You Can Visit Rick Steves' Pick For Best Museum In London For Free

Travel expert Rick Steves has a lot of tips for experiencing the best of what your destination has to offer — even if you're on a budget. London is no exception. The English capital has many museums, but according to Steves' website, Rick Steves' Europe, his favorite is The British Museum. Not only is it often recognized as one of the best of its kind across the globe, but general admission is free.

When the British Empire ruled over more than a quarter of the planet, many of the world's greatest historical artifacts and works of art were taken back to England. Today, a large number of those priceless objects remain on display at The British Museum. As described by Steves in an episode of "Rick Steves' Europe," the collection tells the story of Ancient Greece, Assyria, and Egypt, among others.

While you will have to pay for any special exhibits or tours (typically between the equivalent of $18 for a typical tour, $22 for an exhibit, and $43 for an after-hours tour, but it varies by program), there is plenty to see at The British Museum without spending any money at all. It has around 80,000 artifacts on display from its collection of more than 8 million. While you certainly can zoom through the rooms and take in the highlights in an hour or two, there's more than enough to keep you occupied for an entire day.

If you want to get the most out of your museum trip, Rick Steves recommends doing some research in advance so that you understand the context around what you see. Consider planning your visit to The British Museum by learning more about the great civilizations it highlights and then choosing to peruse the artifacts that spark your interest in person. If you want a place to start, you can't go wrong with the most popular exhibit in the entire museum: the iconic Rosetta Stone (pictured). This stone slab has a message written on it in three languages: ancient Egyptian script, ancient Greek, and hieroglyphics. The combination allowed scholars to understand hieroglyphs for the first time, opening up a new world of translation for Egyptian artifacts.

Rick Steves has stated that Athens has some of the best museums in Greece, and you can find a taste of them at The British Museum, starting with a collection of sculptures that once decorated the ancient temple to Athena known as the Parthenon. While Greece has requested its ancient artifacts back from The British Museum, for the time being, they are still on display in London. Though the museum is famous for its exhibits of Ancient Greek, Assyrian, and Egyptian artifacts, you'll encounter well-known objects from multiple locations, including a brass cast from the West African Kingdom of Ife, a sculpture from Easter Island, and an Aztec mosaic.

You could easily spend your entire trip to Europe exploring The British Museum, but if you want to see more of London's museum scene, you have a lot of options that won't add anything to your budget. Rick Steves might only have a lead on a secret entrance to the Louvre in Paris, but for those in London, he has a whole list of museums that you can get into for free. On his website, Steves noted that some of the places ask you for a donation when you arrive; however, you don't have to pay it to enter.

Steves recommended the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum which, like The British Museum, has important cultural artifacts from all around the world, from high-end fashion to medieval tombs. If you're looking for paintings rather than artifacts, you can't go wrong with the National Gallery and its works by artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Van Gogh, and Vermeer. For a family-friendly, fun, and educational afternoon, you can visit the Science Museum to see historical medical equipment, space rockets, and over 1,000 timepieces.