Want more Rick Steve's Tours and Walks?
Rick Steves Walks and Tours eBooks are straightforward, self-guided walking tours throughsome of Europes most popular destinations, designed for easy reference on your mobile deviceor eReader. Tours and Walks are available for must-see locations throughout London, Paris,Rome, Florence, Venice, Amsterdam, Budapest, Vienna, Athens, and Istanbul.
London
Rick Steves Tour: British Library, London
Rick Steves Tour: British Museum, London
Rick Steves Tour: National Gallery, London
Rick Steves Tour: National Portrait Gallery, London
Rick Steves Tour: St. Pauls Cathedral, London
Rick Steves Tour: Tate Britain, London
Rick Steves Tour: Tate Modern, London
Rick Steves Tour: Tower of London
Rick Steves Tour: Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Rick Steves Tour: Westminster Abbey, London
Rick Steves Walk: Bankside, London
Rick Steves Walk: City of London
Rick Steves Walk: West End, London
Rick Steves Walk: Westminster & Whitehall, London
Paris
Rick Steves Tour: Carnavalet Museum, Paris
Rick Steves Tour: Eiffel Tower, Paris
Rick Steves Tour: Louvre Museum, Paris
Rick Steves Tour: Orsay Museum, Paris
Rick Steves Tour: Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris
Rick Steves Tour: Pompidou Center, Paris
Rick Steves Tour: Versailles
Rick Steves Walk: Champs-Elyses, Paris
Rick Steves Walk: Historic Paris
Rick Steves Walk: Left Bank, Paris
Rick Steves Walk: Marais District, Paris
Rick Steves Walk: Montmartre, Paris
Rome
Rick Steves Tour: Appian Way, Rome
Rick Steves Tour: Borghese Gallery, Rome
Rick Steves Tour: National Museum of Rome
Rick Steves Tour: Palatine Hill, Rome
Rick Steves Tour: Pantheon, Rome
Rick Steves Tour: Pilgrims Rome
Rick Steves Tour: Roman Colosseum
Rick Steves Tour: Roman Forum
Rick Steves Tour: St. Peters Basilica, Rome
Rick Steves Tour: Vatican Museum, Rome
Rick Steves Walk: Heart of Rome
Rick Steves Walk: Trastavere, Rome
Venice
Rick Steves Tour: Accademia, Venice
Rick Steves Tour: Ca Rezzonico, Venice
Rick Steves Tour: Correr Museum, Venice
Rick Steves Tour: Doges Palace, Venice
Rick Steves Tour: Frari Church, Venice
Rick Steves Tour: Grand Canal Cruise, Venice
Rick Steves Tour: Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice
Rick Steves Tour: St. Marks Basilica, Venice
Rick Steves Tour: St. Marks Square, Venice
Rick Steves Tour: Venices Lagoon
Rick Steves Walk: Three Walks in Venice
Florence
Rick Steves Tour: Accademia, Florence
Rick Steves Tour: Bargello Museum, Florence
Rick Steves Tour: Duomo Museum, Florence
Rick Steves Tour: Medici Chapels, Florence
Rick Steves Tour: Museum of San Marco, Florence
Rick Steves Tour: Pitti Palace, Florence
Rick Steves Tour: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Rick Steves Walk: Renaissance Florence
Amsterdam
Rick Steves Tour: Anne Frank House, Amsterdam
Rick Steves Tour: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Rick Steves Tour: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Rick Steves Walk: Amsterdam City Center
Rick Steves Walk: Jordaan District, Amsterdam
Rick Steves Walk: Red Light District, Amsterdam
Vienna
Rick Steves Tour: Hofburg Imperial Apartments, Vienna
Rick Steves Tour: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Rick Steves Tour: Ringstrasse Tram, Vienna
Rick Steves Tour: St. Stephens Cathedral, Vienna
Rick Steves Walk: Vienna City Center
Prague & Budapest
Rick Steves Tour: House of Terror, Budapest
Rick Steves Tour: Thermal Baths, Budapest
Rick Steves Walk: Castle Hill, Budapest
Rick Steves Walk: Leopold Town, Budapest
Rick Steves Walk: The Castle Quarter, Prague
Athens
Rick Steves Tour: Athens Acropolis
Rick Steves Tour: Ancient Agora, Athens
Rick Steves Tour: Acropolis Museum & National Archaeological Museum, Athens
Rick Steves Walk: Athens City Center
Istanbul
Rick Steves Tour: Bosphorus Cruise, Istanbul
Rick Steves Tour: Chora Church, Istanbul
Rick Steves Tour: Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
Rick Steves Tour: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
Rick Steves Tour: Istanbul Archaeological Museum
Rick Steves Tour: Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
Rick Steves Tour: Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, Istanbul
Rick Steves Walk: Historic Core of Istanbul
Rick Steves Walk: Istanbul City Walls & Neighborhoods
Rick Steves Walk: Istanbul New District
Rick Steves Walk: Istanbul Old Town Backstreets
For a full list of Rick Steves travel guidebooks, visit www.RickSteves.com.
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM TOUR
With one of the biggest, most eclectic collections of objects anywhere, the Victoria and Albert (V&A) has something for everyone. It bills itself as a museum for the decorative arts, and Martha Stewart types will be in hog heaven. Youll see furniture, glassware, clothing, jewelry, and carpets from every corner of the world. Throw in historical artifacts, a few fine-arts masterpieces (painting and sculpture), and a bed that sleeps seven, and you have a museum built for browsing.
The V&A grew out of the Great Exhibition of 1851, that ultimate celebration of the Industrial Revolution. Now art could be brought to the masses through modern technology and mass production. The museum was founded on the idealistic Victorian notion that anyone can be continually improved by education and example. After much support from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the museum was renamed for the royal couple, and its present building was opened in 1909.
You could spend days in this place. The museum is large and gangly, with 150 rooms and more than 12 miles of corridors. My quick tour gives you a sample of the V&As range, covering fine art, historical objects, interior design, fashion, and beautiful objects from around the globe. Use this tour to get your bearings, then pick up a museum map and wander at will.
The V&A is in the midst of a 10-year update and expansion. Changes so far include a new caf, sculpture gallery, Islamic Art room, and refurbished Medieval and Renaissance galleries. During this chaotic time, exhibits may be rearranged, so check with the information desk for current room closures, carry a copy of the museums detailed map, and ask a nearby guard if you cant find one of the objects in this tour.
Cost: Free (5 donation requested), sometimes pricey fees for (optional) special exhibits.
Hours: Daily 10:00-17:45, some galleries open Fri until 22:00 (note that Tube tunnel may be closed at this time).
Getting There: The Grand Entrancewhere our tour beginsis on Cromwell Road in the South Kensington neighborhood (Tube: South Kensington). You can also reach the Grand Entrance via a tunnel that leads directly from the Tube station to a lower level of the museum (Level 0). Once inside, go upstairs to Level 1, following signs to Galleries, Information, and Tickets. Youll pass through a few rooms before emerging at the Grand Entrance lobby.