Place

Irhal top pick

Victoria and Albert Museum

Victoria and Albert Museum is a design and art museum in South Kensington. The V&A covers design, fashion, Islamic art, ceramics, textiles, sculpture and global decorative arts. For Muslim and family travellers, its value is not only the sight itself but the way it fits into a wider route: The Jameel Gallery of Islamic art is especially valuable for Irhal readers.

City guideSouth Kensington

The Victoria and Albert Museum with spring blossom in London — Spring blossom outside the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington.visitlondon.com/Jon Reid

Why visit

The Victoria and Albert Museum first opened in 1852 and moved to its current location in 1857. Queen Victoria herself officially opened the museum on June 22nd. From the beginning, the museum focused on more practical decorative items – metalwork, furniture, textiles, etc. It catered to ordinary working class citizens, reflected in its evening and nighttime opening hours (enabled by gas lighting). The collection quickly grew to feature items from around the world and throughout history.

What to see

The collections span the globe, but there is a clear focus on Great Britain. It traces the development of British culture through decoration. It is a unique perspective, and there are lots of unique and compelling exhibits. Some highlights include the Raphael Cartoons, the sculpture court, the dress collection, and the British Galleries, which offer a comprehensive history of British art and design.

Plan your visit

This is one of the best and most interesting museums, and is definitely worth a visit, especially considering the price. There’s a lot to see here, so consider what you want to see ahead of time, or break your visit up into chunks over a couple days.

Good to know

Address: Cromwell Road, SW7

Good to know

Telephone: +44 020 7492 2000

Good to know

Website: www.vam.ac.uk

Good to know

Metro: South Kensington (Piccadilly, District, Circle)

Good to know

Hours: Open daily 10:00-17:45 (22:00 on Fridays)

Good to know

Free admission; charge for some of the temporary exhibitions.

Sources and updates

References used by Irhal's editors to verify this page.

Last editorial review: 2026-07-20

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Victoria and Albert Museum

City guideSouth Kensington

Why visit

What to see