The National Gallery

Walking up the steps of the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square hits differently than you'd expect. Yes, it's free to enter - properly free, not a donation-only situation - and that means you can pop in for twenty minutes or spend half a day without it denting the budget.

Inside, the collection spans from medieval altarpieces to Impressionist masterpieces. The Turner room alone justifies the visit if you're into light and colour. Van Gogh's Sunflowers is there too, looking exactly like it does in books but somehow more urgent in person. I'd allow at least two hours minimum, though honestly you could lose an entire afternoon.

It works best for art lovers and those with patient teenagers - very young kids might struggle unless you're specifically hunting the kid-friendly trails they run. The crowds can be thick around the blockbuster paintings, particularly weekends and school holidays, so go on a weekday morning if you can.

From Lovat Parks, just 1.3 miles away, it's an easy trip in - the gallery sits right in central London, so you won't lose half the day commuting. Combine it with a wander around Trafalgar Square, a quick National Portrait Gallery visit next door, or duck into the National Museum. You could genuinely do a proper culture day without leaving this corner of the West End.