British Museum Top 10

If you have one hour, this is the route to take. Ten objects spanning three continents and five thousand years, opening at the Rosetta Stone and closing with the Lewis Chessmen.

The ten objects in order

Notice that the route works through the levels: it starts on Level 0, dips once to Level -2, then climbs steadily to Level 3. The order is deliberate, to cut down on stairs and lifts — which also means you should follow the numbers rather than the visual layout of the galleries.

How to use the numbers

Every object in the Museum has a guide number printed beside it. Enter that number on the Keypad in the app to jump straight to the object's page, then listen to the Arabic commentary.

• Rosetta Stone: 204 — Room 4, the key that unlocked ancient Egyptian writing.
• Lewis Chessmen: 502 — Room 40, the last stop on the route.
• Mummy of Katebet: 361 — Room 63, up on Level 3.

Tips for fitting it into an hour

• Start early: the busiest galleries are the Rosetta Stone room and the Parthenon gallery.
• Allow about five minutes per stop; the Arabic audio keeps a steady pace.
• Listen offline — the audio is bundled in the app and needs no network.
• Save the objects you want to return to in Favourites.

This is an independent third-party guide. It is not affiliated with, licensed by, endorsed by or operated by the British Museum. Room numbers and levels can change with seasonal displays.