Description
A British Museum guided tour is the easiest way to make sense of a collection this big. Your live guide meets you at the museum and leads you through about two hours of galleries, so you spend the time in front of the objects instead of studying the floor plan. Priority entry and the ticket are part of the booking.
The route starts in ancient Egypt, with relics of the pharaohs and the Rosetta Stone, the key that unlocked hieroglyphics. From there it moves to Greece, where the sculptures of the Parthenon and the carved marble inscriptions show how art and philosophy took shape. Rome follows, with mosaics and statues of gods and heroes.
- Rosetta Stone, the slab behind the reading of Egyptian writing
- Parthenon sculptures, including the disputed Elgin Marbles
- Sutton Hoo, Anglo-Saxon treasure from early England
- Hoa Hakananai'a, the Moai from Easter Island
The tour then widens to objects from other parts of the world, to show how many different cultures the museum holds. The visit is shaped around the most remarkable pieces, which suits a first visit to Bloomsbury. The museum is wheelchair accessible, and the guide can lead the tour in English, French, Italian or Spanish.