National Gallery London: Skip-the-Line Guided Kids' Tour

About this tour

This family-friendly guided tour of the National Gallery in London is built around kids. With fast-track entry, you skip the main queue and step straight into more than 700 years of European painting. A live guide picks out famous works by Van Gogh, Monet, Leonardo da Vinci and Turner, telling the stories behind them and pointing out details worth a closer look. There's room to sketch and take part in activities tied to the art, and you move at your own pace as a family.

Highlights

• See masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet, Leonardo da Vinci and Turner up close
• Over 700 years of European painting, from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism
• A collection of more than 2,300 works, hung in chronological order
• Hear the stories behind famous paintings, then sketch and take part in family activities
• One of the world's great art museums, right on Trafalgar Square in central London
• See Van Gogh's Sunflowers and the Wilton Diptych among the collection's highlights
• Housed in the landmark columned, domed building that has faced Trafalgar Square since the 1830s

Places You Will Visit

Included / Excluded

Visiting the National Gallery: Hours, Getting There and What to Expect

The tour takes you through the National Gallery's collection roughly in order of time, so it reads like a walk through the history of European painting. You'll likely start with early Renaissance work by Italian painters such as Botticelli and Piero della Francesca, then move into the Dutch and Flemish rooms for Vermeer, Rembrandt and the big landscapes of Rubens. The British galleries hold Turner's stormy seascapes and Gainsborough's portraits, and the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist rooms are where you stand in front of Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' and Monet's water lilies. Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Virgin of the Rocks' and Raphael's 'The Ansidei Madonna' are other names your guide can point out along the way.

The gallery sits on Trafalgar Square in central London, which is about as easy to reach as it gets. The closest Underground stops are Charing Cross, Leicester Square and Embankment, all a short walk away, and plenty of bus routes stop at the square too. Standard hours run 10:00 to 18:00 daily, with Fridays usually open later until 21:00, though holiday hours can change, so it's worth checking before you go. There's no strict dress code, but wear comfortable shoes because you'll cover a lot of ground, and expect a calm, busy space with everyone from sketching students to visiting families. Cafes inside give you somewhere to rest partway through.

Weather in London

Today 56°F13°C 47°F9°C Rain 100%

Today 60°F16°C 45°F7°C Rain 100%

Tomorrow 55°F13°C 50°F10°C Rain 75%

Mon, Oct 26 62°F17°C 50°F10°C Rain 69%

Tue, Oct 27 62°F17°C 51°F10°C Rain 31%

Wed, Oct 28 59°F15°C 49°F10°C Rain 8%

Thu, Oct 29 57°F14°C 47°F8°C Rain 5%

Local time 5:23 AM, UTC+01:00

Available Days / Times

• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday : 11:00

Last updated: Oct 23, 2026