National Gallery of London Guided Museum Tour: Semi-private Exploration with Masterpieces

Join our energetic guides for a 2.5 hour semi-private guided museum tour of the National Gallery in London. Explore iconic masterpieces and learn about the museum’s most prominent paintings. Limited to 8 participants.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • National Gallery - Instead of browsing the National Galley aimlessly, let your guide immerse you in the techniques and history behind some of the world’s most famous artists. You’ve heard of Seurat and da Vinci, but what do you really know about them? Learn about the painters behind the paintings as we browse our favorite works by other masters like Botticelli, Monet, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. If none of those names mean anything to you, we’ll make sure that changes by the end of the tour.

The National Gallery houses paintings dating back to the 1300s all the way up through the 1900s, so there is no shortage of choice. Visit Jan van Eyck’s “The Arnolfini Portrait” or something more familiar like Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” to understand the full scope of work on display. During your tour, you’ll be armed with the essential information and history needed to appreciate the more than 2300 paintings on display at one of the world’s most visited museums.

What's Included
  • Semi-Private Museum Tour
  • Duration 2.5 Hours
  • Professional Tour Guide
  • Semi-Private’ Means Group Size Is Never More Than 8 Guests Maximum
What's Not Included
  • Tour price does NOT include hotel pickup or drop-off (we recommend UBER or Taxi)
  • Tour price does NOT include gratuities (optional)
  • Tour is NOT available for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair
  • Temporary exhibitions NOT included
Additional Information

Navigate through a top-notch art assembly under the supervision of our dynamic tour leaders in this 2.5-hour small-group (maximum of 8 guests) museum tour at the National Gallery. Delve into discussions about the museum’s most celebrated pieces of art, allowing even newcomers to gain an appreciation for these famous works. Your intimate tour is tailored for a small group of up to 8 individuals, and no admission fee is required to enter the gallery.

  • It is imperative that you provide us with guests MOBILE PHONE NUMBER (including country code)
  • A maximum of 8 people per tour allowed
  • Minimum numbers apply. This tour will not run without a minimum of 2 guests to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
  • Notes: National Gallery and other attractions or museums in London may be subjected to occasional closures without previous warning from the museum management. When this occurs, we will provide guests with an appropriate alternative if the museum opening time is delayed more than 1h from the tour starting time. In these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts. Appropriate dress is required for entry into some sites on this tour. No large bags or suitcases are allowed inside the museum, only handbags or small thin bag packs are allowed through security. Due to increased security measures at many attractions some lines may form on tours with ‘Skip the Line’ or ‘No Wait’ access. Some specific rooms inside the museum are subjected to a very quiet or restricted right to speak inside, in this cases your guide will provide the information about this places before entering the specific rooms where this rule applies. Some collections may vary along the year.
Location
The National Gallery
Trafalgar Square
Meet your guide outside the Sainsbury wing entrance by the red telephone booth situated on the sidewalk of Pall Mall E across the street from the Canada House.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(116 Ratings)
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Srl225
Sep 2, 2024
Alex, our tour guide, was great. So is the museum. - Alex gave great insight into the museum, how it grew, and how painting has evolved in the 200 year history of the museum. Very knowledgeable and personable. Highly recommend him and the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bobbi
Aug 16, 2024
Pleasant afternoon at national gallery - able to see so much up close - Matilda was our guide for our semiprivate tour of the National Gallery. We learned so much from her and it was such a pleasant afternoon. Most informative. I would trust Matilda with any London tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hayhoej
Aug 3, 2024
Perfect tour guide - Ellie was our tour guide and she was amazing. Very knowledgeable and passionate about art. She fought the tour alive inviting discussions about the pieces.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heather_r
Jul 26, 2024
The National Gallery - A Must Do! - Babylon Tours are a must! I took two half-day tours (in one day) and it was planned perfectly. The afternoon tour was to The National Gallery with a small group, and we had plenty of time to explore and learn from our guide. Our guide was very knowledgeable and always made sure everyone heard the information he shared and he answered all our questions. Once the tour ended, I stayed in the gallery (allowed with entrance ticket) to explore some paintings on my own. Great tour!
Review provided by Viator
W6499vjjanets
Jul 24, 2024
Wonderful tour by Mathilda - A wonderful tour by Mathilda! It’s so great to have someone show you all the greatest pieces of this enormous museum. I really loved how Mathilda knew so much about the technical stuff like what kinds of paint they used and how certain paintings where obtained by the museum. She did a great job at guiding us at a relaxed pace through the whole building. Great experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nleppitt
Jul 20, 2024
Excellent and informative, with great storytelling - Ellie have a fantastic tour, we like the focus and that the tour covered, history, art history and evolution of art…excellent knowledgeable guide
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lavisser
Jul 12, 2024
Art comes alive - Sheldon is a rockstar! He made art come alive at the National gallery of art. Great experience to see quite a mix of art and not be overwhelmed. An absolute delight and i highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolfd2473yo
Jul 2, 2024
Excellent tour of National Gallery - Jamie was an outstanding docent with a comprehensive background in art and history. He made the tour come to life. If you have no background in art or an extensive background in art, take this tour. We learned and appreciated so much more than we could have done on our own. This is a huge museum and can’t be seen in one visit, but this tour was the best decision we made for this visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jamesdi2074de
Jun 27, 2024
Sheldon is a great guide! - Really recommend Sheldon’s tour around The National Gallery, it was great! Starting with a chronology of art styles and movements, with some extra incredible paintings thrown in. His passion for art really made our trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Riversideabroad
Jun 1, 2024
Great Overview of National Gallery - Spectacular overview of the museum’s collection. Jamie was knowledgeable and extremely good at lecturing to folks with different knowledge levels and backgrounds. Would recommend this tour highly if you can only spare a few hours but want as comprehensive a tour as possible of the National Gallery’s collection.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 8 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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