The Courtauld Gallery - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
The Courtauld Gallery
The Courtauld Gallery
4.5
Speciality & Gift ShopsArt GalleriesArt Museums
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
The Courtauld Gallery is home to one of the world’s great art collections, located in the magnificent historical setting of Somerset House in central London. The Courtauld’s much-loved collection includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and decorative arts ranging from the Renaissance through to the 20th century. The Gallery is renowned for its remarkable group of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including the world-famous A Bar at the Folies Bergère by Édouard Manet, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear by Vincent van Gogh and the most significant collection of works by Cézanne in the UK. These masterpieces are displayed in The Courtauld’s spectacularly restored LVMH Great Room – London’s oldest purpose-built exhibition space. There are also galleries dedicated to the Medieval and Early Renaissance periods, rooms devoted to 20th century art and the Bloomsbury Group, and dedicated galleries for temporary exhibitions.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Trafalgar Square / Embankment
With its iconic Nelson’s Column, majestic oversized lions and brightly-lit fountains, Trafalgar Square is not just considered the heart of this bustling London hub, but the very core of the city itself. Beyond this esteemed gathering place are more famous icons, as well as a disproportionate numbers of the city’s most popular cultural attractions including the National Gallery and many West End theaters. Along the way to these major sites are quiet lanes and antiquated pubs to discover, as well as riverside vistas to enjoy on the embankment. With a calendar full of celebratory events, any time of year is a fine time to visit.
How to get there
  • Temple • 4 min walk
  • Covent Garden • 7 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travelers are saying
  • Paul H
    Surrey, United Kingdom56 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A fantstic and varied collection
    I enjoyed the Courtauld. It has a nice mix of works right through from Gothic/Early Renaissance to the Post Impressionists. The gallery is spread over a number of floors with quite narrow winding stairs, so there's a bit of squeezing by people when it's busy. But I never felt rushed and although it's not the largest gallery in the world it has amazing quality. I'm writing this review a little while after I visited and I've been to a lot more galleries now, and I don't think I really appreciated how good the Courtauld was at the time, but now I realise what a fantastic collection it is.
    Visited October 2022
    Traveled solo
    Written September 15, 2023
  • harry z
    San Diego, California148 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unique: seeing great art without people taking selfies/iPhone pics in front of you!
    Our second visit to this museum, each being outstanding. The best part of the Courtauld might be that so few people attend. That means quality time for viewing and considering the displayed art is not interrupted by too many people passing in front of you or taking selfies/iPhone pics of the art work. Absolutely outstanding.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 31, 2023
  • speerbuz
    Brisbane, Australia54 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    My favourite art gallery.
    This gallery is an absolute gem and probably ranks as my favourite art gallery. It is not huge, so is very manageable for a visit of a couple of hours. The quality of the collection, ranging from medieval to 20th Century, with some wonderful Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works, is amazing. It is nice to leave a galley feeling totally satisfied, but not completely overwhelmed by the size.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 19, 2023
  • Graham M
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Delightful
    My wife and I really enjoyed our visit to the Courtauld gallery. The impressionist collection in particular is well worth a visit with some major pieces by major artists (Degas, van Gogh, Cézanne, Manet, Monet, Morisot). It's also an ideal size, I think it took us maybe 2 hours to go around. The staff were friendly and helpful and the works are very accessible (not many are behind glass). There are free tours and the café is nice (if expensive). I would highly recommend a visit to this gallery. I would also mention that the shop have some lovely and thoughtful products to buy.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 27, 2023
  • Sam3314
    Derby, United Kingdom2,122 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressionists with time to appreciate them
    A lovely small and quiet cafe. Love the impressionists gallery and you can get close to the pictures to admire them. Not too busy so you can really appreciate the art. Lots of stairs but there is a lift. Good gifts in the shop which you don't need to purchase a ticket for.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written January 28, 2024
  • Liege-Bastogne-Liege
    Zurich, Switzerland414 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Truly wonderful.
    There is no lovelier gallery in London. It is intimate, accessible, romantic, rich in its displays, discreet, serene and its artworks are beautiful beyond words. It is too, that its range of artworks is wide but less expansive than the National Gallery or the Tate. That helps matters. It makes it easier to focus. And what wonderful genius is on display. There is one corner of the Gallery where I could simply stand for hours. Inside one door is a Modigliani nude from 1916, to it's right is Manet's huge Bar at the Folies Bergere and over the shoulder to the right on the wall opposite is the exquisite Van Gogh, La Crau with Peach Trees in Blossom. If you could determine your own eternity, this would surely be one option. I am so grateful for this place.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 12, 2024
  • The_Coach55
    Ruislip, United Kingdom977 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good Frank Auerbach Exhibition
    The Courtauld Gallery is situated in Somerset House near Aldwych. It is a short walk from Temple station. This was my first visit here since its refurbishment in late 2021 and I came to see the Frank Auerbach : Charcoal Heads exhibition. This was very good with a couple of dozen interesting works by this fine artist. It was also great to see the permanent collection including old favourites by Manet, Van Gogh, Camille Pissarro and others. I paid £7 with my Art Fund card for admission.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written April 24, 2024
  • Richard C
    806 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Major Collection, Wonderful Presentation
    The Courtauld's collection is staggering: major works including some of the most important Impressionist paintings, Bloomsbury artists, and contemporary British art work. It's a must see and convenient located in central London. In addition there are also a fine cafe, expansive gift shop, and clean loos. Take the lift to the top and work your way down the spiral staircase.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 24, 2024
  • Martin H
    Hong Kong, China902 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A small gallery with a good collection of impressionist paintings
    This is not a big gallery and you can see it all in under an hour if there aren't many people there. I was really impressed by the collection of impressionist works on the top floor. The building itself is lovely and they've really curated the works well throughout. Well worth a visit.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 5, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,465 reviews
Excellent
2,565
Very good
773
Average
107
Poor
13
Terrible
8

CheekyLondon
Southend-on-Sea, UK1,774 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Often go to this gallery but this time went to the Van Gogh Self Portraits exhibition. If you have Art Fund Pass you get reduced entrance fees. The exhibition is not huge but it's well curated and very interesting. Lots of people there as it was in it's final days. Well worth a visit.
Written May 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alan_Pro
Mulhouse, France164 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
If you love Modern Art, it's the place to visit!

I travel especially from France to London to visit it.
First the whole building of the Sommerset House is amazing, the Courtauld Gallery Museum is nestled in one the many wings.

Absolutely beautiful Art collection. My FAV is Modern Art , so I spend more time on the second floor, but did enjoy the 1st floor dedicated to renaissance (from the 1500 and up)

Price is very fair. Now, don't expect to spend hours and hours, the museum is not that big. Unless they open an extra room for a temporary exhibition, then it's more interesting to plan a half day.
Written February 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

futtock21
London, UK11,627 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Solo
The Courtauld Gallery in its splendid mooring occupying a wing of Somerset House has long been one of my favourite haunts in London. It’s just the right size for a gallery: not too vast so as to rapidly overwhelm; nor too small as to not justify a repeat visit. The collection of some of the world’s greatest impressionist masterpieces, think Manet’s Bar at the Folies Bergeres or Cezanne’s Card Players is more than enough to justify repeated visits. Now they are housed on the third floor without the distraction of the high ceilinged grandeur and views from their precious home on the floor below one can appreciate them all the more. They are joined by a huge triptych by Oskar Kokoschka and a room dedicated to the Bloomsbury group where paintings are complimented by furniture and artefacts. There’s also a special exhibition of modern drawings from the Karshan Collection. Downstairs the shop and cafe have changed places, the former now in a much revamped basement. The second floor galleries have been given the name of a sponsor called Blavatnik whose name is also associated with one of the two wings of Tate Modern.
Written November 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jpcheshire1615
Wilmslow, UK499 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
The Courtauld Gallery is one of my favourite art galleries in London. We went on his visit to London specifically to see the exhibition of Van Gogh portraits which was fascinating. As you would expect from a top academic institution, the written explanations at the side of the pictures were first rate and really helped visitors to appreciate the paintings.

We also looked round the famous collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. Beautiful pictures by Monet, Manet, Surat, Renoir and (my favourite) Cezanne are here. And the huge Kokoshka Prometheus pictures are stunning, if not to everyone's liking! There are plenty of less familiar names too.

We visited the later Renaissance paintings on the second floor but were getting tired and gave the earlier Renaissance and medieval periods a miss this time. Perhaps on a future visit.

There are much bigger galleries in London but the Courtauld has a special atmosphere, perhaps because it is part of London University. It is quite compact, well laid out and everything is on display is of top quality. You can go again and again and always find something that you had missed before or forgotten about. An uplifting experience.
Written February 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DunelmArts
Aberdeen, UK1,144 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Located in Somerset House, the Courtauld Is home to some stunning art including some of the more famous impressionist works. The entrance fee ensures the gallery is quieter than the National or the Tate. It is £2 cheaper to visit during a weekday. Weekend tickets are £11 or £13 with a donation. Visiting exhibitions are extra. Quirky gift shop.
Written July 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gail N
14 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
I got fooled by the picture of the Somerset House of which the gallery occupies about 1/4 of the space. As another reviewer pointed out there are many galleries in London that are free with just as impressive collections. I found it interesting that they had the preparatory earlier versions of masterpieces but thought for the price and the limited number of works that this gallery was overpriced. If they offered educational tours then it would justify the ticket price more.

Plus: easily accessible by Underground, nice staff, beautiful building.

I pursued this museum over the Sir John Soane Museum and think maybe I made the wrong choice.
Written November 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

annebwatt@hotmail.co.uk
London, UK69 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
I had not visited the Courtauld for many years, so booking this exhibition reacquainted me with this delightful gallery!
The collection of self portraits is fascinating; very well displayed and with exhibits from many world renowned galleries.
It also provides an insight into the amazing talent of a troubled soul.
There were not too many visitors in the allocated rooms, thanks to a very efficient booking system.
I intend to return ASAP to explore the other Impressionist exhibits at leisure.
Also worth a mention is the lovely Art Cafe, which does a very good Chai Latte!
Written February 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John A
Ilkeston6 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
I remember the gallery before 1989. I visited many time after it moved to Somerset House. I went partly to see the pictures, partly for the ambience. The first and second floor rooms have stunning ceilings and those facing over the courtyard fascinating views.Looking down on the skating rink in winter is like an impressionist painting.
The first floor gallery confronted one with a stunning set of sculpture and paintings.

Alas this is lost. The same volume of works is now spread over the first two floors and an attic. Was it worth the long closure and expenditure for a lesser experience?

The original basement cafe had more character. My wife tells me that the shop was wildly overpriced
Written April 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DAB
United Kingdom29 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022 • Couples
Visited midweek when it was not too busy so was able to see all exhibits without jostling or disturbance from others; this gallery offers a broad range of paintings from medieval religious through to contemporary which gives a good overview of art through history. They have a good selection of Reubens and some interesting impressionist works by Manet, Seurat, Renoir & Monet. We spent around 3 hours there including a stop for coffee.
Written January 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Clive W
Orpington1,807 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
My friend and I visited the recently reopened Courtauld Gallery and had a superb time. The art on show spans Medieval art to modern. Particularly memorable is the large, Impressionist Great Room with several famous artists’ work on show e.g. Cezanne, Seurat, Monet, Manet. I also liked the portrait of Margaret Gainsborough in the 18th century section. Other rooms have objects on display including silverware, porcelain and 2 huge marriage chests. There is a Bloomsbury Group room which includes the design for a rug and the completed rug on the floor. The information notices are excellent and comprehensive.

The architecture is amazing with a wonderful blue spiral staircase, decorative ceilings with beautiful plasterwork and attractive walls. A most unusual ceiling includes sepia photos. The spacious shop is in the vault and definitely worth visiting just to view its design.

There is a new, large lift for those preferring to avoid the staircase.

We pre-booked and paid £9 for a timed entry ticket. We were there for 3 hours and didn’t have time for our lunch! Possibly, we slightly rushed the top floor as we had to leave so be sure to allow plenty of time to enjoy your visit.
Written December 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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The Courtauld Gallery - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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