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!
Take your place on the battlefield. Stand face-to-face with fearless medieval warriors. Witness two opposing kings – Robert the Bruce and Edward II – whose tactics in 1314 changed the path of Scotland’s history, forever.
The centre is a world-class visitor attraction marking the 700th anniversary of the battle.
Welcome to the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, close to which we believe the mortal remains of Saint Patrick lie buried. However the cathedral is not merely a tourist attraction but it is a place of pilgrimage and prayer for all people.
Down County Museum is located in the restored eighteenth century County Gaol of Down. The museum collects, conserves and interprets those objects which best illustrate the history, culture and environment of County Down.
The Downpatrick and County Down Railway runs through the drumlin countryside of County Down - St. Patrick's Country - over the River Quoile and under the graceful Down Cathedral. With a mix of steam and diesel trains, and vintage carriages, there's plenty for train fans of all ages - from wee kids to "big kids".
The Museum of the Iron Age tells the story of Danebury Hill Fort which lies to the south west of Andover. The hill fort was excavated by Professor Barry Cunliffe between 1969 and 1988 and is one of the best studied sites of the British Iron Age.
The most hugely impressive Iron Age hillfort on the Welsh Borders, covering 40 acres, with formidable multiple ramparts. Old Oswestry was built by Iron Age people nearly 3,000 years ago and is one of the best preserved hillforts in Britain.
Information panels tell you about the hillfort and its inhabitants.
Enjoy a great day out at Trentham. Visit the award-winning Trentham Gardens, for shopping and eating out, peace and quiet, fun and action!
This fine Elizabethan mansion features some of the earliest external Renaissance architectural detail in the country, and two rare and outstanding sets of 16th century wall paintings of mythical and Biblical subjects.
Hill Hall has now been divided into private houses, but parts remain open to the public by prior arrangement.
The classic Neolithic 'causewayed enclosure', with three concentric but intermittent ditches. Large quantities of animal bones found here indicate feasting, animal trading or rituals, or perhaps all three. Part of the Avebury World Heritage Site.
Our magnificent historic home and garden is a venue for all seasons. The surroundings are magical, punctuated with an array of eye-catching mystical follies, temples and lakes.
The house has a timeless elegance, whether you choose to bring a picnic and attend an outdoor theatre production, or merely come to stroll through the wonderful gardens.
Sentry Hill is a 19th century farmhouse in the Parish of Carnmoney, County Antrim. The house and its contents provide a rare insight into life in rural Ulster during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
A day out at Marble Hill is a real treat as this beautiful Palladian villa is set in 66 acres of outstanding riverside parkland near Richmond in West London.
Segedunum Roman Fort is the last outpost of Hadrian’s Wall. Home for 300 years to 600 soldiers guarding the furthest reaches of the Empire. Today it has an interactive museum, viewing tower, excavated remains and reconstructions.
Early in the 12th century, Donal Mor O'Brien, founder of St Mary's Cathedral in Limerick , built a church in Killaloe. Between 1195 and 1225 it was replaced by the present cathedral which was dedicated to St Flannan, an 8th century ancestor of Donal Mor.
Set immediately north of the Tower of London, right in the heart of Tower Hill, stands one of the most substantial and impressive surviving sections of the London Wall. Built c. AD 200, the Roman wall not only provided defence and security to the citizens of London, but also represented the status of the city itself.
There are many elements that make Glasgow Science Centre one of Scotland’s must-see visitor attractions.
A hugely interactive Science Hall
Visit this 'tower' mill and discover how the windmill works.
The Windmill is currently closed for restoration.
Please join us in November for our grand re-opening and our 200th birthday celebrations.
An emporium of vintage, retro, antiques, artisans, crafts, gallery, gifts and a programme of quirky workshops.
Danebury Iron Age hill fort is in Hampshire, north west of Stockbridge and close to Nether Wallop.
The distinctive and highly decorative gatehouse-tower of a castle built by the wealthy Sir William Hylton, shortly before 1400.
Originally containing four floors of self-contained family accommodation, its entrance front displays royal and family heraldry, including Richard II's white hart badge.
York Minster invites everyone to discover God's love through our welcome, worship, learning and work. For over a millennium, people have come to seek inspiration in this place of wonder.
Longthorpe Tower displays one of the most complete and important sets of 14th century domestic wall paintings in northern Europe. This varied 'spiritual encyclopaedia' of worldly and religious subjects includes the Wheel of Life, the Nativity and King David.
The award winning Tower Museum is located within the city's walls at Union Hall Place. The Museum has two main exhibitions ("Story of Derry" and "La Trinidad Valancera- An Armada Shipwreck ") and hosts a wide programme of touring exhibitions and events throughout the year.
This early and well-preserved example of a small free-standing Norman tower keep is located on a natural sandstone ledge near the head of a narrow valley. Rising almost to its original height, this mysterious survival takes its name from a chapel of St Leonard which once stood nearby.
Our historic lighthouse is more than 250 years old and is one of the city's landmark buildings. Climb the 93 steps to the top and enjoy panoramic views of Plymouth and beyond.
A centrepiece on Plymouth's Hoe, Smeaton's Tower has become one of the South West's most well known landmarks.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.