Do you need to book a free ticket?
No. The Gallery's visiting page says general admission is free and that walk-up entry is available. Booking a free ticket is optional: it gives "fast-track entry" and sends you key information before your visit.
The Gallery does not publish queue times or busy periods. Because the ticket costs nothing, booking one is sensible if you are on a tight schedule; otherwise walking up works. Either way, everyone passes the same security check described below.
Donations are welcome but not required.
Paid exhibitions: what they cost and when they run
The permanent collection is free. Some exhibitions are paid, and an exhibition ticket also covers free general admission. The exhibitions page lists these among its current and upcoming shows on 29 October 2026:
| Exhibition | Dates | Adult price | Under 18s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renoir and Love | Until 31 January 2027 | £20 Sun–Thu, £25 Fri–Sat | Free |
| Van Eyck: The Portraits | 21 November 2026 to 11 April 2027 | £18, audio guide included | Free |
| Yinka Shonibare and Thomas Gainsborough: A Conversation | Until 7 February 2027 | Free | Free |
The Renoir and Love page gives the two adult prices and free entry for under-18s, but no concession prices. The Van Eyck page says booking is open, the standard ticket is £18 with a free audio guide, and the show is in the Ground Floor Galleries. Members enter both free.
For a couple, choosing a Thursday instead of a Saturday for Renoir saves £10 (2 × £5). If you are in London between 21 November and 31 January, you can see both paid shows for £38 per adult on a Sunday to Thursday, or £43 on a Friday or Saturday.
Self-guided groups of seven or more must contact the Gallery in advance for Renoir and Love.
Renoir on Friday evenings for as little as £1
The Pay What You Wish page offers Renoir and Love tickets for any amount from £1 on Friday evenings. The offer applies to time slots from 5:30pm to 7:45pm. You can book in advance online, choosing a Friday, a slot and the "Pay What You Wish" ticket option, or try a walk-up ticket on the day.
The page's footnote gives the period as 23 October 2026 to 15 January 2027, while its heading prints "to 15 January 2026". Read it as the 2026–27 run, which matches the exhibition dates, and confirm on the booking screen. The Gallery is closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, which both fall on Fridays this season (25 December 2026 and 1 January 2027), so do not plan a Pay What You Wish visit on either date.
Opening hours and closures
- Saturday to Thursday: 10am–6pm.
- Friday: 10am–9pm.
- Closed: 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January.
These hours appear on the visiting page and the Sainsbury Wing page. The Gallery does not publish a separate last-entry time on those pages.
Over the 2026–27 holidays, the Gallery is closed Thursday 24 December through Saturday 26 December, reopens on Sunday 27 December, and closes again on Friday 1 January. Friday 1 January also means no late opening that week.
Some rooms are closed
The visiting page says some rooms are closed for building work and some paintings have moved. On 29 October 2026 the floorplans page marked Rooms 7, 8, 16, 17, 17a, 30, 31 and the Sunley Room as closed, and Room 9 as open but empty. No reopening dates are given. If you are coming for one painting, check the online collection or the floorplan before you go.
Entrance, security and bags
The Sainsbury Wing page says the Sainsbury Wing is the main entrance for everyone, including ticket holders and Members. It faces Trafalgar Square at the corner of Pall Mall and Whitcomb Street. The Roden Centre entrance on Orange Street is only for school groups and people attending events there.
All doors have walk-through metal detectors and staff inspect bags and rucksacks. The Gallery asks visitors to bring as little as possible and not to bring large bags.
- Cloakroom: £3 per item, free for Members.
- Maximum bag size: 56 × 25 × 45 cm.
- Not allowed: wheeled luggage, including cabin bags, and suitcases.
- Allowed: baby buggies.
Getting there
The Gallery's address is Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN. Its transport and parking page gives:
- Rail: Charing Cross, about 200 metres away, the nearest step-free national rail station.
- Underground with step-free access: Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern and Elizabeth lines) and Westminster (Jubilee, District and Circle lines), according to the access page.
- Buses: St Martin's Place (Stop K), Trafalgar Square / Charing Cross Station (Stops C, D or G) and Leicester Square Station (Stop L).
Charing Cross Underground station has an entrance on Trafalgar Square. On 29 October 2026 the TfL station page reported no down escalator in service from the Trafalgar Square entrance to the Bakerloo line platforms, with no repair date. If you are paying by card, our guide to Tube and bus fares on a bank card explains daily capping.
How long to allow and where to go next
The Gallery does not publish a suggested visit length. A timed exhibition slot plus a walk through a few rooms of the permanent collection fills a morning or an afternoon, and the free collection lets you leave whenever you like. On a Friday you can split the day: free collection in the afternoon, then a Pay What You Wish Renoir slot from 5:30pm.
If the Gallery is closed or the exhibitions are sold out, another free collection is the British Museum in Bloomsbury; our guide covers its booking and Friday hours. Towards Westminster, the Churchill War Rooms and Westminster Abbey both need paid tickets.
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