This was great to visit. Was slightly concerned about the guide who waffled a lot. At the start of the tour we were on a street. In the group was a young Malaysian lady as he was talking a group of girls went past who were oriental and noisey, the guide looked right at the Malaysian lady and said "tell them"! Could have been conceived as racist. He also singled her out on the tour asking her if she understood then asked her to say words in her language. At this point I was really hoping she was English. He waffled about his badge and the old one and why he was still wearing it then about his wedding suit. He kept waving out of the windows at other tours, then saying we have only a limited amount of time. If he had got on with it we would have more time. However to see how they lived and the set up of the houses was brilliant, we enjoyed that bit immensely.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

On a visit to Birmingham from Canada in late May, we toured the Back to Backs. It was an absolutely fascinating experience wonderfully animated by our guide, Wesley, who grew up in a back to back house. He took us through a chronological history of not only the houses themselves, but of the lives of residents who lived there. Life was very precarious in the early days and life expectancy of those who lived there was quite short. Children especially had a very hard life. Wesley provided us with some entertaining anecdotes from each era and opened our eyes to the hardships of the working poor. The houses themselves and the courtyard with laundry and latrine facilities are authentic and are packed with implements people used on a daily basis. We are so glad we chose this visit and highly recommend it to all visitors to Birmingham!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

This place is a tour de force of what the national trust does well. (Which isn't something that happens often) . First off you need to plan ahead and book , tickets are limited and go on sale a few weeks in advance. These back to back houses are the last of their kind and take you back to a time now past. The tour guide was first class and actually as a child lived in one, so there was fascinating anecdotes and first hand experience of the latter use of these properties. The houses/rooms are dressed as per a certain period and are done sympathetically. There is so much of interest and so much to learn, it really is a must see place if you are going to be in Birmingham.

An excellent restoration, an an excellent tour. I know that the NT gets criticism sometimes for freezing places in time, but here they've used different houses to show different time periods, and it really works. Our guide was knowledgeable and had a fund of stories about back to back houses, and about Birmingham, which all added to the flavour of the visit. The restoration and maintenance of these buildings, ordinary dwellings that countless thousands had known in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, is significant, and just as important as any Stately Home.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

What a absolute gem of a place to visit, this NationalTrust venue is just a short walk from Birmingham New st station and will worth a visit, it’s capture of what life was like in the area is so atmospheric, I must give a shout out to our guide Wesley who was a charm and really filled us with information and kept up captivated throughout, the venue is a booking visit only and can get full quickly, there are toilets and a small second hand book shop but no NT shop or cafe, I highly recommend this place if in the area.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
10–30 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

A truly fascinating experience and brilliant of the NT to preserve these properties which record the lives of ordinary working people. The tour needs to be booked in advance and take place for 5 or 6 people each time. It lasts for around 90 minutes which flies by! Our guide was as entertaining as he was knowledgeable and gave some fascinating insights as to how people lived in various decades. There is a bookshop, no NT tearoom but there are numerous eateries literally on the doorstep. Highly recommended!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Wow what a special place, so much history in a small area. The house's are decorated and presented in 4 different time periods to give you a sense of what it was like living during those times. Our guide was so knowledgeable and full of enthusiasm! The tour lasts for around 1.5 hours and does involve walking up and down some narrow staircases!' Entry is by guided tour only a d definitely book in advance. There's a book shop and toilets but no cafe. Parking is in thmulti-storeyey carpark next door.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Fantastic trip through 19th Century Birmingham. The tour guide was local and very knowledgeable. His experience living locally helped set the site in context. We wandered through many different rooms laid out over 4 timeframes. It is great that these buildings have been preserved and are talked about. Booking is essential. Not sure I would go back anytime soon as I believe I saw everything on offer. Thanks for a great 90 minutes.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Superb tour of these fascinating houses, brilliantly led by Annette, who had personal experience of living in similar houses, was most knowledgeable about every aspect and was friendly and helpful too. Thoroughly recommended for anyone interested in social history or simply in how people used to live. A reminder of how much better Birmingham must have been before the council's planners destroyed the city in the 1960s etc.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

This is an amazing place to visit, do pre book first! It gives an insight to living and working just as the industrial revolution starts and develops. Do take care on the stairs! Thanks to Mike for the excellent tour. Expect the informative tour to last about 1.5 hours. Its a hands on experience expect to be surprised. Its ten minutes walk from New Street station.
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

What an amazing experience. Worth every penny. Graham was absolutely amazing guide, he took me to the past with his amazing story telling abilities. Not just that I learned about the life at those times, but I also had great time travelling through the past. Graham, thank you very much, I trully appreciate your dedication and efforts.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
1 hr+
Reservation recommended
Not sure

This is a place worth seeing. Especially, if you are interested in history of Birmingham. The excursion lasts about an hour and it is always guided by a professional guide. We have guide named David. He told us so many interesting facts about BtoB, so I decided to come back with my children. Don't forget to book ticket in advance.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Awesome! I joined a tour and loved it. Our guide was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and the tour is well thought out. The tour lasted around an hour, you get to be immersed into the daily life of the people living in the houses back then. I loved all the details, they truly made a difference. I would definitely recommend the tour!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Arguably the best excursion we did when visiting Birmingham! Our tour guide was fantastic and super knowledgable which helped provide a real authentic tour of the old Back to Back houses. For less than £10pp, this is a must for all interested in the history of Birmingham and to see how people used to live!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Enjoyed the experience. Great knowledge of history was shown by the guide. I would say that the spiral stairs are very narrow and steep so I wouldn't recommend it for little children. We had two little ones and thankfully we were OK but it wasn't ideal. Loved the interaction we were able to have with the other people in our group but some of the tour groups seemed too big.

Our guide was such an excellent storyteller, time flied! He put us at ease from the beginning of the tour and was captivating. I would definitely recommend this visit if you want to have insights on how people used to live in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

We had a great afternoon looking around the Back to Back houses in Birmingham centre yesterday. Neil, our guide, was so interesting, informative and fun. He really made you feel like you knew the families who lived there. I would definitely recommend it!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

I grew up in a back to back in Ladywood. These 3 houses somehow escaped the bulldozers of the 70's. Each house tells a story from the 1800's up to 1970's. Well worth it and it will stir up a lot of memories if you grew up in one.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

Excellent. A must visit. Excellent and knowledgeable tour guide. The tour lasts about 30 minutes. A fascinating look back I'm time. Suitable for adults and all children to learn about the past (no x boxes, tvs, mobile phones, duvets).
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Such an interesting visit. Full tour lasts about 1.5 hrs. Lots of history in a small area. Steep stairs but you can sit on chairs and touch displays as you go round. Well worth £10 fee or free for NT members. Enthusiastic volunteers.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Excellent museum piece of Birmingham worker's life and the way they lived in Birmingham from 1840 until the 1930's in cheap to build back to back housing which was home to Birmingham artisans for nearly a century
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Fascinating listening to how people used to live. Did the full tour, 1.5 hrs. ( Guided Tours Only) If you like history this is a must, my 13 yr old however was bored, would not recommend it for young children.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

A wonderful experience, even though we could only get in on the ground floor tour. We were not disappointed in any way! Our guide, Val, was very informative and really brought the lives of the people who lived here to life.
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Absolutely brilliant. Would highly recommend this as a place to visit. Our guide David was fantastically informative and interesting. Fond memories of my childhood visiting my Nan sprang to mind.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Amazing and fulfilling experience, Greta was such a sweet and funny tour guide. I went without pre-booking and they happen to have a spot, but def recommend to buy a ticket before going.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

The guide was very knowledgeable about the houses and brought the house to life. I loved the authencity of the contents that decorated each room through time. A great experience.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Had a tour guide called Dave to show us around and he was amazing. A great amount of history explained a font of knowledge. Thoroughly enjoyed our experience.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
1 hr+
Reservation recommended
Yes

Very informative, interesting and amazing as to how people lived. Cant believe its right there in centre of Birmingham
Visited on
Public holiday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Absolutely brilliant! Only available by pre booked guided tour. So informative and interesting. Beware the steep staircases!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

A great tour with David. The little personal anecdotes about his childhood growing up in Birmingham Back to Backs really put the buildings in context.