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The River Thames from Lambeth Bridge, with the Palace of Westminster on the left and the London Eye in the distance

Things to see

Things to see and do around Westminster

Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the London Eye and the Tower of London. Here are the places worth your time, and how to fit them together from Westminster Station.

Parliament Square and Whitehall

Step out of Westminster Station and you are there: the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the street of government that leads up to Trafalgar Square.

The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower beside the River Thames under a blue sky with clouds Landmark

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

The Palace of Westminster

The Gothic Revival home of the UK Parliament on the Thames, with the Elizabeth Tower and its great bell, Big Ben, and the medieval Westminster Hall inside.

The west front and twin towers of Westminster Abbey Abbey

Westminster Abbey

Coronations since 1066

The great Gothic church where English and British monarchs have been crowned since 1066, with royal tombs, Poets’ Corner and more than 3,000 people buried or remembered.

A wartime office and bedroom with a bed, desk and lamp in the Churchill War Rooms Museum

Churchill War Rooms

Underground wartime headquarters

The bunker beneath Whitehall where Winston Churchill and his government directed the Second World War, preserved as it was, with a museum of his life.

Mounted soldiers of the Household Cavalry in red cloaks crossing Horse Guards Parade Street

Whitehall and Horse Guards

Downing Street and the mounted sentries

The broad street of government between Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square, past the Cenotaph, the gates of Downing Street and the mounted sentries of Horse Guards.

Royal London: palaces, parks and galleries

Walk through St James’s Park to Buckingham Palace, up The Mall to Trafalgar Square, or along the river to Tate Britain. Many of the best galleries are free.

The front of Buckingham Palace behind its railings and the flower beds of the Memorial Gardens Palace

Buckingham Palace

The monarch’s London residence

The official London residence of the monarch since 1837, famous for the Changing of the Guard, the balcony and, in summer, tours of the State Rooms.

The lake in St James’s Park surrounded by trees, with the London Eye in the distance Park

St James’s Park

Pelicans and palace views

London’s oldest royal park, with a lake full of birds, including its famous pelicans, and views of Buckingham Palace from the Blue Bridge.

A fountain in Trafalgar Square in front of the National Gallery and its dome Square

Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery

Nelson’s Column and great art

London’s central square, with Nelson’s Column, its four bronze lions and the free National Gallery, home to one of the world’s great collections of paintings.

The columned front of Tate Britain in evening light, seen from the river path Gallery

Tate Britain

British art from 1500

A free gallery on the river at Millbank, a short walk south of Parliament, with British art from the 1500s to today and the largest collection of Turner’s work.

The South Bank and the City

Cross the river for the London Eye and the riverside walk of the South Bank, or follow the Thames east to St Paul’s and the Tower of London.

The London Eye beside County Hall on the south bank of the Thames Viewpoint

London Eye

London from 135 metres

The giant observation wheel on the South Bank, opposite the Houses of Parliament, with slow 30-minute rides and views across the whole of London.

The tree-lined riverside walk outside the Southbank Centre after rain Riverside

South Bank

Theatres, galleries and riverside walks

A riverside walk from the London Eye past the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre and Tate Modern to Shakespeare’s Globe, with food markets, street performers and views.

The White Tower and the outer walls of the Tower of London seen from the River Thames Castle

Tower of London

The Crown Jewels and the White Tower

The fortress founded by William the Conqueror on the Thames, home to the Crown Jewels, the Yeoman Warders and the ravens, beside Tower Bridge.

The dome and west towers of St Paul’s Cathedral above the trees Cathedral

St Paul’s Cathedral

Wren’s great dome

Sir Christopher Wren’s cathedral in the City of London, built after the Great Fire, with the Whispering Gallery and views from the top of its famous dome.

Planning your route

Westminster is one of the easiest parts of London to explore on foot. The main sights are close together, and the river, the parks and three Tube lines link them with the rest of the city.

Parliament Square and Whitehall

  1. Start at the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, right outside Westminster Station.
  2. Cross Parliament Square to Westminster Abbey.
  3. Walk up Whitehall past the Cenotaph, Downing Street and Horse Guards, with a stop at the Churchill War Rooms.

Royal London

From Whitehall, walk through St James’s Park to Buckingham Palace, then up The Mall to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. Tate Britain is a pleasant riverside walk south of Parliament.

The South Bank and the City

Cross Westminster Bridge for the London Eye, then follow the South Bank east past the theatres to Tate Modern. Take the Tube or a boat to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, and see St Paul’s Cathedral on the way back.

Good to know

Parliament and the Abbey can close at short notice for state occasions, and Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms open only in summer. Our one-day Westminster itinerary puts it all together.

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