Victoria and Albert Museum

At Kensington’s heart, the Victoria and Albert Museum welcomes travelers eager for discovery, yet planning ahead helps the day unfold with ease. Weekends and holidays bring crowds eager for the treasures inside, while weekday mornings often offer quieter corridors. Entry is free, but special exhibitions require tickets, which are best booked ahead—especially for popular events. South Kensington Underground station sits just a short walk away, guiding visitors smoothly to these striking doors. The museum spaces are vast and stroller-friendly, with lifts and benches for those who need to rest. Most guests find three to four hours just right—enough to see icons and maybe linger over tea in the courtyard.

• Best time to visit: Weekday mornings or late afternoons (spring and autumn weekdays are calmest)
• How to get there: Tube to South Kensington station, then a signed tunnel or above-ground walk leads directly to the museum. Buses stop along Cromwell Road; limited parking nearby
• Accessibility: Step-free entrance on Exhibition Road, lifts to all floors, wheelchairs and portable stools available
• Average visit duration: 3-4 hours (more for those who want lunch or to explore thoroughly)

Every corner of the Victoria and Albert Museum teems with discoveries, from medieval treasures to fashion catwalks. Galleries branch like tributaries from the main entrance, each one holding its own world. Some spaces dazzle with scale—like the towering Cast Courts—while quieter rooms glow with jewels, tapestries, or a single spotlight on a work by Raphael. The mix of grand spectacle and intimate detail keeps visitors circling back for more. Photography is encouraged, but no flash—so light and shadow come into play, as they once did for so many artisans.

• Key sights or features: The Cast Courts (full-size plaster copies of Michelangelo’s David and Trajan’s Column); the Jewellery Gallery; the Fashion Gallery showcasing centuries of style; the Medieval and Renaissance collections
• Unique experiences: Join a free guided highlight tour; peer behind the glass at working conservators in The Gilbert Bayes Sculpture Gallery; attend temporary exhibitions on design, photography, or costume
• Photo-worthy locations: The John Madejski Garden courtyard with its reflective pool; the spiral staircase outside the reading rooms; the ornate ironwork gates in the entrance Rotunda
• Cultural or historical facts: Founded in 1852 for the Great Exhibition’s legacy, the V&A was the world’s first museum to use gas lighting. Over 2.3 million objects lie in its care, making it the largest museum of applied arts and design globally.