Guided Tour

Guided Tour

What is it? 

A guided tour is the practice of an individual leading a group of people around a point of interest and giving them information about it, which can cover topics such as religious significance, cultural history and how it relates to other locations and events in history. 

What does it involve?

Attending a guided tour basically just involves paying attention! All the work is done for you in finding out the facts and presenting them in an interesting manner; the role of the participant just calls for a level of interest in your surroundings and an eagerness to learn!

Why do it and what are the benefits?

Tour guides can be extremely educational - physically interacting with the place while learning about its history will provide a different kind of academic experience to the classroom by giving the students something more tangible to focus on.

What equipment do we need?

You shouldn't need any equipment for a guided tour, but check beforehand to make sure; some tours involve their participants even further by getting them to write down their own thoughts, or make drawings - so you may need to ensure students have something to write on!

Who is it suitable for?

Guided Tours are suitable for pretty much anybody if you pick the right one - smaller children will find it harder to focus on more complex subjects and will need more visual aids, but if they are engaged correctly they will have a great time! Likewise, teenage students will get bored if the subject isn't engaging enough, so make sure to choose the tour appropriate for the age and interests of the group. 

Costs?

Around £20 or less per person, but it can vary greatly depending on the location of the tour - for example, a minibus tour around a park will cost more than a short walk around a country manor! Make sure to shop around to get an idea of the prices in your area. 

Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)

A guided tour should be suitable for all ages, but students with condtions such has ADHD may have trouble focusing for an extended period of time - make sure to be aware of the specific needs of your group. 

How do we include?

Many guided tours have disabled access for those with limited physical movement, but it would be wise to doublecheck beforehand. Those who are deaf and blind can also be included in guided tours but may need more specialist staff - again, you will need to check with the specific establishments. 

Doing it abroad?

There are points of public interest all around the world, so wherever you can find something well known chances are there will be a guided tour available! Foreign tours may be conducted in another language though, so make sure to confirm the specifications of the tour before booking it. 

Main website: 

This website gives a good overview of places where you can go for a tour guide, but you're best looking at the specific areas around you to find out details!

Venues with this Activity

An 'avenue', originally of around 100 pairs of prehistoric standing stones, raised to form a winding 1 1⁄2 mile ritual link between the pre-existing monuments of Avebury and The Sanctuary. Part of the Avebury World Heritage Site.

With a striking triple-towered great gatehouse built atop a rock, Denbigh is a fine example of an thirteenth century castle with remarkable surviving town walls.

We also provide Medieaval Treasure Chest handling and self-led activity packs on Castles, English and Science, Technology and Mathematics. Replica artefact handling collection with KS2 History and English self-led resource.

The Museum of English Rural Life houses the most comprehensive national collection of objects, books and archives relating to the history of food, farming and the countryside.

The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum offers fun and inspiring primary visits and outreach sessions covering literacy, history and more. Meet Kitty and Lucy the family servants, find out how books are made with Michael Johnson, handle original objects, dress up as a Georgian, join Hodge's Alphabet Hunt and make your own Dictionary!

These two five-storey 16th and 17th century merchants' houses which now also house English Heritage's regional office - are fine examples of Jacobean domestic architecture.

The Surtees house is best known as the scene of the elopement of Bessie with John Scott, later Lord Chancellor of England. An exhibition illustrating the history of the houses is on the first floor.

Chiswick House is among the most glorious examples of 18th century British architecture and makes a fascinating day out in West London. The third Earl of Burlington, who designed this noble Roman-style Palladian villa, drew inspiration from his ‘grand tours’ of Italy.

Milford House Museum is located at 57 William Street. Housing an old master paintings, beautiful furnishing and family possessions. Discover the extraordinary world of Milford House and the people who lived there. Across the street is the William McCrum Park where football's penalty kick was invented.

The 17th-century Queen’s House represents a turning point in English architecture. It was originally the home of Charles I's queen, Henrietta Maria. It now showcases the Museum's outstanding fine art collection and provides a unique and beautiful environment for its exhibitions.

Schools at Royal Museums Greenwich

Totnes Museum is contained within an authentic Elizabethan Merchant's House, built around 1575 for the Kelland family. The house retains many features dating back to the Elizabethan period and has been painstakingly restored. 

Collections, dating from 5000BC, relate to the social, cultural, economic history of Totnes, include a room dedicated to the life and work of Charles Babbage.

The remains of the bath house of Ravenglass Roman fort, established in AD 130, are among the tallest Roman structures surviving innorthern Britain: the walls stand almost 4 metres (13 feet) high.

Bursting with history, art from all ages and a first hand glimpse into life on a working farmyard, plus so much more. A school trip to Chatsworth makes for a rewarding day of learning for pupils and teachers alike.

There's so much to see and do

Dr Johnson's House is a charming 300-year-old townhouse, nestled amongst a maze of courts and alleys in the historic City of London.  Samuel Johnson, the writer and wit, lived and worked here in the middle of the eighteenth century, compiling his great Dictionary of the English Language in the Garret.

A fine example of a 16th/17th century house, the historic Merchant's

In the heart of London is Benjamin Franklin House, the world's only remaining Franklin home. For nearly sixteen years between 1757 and 1775, Dr Benjamin Franklin – scientist, diplomat, philosopher, inventor, Founding Father of the United States and more – lived behind its doors.

A must for kids studying local history, a visit will let you help out with their schoolwork and spend some quality time together. Special quizzes and hands-on trails take them through Bunyan's amazing life at their own pace.

This immensely characterful museum commemorates the contribution made during WWII by the 389th Heavy Bombardment Group 2nd Air Division of the American Airforce. 

Strategically placed astride the London Road, guarding an important crossing of the River Medway, this imposing fortress has a complex history of destruction and rebuilding. Today it stands as a proud reminder of the history of Rochester along with the cathedral and cobbled steets.

Roman Alcester is the exciting exhibition interpreting and displaying objects from Alcester's Roman past.

Alcester is one of the most investigated Roman small towns in the country, with over 100 archaeological digs in the last 80 years.

Set within six disused limestone quarries in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales, on the edge of the Peak National Park, and close to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, The NSC is a 50 acre site of Special Geological Scientific Interest offering a wealth of outdoor and indoor activities for all the family including;

Extensive earthworks marking the site of an 11th century motte and bailey castle.

The earthworks forming Deddington Castle lie in a rural location to the south-east of the village of Deddington.

During the 18th and 19th centuries Portsmouth Royal Dockyard was the greatest industrial complex in the world, employing over 25,000 workers. The Dockyard Apprentice tells the story of Dockyard life in 1911, when the great Dreadnought battleships were being constructed.

1,000 acres of parkland plus special attractions including miniature railway, Woodland Adventure Playground, dress up and games room, woodland walks, lakes and follies to explore, as well as an entertaining guided tour around the house itself.

St Nicholas Priory was founded in 1087 and was home to Benedictine monks for over 400 years. In 1536, like other monasteries, it was closed and partly demolished by King Henry VIII.

The best known of many Dartmoor prehistoric settlements, Grimspound dates from the late Bronze Age. The remains of 24 houses enclosed within a stone wall, and further houses outside the enclosure, lie in a fold in the hills about 450 metres (1,500 feet) above sea level, between Hookney and Hameldown tors.

The Great North Museum: Hancock will take you on an exciting journey through the story of our planet and its people. The new Museum is bursting with displays, interactives and a planetarium.

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