Tours are arranged in periods when Parliament is not sitting and Members work away from Westminster. Tickets are available for Saturdays and during Summer Opening, however tours do not run on Sundays or Bank Holidays. The guided tour takes about 75 minutes and includes the Commons and Lords Chambers, the Queen's Robing Room, the Royal Gallery and Westminster Hall.
Summer Opening runs during the Summer recess (August-September) each year. 2012 dates and tour times will be published here nearer the time.
What does the tour cover?
The tour takes in some of the most important areas of the Palace in which Parliament meets, and explains what Parliament is and does, what it has meant to different people at different times, and how it came to be what it is today.
Most of the buildings seen on the tour were built in the mid 19th Century following a devastating fire, but the route also incorporates some of the earlier buildings, such as Westminster Hall, begun in 1097 by William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror.
Foreign languages
Foreign language tours are offered at set times in French, Spanish, Italian and German. If a group of visitors book out an entire tour time, then an interpreter for that language may be brought along by the group and escort the group free of charge. For full details of when all language tours run, please visit Ticketmaster.
Bags
Bags or luggage larger than those permitted in aircraft cabins may be refused entry. Parliament has no facilities for leaving items; commercial outlets are available nearby at Victoria and Charing Cross stations.
Cancelled tours
Please note that tours can be cancelled at any time if Parliament has to meet, eg, due to an emergency.
Security information
A number of simple security measures have been put in place for the safety of all our visitors. Please take note of them before and during your visit.
- Searches, similar to those used in airports, will be conducted on entry
- Mobile phones must be turned off
- Cameras cannot be used, except in Westminster Hall