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Offered languages
- English
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.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
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.
The tour ends in the British Museum's Parthenon Galleries, where you can continue exploring the museum independently. Your guide can give directions back to the Great Court and museum exits if required.
Itinerary
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1The British Museum
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.
2 hours 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- 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
Additional info
- 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
- The tour can be adapted to use step-free routes and lifts where required. Please let us know about any accessibility requirements when booking
- This is a walking tour and involves periods of standing while exploring the galleries. The route can be adapted where necessary to use step-free access and lifts
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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