British Museum Tour
- The Ideas that Made our World

Starts every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 14:00.

There are many ways to explore a museum. On this tour we use the British Museum to tell one of the greatest stories there is: how we humans went from living in small, nomadic bands to building vast interconnected civilisations that dominate the planet.

The path we trace will take us from our origins in the wild to the first empires and the wonders of the Enlightenment.

Highlights include:

  • The Rosetta Stone
  • Double-headed Aztec serpent
  • Assyrian lion hunt reliefs
  • The Lewis Chessmen
  • Parthenon sculptures
  • Colossal statue of Ramesses II
  • Holy Thorn Reliquary
  • Mechanical model of the solar system
  • Easter Island moai
  • Sutton Hoo Helmet

Through these objects and more we will explore some of the deepest questions in world history. Why did our nomadic ancestors settle down and become farmers? Why do we have gods, kings and nations? What drove us to invent writing and money? How have war and germs shaped our lives? These are just some of the questions we will try to answer.

By the end of the tour you will have encountered many of the British Museum’s best-loved objects and, we hope, understand a little better how we made our world.

TICKETS £20 online / £15 for children aged 6 to 15 years / £45 for a family ticket (two adults and two children)

Museum Highlights

The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, a mechanical solar system, viking chessmen carved from walrus ivory, an Aztec knife used in human sacrifice… Every object has a story to tell.

Where to Meet?

We’ll be waiting by the King Edward entrance on Montague Place (at the Back of the British Museum), with our orange umbrellas and a smile. (Photo by Ham II)

The Ideas That Made Our World

Join us on an epic adventure as we explore how we humans went from eking out an existence as hunter-gatherers in the wilds of Africa to crowding into big, bustling cities all over the planet.

Stone Propaganda

Find out what the ancient Egyptians have to teach us about propaganda, how war and germs have shaped our world and how we learned to question everything.

Book now

Group Bookings

For all bookings of eight or more people, including school groups and work social events, please get in touch to book a private tour. Booking a private tour allows you to tailor the tour itinerary to your needs and choose your own start time.

bookings@undiscoveredlondon.com

How to find us

We’ll be waiting with our orange umbrellas by the King Edward entrance on Montague Place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 14:00. This is the north entrance, with the stone lions on either side of the doorway. Please arrive ten minutes before the tour starts, to allow time to pass through the bag check area.


  1. The closest tube station is Tottenham Court Road (Northern and Central lines).
  2. After exiting the tube (there are several exits), walk up Tottenham Court Road (the Dominion Theatre should be on your right).
  3. Turn right onto Great Russell Street and continue until you see the British Museum ahead of you.

  4. Next turn left on Bloomsbury Street and then right onto Montague Place (where you will see the King Edward Entrance). This is the north entrance of the museum, with the lion statues.

  5. We’ll be by the bag check area with our orange umbrellas and a smile.

If you are looking for an alternative route to the British Museum, Russell Square tube station (Piccadilly Line) is a short walk away.

Gallery