/
United Kingdom
/
England
/
Greater London
/
London
/
Tours & Activities
/
Behind-the-Scenes Houses of Parliament Guided Tour
2 h
With guide
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Pass By: Parliament Square, London England
Parliament Square
Stop At: Houses of Parliament, Parliament Square, London SW1A 0AA England
Your tour starts in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace and also one of the most impressive, just as the Palace of Westminster begins to close for the day. Then you’ll head straight to the Royal Staircase where your guide will give you a brief history of the building, including how and why it was constructed over hundreds of years, and how it remains intimately connected with Queen Victoria.
Next, you’ll head into the Queen’s Robing Room to see frescoes by William Dyce, gorgeous bas-reliefs and the Chair of State where the Queen sits while donning her robes and the Imperial State Crown. Every inch of this room is packed with mythic symbolism and heraldic images. Your guide will help you decipher it all while telling you about Augustus Pugin, the Victorian genius who willed the structure into existence.
Duration: 2 hours
Pass By: Central Hall Westminster, Westminster Central Hall Storeys Gate Westminster, London SW1H 9NH England
Your next stop is the Royal Gallery to see where the members of the House of Lords meet and politic informally when Parliament is in session. You’ll take in immense paintings by Daniel Maclise and learn why they were so difficult to create and maintain before passing into the Prince’s Chamber to see portraits of the Tudor Dynasty and learn about their fascinating history.
Your tour includes an assortment of other rooms and lobbies, including the House of Commons, but the highlight is one of the grandest rooms ever designed for politics: The Chamber of the House of Lords. This is where the appointed members of Parliament meet to debate, and where the Queen comes to sit on her throne during the State Opening. As you stand in it with only a handful of other visitors, your guide will tell you about the history of the room and some of the interesting things that have taken place inside.
This is the ultimate experience for lovers of architecture and royal history. There is simply no feeling quite like exploring the United Kingdom’s premier palace without the normal daytime crowds.
Pass By: Take Walks, London England
Take Walks
Read more
Show less
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Pass By: Parliament Square, London England
Parliament Square
Stop At: Houses of Parliament, Parliament Square, London SW1A 0AA England
Your tour starts in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace and also one of the most impressive, just as the Palace of Westminster begins to close for the day. Then you’ll head straight to the Royal Staircase where your guide will give you a brief history of the building, including how and why it was constructed over hundreds of years, and how it remains intimately connected with Queen Victoria.
Next, you’ll head into the Queen’s Robing Room to see frescoes by William Dyce, gorgeous bas-reliefs and the Chair of State where the Queen sits while donning her robes and the Imperial State Crown. Every inch of this room is packed with mythic symbolism and heraldic images. Your guide will help you decipher it all while telling you about Augustus Pugin, the Victorian genius who willed the structure into existence.
Duration: 2 hours
Pass By: Central Hall Westminster, Westminster Central Hall Storeys Gate Westminster, London SW1H 9NH England
Your next stop is the Royal Gallery to see where the members of the House of Lords meet and politic informally when Parliament is in session. You’ll take in immense paintings by Daniel Maclise and learn why they were so difficult to create and maintain before passing into the Prince’s Chamber to see portraits of the Tudor Dynasty and learn about their fascinating history.
Your tour includes an assortment of other rooms and lobbies, including the House of Commons, but the highlight is one of the grandest rooms ever designed for politics: The Chamber of the House of Lords. This is where the appointed members of Parliament meet to debate, and where the Queen comes to sit on her throne during the State Opening. As you stand in it with only a handful of other visitors, your guide will tell you about the history of the room and some of the interesting things that have taken place inside.
This is the ultimate experience for lovers of architecture and royal history. There is simply no feeling quite like exploring the United Kingdom’s premier palace without the normal daytime crowds.
Pass By: Take Walks, London England
Take Walks
Included
- Expert Tour Guide
- Parliament tickets
- Entry/Admission - Houses of Parliament
Not included
- Hotel Pick-Up / Drop-Off
- Gratuities
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Tour in English
- Please note that for security reasons, airport style bag searches will take place at the Houses of Parliament.
- Photography is not permitted inside Houses of Parliament.
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Features
Tourism
90%
Cultural
80%
Original
20%
Reviews
You may also like
See all 51 Collections
Click to discover other experiences
See all
Collections
Windsor Castle
118 Activities
Collections
Stonehenge
148 Activities
Collections
Bus Tour
77 Activities
Collections
Excursions From London
54 Activities
Collections
Warwick Castle
19 Activities
Collections
Tower Bridge
19 Activities
Collections
London Eye
35 Activities
Collections
Gourmet
86 Activities
Collections
Harry Potter
88 Activities
Collections
Film Location
121 Activities
Our Parliament guide, very knowledgeable and conducted the tour in great order and pace. Although advertised as "House of Lords" only we did did enter the House of Common also and other ceremonial rooms in the Parliament. Highly recommended!
This tour was fantastic and well worth it. Like all tours, the guide can make or break, and David was remarkable. From the Magna Carta to today he made history and procedure very interesting.
Melissa, our guide, was amazingly engaging and informative and has really inspired me to continue to learn more about British politics and our monarchy. At no point did I feel unengaged or disappointed with the tour and the factual information we were given and the amazing places we were guided through! Our only disappointment was not being able to take photographs in order to capture this memorable experience!