Located in the very heart of central London, this is one landmark that should not simply reside on your “rainy day” list. My favorite museum in the world, the National Gallery is easy to find, completely free and easy to navigate for those who wish to spend an hour touring the highlights or the more dedicated who wish to spend the day. In addition to Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London, you can add to the marvels you see in this city by viewing works by the world’s greatest artists: Michelangelo, da Vinci, Monet, van Gogh, Caravaggio, Rubens, Renoir, Cézanne and Rembrandt.

Even if you are not typically a museum person, you owe it to yourself to spend some time within these walls. It is an amazing experience.

If you go, the Café in the Crypt is a wonderful place for lunch. Located directly across the street, you’ll find it in the basement of St Martin in the Fields church.

The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square is the high point of any visit to London. If art interests you and you want to see major masterpieces then this gallery is perfect for you. Unlike other national collections this one is in a purpose built building of many rooms that allows you to study the pictures and not become overwhelmed by the volume on display or the architecture. The highlights include the Da Vinci's. The cartoon is astonishing and worthy of 20 minutes observation. Check out the Titians and Giorgione as well as both Michelangelo attributions. Enjoy the collection of Gainsboroughs including his portraits of his daughters. One special feature of the gallery is that if you ask a guard for the location of a work they will talk to you about it, show an interest and make conversation with you. Thats really rare and the sign of people proud of where they work. Well done Trafalgar Square on a superb collection and a laudable staff.

If you go to London, even if just for a day, make this a stop on your itinerary. the paintings are truly breathtaking, with masterpieces from so many periods of time and so many different artists. You can easily spend one whole day here. i suggest getting an audio tour, as it really enhances your experience with knowing the story behind the painting. Room after room, you'll find something that amazes you. This museum is a must-see attraction.

We went to the National Gallery 03/13/08 and enjoyed every minute of our visit. The Vanity Fair Portraits Exhibition, 1913-2008 was currently going on. It goes from 13 Feb-25 May, 2008 and it is worth seeing. There were great photographs of rock stars, movie stars, royalty, well-known people, that was very interesting. The other portraits were great too. We saw oil paintings of the royals, Christopher Wren, George Washington and others that were fascinating. The website for the gallery is www.npg.org.uk for more information. The tube stop is Leicester Square.

I would plan on spending an entire afternoon, possibly day at the
gallery. They have a check -in room for your belongings that looks very well attended and safe to use. We spent part of an afternoon and evening there. They are opened till 8-9pm on some nights.
Don't skip over this museum.