Sights · Our pick in London
Houses of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Domob · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Houses of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster was rebuilt in Gothic Revival style after a fire in 1834, to designs by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin; Westminster Hall, from 1097, survived. The Elizabeth Tower at its northern end holds the great bell known as Big Ben. Visitors can take guided or audio tours on many Saturdays and during recesses, and UK residents can arrange tours of the Elizabeth Tower through their MP. Book on the official parliament website.
Why it's on our list
- Guided tours
- Westminster Hall
- Big Ben
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Houses of Parliament before you go.
Hotels nearby
The closest hotels in our guide to Houses of Parliament, as the crow flies.
- Raffles London at The OWO0.4 mi8 min walk
- Conrad London St. James0.4 mi8 min walk
- Corinthia London0.5 mi10 min walk
- The Savoy0.8 mi15 min walk
- Dukes London0.8 mi15 min walk
What’s nearby
Distances from Houses of Parliament are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest stations
- WestminsterDistrictCircleJubilee0.1 mi3 min walk
- St. James's ParkDistrictCircle0.4 mi9 min walk
- WaterlooJubileeNorthernBakerlooWaterloo & CityNational Rail0.5 mi10 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank, Broadway0.4 mi8 min walk
- Taxi rank, Millbank0.6 mi12 min walk
Black cabs can also be hailed in the street: a lit yellow TAXI sign means the cab is available.
Key sights
- Westminster Abbey0.1 miWalk 2 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- London Eye0.3 miWalk 7 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Trafalgar Square0.6 miWalk 12 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Buckingham Palace0.8 miWalk 16 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Leicester Square0.8 miWalk 16 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Covent Garden0.9 miWalk 18 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 9 min
- The British Museum1.4 miWalk 28 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 13 min
- Harrods1.7 miWalk 33 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 15 min
- The Shard1.7 miWalk 34 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Tower of London2.2 miWalk 44 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 19 min
Main rail terminals
- Waterloo0.5 miWalk 10 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Charing Cross0.6 miWalk 12 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Victoria0.8 miWalk 17 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 9 min
- London Bridge1.7 miWalk 35 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Euston2.0 miWalk 41 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
- King’s Cross St Pancras2.2 miWalk 43 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Liverpool Street2.2 miWalk 44 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 19 min
- St Pancras International (Eurostar)2.2 miWalk 45 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 20 min
- Paddington2.5 miCycle 16 minCar or taxi 21 min