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Westminster Abbey & Houses of Parliament: Comprehensive Fully-Guided Tour
4.7
109 Ratings
Greater London
Step into the heart of British democracy with a comprehensive fully-guided tour of Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. Explore London’s most exclusive building with an expert guide and small group.
Step into the heart of British democracy with a comprehensive fully-guided tour of Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. Explore London’s most exclusive building with an expert guide and small group.
Duration:
3 hours, 45 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Parliament Square - Meet your guide and small group of travelers. Here, your guide will introduce themselves before heading to the first stop of the tour.
- Westminster Abbey - Your day begins with skip the line entry into Westminster Abbey, the most serene time to see Britain’s most cherished church. With roots dating back over 1,000 years,…
- Parliament Square - Meet your guide and small group of travelers. Here, your guide will introduce themselves before heading to the first stop of the tour.
- Westminster Abbey - Your day begins with skip the line entry into Westminster Abbey, the most serene time to see Britain’s most cherished church. With roots dating back over 1,000 years, this Gothic masterpiece is the traditional coronation site and burial ground of kings and queens, along with national heroes like Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and William Wilberforce. On your visit, you’ll learn from a local expert guide how the British monarchy helped shape the country’s conversion to democracy, as well as a few interesting tidbits about Winston Churchill, one of the only non-royals to ever lay in state in the Abbey after his death.
- Houses of Parliament - Then, discover The Houses of Parliament. Enjoy a guided tour of the British Democracy with a qualified, Blue Badge tour guide, instead of following the audio guide. Visit the Chamber of the House of Commons, where Britain’s elected Masters of Parliament meet. Head over to the chamber of the House of Lords, where peers who had inherited their titles from the bluest bloodlines in the nation used to sit. Learn the highlights of the building’s history, including a failed bomb plot in 1605 that the British still celebrate today (ever hear of Guy Fawkes Night?). Walk in the footsteps of Henry VIII and Winston Churchill. History, legend, lore, and a lot of pomp and circumstance mix and mingle as you take in nearly one thousand years of history from one of the best guides in London.
What's Included
- Entrance to Westminster Abbey
- Fully guided tour inside Houses of Parliament & Westminster Abbey
- Entrance to Houses of Parliament
- Headsets
- Expert Guide
- Entrance to Westminster Abbey
- Fully guided tour inside Houses of Parliament & Westminster Abbey
- Entrance to Houses of Parliament
- Headsets
- Expert Guide
What's Not Included
- Food & Beverages
- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
- Food & Beverages
- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Additional Information
Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament are two of London’s must-see landmarks—and this tour offers exclusive access to both. Bypass the queue at Westminster Abbey and step into the magnificent church, where your guide will reveal details about its royal heritage. Then, enjoy the unique chance to visit sections of the Houses of Parliament that…
Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament are two of London’s must-see landmarks—and this tour offers exclusive access to both. Bypass the queue at Westminster Abbey and step into the magnificent church, where your guide will reveal details about its royal heritage. Then, enjoy the unique chance to visit sections of the Houses of Parliament that are usually closed to the public.
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- Sites on this tour are subject to occasional closures. If modifications are needed and time permits, we will reach out to you prior to your tour. For last-minute closures, modifications may be communicated at the tour start time.
- This tour is in English.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
Location
Viscount Palmerston Statue
Parliament Square
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets at Parliament Square, London, SW1P 3JX at the statue of Viscount Palmerston.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(109 Ratings)
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Brian_g
Dec 8, 2024
I love history and... - I love history and politics so this was right up my alley. Fia, our guide who took us through Westminster Abbey and to the door of Parliament, was very knowledgeable and tried to explain everything to everyone (which was not such an easy task). As with most tours of this kind, there is never enough time to see everything so you shouldn't expect to do so. Other than there never being enough time to see everything, you should be prepared to do lots of walking without necessarily having a chance to sit or take a break. There are a ton of things to cover and see which means that opportunities to stay in one spot for a while to check things out or to sit/take a breather will not be there for you.
Review provided by Viator
Catherinelt3356ic
Nov 25, 2024
Great tour, with two very knowledgeable guides. - Great tour. I would recommend everyone to do this tour, first you hear how democracy developed and how it is currently enacted. Nigel, who took us to Westminster Abbey, was very knowledgable about the architecture, the history and the more modern aspects of the church. He told us about the Kings, Queens and worthies, writers and scientists who are commemorated and some buried there. He looked after us until we were handed over to Victor at the Houses of Parliament, who was also an excellent guide and gave us another brilliant tour. As it is a walking tour, you take a lot of steps but in quite a small area.
The meeting place is just behind the Churchill statue.
Amazing to be able to visit the two places without delay, with only a couple of minutes queuing at security at the H of P.
A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janicel_p
Oct 5, 2024
Excellent walk about tour... - Excellent walk about tour with guide.
However, we were unable to tip our guide at end of Abbey tour.
Parliament tour was excellent. Really enjoyed both tours together but was a long 4.5 hr session.
Review provided by Viator
Janetfincher
Oct 4, 2024
Westminster is both a gilded palace and the seat of day-to-day decision-making. - Great tour. Tons of historic background. Our guide (Jessica) was measured, thorough, easy to understand. Tour was done with headphones so you didn't miss anything said while taking in the stunning grandeur of the place.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michael_k
Sep 16, 2024
Great tour of these significant historic sites, its brilliant. - Very knowledgeable tour guides and very friendly. Detail was superb. Got access to all the key position with no fuss. Helped the weather was also superb but most of it is indoors anyway. Nice break for a coffee. Highly recommended tour.
Review provided by Viator
Joanne_r
Sep 15, 2024
Don't miss this ! - Excellent tour of Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. The guides were very informative, witty even, and on top of their craft. You may save some money doing a self tour but you will miss a lot, I'm sure.
It was money well spent. A fabulous day was had by all.
Review provided by Viator
Martina_w
Sep 8, 2024
Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey - Westminster Abbey is a must see for sure. Our guide was very good. She explained the history of the Abbey and pointed out important aspects. Her knowledge was extensive and very relevant. I would also recommend a tour of the Houses of Parliament as well. We went on a Saturday when Parliament was not in session and we were able to go into the two chambers.
Our guide was very enjoyable and explained the Parliamentary procedure and the purpose of the Parliament in detail. I would suggest a tour when they are not in session so you can see more areas of the building.
Review provided by Viator
Timothy_c
Sep 1, 2024
British History lesson - Both guides were knowledgeable and interesting. They shared much of the political history of the country. Maybe provide water during the Westminster tour
Review provided by Viator
Mh704
Aug 21, 2024
YAY! Parliament London - a must see! - We traveled through England, Wales and Scotland on our trip, and one of my favorite places was Parliament. Growing up hearing about Parliament, did not indicate that I knew much about how Parliament really worked or its traditions., although we did have an ancestor who served in the House of Commons. Our guide was David Watt and he was more than excellent. He was so knowledgeable about Parliament, its history and current workings, and he had a sense of humor. Also, being from the US, he was able to compare and contrast Parliament with American concepts. We really learned from our tour of Parliament and highly recommend it to anyone. If you are a history buff, we especially recommend a guided tour, particularly with David Watt.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Donna_c
Oct 6, 2024
Informative, be ready to pay attention - Tour guide Amber was excellent. She took us through Westminster which is truly amazing. Would have liked to spend a bit more time there. It was very crowded but they used an headset system which was excellent. Amber walked us to Parliament, helped us through security and ensured we were handed off to our Parliamentary guide. It would help to learn a little bit about a Parliamentary system before the tour since it’s a bit hard to understand it if you’re not familiar with it. That way you can really make the most of the info the guide shares. No pictures in Parliament.
Review provided by Viator
