Join us for this tour of 2.5 hours in the spectacular British Museum, London. This vast collection is home to over 8 million objects, it’s the perfect setting for a tour through the intriguing history of many ancient civilizations. We will start your British Museum private tour by treating you to a spectacular view of the Great Court. This is a perfect opportunity to take some pictures of the impressive main entrance hall before we explore many hidden gems.
The Egyptians were prolific builders and for many years the hieroglyphics decorating their structures puzzled scholars. It was understood that the symbols were more than art, your private guide will show you the famous Rosetta Stone and explain how the symbols were translated, cracking the code of hieroglyphics.
From Ancient Egypt, it’s just a short distance to Assyria, another vast empire. Here we can marvel at the winged bulls of Khorsabad and explore the history of the Assyrian lion hunt through art, in the beautiful stone reliefs.
Next, we make our way to one of humanity’s greatest civilisations the Ancient Greeks.
Are the Acropolis and the Parthenon one and the same?
Your expert tour guide is on hand to share fascinating stories about Greek Gods and the history of the magnificent Parthenon Marbles (Elgin Marbles) and how they found their way to London.
Before finishing our guided tour of the ground floor we have time to visit the colossal bust of Ramesses II. The famous pharaoh erected many statues during his lifetime and was honoured with many more after his death. This example in the British Museum depicts a young Ramesses and still carries the damage inflicted when Napoleon’s troops tried to remove it from Egypt in 1798, before its eventual arrival in London.
The British Museum has an amazing collection of Egyptian Mummies and they are waiting for us, as our guided tour continues upstairs. Here’s your chance to compare two different styles of mummification, then discover a mummified Ibis, baboon, or a young woman.
Even in the present day, the mummies are an exhibit that attracts special interests from other museums around the world with their specialised research facilities. This does mean that the display changes from time to time, but your expert guide will ensure you see the highlights of Egyptian galleries.
Your guided tour of the British Museum doesn’t just highlight overseas culture, Britain also has much to offer. In the next collection, your tour guide will explain what the Romans did for us. Brilliant builders, amazing engineers, and wonderful artists, the Roman Galleries show us their influence on London and the British Isles.
Hear the amazing story of the Sutton Hoo treasure and learn how it was discovered, almost by chance, in recent history. The British Museum also displays a collection of Lewis chessmen, these pieces are a fantastic example of Scandinavian art from the 12th Century, which were discovered on the island of Lewis off the Scottish mainland.
Cross the world again to appreciate the Easter Island heads in a modern setting. In a museum, it’s easy to look at the sculpture and appreciate them as a form of art, but your guide can explain more about the culture and what these statues mean to the Rapa Nui people.
Let’s finish with a look into the enlightenment gallery for a glimpse of how the museum once appeared. These galleries are in the oldest room of the museum, it was actually King George III’s library which was gifted to the people after his death. Trustees of the British Museum have kept the objects collected from around the world during the enlightenment period (1680-1820) where society gradually moved from superstition and religion to relying on observation and science to draw conclusions. We conclude our tours journey through time here, which is fitting as the enlightenment lay the foundation for much of what we take for granted in modern society today.
We hope that has whet your appetite, but if you simply can’t wait for your tour, then take a look at our perfect guide to the British Museum Highlights. It will keep you going until we can provide a great tour guide to bring your experience to life here in London!
Note that some of the museum’s artefacts and objects on display are sometimes removed, so your expert guide may adapt the tour to make the most of the current displays.
You may also be interested in history in the form of artistic works from the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, and more? Then have a look at our excellent tour of the National Gallery Highlights.
Too many tours to choose from? Feel free to contact us for help with building your ideal itinerary in London.
Your group price is £343
British Museum, 51 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. By prior arrangement, your guide can meet you at your central London hotel.
Daily 10:00am, 2:00pm
Your Guide will meet you at the main gate of the Museum, next to the red telephone booth opposite the Museum Tavern. Your Guide will be holding a sign showing the lead customer’s name.
