National Gallery of London Guided Tour - Semi-Private (8 Guests Max)
About this activity
A 2.5-hour semi-private guided visit inside London's National Gallery with reserved entry, from Van Gogh’s Sunflowers to Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks.
Highlights
- Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
- Leonardo da Vinci’s The Virgin of the Rocks
- Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus
- Vermeer’s A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal
- Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait
Full description
Explore London’s National Gallery with a small-group guide on a 2.5-hour visit. Reserved entry is included. Trace European painting from Renaissance to Impressionism through works such as Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks, Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus, Vermeer’s A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal and Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait. Specific paintings may change.
Explore more than six centuries of European painting on a 2.5-hour semi-private guided tour of London’s National Gallery, capped at 8 guests. Your expert guide leads a curated route through around 15 major works, explaining the artists, techniques and stories that shaped European art. Highlights generally include Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Virgin of the Rocks, Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus, Vermeer’s A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal and Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait. The route follows major artistic periods from the Renaissance through Baroque, Romanticism and Impressionism, with context on artists such as Caravaggio, Turner, Monet and Seurat. The exact works on view can change because of gallery rotations, conservation and loans, so the guide adapts the visit. Reserved entry is included; general admission is free. Food, drinks, hotel transfers, gratuities and luggage or coat storage are not included.
Included / Excluded
- Professional tour guide
- 2.5-hour semi-private guided museum tour
- Reserved timed entry to the National Gallery
- Semi-private group limited to a maximum of 8 guests
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup or drop-off
- Gratuities (optional)
- Luggage or coat storage
- This semi-private museum tour is not wheelchair accessible.
Itinerary
Sainsbury Wing meeting point
Meet by the red telephone booth outside the Sainsbury Wing entrance on Pall Mall East, 10 minutes early.
National Gallery guided collection visit
Explore the collection with a guide, including Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks, Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus, Vermeer’s A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal, and Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait when on display. Reserved entry is included.
Meeting point
Start Location
Sainsbury Wing, Saint Martin's Street, London, UKNational Gallery — Sainsbury Wing red telephone booth
12 St Martin's St, London SW1Y 5BS, UK
Meet the guide by the red telephone booth just outside the Sainsbury Wing entrance on Pall Mall East, 10 minutes before the tour.
Get directions →Important information
Know before you book
- This semi-private tour is limited to eight guests and is not wheelchair accessible.
- Reserved National Gallery entry is included; general admission is free.
- The exact paintings visited can change with rotations, conservation and loans.
- The guided visit lasts 2.5 hours; hotel transport is not included.
Know before you go
- Meet at the red telephone booth just outside the National Gallery Sainsbury Wing entrance on Pall Mall East.
- Arrive 10 minutes before the reserved start; use your booking confirmation for the start time.
- Bring an ID or a clear photo of one; wear comfortable shoes and keep bags small.
Cancellation policy
Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Reviews
We booked this tour to get as much as possible out of our time at The Met. What we didn’t know we were getting was a personalized experience full of captivating stories about the artists' lives and the people who brought the art to the museum. Robin was a wealth of knowledge and a highlight of our trip to New York!
Spent a great day with Charlie he was very engaging and shared lots of information and entertaining stories with us. He took great care of us and we would recommend him for any future tours.
Mark, tour guide for the Metropolitan Museum is an outstanding teacher: engaging; entertaining; professional; personable; experienced and deeply knowledgeable as a result of a lifelong passion and relationship with the Met. He loves what he does and cares deeply about sharing his knowledge and insight to spark curiosity and inspire his clients--his students--to understand context and meaning of each piece or work of art reviewed. My wife, a retired professor emeritas and myself both left thoroughly impressed and grateful to have been taught by best and most captivating guides we have had the privilege of meeting on one of our many travels and adventures. Hire the best. Hire Mark. Worth every penny and every minute of your time you can afford at the Met. Like us, you will look forward to coming back for another teaching session from Mark. In my case, hopefully we will be back on my birthday next year! (Thanks again Mark!)
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
Additional information
The National Gallery may vary works on display. The guide adapts the route to what is available. This semi-private museum tour is not wheelchair accessible.