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Your guide to London’s best museums

Quentin Long Quentin Long

Very few cities in the world have the same calibre and number of fantastic museums as London. Here we reveal the city’s best.

Here are the major and some minor museums well worth a good half day exploration.

Some cater brilliantly to kids whilst others are more suited to serious devotees of subjects.

Whatever you are looking for, London is going to satisfy…

The Natural History Museum

Cromwell Rd, South Kensington SW7
Underground: South Kensington

From the nation that gave the world the greatest natural historians and scientists, Charles Darwin and David Attenborough, this is the finest example of a museum dedicated to the wonders of the natural world.
It’s particularly impressive for youngsters in their ‘dino’ years.

Victoria & Albert Museum

Cromwell Rd, South Kensington SW7
Underground: South Kensington

The ‘attic of Britain’, the V&A’s permanent collection is home to the great collection of unexpected and quirky gems that only a colonial power could amass.
The temporary exhibitions are always surprising and worth it.

British Museum

Great Russel St, WC1
Underground: Tottenham Court Rd/Russel Square

When you conquer and run the world you tend to collect a few keepsakes from your efforts, the Biuritih Musuem is where the best of these spoils of colonial conquests are kept.
In short, it is the greatest collection of antiquities in the world, some are fairly controversial.
From the Egyptians to the Greeks (and those troublesome Elgin Marbles) the museum is an ancient historians nirvana.
And Lord Foster’s dome over the atrium is pretty impressive.

National Portrait Gallery

St Martin’s Place, London
Underground: Leicester Square / Charing Cross

Suited to serious devotees of art or second and third time visitors, the visiting exhibitions can unearth some absolute gems so well worth checking what’s on when you are in town.

National Gallery

Trafalgar Sq, London WC2
Underground: Charing Cross / Leicester Square

Ok now we are into the serious museum trail. Started in 1824 the gallery has more than 2300 works in its collections so it’s not an easily tackled beast but don’t be put off.
The collections masters are well worth it particularly the classic works from Monet, Cezanne, Seurat , Van Gough, Da Vinci, Titan, Raphael to name a few.
Something for everyone.

Tate Modern

Bankside, SE1
Underground: Southwark

Worth it just for the turbine hall itself and views of London from the galleries.
However the collection itself has left many a visitor cold unfortunately.

Science Museum

Exhibition Rd, South Kensington SW7
Underground: South Kensington

An absolute favourite with kids, the flight simulator gets a serious workout with teenagers.
The Medical History Gallery gets a gory imagination firing but overall it’s a worthwhile fun education.

Royal Museums Greenwich

Romney Rd Greenwich SE10
Underground: Cutty Sark, Docklands Light Rail (DLR)

The Greenwich museums include the National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory but the park and Royal Navy Gardens should be considered part of the experience.
A local family favourite the big open spaces and views back to the city are beautiful but the experience is an indulgence if you are on a short time frame.

Churchill War Rooms

King Charles St, Westminster SW1
Underground: Westminster / Charing Cross

A great insight into both the man and how the war was run (if not won).
In the secret underground bunker visit the war cabinet rooms, the transatlantic telephone room and kitchens.

Sir John Soane’s Museum

Lincoln Inn’s Fields, WC2
Underground: Holborn

A great British eccentric, the architect John Soane collected a scintillating collection of antiquities and famous architectural drawings that are on display.
The museum is often cited as the greatest hidden gem of London’s many public museums.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

Niche museums also worth visiting

Cartoon Museum

London Film Museum 

Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising 

Charles Dickens Museum

Design Museum 

Fashion & Textile Museum 

Florence Nightingale Museum

Freud Museum

London Fire Brigade Museum

London Transport Museum 

Museum of Childhood

Royal Academy of Music Museum

Museum of London

Library and Museum of Freemasonory

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Quentin Long
Quentin Long is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Australian Traveller Media. Quentin is a sought-after travel media commentator. He is Australia’s most trusted source for travel news and insights, having held weekly radio segments across the country since 2006, and regularly appearing on Channel 9’s Today and A Current Affair programs from 2010. Don't ask him his favourite travel experience as that's like asking him to choose a favourite child. However he does say that Garma Festival is the one travel experience that changed him the most.
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What the European heatwave means for your summer travel plans

    Rachael Thompson Rachael Thompson
    Continue
    Temperatures are soaring this summer, breaking records across Europe and the UK. 

    Euro summer is a feeling like no other. But when a heatwave hits? The dream trip quickly turns into a sweaty mess. Extreme heat is sweeping Europe and the UK this week, with record-high temperatures impacting travel plans across the continent.

    And while Australian summers are typically hotter in absolute temperature, many European cities aren’t equipped for high temperatures, resulting in unbearable weather.

    Why is it so hot in Europe?

    Signs of a hot summer loomed in May, when the mercury hit unprecedented spring highs. Now, extreme high temperature warning alerts have been issued in countries such as Spain, Italy, France, England, the Netherlands and Germany.

    France saw its hottest day on record on Wednesday, with an average temperature of 30°C across the day and night. This surpasses the average temperature for June, which is 15°C to 25°C. Dozens of people have died, including 40 from drowning.

    In Spain, 212 deaths have been linked to the heatwave.

    The UK recorded its hottest June day ever on Wednesday with temperatures soaring to 36.1°C. In an article published by the Met Office – the UK’s national meteorological service – Professor Stephen Belcher CBE, Met Office Chief Scientist, shared his concerns about June’s heat. “To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering. Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply,” he said.

    Heatwaves are becoming increasingly common in Europe and the UK, neither of which is prepared for such extremes. The World Meteorological Organization reported that in 2025, at least 95% of Europe experienced above-average annual temperatures and that the continent was heating up twice as fast as the global average.

    How travel is impacted

    A pharmacy sign displaying 40 degrees Celcius
    A pharmacy broadcasting local weather data. (Credit: Getty/Dragoncello)

    During a heatwave, power grids, water systems and transport networks can be affected, resulting in disrupted itineraries for travellers. In France, power outages have left thousands without electricity and early closures have been implemented for two of Paris’s biggest attractions, the Eiffel Tower (early afternoon rather than late at night) and the Louvre (two hours early). Eurostar cancelled its London to Paris and Paris to London services from the 22nd to the 25th, and major UK rail companies have been advising travellers to avoid using trains where possible, or to travel during early hours.

    If a heatwave is predicted, being flexible with your itinerary and having fully refundable/changeable tickets is key, as extreme heat can force the cancellation of outdoor activities, impact rail and flight services and change the opening hours of sites and eateries.

    Why does summer in Europe often feel hotter than summer in Australia?

    people swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris
    People swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris to cool off. (Credit: Rachael Thompson)

    With some of the highest UV levels in the world, Australians are no strangers to the heat, adapting well to intense weather. But our infrastructure is largely equipped to withstand soaring temperatures with climate-responsive passive design, refrigerated air conditioning or evaporative coolers, as well as swimming spots aplenty.

    Buildings in Northern and Western Europe and the UK, however, are constructed to retain heat and handle frosty winters. The lack of universal air conditioning means it generally feels hotter even though the temperature on your app might not look it. During a heatwave, it can feel like you’re in a sauna as cities act like heat traps.

    How to stay cool and prepare for another heatwave

    Relief is expected across Europe and the UK later this week, but more heatwaves are still possible in the coming months. Summer heat typically peaks in July and August.

    Public transport often doesn’t have air conditioning, and buses in particular can be swelteringly hot. If you’re heading outside or your accommodation has no air conditioning, it’s worth buying a spray bottle and a handheld fan from a pharmacy or tourist stand. Check ahead of time if restaurants and cafes have air conditioning and make a booking in advance. The highest temperatures typically hit between 3pm and 6pm, so aim to head outdoors outside of these hours.

    Rising temperatures invite travellers to enter a more intentional era of seeing the world. Now more than ever is the time to embrace lower-impact “coolcations” and off-season getaways.

    London's best museums - International Traveller Magazine