
Britain's national collection of Western European art dating between 1250 & 1900 is housed in the grand, dome-topped building that resides along the entire northern side of Trafalgar Square.
The National Gallery was founded in the 1820´s when Parliament's ´House of Commons´ bought a selection of paintings from a Russian banker, all of which were displayed in his previous residence on Pall Mall until the building of the gallery on Trafalgar Square was completed in 1838.
Over the years the gallery has undergone various extensions and renovations but it was the addition of the Sainsbury Wing in the 1991, built to house the collection of Renaissance paintings, which attracted the most controversy, including strong design objections by Prince Charles who eventually gave his nod of approval and laid the foundation stone of the Wing in 1988.
The National Gallery's permanent collection contains over 2,300 of the world's finest paintings for public viewing within the main galleries from the Early Renaissance to the Post-impressionists.
Visitors can explore most of the permanent collection over four wings on the main floor (level 2) where the collections are displayed according the ´period´.
The collection may not be as extensive as Paris´ Louvre Museum, but it does contain many a masterpiece from Europe's greatest, including works by Monet, Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Raphael, Leonardo de Vinci's ´The Virgin on the Rocks´ (see if you can spy the hidden & original drawing beneath the painting), Vincent Van Gough´s ´Sunflowers´, Botticelli´s ´Venus and Mars´ and Picasso's ´Child with a Dove´.
The 2004 opening of the East Wing has provided the gallery with a new ground level entrance from the newly pedestrianised section of Trafalgar Square, seeing visitors enter via the new Sir Paul ´Getty Entrance´.
Visitors can also enter the building via the Sainsbury Wing to the west, the original portico on Trafalgar Square or via back entrance which is located on Orange Street.
The National Gallery is open 7 days a week from 10am and like the majority of London's great museums, entry to the permanent collection is FREE with an admission charge to most temporary collections and special exhibitions.
The gallery shop is great, the National Dining Rooms and National Gallery Cafe are delicious and The Espresso Bar doubles as a multimedia centre.
Those searching for 20th century British art should head to Tate Britain and to Tate Modern for modern non-British art.
The following stations are all within 10 minutes walking distance from the Gallery: Leicester Square (Northern & Piccadilly lines), Charing Cross (Bakerloo, Northern and National Rail lines), Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly & Bakerloo lines) and Embankment (District, Circle, Northern, Bakerloo & National Rail lines).
If you are travelling by car there are several NCP parking stations within the area such as St Martin's Lane Hotel and the Swiss Centre.
There are also numerous bus routes that service the area surrounding the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square.
Located in the heart of the City of Westminster, the National Gallery is about as central as it gets with many other great attractions nearby such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Transport Museum, the Photographers Gallery and the Theatre Museum - not forgetting to mention that Trafalgar Square is one of the most visited attractions and landmarks in London.
London's West End is also only around the corner with all the shopping and entertainment delights of Covent Garden and Leicester Square.
Related London hotel pages
West End hotels | Search for deals | Hotels in Leicester Square
|
|
| HOTEL / APARTMENT | POSTCODE | MILES | STAR | 23 May | 24 May | 25 May | 26 May | 27 May | 28 May | 29 May | 30 May |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Royal Trafalgar - A Thistle Hotel | WC2H 7HG | 0.06 | 4 | £358.80 | £214.80 | £178.80 | £178.80 | £178.80 | £286.80 | £286.80 | £286.80 |
| Radisson Blu Edwardian, Leicester Square | WC2H 7HL | 0.41 | 4 | £366.00 | £366.00 | £214.80 | £238.80 | £214.80 | £246.00 | £306.00 | £306.00 |
| Royal Horseguards | SW1A 2EJ | 0.42 | 5 | £396.00 | £276.00 | £252.00 | £252.00 | £240.00 | £312.00 | Full | Full |
| Radisson Blu Edwardian, Hampshire | WC2H 7LH | 0.43 | 5 | £336.00 | £288.00 | £214.80 | £214.80 | £204.00 | £204.00 | £252.00 | £252.00 |
| BEST WESTERN PREMIER Shaftesbury Piccadilly Hotel | W1D 6EX | 0.46 | 4 | Full | Full | £149.00 | £189.00 | £109.00 | £159.00 | £179.00 | £179.00 |
| Le Meridien Piccadilly | W1J 0BH | 0.51 | 4 | £358.80 | £334.80 | £310.80 | £310.80 | £334.80 | £322.80 | £322.80 | £322.80 |
| The Cavendish London - Piccadilly | SW1Y 6JF | 0.62 | 4 | £499.00 | £289.00 | Full | Full | £259.00 | £239.00 | Full | £249.00 |
| Strand Palace Hotel | WC2R 0JJ | 0.65 | 3 | Full | £217.63 | £112.00 | £112.00 | £112.00 | £162.00 | £184.00 | £162.00 |
| 3, Ryder Street Chambers - St James's - Piccadilly Serviced Apartments | SW1Y 6PY | 0.68 | 4A | Full | £265.00 | £310.00 | £269.00 | £185.00 | Full | £235.00 | £205.00 |
| Brown's - A Rocco Forte Hotel | W1S 4BP | 0.84 | 5 | £558.00 | £438.00 | £354.00 | £402.00 | £354.00 | £402.00 | £438.00 | £438.00 |
| Kingsway Hall | WC2B 5BX | 0.85 | 4 | £274.80 | £190.80 | £118.80 | £154.80 | £130.80 | £166.80 | Full | £214.80 |
| The Bloomsbury Hotel - A member of The Doyle Collection | WC1B 3NN | 0.99 | 4 | £366.00 | £234.00 | £162.00 | £186.00 | £186.00 | £186.00 | £198.00 | £378.00 |
| The Sanctuary House Hotel | SW1H 9LA | 0.99 | 3 | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | £160.00 |
| St Giles Hotel and Leisure Club | WC1B 3AS | 0.99 | 3 | £129.00 | £129.00 | £129.00 | £129.00 | £92.00 | £90.00 | Full | £129.00 |
| The Westbury Hotel - Bond Street London | W1S 2YF | 1.00 | 5 | £442.80 | £370.80 | £202.80 | £310.80 | £238.80 | £238.80 | £442.80 | £442.80 |
| The May Fair | W1J 8LT | 1.01 | 5 | £514.80 | £358.80 | £298.80 | £346.80 | £262.80 | £310.80 | £406.80 | £358.80 |
| Radisson Blu Edwardian, Bloomsbury Street | WC1B 3QD | 1.02 | 4 | £282.00 | £186.00 | £270.00 | £178.80 | £162.00 | £174.00 | £214.80 | £214.80 |
| Radisson Blu Edwardian, Kenilworth | WC1B 3LB | 1.05 | 4 | £264.00 | £222.00 | Full | Full | £118.80 | £162.00 | £198.00 | £198.00 |
| The Kingsley - A Thistle Hotel | WC1A 2SD | 1.12 | 4 | Full | £240.00 | £162.00 | £180.00 | £168.00 | £192.00 | £240.00 | £228.00 |
| Flemings Hotel Mayfair | W1J 7BH | 1.13 | 4 | £338.41 | £290.41 | £170.41 | £199.21 | £170.41 | £199.21 | £290.41 | £290.41 |
| Sanderson - A Morgans Hotel | W1T 3NG | 1.17 | 5 | Full | Full | £310.80 | £310.80 | £310.80 | £274.80 | Full | Full |
| myhotel Bloomsbury | WC1B3HD | 1.17 | 4 | Full | Full | £226.80 | £226.80 | £118.80 | £130.80 | £178.80 | £238.80 |
| Washington Mayfair Hotel | W1J 5HE | 1.18 | 4 | Full | Full | £186.00 | £186.00 | £186.00 | £186.00 | £186.00 | Full |
| Park Plaza County Hall | SE1 7RY | 1.21 | 4 | £286.80 | £226.80 | £178.80 | £178.80 | £190.80 | £190.80 | £202.80 | £214.80 |
| The Rathbone Hotel | W1T 1LB | 1.24 | 4 | £390.00 | £210.00 | £126.00 | Full | £102.00 | £174.00 | £210.00 | £210.00 |
| Citadines Prestige Holborn-Covent Garden | WC1V 6LF | 1.27 | 4A | £265.20 | £212.40 | £212.40 | £265.20 | £186.00 | £186.00 | £212.40 | £212.40 |
| Chancery Court Hotel, London | WC1V 7EN | 1.28 | 5 | Full | £300.00 | £216.00 | £216.00 | £216.00 | £300.00 | £300.00 | £300.00 |
| The Wellington | SE1 8UD | 1.29 | 3G | £94.95 | £94.95 | £94.95 | £94.95 | £60.00 | Full | Full | £94.95 |
| Grange Blooms Town House Hotel | WC1B 5BP | 1.31 | 3 | Full | £203.00 | Full | Full | £126.00 | £191.00 | £251.00 | Full |
| Staunton Hotel | WC1E 6HE | 1.32 | 4G | Full | £189.00 | £189.00 | £189.00 | £159.00 | £159.00 | £189.00 | Full |
| The Athenaeum | W1J 7BJ | 1.35 | 5 | £366.00 | £366.01 | £299.00 | £299.00 | £275.00 | £299.00 | £366.00 | £366.00 |
| The Portland Hotel | WC1B 5JH | 1.35 | 4 | Full | £323.00 | Full | Full | £126.00 | £227.00 | Full | Full |
| Montague on the Gardens - A Red Carnation Hotel | WC1B 5BJ | 1.35 | 4 | Full | £186.00 | £174.00 | £174.00 | £174.00 | £174.00 | £186.00 | £186.00 |
| The Lancaster Hotel | WC1B 5JD | 1.36 | 3 | £150.00 | £150.00 | £162.00 | Full | £96.00 | £78.00 | £90.00 | £90.00 |
| Chesterfield Mayfair - A Red Carnation Hotel | W1J 5EB | 1.36 | 4 | £336.00 | £312.00 | £192.00 | £216.00 | £192.00 | £264.00 | £786.00 | £288.00 |
| Beauchamp Hotel | WC1B 5JH | 1.39 | 4 | £275.00 | Full | Full | Full | £126.00 | £167.00 | £227.00 | Full |
| The Academy, The Bloomsbury Town House | WC1E 6HG | 1.39 | 4 | Full | Full | Full | Full | £102.00 | £162.00 | £186.00 | £246.00 |
| Grange Holborn | WC1B 4AR | 1.39 | 5 | £299.00 | £335.00 | £203.00 | £239.00 | £126.00 | £203.00 | £299.00 | £299.00 |
| Saint Georges Hotel | W1B 2QS | 1.40 | 4 | £227.00 | £227.00 | Full | Full | £117.00 | £187.00 | £197.00 | £197.00 |
| Park Lane Mews Hotel | W1J 7BS | 1.45 | 4 | £294.00 | £184.00 | £144.00 | £154.00 | £114.00 | £234.00 | £170.00 | £170.00 |
| Rubens at the Palace - A Red Carnation Hotel | SW1W 0PS | 1.47 | 4 | Full | Full | Full | Full | £202.80 | Full | Full | Full |
| 41 Hotel - A Red Carnation Hotel | SW1W 0PS | 1.47 | 5 | Full | Full | £466.80 | £370.80 | £346.80 | £346.80 | Full | £322.80 |
| Mercure London Bloomsbury | WC1B 5AF | 1.48 | 4 | £229.00 | £169.00 | £139.00 | £159.00 | £139.00 | £129.00 | £219.00 | £189.00 |
| Grange Langham Court Hotel | W1W 6BU | 1.49 | 4 | Full | £191.00 | Full | Full | £126.00 | £191.00 | Full | £239.00 |
| Garth Hotel | WC1E 6HJ | 1.54 | 2 | £155.00 | Full | £69.00 | Full | £79.00 | £69.00 | £94.00 | £79.00 |
| Thistle Westminster | SW1W 0QT | 1.54 | 4 | £274.80 | £226.80 | £238.80 | Full | £136.80 | £250.80 | £274.80 | £178.80 |
| Millennium Hotel London Mayfair | W1K 2HP | 1.55 | 4 | £480.00 | £480.00 | £528.00 | £528.00 | £330.00 | £528.00 | £528.00 | £528.00 |
| The Grosvenor - Formerly Thistle Victoria | SW1W 0SJ | 1.56 | 4 | £286.80 | £294.78 | £172.38 | £192.78 | £162.18 | £162.18 | £213.18 | £213.18 |
| The Hallam | W1W 6JF | 1.58 | 3G | Full | Full | £79.00 | £79.00 | £65.00 | £100.00 | £79.00 | £79.00 |
| Chandos House | W1G 9LQ | 1.59 | 4 | Full | Full | Full | Full | £99.00 | Full | Full | Full |
| Station | Zone | Line(s) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charing Cross Station | 1 | Bakerloo - Northern | 0.29 miles |
| Leicester Square Station | 1 | Piccadilly - Northern | 0.36 miles |
| Piccadilly Circus Station | 1 | Bakerloo - Piccadilly | 0.41 miles |
| Embankment Station | 1 | District - Bakerloo - Northern - Circle line | 0.47 miles |
| Covent Garden Station | 1 | Piccadilly | 0.63 miles |
| Station | Distance |
|---|---|
| Charing Cross London Station | 0.30 miles |
| London Waterloo International Station | 1.14 miles |
| London Waterloo Station | 1.26 miles |
| London Waterloo East Station | 1.40 miles |
| London Victoria Station | 1.81 miles |