The 10 Best British Museum Tours in London

1.British Museum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,182 reviews · 2 hours · from $23Our pick

Follow a licensed guide through the British Museum’s Great Court and key galleries in a two-hour highlights tour. Expect the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Sculptures, Egyptian mummies, Sutton Hoo finds, and Khorsabad’s Winged Bulls. Guides include Joe, Denise, Paul, and others; the route is tailored, so stops may vary.

“It was a great tour, with a very knowledgeable guide. He was very gracious when we were 5minutes late - we hadn’t realised it was a group tour and felt awful for the others (but apologised naturally). Our son (11, who loves history) was very engaged by it, although our girls (9 & 6) found it hard to engage with. It probably just isn’t their thing, as there was another family with similarly aged kids whose kids all clearly thoroughly enjoyed it. The 5000+ year old dead body intrigued them all at the end! Went for husband’s 40th and he loved it!”

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2.British Museum London Guided Tour Semi-Private 8ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 984 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $108Top rated

Spend 2.5 hours tracing human history through British Museum highlights with a guide and no more than seven other people. Expect major works such as the Rosetta Stone, the Mummy of Katebet, and the Lewis Chessmen, plus context on how objects were used and collected. Guides have included Ivo, Jake, Steph, and Guy; the specific guide is not guaranteed.

“Andy tour guide was incredible! Very busy time however Andy made it easy to move through the crowded areas ands ensured we got to see points of interest to our family.”

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3.Tour of the British Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 678 reviews · 2 hours · from $14

A guide leads you through the British Museum’s Greek-style entrance, the Enlightenment Gallery, Egyptian and Assyrian objects, Parthenon sculptures, a moai from Easter Island and Aztec works. The two-hour walking tour costs $14 per person and runs in English or Spanish. Guides have included Puri and Miguel; the guide assigned to your tour may vary.

“Our tour with Miguel was excellent. Lots of information, history, and humor. Highly recommended !”

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4.British Museum Audio Tour & Priority Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 631 reviews · from $9Best value

Meet a Vox City host at Russell Square, then explore the British Museum at your own pace with reserved entry and a phone-based audio guide covering more than 50 highlights. Look for the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, Parthenon sculptures, and the Lion of Knidos. The package also includes a London sightseeing app and a Political London self-guided tour.

“The British Museum should be on every visitor's list to London..it was an amazing experience. Our tour guide David was an excellent communicator, prompt in meeting us and very informative. His explanations of the app were clear and concise and if we had any questions, we were invited to call him during our visit. Highly recommended to all 👍”

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5.The British Museum London – Exclusive Guided Museum Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 555 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $108

Spend 2.5 hours with a guide at the British Museum, tracing human history through highlights such as the Rosetta Stone, the Mummy of Katebet and the Lewis Chessmen. Choose a private tour or a lower-priced semi-private option. Guides including Jake, Ivo and Sacha have led lively visits, with stories and room for questions.

“Excellent tour. James was very informative and knowledgeable. The British Museum collection is massive and wide ranging. James was able to navigate through the key highlights while also navigating us around the many other tour groups. I appreciated the fact that he showed us some of his personal "favorites" such as the incredibly detailed, miniature, boxwood, handmade wood sculpture piece. It is one of the most amazing man-made objects I've ever seen in my life. I likely would have walked by it otherwise in the special donation collection. Glad we met up with James.. Got our weeklong trip to London off on a great way.”

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6.Afternoon Tea at the British Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 511 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $58

Settle in at the Great Court Restaurant for a 90-minute afternoon tea beneath the British Museum’s glass roof. Choose from organic loose-leaf and flowering teas, then work through finger sandwiches, handmade pastries, cakes and scones with clotted cream and jam. You can add Prosecco, but check dietary options before booking.

“This was an amazing experience! If you want to truly experience the culture, you must enjoy afternoon tea & the British Museum is THE best place. Food, beverage, ambiance & service is all fantastic! Bonus: admission to the museum is included!”

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7.British Museum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 470 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $18

Spend about two hours seeing British Museum highlights with an English-speaking local guide, from Egyptian mummies to the Parthenon sculptures. The tour includes arranged skip-the-line entry, visits the Great Court and ends back at the museum meeting point. Guides have included Paul, Joseph, Denise and Christina, though you cannot book a specific guide.

“Joseph was awesome. Turned up promptly, was proactive in communicating location before the tour and was incredibly knowledgeable. Fantastic.”

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8.British Museum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 267 reviews · 2 hours · from $39

Follow a licensed guide through the British Museum’s greatest hits, from the Rosetta Stone and Parthenon sculptures to Roman art, Sutton Hoo and an Easter Island moai. The two-hour tour costs $39 per person, runs in English, French or Italian, and may use two languages at once when demand requires it. Guides have included Filomena, Stuart and Rebekka.

“Rebekka was knowledgeable and friendly and good natured, a fun and informative guide who made navigating the British Museum’s insanely huge collection so much easier. She provided insights that wouldn’t have been apparent just going into a gallery cold. For the modest cost, this tour was well worth it!”

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9.British Museum & National Gallery of London Semi-Private 8ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 168 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $201

Spend about five and a half hours with a guide at the British Museum and National Gallery, seeing highlights such as the Rosetta Stone, the Lewis Chessmen, The Arnolfini Portrait, and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. The semi-private group is capped at eight, with about two and a half hours at each museum and a break for lunch.

“We enjoyed a phenomenal day with Becky! Her expertise and historical perspective presented us with a comprehensive peek into two of Britain's most prestigious museums. To see the British Museum and the National Gallery in one day is like trying to take a sip from a fire hydrant, but Becky made it work! We saw the "must see" exhibits with her insightful narrative in a most efficient way. We never felt rushed and our questions were graciously answered. The National Gallery was undergoing renovations and seems to be be in constant motion. It speaks volumes of Becky's knowledge that she would be able to shift on the fly and offer…”

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10.Kid-Friendly Private British Museum Highlights and Walk to Covent Garden London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $312

Spend two hours with a private guide at the British Museum, seeing Ginger, the Rosetta Stone, Ramses II and Parthenon sculptures. Then walk about a mile through Neal’s Yard, Seven Dials and Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square. Guides including Larry, Roberta, Kathy, Denisa, Danny and Sarah have led family tours.

“Our guide, Kathy, was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and focused on showing us the highlights of the museum that the kids were most interested in. Often, I spend too much time on the little things in a museum or get overwhelmed and run out of steam before I see the big things. This tour kept us from doing that, as Kathy made sure we saw the best in the time we had.”

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