Canals and Victorians to today’s city

Whether  you have lived in Birmingham all your life, are studying at one of our five universities, or visiting for a day -  you will have a great time on tour with us. Guides are local people with a wealth of knowledge delivering informative and fun tours of the city.

This tour looks at early development right up to the present day. From Georgian industrial growth, the coming of the canals and on to Victorian times where the town developed as a world producer of metal goods and coped with huge issues - we call it being 'sucessfully unsustainable'. Moving into the 20th Century the brutalist concrete architecture, and today the way the city is moving forward and trying to cope with transport and pollution. Public art helps us understand the city and our walk is around 3 km and includes canal towpaths and city squares.

Tours start/finish: Library of Birmingham entrance, Centenary Square, B1 2ND

An eTicket: Is sent to you sometime after your autmated booking receipt with joining instructions. You do not need to print it off. If you are booking close to the start time just come to the meeting point for the tour start time.

Live Audio:  We take Covid-19 security extremely seriously. We pioneered the use of live audio which also enables social distancing-plus and you can still hear the guide clearly wherever you are. 

Earphones: Please try and bring your own (old style 3.5mm jack) or we provide a new pair which you keep at the end (donation to our charity apperciated at tour end).

Sifa Fireside: As part of our tours we donate part of our turnover and any donatons to Sifa Fireside, a well known Birmingham charity which works of issues of homelessness in our city.