishoom Covent Garden7 min on foot · 13 min spare
- Covent Garden Piazza8 min on foot · 12 min spare
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Inside, in order
Rooms by era
Pick Renaissance or Impressionist rooms first.
Sainsbury Wing
Early Renaissance paintings.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: yes · yes
- Lifts: yes · yes
- Accessible toilet: yes · yes
- Wheelchair: yes · yesWheelchairs can be borrowed at the desk (check).
- Stroller: yes · yesStrollers are welcome.
Step-free entrances (Sainsbury Wing) and lifts to all floors; seating in most rooms.
Rules on site
- silence
- Ordinary gallery volume.
With kids
- with kids
- Family trails and a short visit work; pick two rooms and leave.
- child price
- free
Combine with
Combine with
- 1 minTrafalgar Square
- 2 minSt Martin-in-the-Fields and its café
- 7 minDishoom Covent Garden · eat
- 8 minCovent Garden Piazza
- —Gordon's Wine Bar (evening) · eat
Walk the Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and Soho area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time
Deep dive
Questions, photos, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Which rooms should I pick?
Choose by era: the Renaissance, the Dutch masters or the Impressionists; do not try to see the whole gallery.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Is there a cloakroom?
Yes, for large bags and umbrellas.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Photos
Photos
National Gallery Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0
National Gallery Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0
National Gallery Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Deep dive
Sources
- officialNational Gallery (official)
- secondaryWikivoyage — London
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Source: Price
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
Prices are 2026 estimates. The official site has the current price.
Source: Opening hours
Source: Best hour
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Taken from the desk crowd estimate by hour. It is not a count of visitors.
Source: Bag rating
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Rated for the whole walking cluster, from desk research, not for this entrance.