SeeLeicester Square

National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery is just around the corner from the National Gallery and is an entertaining way to learn about British history since the Tudors. Visitors walk around the gallery chronologically, viewing portraits of notable figures from British history - from Henry VII, painted by Hans Holbein, to Blur, painted by Julian Opie.

Address: St Martin’s Pl, WC2H 0HE
Hours: Sat-Wed 10AM-6PM, Thu Fri 10AM-9PM
Price: Free except some non-permanent exhibitions
Website: npg.org.uk (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: London/Leicester Square, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Houses the British national collection of western European art dating from the 13th to 19th centuries. A truly awe-inspiring collection, notable works include Hans Holbein's The Ambassadors, Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Constable's The Haywain. The vast majority of art is free of charge to visit. Temporary exhibitions are generally fairly costly, but invariably well researched and presented. The audioguides are very comprehensive, have comments on most of the paintings in the museum, and are free though this fact is not advertised. A donation is suggested. In addition to courses, workshops, lectures and other events, the National Gallery has free talks and tours every day.
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