Westminster Abbey Guided or at Evensong: Two Walking Options

4-hour tour

4-hour tour: The walk begins in front of the Sir Winston Churchill Statue in Parliament Square. Meet your licensed guide here, among the politics, the statues and the stories, and hear about Britain's wartime leader and what he left behind, told on the spot where his statue stands. 3-hour tour: The 3-hour version follows a different route, starting at the Horses of Helios sculpture near Piccadilly Circus. It runs from there to Westminster Abbey, taking in the highlights and the quieter corners of Westminster before you enter the Abbey for a free organ recital, evensong or regular mass, subject to the Abbey's schedule.

Parliament Square

4- and 3-hour tours: a moment in Parliament Square, the busy centre of it all, framed by Westminster Bridge and with Big Ben over the skyline.

4- and 3-hour tours

4- and 3-hour tours: Big Ben from across the street, which is the better vantage point and away from the worst of the crowd. The Elizabeth Tower is not open to the public, but it is among the most photographed spots in London. Your guide covers its history, its architecture and the chimes that mark each hour across the city.

Costo extra

Houses of Parliament

4- and 3-hour tours: the Gothic bulk of the Houses of Parliament, the seat of British democracy. Your guide has the political drama, the royal ceremonies and the architecture, and enough of how the system works to make sense of the building.

Costo extra

Westminster Abbey

4-hour tour: skip-the-line tickets and a guided visit inside Westminster Abbey, taking in the coronation halls, Poets' Corner and the royal tombs with a Blue Badge Guide. 3-hour tour: free entry to Westminster Abbey without a guide. After the guided walk outside, your guide takes you to the Abbey entrance for an organ recital, evensong or a regular evening mass. Either way you get the Abbey with its own history and atmosphere around you.

4- and 3-hour tours

4- and 3-hour tours: a break at the Westminster Abbey Shop, with souvenirs and gifts tied to the place itself.

4- and 3-hour tours

4- and 3-hour tours: St Margaret's Church, next to the Abbey and known as the parish church of the House of Commons. Your guide has its connections to British political life.

Costo extra

4- and 3-hour tours

4- and 3-hour tours: the streets of Westminster, thick with history and still the working political and cultural district. Your guide points out the stories and the buildings you would walk straight past.

St. James's Park

4- and 3-hour tours: a walk through St James's Park, the oldest royal park in London, with its lake, its gardens and its resident wildlife, and the account of royal leisure that goes with it.

Buckingham Palace

4- and 3-hour tours: a photo stop at the ornate gates of Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British King. Entry to the palace grounds is not included, because access is restricted, but the view takes in the building and the royal guards. Your guide points out the balcony used for royal appearances, and explains how to tell whether the King is at home, along with the palace's part in British ceremonial life.

Costo extra

Queen Victoria Memorial

4- and 3-hour tours: the Queen Victoria Memorial, a monument to imperial Britain. Your guide covers the Queen's legacy and the detail in the sculpture that makes it a landmark in its own right.

Costo extra

St. James's Palace

4- and 3-hour tours: St James's Palace, a royal residence with centuries behind it. Your guide has the monarchs, the ceremonies and the part it still plays in the modern monarchy.

Costo extra

4- and 3-hour tours

4- and 3-hour tours: beyond the royal sights, your local guide knows the city as a place people live in. They will recommend somewhere for afternoon tea, tell you how to get around by tube, and explain how to buy theatre tickets. On some mornings the walk coincides with the Changing of the Guard, depending on its schedule. Just ask.