VerdictDestinations 🛡️ Independent — no pay-to-rank🔎 Graded for who you are✓ Verified 2026-06-17How we grade → The verdict
Who it's worth it for
Great for
- Travellers on a budget
- If you've only got a day
- Couples
- Solo travellers
- History & culture buffs
- The genuinely curious
- Photographers
Worth it for travellers on a budget, if you've only got a day and couples.
Why we say this
Insider secrets & local vibes
Faces of British history from Tudors to pop stars, in a free gallery freshly reopened after a major 2023 refurbishment.
Not independently verified — estimatedThe refurbishment made it brighter and more accessible, and it shares Trafalgar Square with the National Gallery next door.
Not independently verified — estimatedIf you don't know or care who these Britons are, room after room of faces can feel flat.
Not independently verified — estimatedWhat it feels like
Reading the room, traveller by traveller
Solo
An intimate, storied browse that rewards an interest in British history and culture.
As a couple
A free, refreshed gallery that's easy to pair with the National Gallery next door.
First-timers
More about meeting the people who shaped Britain than fine-art technique — engaging if the names mean something to you.
Good to know
Before you go
Cost
Free (special exhibitions ~£20)
- Best time
- Weekday mornings; the refreshed galleries are calmer than the National Gallery next door.
- Getting there
- Leicester Square or Charing Cross Tube, just off Trafalgar Square.
- Booking
- Free permanent collection; special exhibitions are ticketed.
- Accessibility
- Step-free with lifts following the 2023 redevelopment.
Alternatives
If it's not your thing, try
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🛡️ Independent — no pay-to-rank🔎 Graded for who you are✓ Verified 2026-06-17How we grade →