British Museum Highlights with a Historian — Maximum 8 Guests
- 2h 30m
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
See the British Museum’s famous treasures alongside extraordinary objects many visitors overlook. This 2½-hour tour with a professional historian combines the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, Sutton Hoo, Lewis Chessmen and Parthenon Sculptures with a mysterious mermaid, a Tudor heart and the magnificent Waddesdon Bequest. Discover the people behind the objects: their loves, beliefs, ambitions and ideas about death. Explore how these treasures came to London, with stories of collecting, empire and the debates over ownership that continue today. With a maximum of eight guests, there’s room for questions and conversation, giving you a more personal introduction to the museum and ideas for exploring further after the tour.
Inclusions
What's included
- Guides: English
- 2.5-hour small-group tour with a professional historian (maximum 8 guests)
- Entrance to the museum
What's not
- Tickets to paid temporary exhibitions
- Food and Drink
- Hotel pickup and drop off
Itinerary
Begin beneath Foster + Partners’ spectacular Great Court roof and discover the historic Reading Room, conceived by Antonio Panizzi and designed by Sydney Smirke. Encounter a mysterious mermaid, a Tudor heart pendant and the magnificent Waddesdon Bequest before exploring ancient Greek and Lycian treasures. Discover the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian sculpture, the monumental Rapa Nui statue from Easter Island, and stories of colonial India. Continue through the Egyptian mummy galleries, the glittering Oxus Treasure and the Thruxton mosaic depicting Bacchus. Explore the remarkable Sutton Hoo discoveries and meet the characterful Lewis Chessmen before finishing at the Parthenon Sculptures. Throughout, your historian connects the objects to the people who made, used and collected them, exploring how they reached London and the questions their ownership raises today. The route may vary according to gallery access and object availability.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 58
- 40
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Ratings come from 8 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Meet your guide outside Starbucks, directly opposite the British Museum on Great Russell Street. Your guide will be waiting outside the café. Please arrive 10 minutes before the tour begins to allow time for introductions and entry to the museum.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 8 travellers
- Operated by
- How to do History
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in London
- Its from-price is 47% below the median of the 4793 experiences we list in London.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 1467 of 4793.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About London
London mixes royal ceremony, world-class museums and riverside landmarks with distinct neighbourhoods, markets and parks to explore on foot.
The Thames threads the city together. On its banks stand the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the Tower of London with the Crown Jewels, Tower Bridge and the long South Bank walk past the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe and Tate Modern. St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey anchor the older skyline, while glass towers crowd the financial district.
Top-ranked sights in London: St. Paul's Cathedral, Stonehenge, Tower of London.
Special offers in London
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
