Practical visitor guide
Everything you need in one place, where it is, how to get there, what to check before leaving home, and how to use your limited viewing time once you are inside.
Independent guide. Always check the British Museum's own information for current tickets, opening arrangements and access updates.
At a glance
Before you leave home
This page is most useful if you treat it as a checklist rather than an article.
A simple way to use your visit
This is not a rigid timetable. It is a way to stop yourself spending too long on the opening scenes and then rushing the battle.
Take in the extraordinary length of the embroidery before concentrating on details. Remind yourself that the scene numbers are modern, the original work is one continuous story.
Watch the journey develop, Harold's capture, his time with William and the oath scene. Do not try to read every inscription word for word unless one particularly interests you.
Look for Edward's death, Harold enthroned as king, Halley's Comet, William's shipbuilding and the invasion fleet. These scenes move very quickly.
Give yourself time for the shield wall, cavalry, Odo, the confusion of battle, Harold's death and the final English collapse. The borders become increasingly important here too.
Getting there
The Museum is in Bloomsbury, central London. Public transport is usually the simplest choice.
Nearby stations include Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Russell Square and Goodge Street.
King's Cross, St Pancras International and Euston are all within a short onward Tube, bus or taxi journey.
Central London parking can be difficult and the Museum lies within the Congestion Charge zone. Public transport is normally easier.
Allow a little extra time rather than planning to arrive at the last possible minute. Always follow your ticket and the British Museum's latest visitor instructions.
After the exhibition
The most useful next step is not to reread everything, but to follow the scenes, people or mysteries that stayed with you.
Go straight back to the complete scene guide and find what you noticed in person.
Explore all 58 scenes →Explore Harold, William, the making of the embroidery or the wider events of 1066.
Who made it? →Continue with recommended books or browse Bayeux and 1066 gifts.
Books →The Bayeux Tapestry: 58 Scenes Explained follows the whole embroidery in sequence and is designed for readers who want the story without an academic textbook.
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The exhibition runs from 10 September 2026 to 11 July 2027.
The expected visitor journey is around 40 minutes. Preparing beforehand can help you use that time more effectively.
No. Photography is not permitted in the exhibition.
Room 30, the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
No. This is an independent guide. Use the British Museum's official exhibition page for tickets and current visitor arrangements.