Treasures of the British Museum

Description

The British Museum

This tour is both exciting and frustrating. Exciting because what you will see is staggering. Frustrating because you will realise that a whole lifetime would not be enough to explore it all.

A museum founded in 1753 on the strength of 71,000 objects bequeathed by a single man — the physician and naturalist Sir Hans Sloane. Today its collections number around 80,000 objects on display — nearly twice as many as the Louvre — yet that represents just 1% of what the museum actually holds.

This tour takes you in search of humanity’s most extraordinary treasures. Some weigh several tonnes. Others just a few grams. All have stories that defy belief. The Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles — archaeological pieces that bear witness to civilisations and their histories.

Along the way, we will grapple with a very personal question: at what point does an object become art? At the British Museum, many objects are both historical artefacts and works of art. Originally they often had a specific purpose — religious, political or everyday — but today they are also admired for their beauty, technical mastery and aesthetic value. Let yourself be guided on a journey spanning several millennia.

Highlights

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80,000 objects on display
The British Museum holds one of the world’s vastest collections. What you see is barely 1% of what exists. What you discover, however, will stay with you forever.

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The Rosetta Stone
The key that unlocked Egyptian hieroglyphics, found in 1799. One object that changed our understanding of an entire civilisation.

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The Elgin Marbles
Sculptures from the Parthenon, at the heart of one of archaeology’s most passionate controversies. A collection that raises fundamental questions about heritage and ownership.

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Art or artefact?
A unique guided tour structured around a core question: when does a historical object become a work of art? An approach that changes how you look at everything.

Practical information

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Meeting point

Outside the British Museum

Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
Main entrance, Great Court side

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Duration

Depending on the group’s pace and curiosity

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Language

French

Certified guide, Green Badge, City of London Guide

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Group size

1 to 20 people

Shared or private tour, your choice

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Prices

£30/person or £230 flat rate

See price table below

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Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible

Route adaptable on request

Please note

Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Tours go ahead in all weathers — please dress accordingly.
Each participant is responsible for their own safety, particularly when crossing roads.

Private tour — 1 to 20 people

The tour exclusively for your group, at your own pace