How to Tour Parliament or Big Ben for Free (UK Residents) – No Citizenship Needed
The Palace of Westminster and Elizabeth Tower (more commonly known as Big Ben) are an iconic part of London. They are also the home of Parliament, where many important government activities are carried out.
While the area around Westminster is teeming with tourists, there’s a unique opportunity here just for the locals: UK residents can get free tours of Parliament and/or Big Ben. After moving to London in March 2025, I wanted to learn more about Parliament and was able to get a tour in May.
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Who is eligible for free tour of Parliament or Big Ben?
Any UK resident is eligible for a free tour of Parliament and/or Big Ben. You do not need to be a UK citizen (I’m not!).
When does Parliament offer free tours?
The Free Democratic Access tour of UK Parliament is offered at the following days/times:
When Parliament is sitting:
- Mondays 9AM-12PM
- Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9-10AM, 10:15AM-12PM
- Fridays 3:30-5PM
When Parliament is on recess, tours are available on Tuesdays 10:30AM-5PM. It seemed that tours were in roughly 10 minute intervals, as I had a 9:50AM booking and the woman behind me was inquiring about the 10AM tour.
No free tours are available on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Unfortunately, this means UK residents with typical 9-5 jobs won’t be able to take advantage of the free tour.
When does Big Ben offer tours?
Big Ben offers tours on weekdays during work hours, but times vary throughout the year. Paid tickets are released on the second Wednesday of every month at 10AM London time and they sell out months in advance.
Information about free Big Ben tours isn’t currently available on the official parliament website, but many other sources say you can contact your MP for a free tour. It’s unclear if the availability of the free tour is the same as the paid one. I am emailing my MP to find out and will update this post when I have more information.
How do you get free tickets to tour Parliament or Big Ben?
You need to reach out to your local Member of Parliament (MP), which you can search via your post code by clicking here. Their email address is listed online, so I just sent a quick email asking for a tour, the number of people in my party, and my address. Note: no one ever verified my address, so do with that info what you will.
I received an initial email back within 7 hours from my MP’s office asking for my availability. I’ve heard they book months and months in advance, so I gave plenty of availability. Surprisingly, they scheduled my tour for just one month later.
Where do you go for the tour?
My confirmation email from my MP’s office had no information about where to go. I tried Googling and the AI overview other websites all seemed to have conflicting info. Most said to go to Portcullis House and some said to go to the Cromwell Green entrance. I can personally confirm that you need to go straight to Cromwell Green. Portcullis House is the ticket office, but since you’ve already booked, you’re good to go. You don’t need to pick up any physical ticket.
When I arrived at the entrance to Cromwell Green, I simply told them my name and they confirmed I was on the list. Then I headed through airport style security and into Westminster Hall, where there is a podium for tours. I told the staff member my name and they ushered me to my tour guide, who gave me a headset so I could hear her and we were on our way.
Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to arrive, go through security, etc. Between being delayed on the train, mistakenly going to Portcullis House first, and waiting for security, I nearly 10 minutes late to my tour. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one late arrival and the tour began in earnest right at 10AM, 10 minutes past our stated time.
What does the free tour cover?
The tour is 75 minutes and covers both a history of the building and parliament itself. You’ll also learn about how Parliament operates today. One interesting thing I learned is that the Palace of Westminster is called a palace because it used to be a home for the monarchy. King Henry VIII (you know, the one that inspired the musical Six) was the last monarch to reside here.
The tour only shows you a portion of the Palace of Westminster, including Westminster Hall, St. Stephen’s Hall, the Central Lobby, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords.
There’s a lot of history and tradition that has to contend with modern realities in Parliament. In WWII, the Germans bombed the building and largely destroyed the House of Commons. Fast forward to modern day and Covid overhauled the way voting took place in the division lobbies, with new modern electronic voting stations coexisting next to centuries-old architecture.
I was also surprised to learn the House of Lords isn’t entirely made up of hereditary titled lords. There are 92 hereditary seats (which the current prime minister would like to abolish) and over 700 appointed people who are appointed based on their experience, not party affiliation. Being brand new to the UK, I was glad to learn more about how the government here is structured.
Can you take photos/videos in the Palace of Westminster?
You can only take photos and videos in Westminster Hall and St. Stephen’s Hall. Once you cross from St. Stephen’s Hall into the Central Lobby, photos and videos are strictly prohibited. This blog post is very light on photos as a result.
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
Yes, there was a person on our tour in a wheelchair and they were able to provide lift access to avoid the stairs.
Note that there are very limited options to sit during the tour. You can only sit in the House of Commons division lobbies and in St. Stephen’s Hall. When you enter the House of Commons and the House of Lords, you are directed to stand in rows of seats where members of Parliament sit, but you are not permitted to sit down.
What’s the food/bathroom/gift shop situation?
Just off of the entrance to Westminster Hall is where you’ll find the toilets, a small gift shop, and the Jubilee cafe, which serves snacks and drinks.
There’s also another gift shop across the street from the Palace of Westminster that is open to the public and you don’t need to go through security to access.
How can you tour Parliament if you’re not a UK resident?
If you are not a UK resident, you can sign up for a paid tour here. There are options for guided and unguided tours of the Palace of Westminster, as well as the State Apartments of the Speaker’s House and Big Ben tours.
Anyone, regardless of if you’re a UK resident or just visiting, can also visit the House of Commons and House of Lords when it’s in session and sit in to watch government proceedings and debates from the seats in the upper level. There can be a queue for these seats, but if you’re patient, you should get in. You do not need a ticket in advance.
Final Thoughts
My tour group consisted of lots of people in suits with official-looking badges, along with other regular people like myself. One woman on the tour commented that she’d worked here for 27 years and was just now taking an official tour! I did feel a bit underdressed in jeans, but there was no official dress code.
I’d originally requested tours of both parliament and Big Ben, but my MP’s office only booked me for a tour of parliament. I think this was due to some back and forth confusion, but I will be reaching out again about touring Big Ben separately.
Overall, the tour was very educational and I learned that the US education system had misinformed me about some of the basics of how British Parliament is run! If you’re a UK resident, this is a great way to learn about your local government for free and right from the source. The building itself also has so much beauty and history inside as well.
Save this post for future planning!
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