The British Museum, London

One of the world's great museums, founded in 1753, with eight million objects covering two million years of human history. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, the Parthenon sculptures, the Assyrian lion-hunt reliefs, the Sutton Hoo treasure and the Lewis Chessmen. The Great Court, with its glass roof by Norman Foster, is the largest covered square in Europe.

Entry to the permanent collection is free, but booking a free timed ticket online is recommended to skip the queue. Special exhibitions are charged. You could spend days here, so pick a few galleries or join one of the free short eye-opener tours.