Hello, my name is Dr Aaron Hunter. I am an award-winning science guide-lecturer and practising palaeontologist, specialising in the science sites of London, Oxford and Cambridge. I am an experienced academic researcher, educator and expert guide, and I specialise in working with university, college, and family groups. Join me for an unforgettable scientific journey through some of London’s most remarkable institutions.

Through fossils of animals and plants at the Natural History Museum and the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, I bring cutting-edge research on the history of life on Earth vividly to life. My tours explore the extraordinary scientific heritage of the capital, from the founding of the Royal Society, the world’s first scientific academy, to the pioneering work of Robert Hooke and Sir Christopher Wren. I trace how London became a powerhouse of scientific thought, experimentation and innovation.

Through the technological and medical breakthroughs showcased at the Science Museum, I uncover the history of medicine and anatomy at the Hunterian Museum. Along the way, I introduce scientific figures such as Isaac Newton, who worked at the Tower of London, and Charles Darwin, who set up his natural laboratory at his home, Down House, on the edge of London – ideas that reshaped our understanding of the natural world. Finally, I invite you to stand beneath the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and discover how science, architecture and ingenuity combined to shape one of the world’s greatest cities.

My tours have been described as “informative and engaging,” and I am known for being “humorous and passionate.” A key advantage of touring with me as a specialist London guide is my ability to place scientific breakthroughs within their historical and architectural contexts – revealing London not just as a global capital, but also as one of the birthplaces of modern science. I am also the only fully qualified guide for both Oxford and Cambridge, where I am delighted to continue the journey through these great university cities.

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Discover London through a series of expert-led scientific tours, each offering a unique journey into the natural world. As a practising palaeontologist and experienced scientific guide, I lead tours that bring world-class institutions to life through insight, storytelling, and deep subject knowledge. Find below a summary of the sites I cover, which can be created as a bespoke tour based on individual sites or a combination of sites.

London’s Museums and Gardens of Natural History

Join me, a palaeontologist and expert scientist guide, for an in-depth exploration of the Natural History Museum, the UK’s most-visited museum, where I reveal the science behind fossils, dinosaurs, minerals, prehistoric ecosystems, mammals, and marine life. Alternatively, for those drawn to the plant kingdom, you can deepen your exploration of the natural world with a visit to the London Aquarium, or begin with the extraordinary diversity of living species at the zoological gardens, London Zoo. I also offer immersive tours of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s leading botanical gardens, where over 50,000 living plants and historic landscapes showcase the beauty, complexity, and global importance of the plant kingdom and botanical science.

London’s Museums of Science and Medicine

Join me to uncover the story of science and medicine at the institutions that helped shape the modern world. At the Science Museum, we explore groundbreaking advances in physics, technology and computing, before tracing the evolution of medical science in the Wellcome Galleries. This journey can be deepened at the Hunterian Museum, where extraordinary surgical specimens and instruments from John Hunter’s collection reveal the realities of early medicine, and at the Royal College of Physicians Museum, which is home to centuries of medical innovation. We can follow the rise of modern nursing at the Florence Nightingale Museum, stand in the very laboratory where penicillin was discovered at the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum, and even step into the former home of Sigmund Freud at the Freud Museum London to explore the origins of psychoanalysis – together revealing London as one of the world’s most fascinating destinations for the history of medicine and the mind.

Bloomsbury – London’s University District

Allow me to take you on a journey through world cultures at the British Museum, showing you the antiquities of Ancient Egypt, Assyria, Greece, Rome and Britain. Treasures we will see include the Head of Ramesses II and Egyptian mummies, the Lamassu and Lion Reliefs, Lord Elgin’s Parthenon Marbles, the Portland Vase and Mildenhall Treasure, the Sutton Hoo Treasure, the Lewis Chess Pieces and the Bronze Age Mold Cape. As an official guide for the London Borough of Camden, I can show you Bloomsbury, London’s University district. It is home to an exceptional cluster of museums, including The Foundling Museum, which explores the history of Britain’s first children’s charity through art and powerful personal stories. Science enthusiasts should also take a visit to the Grant Museum of Zoology, known for its fascinating preserved animal specimens, and the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, which holds one of the UK’s finest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese artefacts. The Sir John Soane’s Museum, set in the former home of the neo-classical architect, displays an extraordinary collection of art, antiquities and architectural models in atmospheric interiors, making Bloomsbury a compact yet remarkably diverse cultural destination.

London Archaeology – London Science City

As an official guide of the City of London, as well as a Liveryman and Freeman, let me take you around the Roman and Saxon archaeology of London's ancient heart. Let's explore the post-Great Fire of London architecture of Sir Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke at St. Paul's Cathedral and the Monument. Or we can explore the famous scientists buried at Westminster Abbey. As an official guide to Clerkenwell and Islington, we can explore the New River, London’s first reservoir, which was a remarkable engineering feat that blends history, design, and innovation. Iconic highlights include the Tower Bridge, a marvel of Victorian hydraulic engineering with its bascules and high-level walkways. You can also discover the story of the iconic London Underground, the world’s first metro network, with complex tunnelling under a bustling city at the London Transport Museum or the world's first underwater tunnel and engineering marvel at the Brunel Museum.

Science of Art at London’s World-Class Art Galleries

Explore the fascinating science behind some of the most recognised paintings in the National Gallery. We focus on three key themes: perspective, pigments, and art inspired by science. The first theme, perspective, examines art through the lens of geometry and physics. You will see how artists guide the viewer’s eye and manipulate light to create depth and realism. The use of tools such as the Camera Obscura by 17th-century Dutch painters helped produce highly detailed, lifelike scenes. These themes can be explored further at the Wallace Collection or through modern art at Tate Modern. The second theme, pigments, explores how discoveries of new colours transformed art from the Renaissance to later movements. You will learn how pigments were sourced, why some were incredibly rare, and how certain colours were once worth more than gold. These developments shaped both artistic style and technique over time. Finally, the tour looks at art where science becomes the subject itself. This can be seen at Tate Britain, where works by George Stubbs, J. M. W. Turner, and Joseph Wright of Derby show how scientific observation and experimentation inspired powerful imagery. By the end, you will see paintings in a completely new way, with a deeper understanding of the connections between art and science.

Greenwich

We can travel together on a river cruise to the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage site, the home of time, where you can discover the Royal Observatory with John Harrison’s clocks and cross the Meridian Line. You can see Elizabeth I’s Armada Portrait at the Queen’s House, the uniform that Nelson wore at the Battle of Trafalgar at the National Maritime Museum, Sir James Thornhill’s restored Painted Ceiling, the Sistine Chapel of Great Britain in the Old Naval College and the famous tea clipper, the Cutty Sark, the fastest ship on sail.

Charles Darwin’s Natural Laboratory

Down House, the family home of Charles Darwin, is a key site for understanding the development of evolutionary theory. Highlights include Darwin’s study, preserved exactly as he used it, where he wrote “On the Origin of Species”; the extensive gardens and greenhouse, which he used for botanical experiments and observations; the “Sandwalk” path, his personal thinking trail; and the house’s period rooms that display family life in the 19th century. The museum also features exhibitions on Darwin’s research, scientific instruments, and manuscripts, making Down House a unique combination of historic home, laboratory, and inspirational garden.

Hampton Court, Windsor & Eton

Discover Hampton Court Palace, once home to Henry VIII, impresses with its Tudor and Baroque architecture, the Great Hall, historic kitchens, Royal Tennis Court, and formal gardens including the famous maze. As a Windsor and Eton endorsed guide at Windsor Castle, visitors can explore the State Apartments, St George’s Chapel, the Round Tower, extensive parklands, and the extraordinary Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, a meticulously crafted miniature home filled with working lights, running water, and detailed artworks. Nearby, Eton College offers a glimpse into one of the UK’s most prestigious schools.

Roman and Georgian Bath & Medieval Wells

As an Honorary Mayor’s Guide of Bath, let me take you on a day from London to the double World Heritage sites, with their Georgian architecture and hydrothermal springs. The Roman Baths provide a remarkably preserved glimpse into Roman engineering, hydraulics, and social life, showcasing the original bathing complex, hot springs, and intricate stonework. The Herschel Museum of Astronomy celebrates William Herschel’s pioneering work in astronomy, including the discovery of Uranus, and preserves his original instruments and study. As a Wells Cathedral-endorsed guide, I can show you the impressive medieval architecture at Wells Cathedral, as well as the Vicars’ Close, one of Europe’s oldest intact residential streets, and the Wells Cathedral Clock, an early astronomical clock dating to the 14th century, showcase medieval engineering and craftsmanship.

Oxford

My tours explore Oxford’s extraordinary scientific discoveries: from the first Dinosaur and the only surviving Dodo to the development of penicillin, the work of Dorothy Hodgkin, and the birth of the Royal Society. Visitors can also discover Albert Einstein’s visit to Oxford and his famous blackboard. A key advantage of touring with an official Oxford guide is privileged access to colleges, including Christ Church, Queen's College, Worcester College and the beautiful Divinity School, the oldest classroom in Europe. Join me to travel through Oxford's wonderful Museums, such as the Natural History Museum, the Museum of the History of Science, or the Botanical Gardens and discover where scientific breakthroughs are set within their historic architecture.

Cambridge

Cambridge is one of the world’s most important centres for the history of science. My tours explore the extraordinary discoveries made here – from Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the discovery of DNA to early computing, the splitting of the atom, and Cambridge’s pivotal role in Antarctic exploration. A key advantage of touring with an official Cambridge guide is access to the colleges themselves. Where possible, we visit iconic institutions such as King’s College, Christ’s College, Queens’ College, Emmanuel College, Whipple Museum, Botanic Garden, and the Ray Dolby Centre, placing scientific breakthroughs in their historical and architectural settings.

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Here are a few comments from some of my tours:

"Aaron our guide was absolutely fantastic. His knowledge and sense of humour kept everyone enthralled. I would definitely do this tour again"

"The guided walking tour was brilliant. Aaron our guide was fantastic - informative, engaging and had a strong voice - very well done"

"Dr. Aaron was simply fantastic and the students enjoyed a lot and learnt a lot as well from him. He was extremely professional, highly knowledgeable"

"I really cannot praise or thank Aaron Hunter more..our London guide who was just so entertaining, understanding, helpful and kind and made certain we were all completely looked after...and it was quite a challenge to navigate 36 teenagers walking at and going in all directions through crowded London streets"