Travel bucket list idea:

Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York, United States of America (USA)
https://www.metmuseum.org
Bucket List Experience

The Met is the largest art museum in the world, with an extraordinary collection of over 2 million works

Last updated: 07 April, 2024

One of the largest art museums in the world, this treasure house hoards more than two million artworks, artefacts and decorative arts spanning thousands of years of human civilisation.

It’s focus is historical and classical art – Ancient Egyptian, Islamic, Asian, Oceanic, Greek and Roman amongst others – as well as a fine collection of contemporary art that includes Picasso, Matisse, Miro, and Balthus.

The collections, all beautifully displayed, are so vast you would need a week to see them all.

While you're there

The Met’s spacious rooftop Cantor Roof Garden Bar has one of the best views in Manhattan, overlooking the treetops of Central Park. Perfect for a pick-me-up tonic after all that serious contemplation.

Logistics

Price from: £20

Minimum age: Any

Age suitable: 8+

When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Take the 4, 5, or 6 train to 86th Street and walk three blocks west to Fifth Avenue. This walk is about half a mile and takes approximately 10 minutes. You can just turn up, but booking tickets in advance on the website avoids any queuing.

The collection is vast, so it’s worth planning ahead for what you want to see. First, go to the museum website and check out the audio guides on specific themes of the collection. go.

Then look at the online interactive map of the galleries to plan where you need to go to see what you want to see. You can also download a map PDF before you go, or pick up a printed one at the information desk when you get there.

The City Pass

The mobile-delivered City Pass gives you entry to 6 top New York attractions at a 40% discount: the Empire State Building’s 86th-floor observatory, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

When to do it

The museum is open all year round, Thursday to Tuesday. Closed Wednesday.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Highlights of the Metropolitan Museum Guided Tour

New York City

Viator

One of the world’s greatest art museums, the Metropolitan Museum of Art — aka the Met — is so vast you could easily spend days inside. This tour cuts to the chase, taking you straight to the collection’s highlights for an in-depth look. A knowledgeable guide introduces you to a broad spectrum of art, jewellery, ancient relics and architecture on this small-group tour, limited to 15 people. This guided Met tour is the best way to take advantage of the riches that are inside one of the world’s greatest art museums, choose between the 2-hour or 3-hour options. A visit to the Met's rooftop garden for panoramic views of Central Park is included only from October to May and for the 3-hour option.

Price $56

Min age 0

Rating 4.75 / 5 [515 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Skip-the-Line Metropolitan Museum of Art - Exclusive Guided Tour

New York City

Viator

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art attracts nearly as many visitors as other leading galleries like the Louvre or the British Museum. On this 2.5 hour exclusive guided museum tour, you’ll be able to skip the line and explore it’s most famous pieces with the help of an engaging guide who will lead the way. Evening tours are available on Friday and Saturday, for a more intimate experience. Skip-the-Line NOTE: Initial security line cannot be bypassed and may vary in size depending on congestion.

Price $126

Min age 0

Rating 4.95 / 5 [480 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Skip-the-Line Metropolitan Museum of Art Guided Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max

New York City

Viator

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art attracts nearly as many visitors as other leading galleries like the Louvre or the British Museum. On this 2.5 hour semi-private (8 Guest Maximum) guided museum tour, you’ll be able to skip the line and explore it's most famous pieces with the help of an engaging guide who will lead the way. Skip-the-Line NOTE: Initial security line cannot be bypassed and may vary in size depending on congestion.

Price $126

Min age 0

Rating 4.96 / 5 [177 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

The Best of the Metropolitan Museum 2 Hour Guided Tour

New York City

Viator

Easily one of the best art museum in the world, with works spanning 6 continents and over 6,000 years, the Metropolitan is so vast you could easily spend days inside. If you don’t have days to spare, our Met Express Tour cuts to the core. Your 2-hour tour starts when you meet your guide and small group of no more than 15 people at the entrance to the Met. The small group size ensures that you can ask all the questions you want and never miss a word of what your guide is saying. After a brief intro, it’s off to find some of the most bizarre and quirky pieces hidden within the enormous collection. A hippo with a limp? Check. A wardrobe malfunction from ancient Egypt? Yup. There’s even some kinky flemish dinnerware (if age appropriate, of course). You’ll also get the funny and fascinating backstories on more famous works and learn about the wild lives of artists like Monet and Van Gogh. Don’t forget about the butt-themed scavenger hunt; prepare yourself accordingly.

Price $56

Min age 0

Rating 4.71 / 5 [159 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Destination guides

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

New York City

New York, United States of America (USA)

Destination guide

The ‘city that never sleeps’ is a 24/7 thrill of soaring skyscrapers, jaw-dropping architecture, dynamic culture and world-class art, dining and performing arts scenes.

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Round-ups

Round-ups that include this experience

32 World’s greatest art museums

Multiple countries

Inspiration

From New York to London, Paris to Berlin, here’s our round-up of the must-see art galleries and museums around the world that should be on everyone’s travel bucket list.

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