Canals and Victorians to today’s city

A great introduction to the modern city. Guides are local people with a wealth of knowledge, delivering informative and fun tours of the city.

Child tickets (7-16 years): £8 pay on door.

The detail: We look 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 and coped with huge social and infrastructure issues - we call it being 'successfully unsustainable'. Moving into the 20th Century, brutalist concrete architecture, and then today's city moving forward all around us. Our walk is around 3 km, takes 2 hours and includes central canal towpaths and city squares.

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

An eTicket: Sent to you sometime after your automated 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 pioneered the use of live audio in Birmingham 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 appreciated at tour end).

Take home momento: For a donation to our charity we provide a copy of Discovering Birmingham, a photographic journey to the city written by us.

Sifa Fireside: We donate part of our turnover and donations at the end of the tour to Sifa Fireside, a well known Birmingham charity which works on issues of homelessness in our city.