London Art Tours - for the visitor to London who wishes to view and experience the incomparable art and architecture of the city, its galleries and exhibitions.

4. NATIONAL GALLERY - THE STRAND - COURTAULD INSTITUTE For the connoisseur of paintings, this tour combines two of the most significant collections in London. The holdings of the National Gallery (see Highlights Tours) are outstanding for their quality, quantity but perhaps above all their balance. It is a very comprehensive survey of Western European painting. Using the chronological displays you will be able to trace the development of the art of painting over 600 years. Emerging from the gallery you will be in Trafalgar Square, filled with some of the most famous landmarks in London: Nelson's Column, St. Martin in the Fields and with views down Whitehall to Big Ben. We walk along the Strand, the main street which connects the City of Westminster and the City of London. Past Charing Cross Station we'll explore some of the little alleyways and passages that lead off this busy thoroughfare. Finally we reach Somerset House, a descendant of the great houses that once lined the Strand. Built to house offices for the government in the late 18th century, Somerset House is one of the most impressive classical buildings in London. Our tour ends with highlights of the Courtauld Institute of Art (see Highlights Tours), a collection which reveals the tastes, idiosyncracies, even obsessions of the individuals whose private collections have been given to the Institute. It makes for some interesting comparisons and its 20th century holdings are a perfect complement to the National Gallery which covers the period to 1900. You may wish to stay at Somerset House to explore the Gilbert Collection or the Hermitage Rooms (see LISTINGS) or to relax on the river terrace. National Gallery - (see Highlights Tours) Trafalgar Square St. Martin in the Fields The Strand The Savoy Aldwych St. Mary-le-Strand Courtauld Institute of Art (see Highlights Tours)