- Duration
- 2–3 hours
- Guide
- Audio guide included
- Access
- Reserved time slot
- Bag search at entry · step-free
- Ticket
- Mobile ticket
- QR code on your phone
Free cancellation · Full refund up to 24 h before
- Reserve now, pay later
About this ticket
A reserved entry slot at the British Museum, founded in 1753, with our audio guide to the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the Sutton Hoo ship burial.
- Stand before the Rosetta Stone, the key that unlocked Egyptian hieroglyphs, in Room 4
- See the Parthenon sculptures, carved in Athens in the 5th century BC, in Room 18
- Find the Sutton Hoo helmet from a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon ship burial in Room 41
- Look up at the glass roof of the Great Court, Europe's largest covered public square
What you'll see
- Great Court: the covered square at the heart of the museum, around the round Reading Room completed in 1857
- Rosetta Stone, Room 4: a decree of 196 BC in hieroglyphs, Demotic and Greek
- Parthenon sculptures, Room 18: carved in Athens between 447 and 432 BC for the Parthenon
- Sutton Hoo, Room 41: the early 7th-century ship burial found in Suffolk in 1939, with its masked helmet
- Egyptian mummies, Rooms 62–63: mummies, coffins and funerary masks, with the Book of the Dead of Hunefer and a mummified cat
Good to know
- Hours
- Daily 10:00–17:00, last entry 16:45; Fridays until 20:30, last entry 20:15. Closed 24–26 December.
- Getting in
- Great Russell Street or Montague Place. Arrive at your entry time, not before. Every bag may be searched.
- Bags
- No wheeled cases, and nothing over 40 × 40 × 50 cm or 8 kg. The cloakroom by the main entrance charges £2–£6 per item.
- Room closures
- Rooms close for maintenance on rotation, and the museum lists closures on its website. Check the rooms you most want to see.
- Headphones
- Bring headphones and a charged phone for our audio guide. The museum sells earbuds but doesn't lend them.
The story
The British Museum was founded in 1753 on the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, some 71,000 items, and opened its doors in 1759 as the first national museum to cover all fields of human knowledge. The round Reading Room at its centre was completed in 1857.
The Rosetta Stone, found near Rashid in the Nile Delta in 1799, was presented by George III in 1802, and Jean-François Champollion announced his decipherment of hieroglyphs in Paris in 1822. The Sutton Hoo ship burial was uncovered in Suffolk in 1939 by Basil Brown.
How it works
- Book your date and timeReserve now and pay later: your booking is confirmed at once and we send a secure payment link within 24 hours.
- Bag check, then enterShow your ticket at the Great Russell Street gates after the bag search, then start your audio guide.
- Show your QR ticketOn your phone at the entrance or meeting point once your booking is paid. No printing needed.
What's included
Included
- Reserved free-entry time slot at the British Museum
- Audio guide on your own phone (access details sent with your ticket)
- Access to all free permanent galleries open on the day
Not included
- Paid special exhibitions
- Live guided tour
- Headphones
- Food and drinks
Know before you go
- Open daily 10:00–17:00, Fridays until 20:30; closed 24–26 December.
- All bags may be searched. Wheeled cases and items over 40 × 40 × 50 cm or 8 kg aren't allowed.
- Galleries close for maintenance on rotation; check the rooms you most want to see.
- The Reading Room is closed all day on 13 and 20 November 2026.
- Bring headphones and a charged phone for the audio guide.
- Infants (0–4) go free and don't need a ticket.
Questions travellers ask
Can I cancel?
Free cancellation. Full refund up to 24 h before.
Where do I go?
British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Enter through the main gates on Great Russell Street; the Montague Place entrance at the back (WC1E 7JW) is often quieter.
How long does it last?
2–3 hours.
Which languages?
Audio guide included.
What's included?
Reserved free-entry time slot at the British Museum; Audio guide on your own phone (access details sent with your ticket); Access to all free permanent galleries open on the day.
Do I need to print my ticket?
No. Your ticket is a QR code that you show on your phone.
When do I pay?
Reserve now and pay later: your booking is confirmed at once and we send a secure payment link within 24 hours.
Where to go
British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
Enter through the main gates on Great Russell Street; the Montague Place entrance at the back (WC1E 7JW) is often quieter.
Why book with us
- Flexible Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Cancel or reschedule online from your booking.
- Mobile ticket Your QR ticket appears on your phone once your payment is received.
- Secure checkout Encrypted checkout. No booking fees.