How to Beat the Crowds at the National Gallery
The National Gallery is free. Booking a free timed slot online is optional but helps you skip the door queue in busy periods. For calm galleries, go at the 10 am opening on a weekday or on a Friday evening, when it stays open until 9 pm. Paid exhibitions (like Renoir and Love) need separate tickets.
- Entry
- Free
- Booking
- Free timed slots, optional but recommended at busy times
- Late opening
- Fridays until 9 pm
- Exhibitions
- Some paid, some free. Book ahead
- Best time
- 10 am on a weekday, or Friday evening
- Busiest
- Weekend afternoons, school holidays and rainy days
- Time to allow
- 2-3 hours
How busy is the National Gallery?
The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square is one of the most visited museums in the world, celebrating its 200th anniversary. Entry is free, with a bag check at the door that can build a queue at weekends. Rooms with the most famous works, like Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Monet's paintings, get crowded in the afternoon.
Before you go, check how busy the National Gallery is likely to be. BeatTheCrowd shows the live crowd level and an hourly forecast for any date, adjusted for UK school holidays, bank holidays and weather.
Check today’s crowds at The National Gallery →