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!
Come and discover how Slough transformed from a muddy bog to a thriving town of industry and innovation, and explore the history of community life in Slough, through stories of celebration, migration and unity.
Slough Museum has a fascinating collection to explore…we look forward to seeing you soon!
Schools Learning
Red-brick fronted house with literary associations - both Henry James and E. F. Benson, the novelists, lived here.
Visit Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle and discover over 1,000 years of history!
Learn about the history of life in the Nile Valley from prehistory through to the Islamic period. Thousands of objects to look through including ancient papyrus and carvings. Free to visit.
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology is an excellent place to take history fans, budding explorers and archaeologists, plus any kids who would like to see something a little different.
Highclere Castle is a beautiful building and a warm, welcoming home to visitors and guests at events and celebrations held here.
The 112 acres of Kenwood is on the crest of one of the most popular open spaces in the capital, Hampstead Heath. In contrast to the natural Heath, the park around Kenwood is very much a designed landscape in an English style.
Set on the edge of Hampstead Heath and surrounded by tranquil landscaped gardens, Kenwood is one of London's hidden gems.
Skirting the National Nature Reserve of the South Gower Coast, overlooking Rhossili Bay, the large National Trust shop boasts a range of Trust and local gifts, as well as providing local information.
It is a great place to begin touring this interesting area. The Visitor Centre displays regular exhibitions.
Explore the miles of footpaths, bridleways and easy access trails offering breathtaking panoramic views over the Cotswolds, Shropshire Hills and Welsh borders.
Wonder at the 18th-century follies which form the backdrop to the picturesque Hagley Hall.
Our wide range of talks and workshops are curriculum-linked and suit ages from early years to college levels. Enjoy an exciting and educational visit, coming face-to-face with exotic animals and artefacts in our Education Centre.
This accredited museum is supported by the Friends of Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, the Heritage Lottery Fund and a team of very enthusiastic volunteers.
The Museum covers five themes; The Royal Borough & its settlement, Military Associations, Aeronautical Windsor, Working Windsor and Childhood.
Exmouth Museum was first opened in 1985 and is housed in a 19th century building which was the Council Stables together with the adjoining foreman's cottage.
The architect Sir John Soane’s house, museum and library at No. 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields has been a public museum since the early 19th century. Soane demolished and rebuilt three houses in succession on the north side of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, beginning with No. 12 between 1792 and 1794, moving on to No. 13, re-built in two phases in 1808-9 and 1812, and concluding with No.
THIS HISTORIC MILL, HOME TO THE JORDAN FAMILY FOR OVER 150 YEARS, WAS REVOLUTIONARY FOR ITS TIME AND COULD BE COMPARED WITH THE DAWN OF THE INTERNET AGE TODAY…
Travel back in time and discover the history of the Potteries and of Staffordshire.
See the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found on display, plus the world's finest collection of Staffordshire ceramics, Reginald Mitchell's WW2 Spitfire, Ozzy the famous pottery owl and all sorts of art and craft.
School Adventures at Chessington
Thomas Bewick is perhaps Northumberland’s greatest artist: a wood engraver and naturalist who revolutionised print art in Georgian England.
Home to the renowned Strumpshaw Steam Rally, the museum houses a nostalgic collection of traction engines, steam rollers, tractors and beam engines.
There’s also a Christie cinema organ and fairground organs and you can take a countryside walk or a trip on the narrow gauge railway to explore the grounds of the old hall.
Maryport Maritime Museum is ideally situated at the quayside in the beautiful and historic town of Maryport.
The museum occupies the building formally known as The Queen's Head public house which entertained and boarded a great many sailors between their voyages on the high seas.
Teignmouth and Shaldon are beautiful. They are not, however, just pretty places! Products of a turbulent past and the strivings of succeeding generations, Teignmouth and Shaldon have colourful and absorbing stories to tell. The stories are told in the Museum - what happened, when and who the players were.
The last working water-powered forge in the country nestles in the middle of Sticklepath village on the edge of Dartmoor, near Okehampton. During lively demonstrations see and hear the large water wheel and tilt hammers in action. Demonstrations of the machinery every hour.
Denny Abbey has a unique and fascinating history.
Founded in 1159 as a Benedictine monastery, it then became a retirement home for elderly Knights Templars. After the Templars’ suppression for alleged heresy in 1308, it became a convent of Franciscan nuns before becoming a farm from 1539 and the dissolution of the monasteries, until the 1960s.
Drayton Manor is a fun-filled theme park near Tamworth with rides like Apocalypse, Maelstrom and Pandemonium, animals and of course Thomas Land, home of Thomas the Tank Engine. There's even a 4D cinema and a Dino Trail.
School Visits
All aboard! See how engines work; what buses are made of; go aboard some; see old tickets and uniforms once used. View the workshop and on special days ride on a vintage bus. Morris Museum: see a 1970s police car; 1920s Bullnose Morris and a Mini in the original style.
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.