London has been dubbed the creative capital of the world and with good reason. It's a city bursting at the seams with museums , theatres and art galleries.
It is set apart from other big cities like Paris and New York because entry to London's biggest galleries generally doesn't cost a penny.
While visitors to the Louvre and MoMA can expect to pay at least £10 to step foot in the building, London's National Gallery, the Tate Modern, Tate Britain and National Portrait Gallery charge nothing to see their permanent collections.
From Old Masters to cutting edge contemporary art, we've put together a list of the 8 best art institutions London has to offer .
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National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN
The National Gallery forms an impressive backdrop to London's iconic Trafalgar Square and is home to more than 2,000 artworks most of which are free to see.
The gallery's collection chronicles major traditions in western European painting dating from the 13th Century to the early 20th Century.
It has a large number of works by English Romantic painter, Turner, as well as Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Velázquez’s, Rokeby Venus among other famous paintings.
Opening hours
Saturday to Thursday: 10am-6pm
Friday: 10am-6pm
Admission: Free but there may be a charge for special exhibitions
You can find more information on the National Gallery's website here.
Book tickets for exhibitions here .
Tate Modern
Bankside, SE1 9TG
The Tate Modern sits of the Bankside of the River Thames straight across the Millennium Bridge from St Paul's and next to the Globe Theatre.
The former power station was transformed into a massive modern art gallery in 2000 and is famous for its huge Turbine Hall. It has recently added a new extension, The Switch House, which opened in 2016.
It houses a part of the Tate's collection of international modern and contemporary art from the 1500s to the present day and has an ever-changing programme of events and exhibitions. Picasso, Matisse, Rothko and Warhol are just a few of the artists' whose works are regularly on display at Tate Modern.
Opening hours
Sunday to Thursday: 10am–6pm
Friday to Saturday: 10am–10pm
Admission: Free but there may be a charge for special exhibitions
Visit the Tate's website for more information here.
Book tickets for exhibitions here.
Tate Britain
Millbank, SW1P 4RG
As "the home of British art" the Tate Britain's grand portico and dome are a far cry from the Millbank Penitentiary prison that used to stand on the site. Architect Sidney R.J. Smith designed the building which opened as a new national gallery for British art in Westminster in 1897.
It has more than doubled in size since it first opened and nowadays and has a sculpture gallery among its many rooms.
It houses 245 British artworks across dating back to 1790 including paintings by Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon and sculptures by Henry Moore.
Opening hours
Monday to Sunday: 10am–6pm
Admission: Free but there may be a charge for special exhibitions
Visit the gallery's website for more information here.
Book tickets to exhibitions here.
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA)
Burlington House, Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1J 0BD
Moments away from Piccadilly Circus The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) recently turned 250 and is home to Britain's oldest art school. To celebrate its birthday the gallery expanded to include a link between its Piccadilly and Burlington buildings.
It houses a huge variety of art and from ancient sculpture to contemporary masterpieces and has a lively programme of shows. Its annual Summer Exhibition is the world's largest submission-only art show.
Opening hours
Sunday to Thursday: 10am–6pm
Friday: 10am–10pm
Admission: Free but there may be a charge for special exhibitions
Visit the Academy's website for more information here.
Book tickets to exhibitions here.
National Portrait Gallery
St. Martin's Pl,ace London WC2H 0HE
The National Portrait Gallery is tucked round the corner from Trafalgar Square and rubs shoulder's with the main National Gallery.
True to its name it's home to the largest collection of portraits in the world with more than 210,000 works from the 16th Century to the present day.
Holbein's Tudor and Elizabethan portraits and works by Lucian Freud, Leon Kossoff and Tracy Emin are among those on display.
Opening hours
Sunday to Thursday: 10am to 6pm
Friday: 10am to 9pm
Admission: Free but there may be a charge for special exhibitions
Book tickets here
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The V&A Museum
Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, SW7 2RL
The Victoria and Albert Museum (The V&A) was founded by none other than Queen Victoria herself, who laid the founding stone at her last ever public appearance in 1899.
It's the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design and has a permanent collection of more than two million objects.
The V&A remains relevant to this day with a collection that spans 5,000 years and includes everything from ancient Chinese ceramics to Katy Perry's line of fake eye lashes.
It has a dynamic programme of exhibitions which explore fashion icons and the latest evolutions in art and design.
Opening hours
Sunday to Thursday: 10am to 5.45pm
Friday: 10am to 10pm
Admission: Free but there may be a charge for special exhibitions
Visit the museum's website for more information here.
Book tickets to exhibitions here.
Whitechapel Gallery
77-82 Whitechapel High St, E1 7QX
East London's Whitechapel Gallery showcases the latest in cutting edge art. For more than 100 years it has put on shows by modern day masters including Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo.
In recent years it has run shows exploring the impact of technology and social media on visual art and society.
Opening hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Sunday: 11am to 6pm
Admission: Free but there may be a charge for special exhibitions
Visit the museum's website for more information here.
Book tickets to exhibitions here.
Hayward Gallery
Southbank Centre, 337-338 Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX
The Hayward Gallery is the Southbank's art exhibition space and has a lively programme of contemporary art shows.
It sits on the bank of the Thames a stone's throw away from the Thames making it the perfect cultural pit stop for people visiting London from the south west.
Recent exhibition's include a show by the world's highest-selling photographer, German artist Andreas Gursky.
Opening hours
Every day from 11am – 7pm except Tuesdays.
Admission: Free but there may be a charge for special exhibitions
For more information visit the gallery's website here.
Book tickets to exhibitions here.
