Free museum, paid guides
The best British Museum tours
Private highlights tours, combos with other sights and afternoon tea. Here is which suits you, and when a tour is worth it in a free museum.
See our 5 picks
The best British Museum tour for most visitors is a private highlights tour. Entry is free, so you pay for the guide: private tours here start from €154 for up to 3 people.
Going on your own works too, with a short list of what to see. GetYourGuide shows prices in your own currency.
Our 5 picks for the British Museum
Two private tours, two bundles with other sights, and afternoon tea. The afternoon tea is the only one you cannot refund.
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from €154 per group up to 3 Our top pick 2 hours 4.8 (12) reviews on GetYourGuide
Private British Museum highlights tour
A 2-hour private tour for your own group of up to 3. The listing names the Rosetta Stone, Ramses II, the Parthenon Marbles and the Lewis Chessmen. Your guide can shape the route to your interests.
Best for First-timers who want the highlights
Check availability: Private British Museum highlights tour on GetYourGuide -
from €245 per person 2–5.5 hours 5.0 (8) reviews on GetYourGuide
British Museum and National Gallery private tour
A private tour of the British Museum, from 2 to 5.5 hours. The longer options add the National Gallery, and some add a car to and from your hotel. Guides speak nine languages.
Best for Art and history fans with a full day
Check availability: British Museum and National Gallery private tour on GetYourGuide -
from €54 per person 4–6 hours 5.0 (3) reviews on GetYourGuide
British Museum, Changing of the Guard and Jack the Ripper
Three guided tours in one day. The Changing of the Guard walk runs 10:00 to 12:00 and the museum tour 14:00 to 16:00. The Jack the Ripper walk runs 18:00 to 20:00.
Best for Visitors who want a packed first day
Check availability: British Museum, Changing of the Guard and Jack the Ripper on GetYourGuide -
from €51 per person 1 h 30 min 4.3 (593) reviews on GetYourGuide
Afternoon tea at the British Museum
Afternoon tea inside the museum, with loose leaf teas, scones, clotted cream and jam. You can add a glass of prosecco. This ticket is non-refundable.
Best for A treat after your visit
Check availability: Afternoon tea at the British Museum on GetYourGuide -
from €72 per person 1-day ticket New, no reviews yet
British Museum tour with a hop-on hop-off bus and cruise
A live guided tour of the museum with entry, plus a Big Bus hop-on hop-off ticket. Some options add a one-way Thames cruise. It is new, so it has no reviews yet.
Best for Visitors who want to see the city by bus as well
Check availability: British Museum tour with a hop-on hop-off bus and cruise on GetYourGuide
British Museum tours compared
| Tour | From | Duration | Pickup | Free cancellation | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private British Museum highlights tour | €154 per group up to 3 | 2 hours | Meeting point | Yes | First-timers who want the highlights | Your own guide and plan for a small group, with free cancellation and 4.8 from 12 reviews. |
| British Museum and National Gallery private tour | €245 per person | 2–5.5 hours | Pickup optional | Yes | Art and history fans with a full day | The only pick that adds the National Gallery, with 5.0 from 8 reviews so far. |
| British Museum, Changing of the Guard and Jack the Ripper | €54 per person | 4–6 hours | Meeting point | Yes | Visitors who want a packed first day | Three tours for one low price, though it has only 3 reviews so far. |
| Afternoon tea at the British Museum | €51 per person | 1 h 30 min | Meeting point | No | A treat after your visit | The best-known pick here, with 4.3 from 593 reviews, but you cannot cancel it. |
| British Museum tour with a hop-on hop-off bus and cruise | €72 per person | 1-day ticket | Pickup included | Yes | Visitors who want to see the city by bus as well | Museum, bus and boat in one ticket, with free cancellation; new on GetYourGuide. |
Private British Museum highlights tour
€154 per group up to 32 hours 4.8 (12)
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Who it suits
- First-timers who want the highlights
- Why we picked it
- Your own guide and plan for a small group, with free cancellation and 4.8 from 12 reviews.
British Museum and National Gallery private tour
€245 per person2–5.5 hours 5.0 (8)
Details
- Pickup
- Pickup optional
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Who it suits
- Art and history fans with a full day
- Why we picked it
- The only pick that adds the National Gallery, with 5.0 from 8 reviews so far.
British Museum, Changing of the Guard and Jack the Ripper
€54 per person4–6 hours 5.0 (3)
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Who it suits
- Visitors who want a packed first day
- Why we picked it
- Three tours for one low price, though it has only 3 reviews so far.
Afternoon tea at the British Museum
€51 per person1 h 30 min 4.3 (593)
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Free cancellation
- No
- Who it suits
- A treat after your visit
- Why we picked it
- The best-known pick here, with 4.3 from 593 reviews, but you cannot cancel it.
British Museum tour with a hop-on hop-off bus and cruise
€72 per person1-day ticketNew, no reviews yet
Details
- Pickup
- Pickup included
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Who it suits
- Visitors who want to see the city by bus as well
- Why we picked it
- Museum, bus and boat in one ticket, with free cancellation; new on GetYourGuide.
- Private option: Private British Museum highlights tour; British Museum and National Gallery private tour.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 24 October 2026. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
Is the British Museum free, and why book a tour?
Yes, the British Museum is free to enter, per the museum. You can just walk in, but a free timed ticket is better.
The museum asks you to book that free ticket. It gives you priority entry at busy times. Without one, you get in only if there is space, and queues are likely.
So a tour does not buy you a ticket. It buys you a guide and a plan for a huge building. Big paid exhibitions cost extra, and tours do not include them.
The British Museum is one of many free museums in London.
Do you need a guided tour or can you just go?
You do not need a tour, but it helps on a first visit. A guide takes you straight to the famous rooms and tells the stories behind them.
A tour suits you if you have about 2 hours and a long list. It also helps if you hate maps and big crowds.
Going on your own works well with a short plan. The museum has its own one-hour trail of famous objects. Pick five things and walk between them.
More museum guides
Which British Museum tour should you book?
Each pick suits a different visitor. Here is the short version.
- Private highlights tour: pick this if it is your first visit and you want the big names in 2 hours.
- Museum and National Gallery: pick this if you love art and want a guide for a whole day.
- Three-tour bundle: pick this if you want the guards, the museum and an evening walk in one day.
- Afternoon tea: pick this if you want a sit-down treat, and your date is fixed.
- Tour, bus and cruise: pick this if you also want a bus ticket to see the rest of London.
Private tour versus group tour
Most guided tours here are private, so you will not share your guide. A private tour costs more, but the price covers your whole group.
The highlights tour is from €154 for up to 3 people. The museum and National Gallery tour is from €245 per person.
The bundle and the bus ticket are cheaper, from €54 and €72 per person. Their booking pages do not state a group size. The longer museum and gallery option has a 4-hour group tour too.
Tours that combine the museum with other sights
Two picks add other sights to the museum. They suit you if you want a lot done in one booking.
The bundle has three guided tours in one day. It starts at the Changing of the Guard and ends with a Jack the Ripper walk. Lunch and transport between tours are not included.
The other combo adds a Big Bus ticket for 1 day, 24 hours or 48 hours. Some options add a Thames cruise. It is the same hop-on hop-off bus you can book on its own.
Afternoon tea at the British Museum
Yes, you can have afternoon tea inside the British Museum. It lasts about 1.5 hours and starts from €51 per person.
The listing names organic loose leaf and flowering teas. You also get scones with clotted cream and jam. A glass of prosecco comes with some options.
This ticket is non-refundable, so book it only when your date is fixed.
The highlights a tour covers and the ones to see on your own
The most famous objects include the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the Egyptian mummies. The tour listings here name all three.
The private tour listing also names Ramses II, the Moai from Easter Island and the Lewis Chessmen. The museum puts the Lewis Chessmen in Room 40, per its one-hour trail.
The Sutton Hoo ship-burial finds sit in Room 41, per the same trail. They are easy to add on your own after a tour.
How long to allow and the best time to go
Allow 2 to 3 hours for a first visit. That is enough for the highlights, but not for the whole museum.
Go for depth, not for everything. Choose a few rooms and give them time. The private tour does the same in 2 hours.
On a wet day, pair it with other things to do in London indoors. For trains and buses, see getting around London.
British Museum opening times
The museum is open daily from 10.00 to 17.00, per its own site on 24 October 2026. On Fridays it stays open to 20.30. It closes 24 to 26 December.
On Friday evenings the last timed slot is at 19.00. Times can change, so check britishmuseum.org before you go.
Getting in
The main entrance is on Great Russell Street. A second entrance is on Montague Place.
Every visitor goes through a security check and a bag search. Leave big bags at your hotel.
British Museum or Natural History Museum?
Choose by what you want to see. The British Museum holds objects made by people, from ancient Egypt to Greece. The Natural History Museum, as its name says, is about the natural world.
Both are free. The Natural History Museum is open daily from 10:00 to 17:50, and it suggests a free ticket too. If you have time, you can do one in the morning and one later.
Before you book
Check the cancellation line
Four picks have free cancellation on GetYourGuide. The afternoon tea is non-refundable, so book it last.
Book the free timed ticket
Going on your own? Book the museum's free timed ticket first. It gives priority entry at busy times.
Find the start
The museum and gallery tour meets outside a café on Great Russell Street, not inside it. The private highlights tour meets at the museum.
Travel light
Every visitor has a bag search. A small bag gets you through faster.
British Museum FAQ
What is the most famous thing at the British Museum?
What exhibitions are on at the British Museum now?
Which is better, the British Museum or the Natural History Museum?
Can I just walk into the British Museum without booking?
Is 3 hours enough for the British Museum?
More British Museum tours
More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.
See all of these with today's prices and open dates on GetYourGuide.
Browse all on GetYourGuideSources (5), facts checked on 24 October 2026
Written by the Things to Do in London editorial team.