Essential Information
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National Maritime Museum
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| Price | £5 for Treasures Tour | Other tours free |
The National Maritime Museum is the world’s largest museum dedicated to the history of seafaring.
We have partnered with Smartify – the leading museum app – to make it easier than ever to explore this trove of maritime treasures.
Choose from a range of dedicated audio tours of the National Maritime Museum and listen along using your phone.
Select your tour
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The Classic Tour
Price: Free
Featuring objects from barges and naval uniforms to paintings and polar relics, the National Maritime Museum brings together stories of exploration, endeavour and encounter.
On this self-guided audio tour, journey through more than 500 years of maritime history as you explore the Museum’s galleries.
The tour lasts around 90 minutes and is currently available in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, European Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean.
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Treasures of the National Maritime Museum audio tour
Price: £5
Get a deeper insight into some of the Museum’s most prized – and lesser-known – objects on this self-guided audio tour, carefully curated by our knowledgeable staff and experts.
Be chilled by tales of polar exploration, marvel at the oldest boat in our collection and learn about an unusual astronomical instrument.
This is a self-guided, audio version of our in-person Treasures Tours at the National Maritime Museum, and is a great alternative if you want to take things at your own pace or can't visit the Museum in person.
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Freedom Fighters audio tour
Price: Free
Learn about the women who stood up against slavery on this audio trail of the Museum’s Atlantic Worlds gallery, created by historian Stella Dadzie.
Uncover the stories of Nanny of the Maroons, who led an uprising of formerly enslaved Africans against the British; Mary Prince, the only enslaved West Indian woman to leave an account of her life; and Sanite Bélair, known as the ‘Tigress of Haiti'.
This self-guided tour lasts around 45 minutes.
Content warning: Please be advised that this audio guide includes graphic descriptions of slavery and the slave trade. It also includes historical terminology that is no longer considered appropriate today.
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Audio guide features
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Expert commentary and Museum highlights: uncover stories of life at sea, learn about epic tales of adventure and discover the highlights of the National Maritime Museum's world-renowned collection.
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Rich audio, images and text: lean back and listen or read the transcript – explore the National Maritime Museum at your own pace and in your own way.
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Listen from anywhere in the world: all our tours are available online, so you can enjoy them even if you can't visit the National Maritime Museum in person.
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Download the Smartify app for free from the Apple or Android app store, and discover a host of other museums and historic attractions, including the Queen’s House, Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Our galleries
Discover some of the spaces you will see on the tour
Maritime London
Discover how life on the River Thames has evolved in the past 300 years at the National Maritime Museum's Maritime London gallery
Turner's Battle of Trafalgar gallery
See Turner's largest painting, the Battle of Trafalgar
Sea Things
Explore the sea through personal stories from the deep
Pacific Encounters
Explore the complex legacy of European exploration and how it shaped the Pacific we know today
Traders: the East India Company & Asia
Find out about Britain’s maritime trade with Asia at the National Maritime Museum
Atlantic Worlds
Exploring themes of exploitation, trade, war, enslavement and resistance
Nelson, Navy, Nation
Explore the life of Horatio Nelson, and follow the story of the Royal Navy and Britain from 1688-1815
Polar Worlds
Science, exploration and life in extreme environments - visit the Polar Worlds gallery at the National Maritime Museum
Tudor and Stuart Seafarers
Stories of adventure and piracy, ambition and greed
Find more National Maritime Museum highlights
Top things to do at the National Maritime Museum
Epic tales of exploration, maritime treasures and family friendly galleries
Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition
See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum
Caird Library
Visit the world's largest maritime library and archive collection at the National Maritime Museum
Nelson's Ship in a Bottle
See Yinka Shonibare's replica of Nelson's HMS Victory - one of the most photographed artworks in London
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Nautical gifts
Choose your tickets
Entry to the National Maritime Museum is free, but we recommend booking tickets online in advance to guarantee entry and receive updates before you visit. Charges apply for special exhibitions.
National Maritime Museum
- Guaranteed entry time
- Access to all free galleries and activities
- Special exhibitions free in 2024
| Free entry |
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| Book online |
Become a Member
- Unlimited entry all year
- Royal Observatory
- Cutty Sark
- Planetarium Shows
- Special exhibitions
| Direct Debit | One-off |
|---|---|
| Individual: £50 | Individual: £60 |
| Family: from £60 | Family: from £70 |