Operational rule: do not trade away the Japan block to recover delays. If time slips, reduce Egypt, Mexico or China/South Asia first. The current British Museum Room 10 page lists Assyria as open daily 10:00–17:00; the route still puts it first because it is efficient and was the uncertain room in earlier map information.
Use it as an actual guide: at each collection, tap ▶ Read this stop and the browser will speak the historical introduction plus the object stories. The written text is the same material, so wall labels are optional. Audio uses your browser’s built-in speech engine and works without an account.
Minute-by-minute tour guide
Each collection includes the historical story, object explanation and what to look for.
Route map
Schematic, not to scale. Use room numbers and stairs/lifts as the navigation anchors.
● main stop◇ transit object↗ stairs / lift
Ground floorAssyria → Egypt → Rapa Nui → Mexico
Level 1China & South Asia
Level 2Optional transit: David Vases
Level 5Japan — protected finish
This map intentionally shows only navigation anchors relevant to this route. For exact door positions, use the British Museum's official map from the Sources section.
Visual object index
Recognition sheet for the objects covered by the guide.
Sources & photo credits
Historical guide text is independently written from museum collection records and gallery sources; it is not a transcription of wall labels.
Primary factual sources are the British Museum's current gallery, object and map pages. Photos are loaded from Wikimedia Commons and retain their original licences. If a gallery is unexpectedly closed, follow on-site staff instructions over this route.