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

City Hall is home to the Mayor of London, the London Assembly and the 600 or so permanent staff who work for the Greater London Authority.

Llama trekking in the Peak District is the ideal way to spend a day out with a difference. These graceful animals are the perfect walking companion - not too fast, not too slow and with the added bonus of carrying your excess baggage!

Shropshire based petting farm and zoo with over 150 different species of animal. Indoor and outdoor demonstrations take place daily including lamb feeding, sheep racing; meet the meerkats and egg collecting. The farm also has an indoor and outdoor play area, cafe and gift shop.

Llama trekking is fast becoming a 'must-do' activity. Bond with your llama, get to know him and take him on a walk in the glorious countryside of south west Herefordshire. If travelling from further afield, why not take a two day stay in one of our holiday cottages?

Set in the heart of Normandy this 17th century Chateau is set in four acres of beautiful private grounds.

Features

This beautiful 17th century Normandy Château is located in the idyllic fishing village of Criel-sur-Mer, providing the ideal opportunity for young people to immerse themselves in French culture

Just 90 minutes from Calais and 20 minutes from Dieppe, the Château is surprisingly accessible

The Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall, houses the world's largest collection of witchcraft-related artefacts and regalia. This is a unique collection and has a fascinating on-line catalogue. The objects in the collection provide a great way to explore history and many contemporary issues. You can explore...

Some 300 Bronze Age and medieval sites, covering 15 1⁄2 square kilometres (6 square miles) of Dartmoor landscape.

Delightful manor house with ornamental garden and wonderful views

The house was rescued from neglect and lovingly restored by the three Keating sisters, who bought it in 1938.

The views from the grounds and gardens across Cardigan Bay are among the most spectacular in Britain.

Enchanting mansion and gardens, with spectacular views of Snowdonia

Set on the shores of the Menai Strait amidst breathtakingly beautiful scenery, this elegant house was redesigned by James Wyatt in the 18th century.

A fascinating chance to get closer to nature. Find out about wildlife habitats, biodiversity and climate change.

Explore Ipswich's past with stories that will inspire you. This fascinating and unique museum gives you the opportunity to meet the famous woolly mammoth, the elegant towering giraffe and other wonderful curiosities from the natural world .

Saxtead Green Post Mill is a corn mill, whose whole body revolves on its base and is one of many built in Suffolk from the late 13th century.

Follow the story around this beautiful Georgian building taking in domestic life and childhood in Colchester over the past 300 years.

This beautiful Tudor mansion is the jewel in the crown of Ipswich's historic past boasting over 500 years of history.

Explore the period rooms from the Tudor kitchen to the sumptuous Georgian saloon and the beautifully detailed Victorian wing and much more!

This picturesque fortified mansion was built for Lord Hastings, who was dramatically seized and executed by Richard III in 1483.  

Hastings’ descendants still believe they have a direct line to the throne of England.

The remains of Christchurch Castle include parts of the mound-top keep, and more unusually the 12th-century riverside chamber block or 'Constable's House'. This very early example of domestic architecture includes a rare Norman chimney.

History

The construction of a castle and monastery transformed the fortified settlement of Twyneham.

Colchester Castle is the largest Norman Keep in Europe. Constructed on the foundations of the Temple of Claudius, built when Colchester was the first Roman capital of Britain, the Castle Museum today reveals many fascinating layers of history to visitors.

A rare and striking example of an early form of windmill

This unusual survivor is one of the oldest windmills in Britain. Pitstone windmill ground flour for the village for almost three hundred years until a freak storm in the early 1900s left it damaged beyond economic repair.

Magnificent country house and park with an internationally important art collection

The vast late 17th-century mansion is set in a beautiful 283-hectare (700-acre) deer park, landscaped by 'Capability' Brown and immortalised in Turner's paintings.

Stunning views from this 70-foot high folly

On top of Penshaw Hill sits the Earl of Durham's Monument.

Better known as the Penshaw Monument, this 70 foot high folly is a replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens and can be seen for miles around. It is considered to be Wearside's most beloved landmark, even appearing on the badge of Sunderland Football Club.

19th-century fantasy castle with spectacular surroundings

This enormous 19th-century neo-Norman castle sits between Snowdonia and the Menai Strait.

It's crammed with fascinating items, such as a one-ton slate bed made for Queen Victoria, elaborate carvings, plasterwork and mock-Norman furniture. It also has an outstanding collection of paintings.

Ape Rescue Centre

Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre is home to over 240 rescued and endangered primates. We have 8 species of monkeys and prosimians at the park: capuchin monkeys, common marmosets, cotton-top tamarins, ring-tailed lemurs, ruffed lemur, squirrel monkeys (pictured), stump-tailed macaques and woolly monkeys.

Today the Keep Military Museum is a striking landmark on the Bridport Road in Dorchester. Completed in 1879, it was designed to resemble a Norman Castle, and is built of Portland stone which gives it a white appearance. In 'British Barracks 1600-1914', James Douet explains that:

Schools Into Europe is a family run business with over 55 years' experience of organising school trips and school tours in Europe, including the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Poland.

The World Owl Trust works on owl conservation on a global scale, and we have members in many countries around the world.

Our conservation programmes protect populations of endangered owls until their habitat has been restored. This has already been achieved for the European Eagle Owl and British Barn Owl.

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