As the first national public museum of the world, the British Museum brings all kinds of cultures together with countless artifacts and historical accounts.
While there are plenty of incredible art museums in London, but if you’re a history buff like me, this is a can’t-miss! There’s a ton to see, however, so I highly recommend taking a proper tour to guide you through the most notable pieces.
I’ve carefully curated a guide to the 5 top tours of the British Museum out there, so you don’t have to worry about which ones are actually worth your time and money. Let’s jump right in!
Be sure to see our reviews of Thames Dinner Cruises, Windsor Castle Tours and Buckingham Palace Tours.
Best British Museum Guided Tours
| The British Museum London Guided Museum Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max | Private Guided Tour of the British Museum | Kid-Friendly Private British Museum Highlights and Walk to Covent Garden London | |
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| Location: | Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG | Great Russell Street, London, UK | Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG |
| Start: | 10:00 AM, 1:30 & 5:00 PM | 10:00 AM, 2:00 & 5:00 PM | 10:00 AM & 2:00 PM |
| Duration: | 2.5 Hours | 2 Hours | 3 Hours |
| Includes: | Semi-private museum tour, no more than 8 participants, professional tour guide | Private tour by a licensed and insured guide, entrance ticket | Local guide, Professional Blue Badge guide, Private Tour |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best British Museum Private & Guided Tours For 2024
- The British Museum London Guided Museum Tour – Semi-Private 8ppl Max
- Private Guided Tour of the British Museum
- Kid-Friendly Private British Museum Highlights and Walk to Covent Garden London
- The British Museum London – Exclusive Guided Museum Tour
- British Museum In-Depth Private Guided Tour
British Museum Tour Reviews
1. The British Museum London Guided Museum Tour – Semi-Private 8ppl Max
- Duration: 2.5 Hours
- Departure: Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG
- Departure Time: 10:00 AM, 1:30 & 5:00 PM
- Includes: Semi-private museum tour, no more than 8 participants, professional tour guide
London’s cultural landscape is like some type of treasure trove filled with intense history, art, and fascinating artifacts. The British Museum London Guided Museum Tour – Semi-Private 8ppl Max experience is one of those top-tier tours that I wish I’d found out about earlier.
If you want an in-depth yet intriguing way to see the over 6,000 years of history under one roof, look no further!
The tour starts off by meeting the guide right outside the museum gates, where we instantly hit it off and were able to ask them any questions we had along the way.
They asked us about any specific interests we had, and as our group was limited to just 8 participants, it felt very intimate and fun. We then received a briefing of what to expect and the history of the museum, which really set the tone for a fascinating next few hours.
Our whole group was open to seeing pretty much anything and everything, so we started off by following our educated guide through the different rooms to see a wide array of impressive ancient and medieval exhibits.
The Rosetta Stone was so fascinating to me, especially because it essentially unlocked the ancient Egyptian world, from the language to their afterlife beliefs.
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I’m a huge fan of ancient Greek sculptures, so being able to see the Parthenon sculptures was something of a dream – we even learned how a massive gold and ivory image of Athena used to stand inside the Parthenon!
What was really cool was that we easily had the best guide in the place, who spoke to us more like longtime friends and relayed information about each artifact in a way that was easy to comprehend.
They never made us feel like we should have a certain level of knowledge, and while our group varied in education about certain subjects he spoke to all of us in a way that made sense.
Overall, this was a great tour that I’d recommend to anyone of any age or background who’d like to explore the British Museum in an effective way.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
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2. Private Guided Tour of the British Museum
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Departure: Great Russell Street, London, UK
- Departure Time: 10:00 AM, 2:00 & 5:00 PM
- Includes: Licensed and insured guide, entrance ticket
I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely taken some boring museum tours throughout my life and don’t always look forward to them. Many times, I’ve just wandered through museums and hoped for the best by reading up beforehand on some of the sites I’m most interested in.
However, with tours like the Private Guided Tour of the British Museum, my mind was changed and I discovered that with the right guide the entire experience can be elevated.
Upon meeting our guide, I was instantly captivated by both her knowledge and skilled way of speaking while showcasing the best the museum has to offer.
Sometimes it just feels like you’re wandering around or the guide is making things up as they go, but that was not the case here. She was a true leader and clearly knew exactly what she was talking about and where to go, taking a seamless route that tied everything together, effortlessly.
Even though the artifacts from room to room vary wildly, she somehow weaved each piece of history together, relating the different civilizations and discoveries to the other.
It was a super cool way to see the museum and learn, especially as I am a big fan of world history!
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I learned a ton of fun facts and larger concepts that I admittedly didn’t even know about prior to this tour, and I loved how she included plenty of lesser-known artifacts, too.
The museum is so massive, that it will not only save you time but frustration by going on a curated experience such as this tour, with a guide who has a ton of in-depth knowledge.
While the tour lasts only a few hours, it flew by even faster than expected thanks to the captivating stories regaled to our little group. While it is a bit more expensive, this is a small-group experience maxing out at 6 people, so it’s well worth it!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
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3. Kid-Friendly Private British Museum Highlights and Walk to Covent Garden London
- Duration: 3 Hours
- Departure: Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG
- Departure Time: 10:00 AM & 2:00 PM
- Includes: Local guide, Professional Blue Badge guide, Private Tour
While the British Museum may not be the first sight that pops into your head when planning a trip with kids in tow, it’s actually perfect for curious young minds.
If that sounds like what you’re looking for, the Kid-Friendly Private British Museum Highlights and Walk to Covent Garden London Tour is just the ticket!
Lead by expert guides who clearly have a knack for teaching and keeping younger people intrigued, this interactive tour is tailored specifically for children aged 6 to 12 years old. However, that’s not to say that it’s not for people older than that, or the information isn’t accurate.
In fact, I had a fantastic time and felt like this was some of the most fun I’ve ever had on a museum tour – as a child or as an adult!
The tour starts out with a warm welcome from your guide, who right off the bat created a space that made everyone feel comfortable enough to learn and ask any questions.
From Egyptian mummies and Greek sculptures to decoding hieroglyphics, this hands-on experience made these artifacts come to life.
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As this is a private tour, you don’t have to worry about big groups and your guide will even help personalize the experience.
I know that moving through museums with kids can be a delicate manner, but our tour guide kept everyone so entertained that there wasn’t even a moment for them to think about “accidentally” touching something they weren’t supposed to or playing tag next to ancient artifacts.
They gave us a shortlist to the most popular sites, narrating each one with fascinating historical accounts in a way that younger kids can easily digest. If you’re looking to bring children to the British Museum, look no further, because this is the best tour of them all.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. The British Museum London – Exclusive Guided Museum Tour
- Duration: 2.5 Hours
- Departure: Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG
- Departure Time: 10:00 AM, 1:30 and 5:00 PM
- Includes: Guided museum tour, tour guide
The British Museum holds around 8 million items – needless to say, you can spend quite a bit of time there if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
With The British Museum London – Exclusive Guided Museum Tour, you can rest easy knowing that your guide will create a custom itinerary designed around what you’re most interested in seeing!
These are the experts who know the museum like the back of their hand, maximizing your time in this absolute gem of an attraction.
Another huge pull for me with this tour was just how affordable it was for the sheer value received, making it one of those “biggest bang for your buck” experiences!
Lasting 2.5 hours, I wasn’t prepared for just how much I was able to see and learn about, at a pace that went smoothly and just made sense. This definitely isn’t one of those run-of-the-mill museum tours where the guide is just rattling off commonly known information!
We started out by meeting our guide right outside the museum gates, where they gave us a briefing on the history of the museum building and some of the most notable artifacts. We then got to head right inside, wasting no time to get to the best parts!
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While the Rosetta Stone, mummies, and sculptures are absolute musts, I was surprised at the amount of amazing art!
Do not miss the drawings by Botticelli and Michelangelo, the Assyrian reliefs, the Lewis Chessmen, and much more! The tour consisting of carefully selected items was phenomenal, with our guide sharing tons of valuable, entertaining stories.
Our guide tailored our tour to lean a bit towards art as that’s one of my main interests, and I do recommend stopping by these exhibits! If you’re looking to gain a deeper understanding of what humans are capable of, let’s go!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. British Museum In-Depth Private Guided Tour
- Duration: 3 Hours
- Departure: 49 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3BA
- Departure Time: Varies
- Includes: Private expert guide, customizable tour
Are you looking for a tour that’s just a couple of hours long to try and fill your itinerary with a fun, entertaining tour experience?
If so, then check out the British Museum In-Depth Private Guided Tour is completely customizable, so there’s no more dealing with monotonous tours that you didn’t sign up for!
Known as the “World’s Museum”, expect to see lots of big tourist attractions, along with plenty of “hidden” gems that most don’t get to see.
I met up with my guide right outside the museum, and while I chose to do a morning tour, there are tons of different start times available for added convenience. As it’s just a few hours long, I’d say it’s super easy to fit into even the busiest of itineraries!
Before we got started, he did ask me if I had any specific interests or preferences as to what we explore inside the museum, creating a customized schedule based on that.
I couldn’t believe how affordable this tour was when I realized that it was completely private, which ended up literally just being me and my guide.
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It was like I had a best friend local to the area taking me around to all the sites I want to see while giving me a fun, intriguing narrative on each one. I was able to ask plenty of questions, and he answered each one with confidence which only enriched my experience further.
I felt that this tour was very comfortable with a pace that wasn’t too fast nor too slow, even taking breaks intermittently to rest and go for a coffee/pastry!
I can say with confidence that this guide knew just about everything in the museum, and on the private tour I felt comfortable asking anything that came to mind. I highly recommend this tour for anyone!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
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The The British Museum London Guided Museum Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max is our Editors Choice for the best British Museum tour
