UK Parliament tour & Big Ben
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Westminster Palace - by andrea de santis on unsplash
Description
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, takes its name from the neighbouring Westminster Abbey. It is technically still owned by the Crown and is where both the House of Commons and the House of Lords meet (the two houses of the UK Parliament). The original medieval building was destroyed in a fire in 1834 and the current structure in the Gothic Revival style replaced it. The scale of the building is quite incredible, it is nearly 300m long and contains over 1,100 rooms and 4.8km of passageways. Big Ben, famous the world over as one of London's icons, is commonly thought to represent the palace's clock tower but was originally the nickname of the 13.7 tonnes main bell of the 96m-tall tower. As part of the tour, visitors get to see the house of Commons, House of Lords and Westminster Hall. The tour is available in several languages.
Access & Transport
Very centrally located next to the river Thames and Westminster Abbey. It is directly opposite the Westminster underground station (Circle, District and Jubilee lines) and is also serviced by many bus lines.
Instructions & Recommendations
We recommend buying your tickets in advance for the tour to get the right timing slot. Under 5s go free but still require a ticket for entry. Afterwards (or before), you can walk around the neighbourhood and use Westminster Bridge as a good vantage point for pictures. The colours at dusk and lighting at night also provide a very different visual experience with the gothic architecture seemingly enhanced by the play of light and shadows. Besides Westminster Abbey, other attractions in the vicinity include St James Park and the Churchill War Rooms.
Environmental & Social
Besides renovation works and lighting at night, the environmental impact is low. We view the visit as positive from a social perspective, educating visitors about the importance of political debates, checks and balances
Conclusion
Visiting the UK Parliament is a great opportunity to better understand about a bi-cameral democratic representative system... with a monarchy twist to it. Westminster Hall is also a very impressive sight and has a rich history of addresses by British and world leaders.
Key positive
Genuinely interesting and informative visit
Visually impressive and different lighting experience between day and night
Key negative
As is often the case in London, the entrance price is high
Suitability
Suitable for all ages but kids below 10 may not get much out of the UK Parliament tour The tours are accessible for wheelchair users, but it is highly recommended to bring along a companion to help.
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
May 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 20m
est. visit time:1h 45m
Start of Season 1:Aug, 01
MONDAY10:00 - 17:30
TUESDAY10:30 - 17:30
WEDNESDAY10:30 - 17:30
THURSDAY10:30 - 17:30
FRIDAY10:30 - 17:30
SATURDAY10:30 - 17:30
SUNDAY -
Start of Season 2:Sep, 01
MONDAY -
TUESDAY -
WEDNESDAY -
THURSDAY -
FRIDAY -
SATURDAY10:00 - 17:30
SUNDAY -