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• Confidence is returning to the business travel sector, but companies are not expecting a lightning improvement
• Playing golf is often used in building contacts and professional relationships
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1. The National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery
National Gallery
- Trafalgar Square WC2
- 020 7747 2885
- Open 10am–6pm daily (10am–9pm Wed). Sainsbury Wing exhibitions open until 10pm on Wed
- Guided tours at 11:30am and 2:30pm daily (also 6:30pm Wed)
- Free
- www.nationalgallery.org.uk
National Portrait Gallery
- St Martin's Place WC2
- 020 7312 2463
- Open 10am–6pm Sat-Wed, 10am–9pm Thu-Fri.
- Free
- www.npg.org.uk
2. Tate Modern
Housed in a huge converted power station on the south bank of the Thames, this exciting new gallery covers modern art from 1900 to the present day.
- Bankside SE
- 020 7887 8008
- Open 10am–6pm Sun–Thu, 10am–10pm Fri–Sat.
- Closed 24– 26 Dec
- Free (admission charge for temporary exhibitions)
- www.tate.org.uk
3. Tate Britain
The other Tate gallery in London, focusing on work from 1500 to the present, has the best collection of British art in the world.
- Millbank SW1
- 020 7887 8000
- Open 10am–5.50pm daily
- Closed 24–26 Dec
- Free (admission charge for most temporary exhibitions)
- www.tate.org.uk
4. Courtauld Institute Gallery
From Fra Angelico to Van Gogh, this is a complete art course in one manageable gallery. The core of the collection is the country's finest Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works, amassed by a textile magnate, Samuel Courtauld (1876–1947). Many of them are instantly recognisable: Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergère, Toulouse Lautrec's dancing Jane Avril, Gauguin's Te Rerioa and Manet's Déjeuner sur L'Herbe. Visit Somerset House's fountain courtyard and riverside terrace café for a drink afterwards.
- Strand WC2
- Open 10am–6pm daily
- Admission charge
5. Wallace Collection
This wonderful Victorian mansion belonged to Sir Richard Wallace (1818–90). In 1897, his widow bequeathed the house and their amazing art collection to the nation. Covering two floors, the 25 public rooms are beautifully furnished with one of the best private collections of French 18th-century pictures, porcelain and furniture in the world. The paintings are rich and voluptuous – notable works include Nicolas Poussin's A Dance to the Music of Time and Frans Hals' The Laughing Cavalier. There are English portraits by Gainsborough and Reynolds.
- Manchester Square W1
- Open 10am–5pm Mon–Sat, noon–5pm Sun
- Free
6. Dulwich Picture Gallery
If you have time, this suburban gallery is well worth a short train journey. Britain's oldest art gallery, which had a face-lift for the Millennium, was opened in 1817. The important collection includes Murillo's Flower Girl, Poussin's Triumph of David and Rembrandt's Girl at the Window.
- College Road SE21
- Train to North or West Dulwich
- Open 10am–5pm Tue–Fri, 11am–5pm Sat–Sun
- Admission charge
7. Serpentine Gallery
Major contemporary artists tend to be shown here. Rachel Whiteread and the Wilson twins have had recent exhibitions. This is one of London's most exciting galleries, often transforming its space to suit the work. Installations have been known to spill out into the park – even to become an outside tearoom. Busy on warm weekends.
- Kensington Gardens W2
- Tube Lancaster Gate
- Open 10am–6pm daily
8. Royal Academy
Although it has no permanent exhibition, the Royal Academy's continual big-name temporary exhibitions draw the crowds, and it is often necessary to reserve a ticket in advance. The traditional Summer Exhibition, which anyone can apply to enter, is also extremely popular.
- Burlington House, Piccadilly W1
- Open 10am–6pm daily (10pm Fri)
- Admission charge
9. Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Established in 1962 to display works from the Royal Collection, this fascinating gallery shows paintings and other pieces from the royal collection.
- Buckingham Palace SW1
- 020 7321 2233
- Open 10am–5:30pm (last adm 4:30pm)
- www.royal.gov.uk
10. Kenwood House
This majestic mansion with interiors designed by Robert Adam has a small but important collection comprising 17th-century Dutch and Flemish works, 18th-century English portraits, and a small French Rococo section. There are statues by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth in the extensive grounds.
- Hampstead Lane NW3
- Tube Highgate
- Open 1 Apr–30 Sep: 10am–6pm daily; Oct: 10am–5pm daily; 1 Nov–31 Mar: 10am–4pm daily
- Free
