An Art Lover's Guide to London

Regarding art in London, things don’t get more heavyweight than the National Gallery. Reigning supreme over Trafalgar Square and boasting more than 2,500 paintings, the highlights of this masterpiece-packed museum read like a who’s-who of the classic art world. If you’re pressed for time, tick off work by the likes of Titian, Vermeer, Cezanne, Monet, and Rembrandt in less time on an express tour, or delve deeper into the background of paintings by Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Raphael, and da Vinci on an art history tour.

While it might be most famous for its shimmering skyscrapers home to global banks, Canary Wharf is fast carving out a space in London’s art scene. It boasts the most extensive collection of public art in London—the award-winning Art on the Estate sculpture trail features more than 100 pieces of either integrated architectural features or solo sculptures, and it doesn’t intend to stop growing any time soon. Over the festive season, light shows and art installations enhance a wonderful trail. Combine art with adrenaline by arriving in a super-fast RIB boat from Embankment.

Split across two galleries (Serpentine North, designed by Zaha Hadid, and Serpentine South) in one of London’s royal parks, the Serpentine presents contemporary art that follows the rhythm of the seasons. Past exhibits have included miraculously intact spider webs transported from Africa and fiberglass and wooden sculptures of ducks. Every summer, an emerging architect who hasn’t yet built in the United Kingdom is commissioned to build a pavilion for the southern gallery’s front lawn. Nestled in the heart of Kensington Gardens, it is also a short walk from top London sights such as the oft-overlooked Albert Memorial, which wows with its shimmering gold top and Gothic architecture.

In super-trendy Shoreditch, art isn’t just confined to museums and spills out onto the streets. Walls are smothered with graffiti and murals, and even adverts are painted onto the walls rather than emblazoned on billboards. However, it's hard to keep up with this ever-changing selection of London street art, so it’s best to explore with an expert whose finger is on the pulse. Plus, tours reveal unique art shops in London and give you the inside scoop on upcoming London pop-ups—some even let you spray paint your own mural.

At the forefront of London's modern art scene, Tate Modern occupies a prime position on the Southbank of the Thames River. Free to visit and home to masterpieces by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Roy Lichtenstein, it should be at the top of every modern art lover’s list. Famous for showing a more unconventional side of London’s art scene, the temporary London art installations hosted in the cavernous Turbine Hall have included a vast indoor sun, spiral slides, a giant spider, and a massive mirror ball. Minutes from the museum, you’ll also find Shakespeare’s Globe and St. Paul’s Cathedral across the Millennium Bridge.

Boasting a collection of more than 12,000 portraits, the National Portrait Gallery was one of the first galleries ever dedicated entirely to portraits. Photographs and paintings span hundreds of years and depict famous faces such as the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, Charles Dickens, Amy Winehouse, Elton John, Queen Victoria, and Lenny Henry (to name but a few). Plus, its central location beside the National Gallery on the cusp of bustling Soho makes it a convenient addition to central London sightseeing.

Head to the cutting-edge White Cube gallery in Bermondsey (a riverside hot spot for culture and cuisine) to see a more unconventional side of London's art scene. This super-sleek space showcases emerging artists in London), hosting exhibitions that explore the human condition and our relationship with our minds, bodies, and planet. The soaring ceilings and brilliant white walls are the perfect backdrop for the contemporary curations. Past artists exhibited here have included Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, and Gilbert and George. The museum franchise also has branches in Hong Kong, Seoul, Paris, and New York.

Just off bustling Oxford Street in the heart of London’s super-chic Soho district is the Photographer’s Gallery. It exhibits photography in all of its forms (past exhibits have focused on everything from sex, alcohol, and history) and also boasts a specialist photography bookshop and a café. And if you prefer to be behind the lens, London photography tours and photo shoots help you capture perfect vacation pictures.

Perched on the southern banks of the Thams River in posh Pimlico, Tate Britain is as classic as Tate Modern is contemporary. The collection, which spans hundreds of years of British art and dates back to Tudor times, is housed in a grand neoclassical building fronted by stone pillars and sculptures—it’s as much of a work of art as what’s inside. It is famous for having the world's most extensive collection of paintings by JMW Turner.