{"id":11164,"date":"2026-09-19T11:40:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T09:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skiptheline.tickets\/?post_type=attraction&p=11164"},"modified":"2026-09-19T13:34:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T11:34:35","slug":"british-museum","status":"publish","type":"attraction","link":"https:\/\/skiptheline.tickets\/fr\/uk\/london\/british-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"British Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":11168,"template":"","attraction-type":[],"city":[],"country":[],"class_list":["post-11164","attraction","type-attraction","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"homepage_recommended":false,"attraction_image_main":11168,"attraction_description":"

British Museum Tickets 2026: Skip the Queue with Guided Tours & Timed Entry<\/h1>\r\nUpdated: September 2026<\/em>\r\n\r\nThe British Museum is one of the world's greatest museums \u2014 home to eight million objects spanning two million years of human history. Entry to the permanent collection is free, but the museum draws up to 6 million visitors a year, making queues at the entrance and popular galleries very real. Guided tours and timed entry experiences are the smartest way to beat the crowds and see the highlights without spending half your visit waiting.\r\n\r\nThe museum's star draws are the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles (Parthenon sculptures), the Egyptian mummies, and the Lewis Chessmen. Without a guide, it's easy to spend an hour wandering before you find them.\r\n

British Museum ticket prices 2026<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Option<\/th>\r\nPrice<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
General admission (permanent collection)<\/td>\r\nFree<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Special exhibitions<\/td>\r\n\u00a320\u2013\u00a327<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Guided highlights tour (GetYourGuide)<\/td>\r\nfrom \u00a325<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Early access tour (before opening)<\/td>\r\nfrom \u00a349<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Private guided tour<\/td>\r\nfrom \u00a390<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

Do you need to book in advance?<\/h2>\r\nFor general admission, no booking is required \u2014 but expect queues of 20\u201340 minutes at peak times (weekends and school holidays, 11:00\u201315:00). Timed entry slots for special exhibitions sell out weeks in advance and should always be booked online. Guided tours also sell out, particularly on weekends.\r\n\r\nIf you want to visit the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian galleries without fighting through school groups, an early access tour<\/strong> (starting before 10:00) gives you the run of the museum when it's virtually empty. These are worth every penny.\r\n

What to see at the British Museum<\/h2>\r\nThe Rosetta Stone<\/strong> (Room 4) is the most visited object \u2014 a 196 BC decree carved in three scripts that unlocked the mystery of Egyptian hieroglyphics. It's almost always surrounded by visitors, making an early morning visit or a guided tour worthwhile. The Elgin Marbles<\/strong> (Room 18) fill an entire gallery with sculptures from the Parthenon \u2014 the controversy over their ownership makes them one of the most talked-about collections in any museum. The Egyptian mummies<\/strong> (Rooms 62\u201363) are consistently the museum's most popular galleries with families. Other highlights: the Sutton Hoo helmet<\/strong> (Room 41), the Lewis Chessmen<\/strong> (Room 40), and the Lindow Man<\/strong> (Room 50), a 2,000-year-old body preserved in a peat bog.\r\n

Visiting tips<\/h2>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • Best time to visit:<\/strong> Tuesday to Thursday, opening time (10:00). Weekends are significantly busier.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Late Fridays:<\/strong> The museum stays open until 20:30 on Fridays \u2014 far quieter than weekend afternoons.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Great Court:<\/strong> The stunning glass-roofed Great Court in the centre of the museum is worth pausing in regardless of what you're seeing.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Bag check:<\/strong> Bags go through security screening \u2014 allow 5\u201310 extra minutes at peak times.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Caf\u00e9 and restaurant:<\/strong> The Great Court Restaurant is decent but pricey. The Court Caf\u00e9 has cheaper options.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n","author":"","attraction_name":"British Museum","attraction_type":[],"attraction_opening_hours":"

    <\/h2>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • Monday \u2013 Thursday & Saturday \u2013 Sunday:<\/strong> 10:00 \u2013 17:00 (last entry 16:30)<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Friday:<\/strong> 10:00 \u2013 20:30 (last entry 20:00)<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Closed:<\/strong> 24\u201326 December and 1 January<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Free entry<\/strong> to the permanent collection. Special exhibitions are ticketed separately.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Best time to visit:<\/strong> Tuesday\u2013Thursday mornings, or Friday evenings after 17:00 for the quietest experience.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","attraction_video_main":"","discount_for_homepage":"","cancellation_policies":"","attraction_affiliate_widget_1":"
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