Essential Information

Location
National Maritime Museum
Price Treasures Tour: £3.50 adults | All other tours and talks are free

The National Maritime Museum is a treasure trove of objects, stories and memories.

But with so much to see, where to begin? Our daily tours and gallery talks are the perfect way to discover the must-see highlights of the Museum, all led by our friendly and knowledgeable guides. 

Check out the details below to find out what's currently on offer, and get ready to embark on a voyage of discovery.

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Treasures Tour

Explore some of the Museum’s most prized – and lesser-known – objects on this guided tour.  

Meet and greet a Fijian canoe; be chilled by tales of polar exploration; marvel at the oldest boat in our collection and learn about life at sea in the age of Nelson.

  • Timings: Tours run daily at 12pm and 2pm.
  • Duration: 50-60 minutes.
  • Meeting point: Information Desk, located by the Parkside Café on the ground floor of the National Maritime Museum.
  • Price: £3.50 for adults; £2.50 for students; £1.75 for children; free for Members.
  • Suitability: The tours are suitable for adults and children.
  • Audio headsets: You will be provided with headphones and an audio headset, which allow you to clearly hear the guide and adjust the volume if required. The headphones and headset will be collected at the end of the tour.
  • Tour size: Each tour has a maximum capacity of 25 people.
  • Accessibility: The tour passes through several galleries located on different floors of the Museum. Step-free access is available via lifts.
Out now: the Treasures audio guide

This is a self-guided, audio version of the in-person Treasures Tour. It is a great alternative if you want to take things at your own pace, or can't visit the Museum.

Buy the Treasures audio tour

Search all National Maritime Museum audio guides

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Gallery Favourites

From the secret lives of women in Nelson's Navy to Ponko the penguin, dive deeper into the stories within our collection during our free gallery talks. Where will your journey of discovery take you? 

  • Timings: Daily at 11am, 1pm and 3pm subject to availability – speak to staff at the Information Desk (located by the Parkside Café on the ground floor of the National Maritime Museum) if you are interested in joining a talk.
  • Duration: 25-30 minutes.
  • Location: Talks take place in various galleries around the Museum. Listen to the tannoy announcements, check the posters around the site or ask a member of our team for more information.
  • Price: Free. No booking is required.
  • Suitability: Suitable for adults and children.
  • Accessibility: All floors of the Museum are accessible via lifts.
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Volunteer Tours and Talks

Uncover some of the wonders of the past with our volunteer guides. 

  • Timings: Subject to availability – speak to staff at the Information Desk (located by the Parkside Café on the ground floor of the National Maritime Museum) for more information.
  • Location: Events take place in various galleries across the Museum.
  • Price: Free.
  • Suitability: Suitable for adults and children.
  • Accessibility: All floors of the Museum are accessible via lifts.

What’s On

Find more events at the National Maritime Museum

Women of the RNLI
Exhibitions

Women of the RNLI

Celebrate 200 years of saving lives at sea at the National Maritime Museum
2 March – 1 December 2024
Free
National Maritime Museum
Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Exhibitions

Astronomy Photographer of the Year

See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum
Open daily | 10am-5pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Ocean Blue: Cyanotype workshop
Workshops

Ocean Blue: Cyanotype workshop

Join artist Lizzie Cardozo for a cyanotype print workshop for adults, and explore your relationship to the ocean through printmaking
Sunday 28 April 2024 | 2-4pm
£15 Adults
National Maritime Museum
Play Tuesdays
Family fun

Play Tuesdays

Bring your under 5 on a different adventure every week! Explore the Museum together through song, dance and stories
Term time Tuesdays | 10.30am, 11.30am, 1.00pm, 2.00pm
£4 per child and accompanying adult | Under 6 months free
National Maritime Museum
Members' Treasures Tours
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' Treasures Tours

Explore the treasures of the National Maritime Museum with one of our expert guides.
Thursday 2 May 2024 | 10.30am
Free | Members only
National Maritime Museum
Saturday Art Club
Workshops

Saturday Art Club

Join the weekly creative drop-in for young people aged 13-16
Saturdays from October 2023 - April 2024 | 10am-1pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Character Encounters
Talks and tours

Character Encounters

Visit the National Maritime Museum every Saturday to discover a different character from history with their own fascinating story to tell
Saturdays
Free Entry
National Maritime Museum
SENsory Sailors
Family fun

SENsory Sailors

Come along and enjoy this brand new sensory play session for children with special educational needs
Once a month on Saturdays | 11am-12.30pm
Free | Pre-booking required
National Maritime Museum
LGBTQ+ Family Network
Family fun | Identity

LGBTQ+ Family Network

A safe space for local LGBTQ+ families to meet one another, get involved in creative activities for all ages and explore the stories within the collection
16 March 2024 | 10am-12pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Caribbean Takeover
Events and festivals

Caribbean Takeover

Celebrate black history and culture in Britain with the Caribbean Social Forum as they take over the National Maritime Museum's grounds
Saturday 18 May 2024 | 11am - 5pm
Free | Free wristbands required for talks
National Maritime Museum
Indigo dyeing workshop with Abiola Onabulé
Workshops

Indigo dyeing workshop with Abiola Onabulé

Join fashion designer Abiola Onabulé to learn about the complex history of indigo and create a unique dyed piece to take home
Sunday 19 May 2024 | 1.30-5pm
£15 Adults
National Maritime Museum
Safe Harbour
Family fun

Safe Harbour

Safe Harbour is a series of free workshops created to provide a safe space for foster and adoptive families with children under 13 years
Monthly: Next date 27 April 2024 | 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Ticketed | Free
National Maritime Museum
BSL Tour: Women of the RNLI
Talks and tours | BSL tours

BSL Tour: Women of the RNLI

Join historian and guide John Wilson at the National Maritime Museum, for a BSL tour of the latest exhibition Women of the RNLI
Saturday 25 May and Friday 23 August 2024 | 2-3pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Youth Collective
Courses

Youth Collective

Find out more about the Youth Collective – a paid creative opportunity for young people aged 16-24 from the Royal Borough of Greenwich
Applications open in Summer 2024
Free
National Maritime Museum
World Oceans Day
Events and festivals

World Oceans Day

A family-friendly celebration of our ocean hosted at the National Maritime Museum
Returning in 2024
Free
National Maritime Museum
Refugee Week 2024
Events and festivals | Refugee Week

Refugee Week 2024

Find out about the events taking place at Royal Museums Greenwich to mark Refugee Week, focused on this year's theme 'Our Home'
16-23 June 2024 | See page for details
Free
Cutty Sark
Windrush Day
Events and festivals

Windrush Day

Celebrate the anniversary of the Empire Windrush's arrival in Britain, and find your own Windrush connection at the National Maritime Museum
Returning in 2024
Free
National Maritime Museum
International Slavery Remembrance Day
Events and festivals

International Slavery Remembrance Day

Explore the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and its abolition at the National Maritime Museum
Returning in 2024
Free
National Maritime Museum