Set back from Piccadilly, but hardly inconspicuous with its huge red flags draping down to street level, the Royal Academy of Arts in Burlington House is one of the nation's top art institutions. Rivaled only by the National Gallery and the Tate Gallery, the RA is unique in that it relies on revenue generated through public exhibitions and substantial charitable donations, rather than public funding from the state or crown.

The quality of art exhibited is of a world class standard, and with a relatively cheap membership one can see the best the world of art has to offer for exceptional value. The appointment of Tracy Emin as an Academician marked a significant shift in the style of show they started to present, and you are now as likely to be confronted by an exhibition of old masters as you are a show from the up and coming of London's art colleges. The RA is a venerable institution that anyone with even the slightest interest in art can enjoy all year round.