L
Westminster Abbey in a nutshell
The guide Patrick was outstanding. Smart,witty and knowledgeable he was able to maneuver around crowds and keep everyone engaged. The Abbey was ,as always amazing.
Skip-the-Line Westminster Abbey & Parliament Fully Guided Tour
+17 photos
At a glance
- Duration
- 3h 45min
- Price from
- $164 / person
- Rating
- 4.6 / 5 · 177 reviews
- Languages
- EN, EN
- Group
- Small group, up to 20
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation
- Meeting point
- 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.
- Confirmation
- Instant
Prices checked on Sep 11, 2026Things to do in London
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
Local English-speaking guide
Chamber of the House of Lords
Westminster Hall
Entrance to Westminster Abbey
Chamber of the House of Commons
Fully guided tour inside Houses of Parliament & Westminster Abbey
Entrance to Houses of Parliament
What's included
Included
Local English-speaking guide
Chamber of the House of Lords
Westminster Hall
Entrance to Westminster Abbey
Chamber of the House of Commons
Fully guided tour inside Houses of Parliament & Westminster Abbey
Entrance to Houses of Parliament
Not included
Gratuities
Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Traveller Ratings
4.6
177 reviews
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.
Frequently asked questions
How long does this tour take?
Skip-the-Line Westminster Abbey & Parliament Fully Guided Tour lasts about 3h 45min. The itinerary has 3 stops.
How much does this tour cost?
Prices start at $164 per person for this London experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Can I cancel this tour for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Where does the tour start?
The meeting point is 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.. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
What languages is this tour offered in?
The experience is available in EN, EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 20 participants.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
Reviews(177)
G
Ask for Patrick! 😎❤️🇬🇧
Patrick was great! He was VERY knowledgeable (& had a tea towel graphic of all the Kings & Queens of England to make it easier to explain & understand) 😎❤️🇬🇧 If you're touring Westminster Abbey, ask for Patrick!
9
Excellent tour guide
Linda was absolutely tremendous. Very personable and knowledgeable.
S
Excellent, entertaining and informative
Take water with you as there were no rest breaks. Also they offer a mobile stick with a seat option as there are limited places during the tour to sit down
M
So much history.
We enjoyed the history of the Abbey shared by Toby and Ralph did a great job with the Parliament tour. There was a lot of walking doing both locations back to back but we are glad we got to see both on our brief visit to London.
C
The information for the tour and meeting point for it was horrible
The information was horrible, they do not explain the meeting points clearly, we missed the tour even though they have all our details and phone numbers, enough to notify us where they were, I am not going to recommend them to anyone
T
WESTMINSTER ABBEY/HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.
Golden Tours ran the tour. The 1st guide took us around Westminster Abbey. We were a small group of eight. Our guide was great and a mine of information. Also happy to answer questions. We then walked to the Houses of Parliament, where our guide checked us in and then passed us on to the specialist guide for the next part. This was also a fascinating insight to the history and workings of the Houses of Parliament. The kings of old and some of their stories. I would recommend this tour. Be mindful that you will be on your feet for quiet a few hours.
A
Just amazing!!!
Patrick was amazing. Informative, charismatic, very knowledgeable and also not so detailed that he lost us. What a wonderful experience!!!
L
A fantastic tour
An excellent tour of Westminster Abbey with Amber. She was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and personable. She really brought the information to life with some interesting and fun facts. We then were taken to the Houses of Parliament where our Parliament Guide showed us the House of Lords, House of Commons and other areas. We found out so much about the history and the workings of Parliament. A great tour!
A
WAY TO GO - SKIP THE LINE
Paying extra to skip the line is absolutely worth it when you see how long the regular queue gets. We met our group in Parliament Square, and our guide Emmanuella talked us through the history of the surrounding buildings as she led us to the skip-the-line entrance. Using whisper sets, Emmanuella guided us through Westminster Abbey, weaving through the crowds to the tombs of past monarchs and pointing out the people honoured there with burials or plaques for their contributions to humanity. It was wonderful — the history felt alive rather than recited. From there, Emmanuella handed us over to Nick, one of the House guides, for the Houses of Parliament. Nick was a consummate guide — building suspense as he brought us into each room, blending history with how the spaces are still used today, and giving us the chance to sit where we could as he brought the day-to-day life of the building to life. Bottom line: Emmanuella and Nick were both knowledgeable, generous with questions, and made this tour well worth the cost. Couldn't have asked for better guides.
Compare similar tours in London
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skip-the-Line Westminster Abbey & Parliament Fully Guided Tour | 3h 45min | 4.6 (177) | $164 | |
 Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Guided Tour of London | 3h 30min | 4.9 (1,078) | $109 | View |
 Westminster to Greenwich Sightseeing Thames Cruise in London | 1 hour | 4.6 (3,481) | $24 | View |
 Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath Full Day Guided Tour | 11 hours | 4.6 (5,850) | $98 | View |
 Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, and Bath from London | 11 hours | 4.6 (20,620) | $98 | View |
 Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour with Transport from London | 7 hours | 4.4 (4,145) | $103 | View |
 Tower of London and Crown Jewels Exhibition Day Ticket | 1 day | 4.4 (7,476) | $51 | View |