The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place is one of London's best free days out. General admission to the permanent collection is free for everyone, with no ticket or booking required for most visits.
Beyond free entry, there's a free way to go deeper into the collection too: Audioguide.London is a free audio guide that works at The National Portrait Gallery, in 6 languages, with no app to download.
Some special, ticketed exhibitions are not covered by free general admission. The free permanent collection is what Audioguide.London is built for.
Instead of downloading the Gallery's own Bloomberg Connects app, you can use Audioguide.London at no cost, directly in your phone's browser. See the full free National Portrait Gallery audio guide comparison.
Not sure what to see first? Check the National Portrait Gallery must-see portraits for a practical shortlist.
Yes. General admission to the permanent collection is free for everyone. Some temporary special exhibitions may charge a separate ticket.
For the permanent collection, no booking is usually required. Special exhibitions may need a timed ticket, so it's worth checking before you go.
Yes. Audioguide.London is a free audio guide that works at The National Portrait Gallery in 6 languages, with no app download or rental needed.