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Trips to London for Art & Design Students

London is a destination brimming with culture, packed with awe inspiring architecture and some of the world's best art galleries.

Students on an Art & Design college trip to London will be inspired as they visit some of the city’s most famous landmarks as well as London's array of art galleries.

The Tate Britain is one of the most popular galleries, it contains the world’s largest collection of work by British artists, including pieces by William Blake and J.M.W. Turner.

For art students who are interested in modern art, there is the Tate Modern which contains works from acclaimed modern artists including Andy Warhol & Pablo Picasso.

Prices start from£149pp

Sample itinerary

Our sample itinerary provides you with an idea of the visits you can cover during your trip. We can tailor-make an itinerary to support your specific learning outcomes.

Morning Afternoon Evening
1 Morning departure on coach from the Midlands Tate Modern West End Theatre Show
2 The National Portrait Gallery The Design Museum Depart on coach back to college
  • 1
  • 2
Morning Morning departure on coach from the Midlands
Afternoon Tate Modern
Evening West End Theatre Show
Morning The National Portrait Gallery
Afternoon The Design Museum
Evening Depart on coach back to college

Price Shown includes

  • 1 night’s bed & breakfast accommodation​
  • Executive coach transport from & to college & throughout your stay
  • Group travel insurance
  • 1 in 10 free place ratio

The visits shown in the sample itinerary above are not included in your quoted price unless indicated. If you would like to add any of these activities to your quote price, please get in touch.

Price shown is based on 40 paying passengers departing from a selected departure point on selected dates and is subject to availability.


On-tour support

Additional on-tour support available...

  • Pre-booked meals at great group prices
  • Pre-booked and pre-paid public transport tickets

Top visits for college groups in London

V&A Museum

The world’s largest collection of decorative and applied arts. Some areas focus on the history of costume and are of particular interest to pupils studying textiles. The holdings of ceramics, glass, costumes, jewellery, furniture, sculpture, prints and photographs are among the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

National Portrait Gallery

The history of British portraiture from its beginning, through to the edge of abstraction. The most comprehensive portrait gallery in the world. Includes works by Holbein, Van Dyck and Reynolds, Gainsborough, Millais and Tissot, Cecil Beaton, David Bailey, and Patrick Heron.

Tate Modern

Britain’s spectacular museum of modern and contemporary international art. Themes include landscapes, environment, still life, action, and the body. The viewing level offers awe-inspiring 360ᵒ views of the London skyline from high above the River Thames, whilst The Tanks celebrate new art and showcase performances, interactive art and video installations.

National Gallery

An outstanding collection of Old Masters from the early Renaissance to 1900. A collection of Old Masters’ works from the early Renaissance onwards. The five floors and wings are arranged chronologically, making it easy for your pupils to track artistic progression. Examples include Giotto, Duccio, and many more.

Saatchi Gallery

Contemporary art by largely unseen UK artists and established international artists rarely exhibited in the UK. The Saatchi Gallery acts as a launchpad for lesser-known artists and houses brave, contemporary art. Well-proportioned rooms with high ceilings showcase works famed for courting media controversy and gaining extremes of critical reaction. This gallery is ideal for challenging more traditional ways of thinking.

The Hayward Gallery

One of the biggest temporary art exhibition centres in the world. The gallery has a reputation for presenting a diverse range of landmark exhibitions, casting new perceptions on prominent, established artists, and providing a platform for works of up-and-coming art and artists. The Hayward develops ideas and encourages critical discussions.

Royal Academy of Arts

An independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and Architects. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate.

 

Whitechapel Gallery

A touchstone for contemporary art internationally. For over a century the Whitechapel Gallery has premiered world-class artists from modern masters such as Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Frida Kahlo to contemporaries such as Sophie Calle, Lucian Freud, Gilbert & George and Mark Wallinger. The Gallery is a touchstone for contemporary art internationally, plays a central role in London’s cultural landscape and is pivotal to the continued growth of the world’s most vibrant contemporary art quarter.

 

London Town Walking Tours - Street Art Walk

The Old Street, Spitalfields and Shoreditch areas have become London’s capital of street art. There’s a dazzling array of images to see, and the great thing is the art is continually changing. You’ll visit the well-known street art spots and see favourite spots that are a little off the beaten street art tourist track. You’ll learn something about Banksy too.

3D Printing Workshops

Take a 21st century approach to embedding technology learning in school, and introduce your students to the world of 3D printing where a solid object of virtually any shape can be created from a digital model. 

In our Introduction to 3D Printing workshop, students will get hands on with 3D computer modelling and see designs turned into real life on a 3D printer. All students will receive a certificate of attendance and will take away a 3D printed item too.

Other workshops include:

Understanding 2D and 3D
Create 2D and 3D shapes through designing a house in Sketchup. Look at the difference between a 2D representation of the shape and the 3D model itself. What is a plan and how would an architect use 2D and 3D shapes to represent their project?

Natural Geometries 
Create simple shapes like triangles, squares and arcs. And through learning simple ideas such as angles and rotation, turn these shapes into amazing nature-like structures such as snowflakes and shells.

For maths groups, we can also offer full day workshops at The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park combining a tour of Bletchley Park, a visit to Colossus (the first electronic computer) and a hands-on processing or 3D printing workshop.

London School of Samba – Costume Making Workshop

Exclusive to StudyLink

The London School of Samba offers high quality, fun workshops and aims to entertain, educate, and engage people in traditional Brazilian carnival arts for cultural, social and educational benefit.

In this workshop, students will be sewing, cutting, beading, sticking and any number of other ‘ings’… so no matter what the skill level of your group, there’s always an opportunity to get involved. Participants can expect to assemble a piece of costume, such as a head dress, or work as a team to complete or adorn a pre-made costume piece.

West End Shows

A West End show is a magical and unforgettable experience and a must for groups visiting the city! Catch a show at one of the capital's famous theatres with tickets to an array of award-winning plays and spectacular musicals, including the Lion King and Wicked! 

There are so many popular options to choose from and we can book any show for your group. Plus, our dedicated in-house theatre team and our links with the best ticket providers means we’ll be able to reserve your first choice tickets.

The lastminute.com London Eye

A classroom with a moving view! Standing 135m tall on the South Bank of the River Thames, nothing says iconic like The lastminute.com London Eye.

Since 2000, this world-famous structure has taken over 75 million people on a journey into London’s skyline. Be inspired with our Skyline Workshops. At an additional cost, these enhanced in-pod experiences are delivered by our education hosts and include interactive activities and interesting facts on London's iconic skyline.

Developed in collaboration with education specialists, teachers can book either a KS2/KS3 version.

Explore Covent Garden

A trip to the capital isn’t complete without a little shopping time! We recommend Covent Garden as a suitable area for groups to explore and watch the street performers.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter

Step on to authentic sets, discover the magic behind spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter film series. Tread the original stone floor of the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall, encounter animatronic creatures and wander down Diagon Alley. Your Harry Potter World school trip is located at the Studios where all 8 films were produced.

45 minute workshops are also available, covering Art and Design, Business Studies, English and Drama, Film and Media and STEM subjects, as well as Primary.

 

London Dungeon

The London Dungeon has been delighting audiences for over 40 years and brings together an amazing cast of theatrical actors, special effects, scenes and rides in an exciting walk-through experience that lets you see, hear and smell historic London and its perilous past. Get pupils thinking about spoken language and stage directions as they review script writing and explore the physical creation of a show as they look at the design process, including room layout, make-up and costume design and highlight the importance of historical accuracy in relation to topic, characters and set design. 

Madame Tussauds

The world of the Media is a creative and inspiring one, where ideas combine with drama, excitement and humour to keep us entertained and engaged. A fully interactive experience, Madame Tussauds will inspire, enthuse and immerse pupils in celebrity culture and modern media as they walk among the stars!

Thames River Cruise

Take in London’s best-loved sights on this enjoyable cruise. Your students will gain an insight into the many layers of history that have built up along the river, from the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge to the 'lastminute.com' London Eye.

The View from The Shard

The View from The Shard offers a unique education experience – it is the only place where students can see the entire city at once; both old and new! Two high speed kaleidoscopic lifts will transport your group to the viewing platforms on Level 69 and Level 72 where you can encourage your student’s fascination with the history of London and enjoy the unparalleled 360 degree views.

Educational visits can support learning across both the National and London Curriculum, including History, English, Maths, Geography, and Art and Design.

Sketching in Covent Garden

Let your pupils develop their sketchbooks in this bustling area of London. Here, they can draw inspiration from the many street performers and passers-by. A great way to inject new life into exam prep work!


Study themes

  • Introduction to Art & Design: The World

  • History & Theory of Art