Private Tour: London Walking Tour of Apsley House and the Victoria and Albert Museum

London, United Kingdom

Your tour begins at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London's Victorian center of art and crafts dedicated to the royal couple. Now a museum of arts from all countries, styles and periods. Apart from the main collection of oil paintings and watercolours (with emphasis on the British ones and a collection of Constable's oil sketches), sculpture and architectural examples, the museum contains the world's finest collection of applied arts such as weapons and armours, bronzes and carpets etc. Visit the famous Cartoons for tapestries which Raphael created for Pope Leo X and the recently refurbished Renaissance and Medieval Galleries

Walking along Knightsbridge, London's famous shopping center where Harrods is located, you will reach No.1 London, the name given to Apsley house. Built by Adams in 1775 for Baron Apsley and acquired by the Duke of Wellington in 1817, he aggrandized the house with the help of architect Wyatt who gave it the Corinthian temple front and faced it in gold bath stone. It became the grand mansion of the Duke of Wellington, the victor of Napoleon. You will find the treasures regaled to the Duke by the European Monarchs returned to their thrones after the defeat of Napoleon. As you enter the house in the inner hall is the nude marble statue by Canova of Napoleon in the guise of Apollo. See silver and porcelain sets, jewels and snuff boxes surrounded by the Duke's furniture. Upstairs are the paintings which he collected and the old masters from the Royal Spanish collection found in Giuseppe Bonaparte's coach as he was abandoning Madrid. These were given to Wellington by the King of Spain. Among them are paintings by Velazquez, Rubens, Murillo, Ribera and Goya.(On Mondays and Tuesdays when Apsley House is closed more time will be spent in the V&A Museum.)

This private tour is hosted by a professional guide specializing in art history. Please list any special interests you have (art, architecture, history) at time of booking to alert our guide so that he or she can better prepare for your private tour.

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Rebeca E	June 2011
I was totally embarrassed that I arranged this tour; the guide was not only late, he did not have any sign identifying himself or reaching out to our group; although he was very knowledgable of art history, he ran us around only to tell us mid tour that we would not be doing the walking tour of Apsley House, because it was closed. His appearance was dis-shoveled, and he kept checking his cell phone???? I wish I could recommend this tour;