Which Tube station is closest to the Houses of Parliament?

Westminster station, served by the Jubilee, District and Circle lines. The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben are directly across the road when you come up to street level.

Can you go inside the Houses of Parliament?

Yes. Visitors can book paid guided or audio tours on set days, mainly Saturdays and during recesses, and anyone can queue to watch debates from the public galleries for free when Parliament is sitting. Check parliament.uk for current dates.

Can tourists climb Big Ben?

Tours of the Elizabeth Tower, which holds Big Ben, have been limited in number and in who can book them, and places go quickly. Check the official Parliament website for the current rules before you plan around it.

Where is the best place to photograph Big Ben?

Westminster Bridge and the South Bank near the London Eye give the classic view of the clock tower and river front. Parliament Square shows the building from the west side.

How long do you need at the Houses of Parliament?

Seeing the outside and walking the area takes about an hour. A guided tour adds roughly 90 minutes, plus time for the security check.

Houses of Parliament: Tube, Tours and Big Ben Tips

The Houses of Parliament, formally the Palace of Westminster, is where the UK's House of Commons and House of Lords meet, and with the clock tower known worldwide as Big Ben at its northern end it is probably the most recognisable building in London. You can admire it from the street for free, but the Houses of Parliament also open to visitors for tours and for watching debates, which surprises many people who assume it is off limits.

Why visit the Houses of Parliament

The building you see today is mostly a Victorian rebuild by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin, put up after a fire destroyed most of the old palace in 1834. The Gothic Revival detail is extraordinary up close: thousands of carved stone panels, pinnacles and statues along the river front. Westminster Hall, one of the few parts to survive the fire, is far older and dates back to the late 11th century. It has hosted coronation banquets, state trials and lyings-in-state.

Big Ben is strictly the name of the great bell, while the tower itself was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012. Everyone still calls the whole thing Big Ben, and after a long conservation project the clock faces are back to their restored Victorian colours.

Getting to the Houses of Parliament by Tube

The nearest station is Westminster, served by the Jubilee, District and Circle lines. It is about as close as a station can be: when you reach street level the clock tower is right in front of you, and Parliament Square is a minute's walk away. The station is deep and busy at peak times, so follow the signs for the street rather than trying to guess.

From the West End, the Jubilee line from Bond Street or Green Park takes only a few minutes.
From the City, the District and Circle lines run direct from stations such as Monument and Tower Hill.
St James's Park station on the District and Circle lines is a pleasant alternative if you want to walk past Westminster Abbey first.

Pay with a contactless card or Oyster card at the gates; there is no need to buy paper tickets.

Houses of Parliament tours and tickets

There are two quite different ways in. The first is a paid visitor tour, either guided or with an audio guide, which takes you through Westminster Hall, the grand ceremonial rooms and the chambers of both houses. These run mainly on Saturdays and on weekdays when Parliament is in recess, and they need to be booked in advance on the official website, parliament.uk. Prices and dates change, so check there rather than relying on third-party listings.

The second way is free: when the Commons or the Lords is sitting, members of the public can queue at the visitor entrance to watch proceedings from the public galleries. Prime Minister's Questions is the most popular session and gets very busy, while ordinary debates are often easy to get into. Either way you pass through airport-style security, so bring photo ID if asked and avoid carrying large bags.

Tours of the Elizabeth Tower itself are much harder to get. Availability is limited and the eligibility rules have changed over the years, so check the Parliament website for the current position before getting your hopes up.

Best time to visit

For photographs, early morning is the calmest time on Westminster Bridge, before the crowds and tour groups arrive. The building is floodlit after dark and looks especially good from the South Bank. If you want to hear the bell, Big Ben strikes the hours, with the quarter bells chiming in between.

Seeing the exterior, crossing the bridge and walking round Parliament Square takes about an hour. A tour adds around 90 minutes, and a visit to the public galleries can be anything from twenty minutes to an afternoon, depending on how gripping the debate is.

Highlights around the palace

Westminster Bridge

The bridge gives the classic view of the river front and clock tower. It is crowded at midday, so be patient and mind the cyclists.

Parliament Square

The square is ringed with statues of statesmen and campaigners, including Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Millicent Fawcett, the first statue of a woman in the square.

Victoria Tower Gardens

This small riverside park on the south side of the palace holds a cast of Rodin's The Burghers of Calais and offers a quieter view of the Victoria Tower.

Nearby on the same Tube stop

Westminster station puts you within walking distance of several other big sights:

Westminster Abbey: the coronation church, across Parliament Square.
The London Eye: the observation wheel just over Westminster Bridge on the South Bank.
Churchill War Rooms: the wartime bunker under Whitehall, a short walk north.
Whitehall and Horse Guards: the government district leading up to Trafalgar Square.

For more ideas around this station, see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on Around the Metro, or explore every stop on the London Tube map.