Guided Tours

See some of Southampton’s wonderful architectural, historical and cultural heritage with our tour guides.

Private Group Walks

Book a walk for a group or private party, tailored for your interests, with a qualified local history expert.

Accessible Guided Tours

Guided tours are for everyone! We offer a sign language interpreter, voice amplifiers, ramps, lifts, and accessible toilet facilities.

More history in Southampton than you ever imagined!

See Southampton Heritage Guides is a team of qualified local heritage experts and tour guides, delivering an entertaining programme of walks and talks for visitors, cruise ship passengers and local residents.

Discover Southampton’s History - Guided Tours

90 minute guided walks, including visits to Southampton’s towers and vaults.

Days: Saturdays and Sundays from 1st Oct to 31st March 2025
Time: 1:30pm
Location: Meet at the Lions on the north side of the Bargate (SO14 2DJ)
Cost: £7.00 per adult, accompanied children free. Payment by cash or card.

Autumn and winter walks will depart from the Bargate at 1.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays between 1 October 2024 and 31 March 2025. December walks will take on a Christmas flavour, recounting tales of yesteryear referencing historical characters, events and Christmas songs associated with Southampton! Joy to the World!

Southampton’s tour guiding associations, See Southampton Heritage Guides and the Southampton Tourist Guides Association are working in partnership in 2024/25 to deliver an exciting programme of Southampton History Walks, supported by Go! Southampton. Click here to view brochure PDF

The team from See Southampton Heritage Guides will be delivering the 1.30pm walks in October and December 2024 and February 2025, whilst the 1.30pm walks in November 2024, January and March 2025 will be delivered by our colleagues from the STGA.

The Westgate

In 2019 SEE Southampton made a display in the Westgate covering the history of The Mayflower and The Speedwell and the ‘principal players’ involved in its story, in readiness for the marking of the Mayflower 400th anniversary in 2020.

Whilst many of the events connected with the anniversary had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the display was completed and has been open on many weekends and will continue in 2024 – see our events page or join us on Facebook for current opening information. Our Sunday walks will conclude at the Westgate.

New for 2024 is also a D-Day and Titanic Exhibition. Subject to volunteer availability, the exhibitions will be open on Sundays between 10am – 3.30pm approx.

Southampton's Hidden History

Let us reveal the hidden history of your city! Southampton history walks depart the Lions by the Bargate at 10.30am and 1.30pm on weekends between April – end September, and then at 1.30pm during the autumn and winter. History walks are being staged by See Southampton and Southampton Tourist Guides Association, supported by Go! Southampton.

Talks at Portswood Library - FREE!

A series of talks covering the history of Southampton.

If you would like to book a talk, our team is always happy to provide guest speakers on a range of subjects. Contact us for details.

D-Day 80

Throughout June 2024, See Southampton commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings 1994 with a series of events. There is still an opportunity to check out our free to enter temporary D-Day exhibition at the Westgate on Sundays. See Southampton guided walks will stop at the American Wall / D-Day Wall throughout 2024, close to the Westgate exhibition.

See Southampton's Accessible Guided Tours

We ensure that our guided tours are accessible to those with (visible or non-visible) physical and learning difficulties, and are wheelchair and mobility scooter friendly.

"From Parks to Port" - See Southampton's map with Accessible Trail

See Southampton have produced a map that details accessible places of interest, and includes lifts, toilets, ramps and facilities that can be easily accessed by wheelchair and mobility scooter users.

Beautiful South Award

See Southampton has won a prestigious accolade at the Beautiful South Awards for Excellence 2023.

Read the full article in the Southern Daily Echo

     Excellent  
     Based on 220 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   Rebecca 
 2024-02-19
 
 
 Verified Fantastic tour
Nigel took our group on a tour of Southampton history including entry to three of the vaults. Excellent. So knowledgable yet makes everything interesting and fun. There were 116 years in the 100 year war ;-) I would thoroughly recommend. Southampton is my home town and I learnt so much.
  
 
       
   StuartB 
 2024-02-11
 
 
 Verified Walls and crypts
Two entertaining and informative hours spent with an experienced and knowledgeable guide. Nigel led us through the history of Southampton as we viewed its fortifications and storage cellars. A fact- and joke-filled afternoon
  
 
       
   VeraC 
 2024-02-04
 
 
 Verified So much more to Southampton
I went for the Walk of Medieval Southampton tour that started at Bargate, around the walls and also into a wine vault! I went because I have settled in this area, but don't really know a lot about its history. Yet, I see all these historical buildings and walls around town, I want to know more. It turns out Southampton isn't just another city. Because of its geographical location, many have passed through it, and many monuments tell stories of that. The walls are much older than I thought, and when I follow the tour, I can see how they interconnect. I also didn't know how close the shores used to be, how there was a castle, and there was a land that was owned by one person, who now has a whole area named after him. A lot of the street names make much more sense now, and it makes me feel more at home. Katie did a great job giving historical details and cultural gossip about the town! Thank you!
  
 
       
   Marie G 
 2024-02-04
 
 
 Verified So much to discover about Sotton!
Great walk through Southampton's history. Katie was excellent and kept the tour lively all the way. I discovered so much about Southampton that I would never have guessed and will never walk her streets the same way again. I highly recommend this tour to visitors and Sottonians alike.
  
 
       
   Dara C 
 2024-01-08
 
 
 Verified Medieval tour
Excellent informative tour. Lots of information learnt about our home town. Tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable and didn't rush us. Kate who organises is very helpful and accommodating
  
 
       
   Texas Travel Girl 
 2023-11-06
 
 
 Verified See Southampton Tours - Highly Recommended
We highly recommend See Southampton. In order to better understand our interests and arrange the perfect itinerary for us, Katie was gracious enough to meet with me over Zoom prior to our visit. She handled our shifting demands with professionalism and empathy. We look forward to booking with them on our next visit to Southampton.
  
 
       
   Matthias T 
 2023-10-31
 
 
 Verified Great tour with Katie from See Southampton
We did a private tour with Katie as a family of four. It was a great experience and a pleasure to be guided by Katie who is a very lovely person. Our kids understand her speaking English as we live in Germany. I can highly recommend See Southampton and Katie as a guide. She showed us places where others have no access to...:-)
  
 
       
   t0pspinna 
 2023-10-30
 
 
 Verified A great tour of of the hidden history of old Southampton.
A great tour of of the hidden history of old Southampton. Our guide Katie was extremly knowlegable - she really brought the fascinating history to life.
  
 
       
   Catherine T 
 2023-10-18
 
 
 Verified Interesting and enjoyable
1 hr special tour in company of Lord Mayor of Southampton, visiting the medieval vaults, which were fascinating. Then wine tasting and food pairing, very enjoyable.
  
 
       
   Leah G 
 2023-08-26
 
 
 Verified A Must-Do Southampton Activity
We took the 90-minute Hidden Secrets walking tour on 6 Aug2023 with Inge. We had a small group of 15 which included two local couples as well as other tourists. Inge was knowledgeable and provided us with incredible information about the historic city. Because of questions from one of the local guests, we were offered to extend our tour to several other vaults. This extended the tour for the better part of an hour and added (for everyone, including our guide) an unexpected paranormal experienced - fabulous! We considered this is a must-do activity and are so happy we did the tour!