Westminster Abbey with Houses of Parliament express tour
This two-part morning tour gives participants a crash course on British royal and democratic history. Westminster Abbey, the monumental monarch-owned church where British royals are both crowned and laid to rest. Houses of Parliament, where you can explore the hallowed halls with the official audio guide. If you want to get to grips with the customs, ceremonies and conventions (not to mention the astonishing historic architecture) of Britain, then there is no better way to do so.
The tour gets underway with a visit to Westminster Abbey, which ranks among the world's greatest churches. For 1,000 years now, the Abbey has been the site of Royal Coronations, with every British monarch since William the Conqueror in 1066 having been crowned here, including, most recently, Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. And the 700-year-old Royal Peculiar - a designation that acknowledges the abbey's special role as a monarch-owned church - has not played host to coronations, but also to royal weddings (most recently Prince William and Kate Middleton) and funerals (including Princess Diana's). So, of note are the roster of noteworthy figures interred here, among them 17 British monarchs, to unknown soldier who perished in France during World War I and some of the country's most esteemed wordsmiths,
After touring Westminster Abbey, your guide will accompany you to the nearby Houses of Parliament. Having been escorted right to the entrance, you will be provided with tickets to enter the revered establishment, where both houses of the British government convene. You’ll be given an audio tour guide and left to explore key parts of the building at your leisure, taking as much or as little time as you want to soak it all up. See the 11th-century Westminster Hall, the oldest still-standing section of the building; the Queen’s Robing Room, where the Queen dons her ceremonial robes and crown in preparation for the official State Opening of Parliament; the portrait and gilded statue-adorned Royal Gallery, the site of parliamentary ceremonies; and the lavish House of Lords, which, with its frescoes, solid brass gates and gilded throne, is perhaps the most dazzling room in the whole complex. For anyone who wants to see two key London landmarks and learn about the institutions that have helped shape modern-day Britain, this two-part tour is a must-do.
