The British Museum opens to the public at 10am, but theyve resumed a little known tour that starts at 9am before the public gets inside.

The tours are themed around five core topics, and you can book for any of the five tours.

They all last around an hour and with the limited number of just twelve people in each group and the galleries empty except for the tour, they cost 33 per person (16.50 for children). After the tour, as youre already in the museum, you can then wander around the rest of the galleries and my tip would be to head to the popular galleries, as theyll take a good half hour or so to full fill up with visitors.

All the tours are here and below.

Uncover the origins of an extraordinary collection as you learn about the beginnings of the British Museum in 1753 and its subsequent development. The Enlightenment gallery (Room 1) focuses on the 18th century, an era of new knowledge, scientific discovery and European colonialism. The Collecting the world gallery (Room 2) focuses on the growth of the collection from the 18th century to the present day.

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In the Egyptian sculpture gallery, you can see impressive statues of kings and gods, monumental tomb architecture and ancient tomb reliefs spanning 3,000 years. These include the imposing, colossal bust of Ramesses II, the Gayer-Anderson Cat and the world-famous Rosetta Stone the key to deciphering hieroglyphs. You can learn the importance of large-scale sculpture in ancient Egyptian temples and tombs, and get the perfect introduction to this unmissable collection.

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From painted coffins, statues and models of daily life to spectacular wall paintings from the tomb-chapel of the high official Nebamun, investigate what tombs and burial goods tell us about the lives of ancient Egyptian people. The tour will explore the preparation of the deceased for burial, including mummification, and the use of magic to help and protect people on their perilous journey to the afterlife.

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In the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China, you will gain an insight into the development of Chinese history and culture from 5000 BC to the present day.

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Enjoy some of the highlights of the Museums exceptional collection, including sculptures from the Parthenon and the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos, regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

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Tickets Alert: Early hours tours of the British Museum - ianVisits