Ambling around the best museums in London, exploring the latest captivating exhibitions and revisiting old favourites, is among our favourite things to do in the capital. Whether it’s a winter’s day spent sheltering from the elements among centuries-old frocks or a balmy summer’s evening embracing the cool breeze through a gallery home to some of the world’s most iconic paintings, there’s never a bad time for a little education. Museums in London range from the gargantuan to the highly specialised, with collections spanning drastically in size. The Victoria and Albert Museum’s archives house almost three million artefacts spanning more than 5,000 years of human history, making it one of several South Kensington museums worth revisiting rather than attempting to cram everything in. Other London museums worth revisiting include Tate Britain and Tate Modern, both home to numerous captivating exhibits and an ever-changing roster of new exhibitions. Elsewhere, other gallery spaces house various curiosities tailored to more niche tastes and can be tagged onto part of a busier day out – The Old Operating Theatre Museum and the Garden Museum, among them. Whether it’s surgical tools, floral displays or fossilised dinosaurs you seek, these are the best museums in London worth incorporating into the ultimate city itinerary.
Looking for more inspiration? See our guides to the best attractions in London, free things to do in London or, for even more up-to-date recommendations, our pick of things to do in London this weekend.
Are all museums in London free?
There are a variety of museums in London that offer free entry, but a select few do require an admission fee. Others may have ticketed exhibitions. However, many of the best museums in London are free to attend, which means you can enjoy all the art and history the city has to offer without worrying about the cost. Be sure to explore the British Museum’s sprawling galleries (it’s London’s largest museum), or lose yourself in the works of Georgia O’Keeffe and Andy Warhol at Tate Modern.
What is the most visited museum in London?
According to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), The British Museum welcomed 6,479,952 visitors in 2024, making it not just the most popular museum in London, but also the most visited tourist attraction in the whole of the UK. At the time of writing, 2025 figures are unavailable, but the Natural History Museum was the second most visited London museum in 2024 with 6,301,972 visitors, followed by the Tate Modern with 4,603,025.
