Victoria and Albert Museum

Of the three great South Kensington collections, the V&A is perhaps the least ostentatious, which might seem strange for a museum dedicated to all that is most eye-catching in the visual arts. That's not to say it doesn't provide a feast for the eyes -- this is perhaps the world's greatest collection of applied arts -- more that it relies less on gizmos, gadgets, and touchscreens to get its point across. The wonders on display here need no sexing up.

The museum comprises seven floors split into 150 galleries, in which are displayed, at a rough estimate, around four million items of decorative art from across the world and throughout the ages -- sculptures, jewelry, textiles, clothes, paintings, ceramics, furniture, architecture, and more. Many of the collections are among the finest found anywhere. The V&A has the largest collection of Renaissance sculptures outside Italy, the greatest collection of Indian art outside India (in the Nehru Gallery), and the country's most comprehensive collection of antique dresses (in the Fashion Gallery). The Photography Gallery can draw on some 500,000 individual images, the recently added William & Judith Bolling Gallery holds one of the world's largest (and most glittering) collections of European jewelry, while the British Galleries can offer perhaps the greatest diversity of British design available anywhere, with all the great names of the past 400 years represented, including Chippendale, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and William Morris.

That's a huge and potentially overwhelming amount of choice, and it's set to get even worse in the future with new galleries dedicated to Textiles, Furniture, and Europe due to open in the next few years. To help you plot your path, your first stop should be the front desk where you can pick up leaflets, floor plans, and themed family trails. If you'd rather somebody else made the decisions for you, free guided tours leave from the grand entrance daily, hourly between 10:30am and 3:30pm. Also look out for the special evening tours, which take place on the first Friday of the month, when the gallery stays open late and lays on special events, including talks and free concerts. Art-based drop-in events are laid on for families on weekends.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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