UK Parliament: What Most Visitors Miss
Most visitors photograph the Houses of Parliament from across the Thames and never go inside, which skips the better part: a paid guided or self-guided tour through Westminster Hall, a room that has stood since 1097, nearly a thousand years before the tower next door existed. This is a separate ticket from the Big Ben tower climb ; the Hall-and-chambers tour and the bell tower tour are booked on different pages at different prices.
Key facts
| Detail | Facts |
|---|---|
| Price | Self-guided audio tour GBP 27 adult, GBP 20 age 16-24, GBP 10 child 5-15; guided tour GBP 34 adult, GBP 28 young adult, GBP 18 child |
| Hours | Runs most Saturdays year-round, plus weekdays during Easter, summer, and Christmas recess |
| Time needed | 60-90 minutes |
| Booking lead | Book ahead online; recess weekdays and summer Saturdays sell through fastest |
| Getting there | Westminster station (Jubilee, District, Circle lines), 2 minute walk |
Is this the same ticket as the Big Ben tour?
No, and conflating the two is the single most common mistake people make booking this. This tour covers Westminster Hall, the Central Lobby, and the Commons and Lords chambers at ground level. The Big Ben tour is a separate, harder-to-get ticket that climbs the Elizabeth Tower itself, released in small monthly batches and priced at GBP 55. Buy them separately if you want both.
What’s older than the Tower of London inside this building?
Westminster Hall’s oak hammerbeam roof, built in 1393 over a hall first raised in 1097, making the hall itself nearly 200 years older than the Tower of London’s White Tower. Henry VIII held jousts in it, Charles I was tried and sentenced here, and Guy Fawkes was tried a few steps away. Most of the rest of the original Palace of Westminster burned down in 1834; the Hall is one of the few parts that survived.
Can UK residents visit for free?
Yes, through a separate channel from the paid public tours: a UK resident can request a free tour by contacting their MP or a member of the House of Lords directly. It runs on different scheduling from the paid tickets and needs its own lead time to arrange, so it suits a planned visit rather than a same-week booking.
Book the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey guided tour if you want Westminster Abbey covered by one guide in a single morning. Check exact tour dates and the current price tier on Parliament’s own tour-prices page before booking independently.