When can you visit the Houses of Parliament?
This is the first thing to get right, because the Palace of Westminster is a working building first and an attraction second. Public tours only run when MPs and peers aren't using the rooms you'd walk through:
Recess dates are set by Parliament and published on its website. They usually include a long summer break, plus shorter breaks around Christmas, Easter, Whitsun and some autumn and February weeks. If your trip falls in a sitting week, Saturday is your only tour day.
Tours can be cancelled at short notice
Parliament warns that tours may be cancelled or rerouted at short notice because of parliamentary business or access restrictions. Recalls of Parliament, state occasions and security events all take priority.
How busy is the Palace of Westminster?
Because tours are timed and capped, the inside never gets as packed as Westminster Abbey next door. The pinch points are security at Cromwell Green, where every visitor goes through airport-style screening, and Westminster Hall, where tour groups start and gather. Saturdays in summer recess are the busiest days to book; Saturday mornings in sitting weeks are often the easiest.
Outside, the pavements of Parliament Square and Westminster Bridge are among London's busiest, so leave extra time to walk to the entrance.
🔑 Free skip-the-line hack
Go when it’s quiet: see live crowds and the hourly forecast.
Tickets and prices
- Children on the audio tour: one child goes free with every full-paying adult.
- Groups of 10 or more must book through the group booking request, with discounted rates on the audio tour.
- Concessions and young adult rates exist; the booking page shows the current price for each.
- Buy on the official site (tickets.parliament.uk). Third-party sellers offer tours that may bundle Parliament with other sights, but you still go through the same security and the same building.
Skip-the-line: what actually works
There's no fast-track product. Every visitor, whatever ticket they hold, goes through the same security screening at the Cromwell Green entrance. What saves time is planning around that:
- Book a timed ticket in advance. Saturday slots in summer recess can sell out.
- Pick the first slot of the day for the shortest security queue and the emptiest Westminster Hall.
- Arrive 20 minutes before the time on your ticket, as Parliament asks.
- Travel light. Security is airport-style; a small bag clears much faster than a rucksack.
- Choose the guided tour on busy days if you don't want to navigate crowded rooms yourself.
Watch a debate for free
On weekdays when Parliament is sitting, you can't tour the building, but you can sit in the public galleries of the House of Commons or House of Lords and watch proceedings. It's free, open to UK residents and overseas visitors, and needs no ticket for most debates. Join the public queue outside the Cromwell Green entrance.
- When: only while a House is sitting, usually Monday to Thursday and on some Fridays. The Commons typically starts in the early afternoon on Mondays and late morning midweek; check the day's business on parliament.uk.
- Queues: waits of an hour or two are common for the Commons; the Lords is usually quicker.
- Prime Minister's Questions (Wednesday at noon) is the exception. Tickets go to UK residents who request them through their MP, and everyone else can queue but only gets in if seats are left.
- Rules: bags and phones are handed in before you enter the galleries. The galleries are closed in recess.
You also get to walk through Westminster Hall and Central Lobby on the way, two of the highlights of the paid tour.
The route: what you see, in order
1. Westminster Hall
The oldest part of the Palace, built in the 11th century, with its vast medieval hammerbeam roof. Coronation banquets, trials and royal lyings-in-state have all taken place here. Tours start here.
2. St Stephen's Hall
The corridor on the site of the old House of Commons chamber, lined with statues and murals. Markers show where the Speaker's chair once stood.
3. Central Lobby
The octagonal hub of the Palace, halfway between the two Chambers, with mosaic patron saints over each archway. It's where constituents traditionally "lobby" their MP.
4. The House of Lords and the Royal Gallery
The gilded red-benched Lords Chamber, with the throne used at the State Opening of Parliament, and the Royal Gallery's huge battle paintings.
5. The House of Commons
The green-benched Chamber, rebuilt after wartime bomb damage. You'll see the dispatch boxes, the Speaker's chair and the red lines on the carpet. It looks surprisingly small in person.
Plans by visitor type
Families
Choose the audio tour: the children's version (for kids up to about 11) has games, activities and a family trail, and one child goes free with each paying adult. The guided tour is recommended for ages 5 and up.
Politics fans
Do both: a Saturday guided tour for the history, and a weekday in the Commons gallery to see a debate. Check the business for the day before you queue.
Accessibility
Parliament says the Palace is accessible to visitors with disabilities. Seating along the route is limited. If several people in your group need hearing loops or you have other requirements, email visitparliament@parliament.uk before your visit.
Short on time
Skip the tour and watch the outside: the Palace frontage from the Albert Embankment across the river, then Parliament Square. Combine with Westminster Abbey.
Getting there
Westminster Underground station (Jubilee, District and Circle lines) is opposite the Palace. The visitor entrance is Cromwell Green, on Abingdon Street beside Westminster Hall, facing the Abbey. St James's Park station is about 10 minutes' walk, and Waterloo about 15 minutes over Westminster Bridge.
Mistakes to avoid
- Planning a weekday tour during a sitting week. Only Saturdays have tours then.
- Expecting a Parliament tour to include Big Ben. It's a separate, much harder-to-get ticket.
- Arriving at your ticket time instead of 20 minutes early.
- Bringing a large bag: security is airport-style.
- Queuing for Prime Minister's Questions without a ticket and expecting to get in.
- Booking a tour for your last afternoon in London; they can be cancelled at short notice.
FAQs
How much does it cost to tour the Houses of Parliament?
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The self-guided audio tour is from £31 for adults, with one child free per paying adult. The 90-minute guided tour is £40 for adults.
What days can you tour the Houses of Parliament?
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Saturdays all year, and Monday to Saturday during parliamentary recess. There are no public tours on Sundays or on weekdays when Parliament is sitting.
Can you visit the Houses of Parliament for free?
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Yes, by watching a debate from the public galleries when the Commons or Lords is sitting. Join the queue at the Cromwell Green entrance; no ticket is needed except for Prime Minister's Questions.
Does the Houses of Parliament tour include Big Ben?
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No. Big Ben is a separate tour, for ages 11 and over, with tickets released on the second Wednesday of each month.
How long does the Parliament tour take?
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Heading to Palace of Westminster?
See how busy it is right now and the quietest hours for your date, then walk in when the line is short.
Check live crowds →Sources
How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other, and dated so you know how fresh it is. Last checked 10 November 2026. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
