In England we run in London only, and we run three tours there. Two are museum visits, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum, and one is a half-day tour of the city itself. That is the whole list, and we would rather you saw it than clicked through a menu of places we do not cover. What a guide adds in London is direction. The British Museum holds around eight million objects and the free entry that makes it wonderful also makes it overwhelming; a guided route through the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the Egyptian galleries turns a wandering afternoon into a couple of hours that make sense. The same is true of the Natural History Museum with children in tow. All three tours are led in English by London-based guides. Prices are per person in US dollars, and each tour page carries the meeting point and what is included.

London

The two museum tours are short, one to two hours, and both museums are free to enter, so what you are paying for is the guide and the route. The half-day city tour is the wider option, covering the central landmarks in a single outing. Museum tours pair well with an afternoon on the city tour if you only have one full day.

• Explore London: British Museum Adventure — 2h — from $51
• London Unveiled: Best Half-Day Adventure — 8h — from $90
• London’s Natural Marvels: Museum Expedition — 1h — from $90

When to go

May to September gives the longest daylight and the best chance of walking the city comfortably, with June and July the busiest and the most expensive for hotels. April and October are quieter and still workable, with the caveat that rain is possible in any month and the walking sections of the city tour go ahead in it. The museums are indoors and run year-round, which makes London a reasonable winter destination: November to February is cold and dark by four in the afternoon, but the British Museum and the Natural History Museum are at their least crowded then, outside the Christmas school holidays. Half-term weeks in February and late May fill the Natural History Museum with school groups.

Frequently asked questions

Are the museums free? What am I paying for?

The British Museum and the Natural History Museum are both free to enter for everyone. What you book here is the guide and a planned route through the collection, plus the time saved not deciding where to start. The tour page lists exactly what is and is not included, and there is no hidden admission charge on either.

What language are the tours in?

English, with London-based guides. If you need a guide in another language for a private group, write to us with your dates before booking and we will tell you whether we can arrange it. We will not confirm a language we cannot deliver on the day.

Do you cover Oxford, Stonehenge or other parts of England?

Not at the moment. Our English programme is London only, and the three tours on this page are all of it. If you want a day trip outside London, contact us with your dates and we will tell you honestly whether we can arrange it through a trusted local operator or whether you are better off booking it yourself.

Are the tours good for children?

The Natural History Museum tour is the strongest with children, and the British Museum works well from about school age. Both are short enough to hold attention. Check the price categories on each tour page for the child rate, and tell us the ages when you book so the guide can pitch the route accordingly.

How do I book and what happens next?

Book on the tour page with a card, in US dollars. You receive a written confirmation with the meeting point, the start time and a contact number for the guide. London museums have security checks at the entrance, so plan to arrive at the meeting point ten to fifteen minutes before the stated start.

Three London tours, all bookable directly on their pages. If London is one stop on a longer European trip, send us your dates and we will line it up with the tours we run in Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Greece.