Skip the Line Parliament & Westminster Abbey Fully-Guided Tour
Description
Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament are two of London’s highlight landmarks—and on this tour, you’ll have special access to both. Skip the line at Westminster Abbey and head inside the soaring church, where your guide will share facts about its royal history. Next, you’ll have the rare opportunity to explore parts of the interior of the Houses of Parliament, which is frequently off-limits to the public.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide and small group of travelers. Here, your guide will introduce themselves before heading to the first stop of the tour.
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.
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.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- 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.
Reviews(162)
Such a great way to learn about the history of the abbey and Parliament. The tour was roughly 4 hours but the time flew by. While there are few stairs and it’s not a tremendously long walk, it is a long time on your feet and there are very few places to sit, so keep that in mind. Our tour guides were fantastic and very helpful!
Great tour, Robert is a vault of historic facts presented in a tasteful, unrushed, and humorous way.
Yulia is a terrific guide. She is extremely knowledgeable and provides detailed answers to questions.
Guide was excellent and the tour very thorough. Loved the tour!
Well planned small group tour with Ana Marija. She guided us through the abbey’s high points while adding historical relevance with a bit of humor. We got so much out of the whole experience. Definitely book an early tour.
Great informative tour. Andrew set a great pace and answered all our questions. Even paused to take pictures in front of key landmarks.
Timely start, good pace, informative. Worth getting to skip the lines. Parliament tour is with different guide or audio tour but that worked just fine.
We were never told by the tour operator that Westminster abbey was closed. This is unacceptable and I should get at least half of my charge refunded
Thank you for your feedback, and I’m sorry to hear about your disappointment regarding Westminster Abbey being closed during your visit. We understand how frustrating it must have been to arrive without being aware of the closure, and I appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Situations like this are not the experience we aim to provide. Regarding your request for a refund, this will need to be reviewed according to the booking details and the specific circumstances of the tour. If you haven’t already, please contact our customer support team with your booking reference so they can investigate this for you and assist further. feedback@walks.org We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Kind Regards, Walks Feedback Team, Carrie
The Parliament tour was very good and Westminster Abbey was good too however the Abbey was closed and we were not notified ahead of time, so we just toured around the outside and didn’t get to see the inside at all Both tour guides were good, but again very disappointed to not see the Abbey because that is one of the things we signed up for.
This tour was worthwhile for anyone looking to hit the highlights of London. Personally, I think Westminster Abbey did not compare to a tour I did earlier of St. Paul’s, but that’s just comparing historic sites. Patrick, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable, personable, and provided great information. We started at Westminster Abbey with Patrick, and when we got to the Houses of Parliament, we were released to an official Parliament tour guide. That tour was fantastic as well. Very informative and perfectly paced.
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We’re so pleased to hear you found the tour worthwhile and a great way to experience London’s highlights. It’s wonderful that Patrick made such a strong impression with his knowledge, personable approach, and informative commentary. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to him, he’ll be delighted to hear them. We’re also glad you enjoyed the Houses of Parliament portion of the experience and found it well-paced and informative. We appreciate you sharing your comparison and perspective on the historic sites as well. Thank you again for taking the time to review your experience, we hope to welcome you on another tour soon! Kind Regards, Walks Feedback Team, Carrie
