WestminsterStation.com
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 Houses of Parliament are the reason most people come to Westminster. Walk up the steps from Westminster Station and the Elizabeth Tower, home of Big Ben, is right above you, with the long Gothic front of the Palace of Westminster stretching along the Thames.

Why visit

The Palace of Westminster has been a seat of power for nearly a thousand years. The medieval palace burned down in 1834, and the building you see today was designed by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin in a rich Gothic Revival style. Together with Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What to see

  • The Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben: Big Ben is the name of the great bell inside the clock tower, cast in 1858. The tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, and it was restored between 2017 and 2022.
  • Westminster Hall: the oldest part of the palace, built in 1097, with a magnificent 14th-century timber roof. Monarchs have lain in state here.
  • The chambers: the green benches of the House of Commons and the red benches of the House of Lords, seen on a tour.
  • The Jewel Tower: a small 14th-century tower across the road, one of the few parts of the medieval palace to survive.
  • Victoria Tower Gardens: a riverside park beside the palace, with Rodin’s statue The Burghers of Calais.

Watching debates and taking a tour

Anyone can watch debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords from the public galleries for free when Parliament is sitting. Queue at the Cromwell Green visitor entrance and expect airport-style security. Guided and audio tours run on most Saturdays and on weekdays during recesses, including much of the summer. UK residents can also ask their MP or a member of the House of Lords to arrange a tour. Tours of the Elizabeth Tower are limited and sell out fast, so check the UK Parliament website.

The best views

  • From Westminster Bridge, with the tower straight ahead.
  • From the South Bank opposite, especially at dusk, when the palace is lit up.
  • From a capsule on the London Eye.
  • From Parliament Square, with Churchill’s statue in front.

Tips

  • Check the sitting times on the UK Parliament website before you go: the galleries are only open when the Houses are sitting.
  • Large bags are not allowed inside, and there is no cloakroom for big suitcases.
  • Read our guide to visiting the Houses of Parliament for more detail.
Share this
FacebookXPinterestEmailLinkedInReddit

Book ahead

Compare all tours

Nearby

Also worth seeing

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.

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.

Explore all places