Houses of Parliament & Big Ben
- Address: Westminster Palace, Westminster, England
- Hours: Visitors' Galleries open when Parliament is in session; other admission by tour only
- Admission: £6 - £14 (adults)
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Cultural Experience,
Cultural Experience,
Must-Do Experience,
Must-Do Experience,
Palace,
Palace,
Tower,
Tower
Houses of Parliament & Big Ben Reviews
We've found 18 Houses of Parliament & Big Ben reviews from Viator.com travelers and members: what they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved. It's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
Review by Vinayen C, Mauritius, May 2013
Doing what: The Original London Sightseeing Tour: Hop-on Hop-off
It was my last day in London and I had booked the tour two days back. In 5 hours, I have already visited and learned a lot about London. It was very exciting as I was free to stop and go wherever I want and to travel back by the double decker bus. During that day we started from Piccadilly circus and visited the Big Ben and Parliament, The London Eye, St Paul Cathedral, the London Bridge, The Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, The Buckingham Palace etc... I also enjoyed the free Thames River Cruise between Westminster and Tower Bridge
Review by jolon, July 2012
Doing what: The Original London Sightseeing Tour: Hop-on Hop-off
Caught the bus from Marble Arch to St Paul's Church passing through Piccadilly Circus and Trfalgar Square and then walked from there to the Tower of London which was a highlight. Caught the cruise from there to Westminster for Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Walked from there to Buckingham Palace and cut through Hyde Park to get to Hotel. Managed to pack a lot in one day.
Review by Kimberly C, USA, June 2012
Doing what: The Original London Sightseeing Tour: Hop-on Hop-off
Great to sit up top and see every thing. The boat ride made the trip even better. If nothing more any time traveling the hop-on hop-off is the one thing my husband and I always book. We saw alot of sites in London rode the bus the entire trip first then got off at the Tower. Took the boat down to Big Ben just to see at another angle.
Review by Blanca, United Kingdom, April 2012
Doing what: Small-Group River Thames Bike Tour
I really enjoyed this tour and would definitely recommend it! I've been living in London for over 3 years and still found this bike tour really interesting. The guide was very knowledgeable and informative and we learned about London history in a very entertaining way. We saw some of the best spots in London along the river Thames, including the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, etc. And loved having lunch at Borough Market, great food! Definitely a must if you'd like to see London in a different way!
Review by Barrie S, USA, September 2010
Be sure to walk the Thames at night and see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament all lit up. The area around the London Eye has lost of good views and fun things to do.
Review by Anonymous, August 2010
Doing what: Vintage Double Decker London Tour with Thames Cruise
This tour is great if you have only short time in London. The guide is very knowledgeable and creates a nice atmosphere. You will see all major sights like St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Tower of London and many more sights on this tour. It was a good mix of a bus tour, walking tour and Thames River Cruise. Have your camera ready as you will also get some real good photos of the Changing of the Guards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace! It was very worth doing!
Review by Donna Lynne L, Canada, June 2010
Doing what: London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
This was a great tour and we saw a lot in a day. Most of the morning was spent in the bus seeing some of the sights like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Prince Albert's memorial and the Victoria and Albert museum, Harrods and more. Then we went to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. Our expert guide Richard told us where to stand for the best view and great pictures. After lunch it was on to St Paul's Cathedral. Amazing! The wisteria was in bloom along one wall on our way in. The stained glass, the ceilings, the dome, the crypt - all fascinating. It is a Must See. Our next stop was the Tower of London with it's gory history, the ravens and their story and of course the crown jewels. Our boat cruise on the Thames ended the day with great views of Big Ben and the London Eye.
Review by Kathleen R, USA, March 2008
Doing what: London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
My son and I went on the tour, which included an inside tour of Westminster Abbey and a motor coach tour around London seeing sites such as The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Big Ben. We were also taken to the Changing of The Horse Guards. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at a British Pub in the center of London. We also went on a boat which cruised up the Thames River. We then received a tour of The Tower of London and the Crown Jewels. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history of London and all the sites we visited. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting London!
Review by Susan U, Australia, August 2012
Doing what: The Original London Sightseeing Tour: Hop-on Hop-off
Loved this tour. The weather was perfect. Hopped off just in time to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace then hopped back on for Big Ben, Westminster, Tower Bridgem, etc. The cruise down the Thames was very enjoyable and we decided to continue on past the Tower of London and see Greenwich instead. The acres of 18th Centrury buildings at the Old Royal Naval College was jaw dropping and in particular the Great Painted Hall. We only had one day in London this was the perfect tour.
Review by Denise, June 2012
Doing what: London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
I attended the London in One Day tour 05/21/12. I had a very short stay in London and this Bob Evans tour seemed to be the best deal. I enjoyed seeing the major sites and icons of the city- Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's, the Tower of London, etc. The tour was as described with the exception of having not having a Beefeater guide at the Tower of London. The cruise on the river involved a huge boat that left off tourists to the London Brige area (not a small boat ride as I had envisioned but still ok). Did not do the pub lunch since it was quite high in price compared to other pub lunches. I really wish Picadilly Circus could have been added. I would recommend getting the Hop On-Hop Off all day bus pass for those who plan to stay awhile longer. The guide was very professional and had extensive knowledge of the city. He ended up leaving five people from the Philippines behind since they were late to return to the bus. Whatever you do- BE ON TIME!!!!!!
Review by Branka C, May 2012
Doing what: London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
Great tour to see the priceless Crown Jewels, Tower of London, London Bridge and take a ride on the river to Big Ben. Great overview of the main attractions.
Review by David L, August 2011
Doing what: The Original London Sightseeing Tour: Hop-on Hop-off
Really a great value for a FIRST DAY bus tour of London when we were 'jet lagged' and needed to get aquainted with the City. The various drivers and tour guides were very helpful and seemed knowledgeable and added humour with facts to stimulate our quest for more information about many of the main attractions in London. The River Thames cruise was an exceptional added bonus. As luck would have it, we managed to leave the Westminster Pier about noon and go to hear Big Ben chime, then make it to Greenwich to witness the ball drop at the Royal Observatory... Fantastic. experience overall and would highly recommend both of these trips for first timers to London.... Lots of knowlegeable commentary with humour. Yellow line had lots of buses coming regularly. We booked another day to use the blue line and found the buses appeared to travel less frequently and with some traffic diversions found ourselves walking further than we might have liked to get to the next stop, only to wait for what was a last bus that could only take us to the next stop for another wait nearing the end of the working day (1730). Because we didn't get to do as much that day we didn't even take advantage of the river tour. So the second day we booked was of less value for us. We might have better used the local bus service which was far more frequent and less time consuming for the Blue line attractions.
Review by Holly S, Canada, June 2010
Doing what: London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
This was a really great tour! Perfect as I was in London a short time. Thanks to the tour guide and Thomas our driver. Unfortunately, the tour started off late, as the driver was late getting to the terminal apparently cause of biker protests Not good enough excuse really, since we paid a nice bit of money for the tour. Overall it was a great tour and even the rain held off until the very end!We were taken around to all the big tourist sites like Big Ben, Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral no photies allowed inside & more. We ate at a lovely pub called The Silver Cross. If you only have a couple days in London or even just one day this tour is for you!
Review by Melissa G, USA, April 2009
Doing what: Royal London Sightseeing Tour with Changing of the Guard Ceremony
Our guide was knowledgeable and funny. She had great background stories and tips for spending our time when the tour was over. Our guide did a great job getting us placed for the entrance of the guards at Buckingham Palace and then taking us to the general area for the actual changing ceremony. The place is complete chaos and only for dedicated fans but it's exciting to have been where so many people aspire to be. The only disappointing part was that the description of the tour mentioned Westminster Abbey and Big Ben and we never got close to these sights. In fact, we didn't get close to the river at all. We did, however, have a bit of time outside St. Paul's Cathedral with great tips from the guide regarding the best vantage point for photos. Overall, a great tour worth doing if your time in London is limited.
Review by Kay W, USA, August 2012
Doing what: The Original London Sightseeing Tour: Hop-on Hop-off
This is a great way to see London but you really need to watch the clock as the busses all stop running around 5-6 in the evening. We found ourselves stuck by Big Ben and had to take the tube home. This is really a poor aspect of this service, especially in the summer when the sun is out until 10 pm and people want to go out and about and use the bus.
