Are London's museums really free?

The permanent collections at the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum are free to enter. Special exhibitions are ticketed separately.

Do you need to book free museum tickets in advance?

Booking is no longer required at most, but a free timed slot still saves queueing at the Natural History Museum and the British Museum during school holidays.

Which free London museum is best with children?

The Science Museum, followed by the Natural History Museum next door. Both are in South Kensington, so you can pair them in a single day.

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London's free museums, ranked

By Dev Patel · 10 min read

Where to go first when everything costs nothing.

Where to go first when everything costs nothing. We've walked this one ourselves, and the order below is the one we'd repeat: it keeps the walking sensible, the queues short and the best meal of the day in the right place.

Start where the crowds aren't. London rewards an early morning more than almost anywhere in Britain — the light is better, the photographs are emptier and you'll have the pick of tables at lunch. May, June and September; January for the cheapest hotel rates.

Getting around is the part most people over-plan. Six airports, five Eurostar-served terminals and the Elizabeth line across the middle. Once you're there, most of what follows is within a comfortable walk, and where it isn't, we've said so.

Book the two or three things that genuinely sell out, and leave the rest loose. British weather makes a mockery of rigid schedules, so keep one indoor option per day in your back pocket — a museum, a long lunch, a spa hour — and you'll never lose an afternoon.

Finally, spend a little more on one thing and a little less on everything else. A single memorable dinner or a room with the view does more for a trip than three merely fine ones. The places below are the ones reviewers keep coming back to.

Planning the wider trip? Our London destination guide covers where to stay, eat and spend your days.

Frequently asked questions

Are London's museums really free?: The permanent collections at the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum are free to enter. Special exhibitions are ticketed separately.
Do you need to book free museum tickets in advance?: Booking is no longer required at most, but a free timed slot still saves queueing at the Natural History Museum and the British Museum during school holidays.
Which free London museum is best with children?: The Science Museum, followed by the Natural History Museum next door. Both are in South Kensington, so you can pair them in a single day.