National Gallery

Simply the best museum in all of London. The collection is absolutely brilliant. The London National Gallery is a must see. It is one of my favourite places to visit for great art.

I count myself an art lover, and I've been looking forward to visiting the National Gallery for years. I surprised myself by packing so much into my London trip that I had only an hour left to do the NG on our last night. I knew, however, that it is open late on Fridays, and having taken advantage of evening museum hours at the Louvre, I expected to be able to move quickly (due to far fewer visitors) and have the works to myself. I was right. By touring the gallery from 7:30-8:30 on a Friday night, I was able to see the museum's list of 15 highlight paintings without difficulty and without anyone in my line of viewing. I just love the experience of standing squarely in front of a DaVinci or Holbein and taking as much time as I want with it. With that said, don't squeeze the NG into an hour if you don't have to! There are tons of fantastic paintings here, and the museum deserves several hours. If you do visit at night, you can look forward to live music in the corridors, which is a beautiful touch to an already heavenly experience. The building itself is also worthy of admiration. The rooms are well-arranged, not overcrowded, and very clearly numbered so that navigation through the galleries is a breeze. I look forward to returning many times and devoting the time that this world-class collection deserves.