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Take a tour in the Capital

London has many museums, galleries and historical sights and having someone to show you around them is often more illuminating than wandering on your own.

The British Museum

This popular venue offers 30- to 40-minute tours throughout the day in more than a dozen of its major galleries.

There's also a free lunchtime gallery talk with a guest speaker or curator on Tuesdays to Fridays at 13:15, plus 20-minute spotlight tours on Friday evenings exploring topics such as the Enlightenment, death in ancient Egypt, the Parthenon and the Rosetta Stone. All are free.

How to get there: Both Tottenham Court Road and Holborn Tube stations are 500 metres away. There is a Santander docking station on the corner of Great Russell Street and Montague Street, W1.

London Transport Museum Depot

Housing more than 320,000 objects, the depot includes rare road and rail vehicles and every sort of public transport imaginable. With such a vast collection of items, having a guide could help.

The depot currently offers five types of guided tours: Johnson Journeys tours (exploring the 'Johnson' typeface created just over 100 years ago); 'Cab it' tours; Family tours; Depot Discovery tours; and Art and Poster store tours. Private group tours are also bookable.

Tours cost from £5 upwards for adults. The 'Cab it' tour costs £26 per adult, but this day-long experience includes refreshments, lunch and the chance to sit in the driving seat of various heritage vehicles.

How to get there: Go to Acton Town station (District and Piccadilly lines). Bus routes 70 and E3 are nearby.

Wilderness Walkabout

This is one to book now for later in the year. The Wilderness Walkabout, part of TfL's Hidden London season of events, takes you on a tour of the decommissioned section of Highgate station.

Parts of this station, which was once designed to be included in the Northern Heights interchange, have been reclaimed by nature and are now home only to protected species.

Tours run from August to September 2017 but are limited.

How to get there: Highgate (Northern line). Advance ticket booking is essential via London Transport Museum in Covent Garden or at ltmuseum.co.uk.

The Victoria and Albert Museum

The V&A offers a selection of tours; the most frequent is a free one-hour introductory overview of the institute and its vast collection.

To join in, head for the museum's entrance lobby for departure at 10:30, 12:30, 13:30 and 15:30 every day.

How to get there: South Kensington station (Circle, District and Piccadilly lines).

Tate Modern

Would you appreciate more insight into modern art? Tate Modern offers free guided daily tours of many of its galleries. Topics include Artist and Society; Materials and Objects; Louise Bourgeois; and Performer and Participant, which concentrates on performance art.

How to get there: Bus routes 381 and RV1 will take you close to Tate Modern. It's also a short walk from Southwark station or Blackfriars station (across Blackfriars Bridge).

 

Channel website: https://tfl.gov.uk/

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