Westminster Abbey Tour: 8 Options Ranked
Updated October 27, 2026
You can tour Westminster Abbey four ways: on your own with the multimedia guide that comes with every ticket, with a partner guide, with one of the Abbey's own vergers, or as one stop on a combo tour of Westminster. The plain ticket costs £32 (about $43) at the Abbey and $43 through the booking partner. A guided tour adds $57 or more to that. The Abbey's own verger tour adds only £10 (about $13), but you can book it only on arrival. The eight options below are ranked by who they suit. Each one names the official price of the same visit so you can see what the guide costs. Partner prices are in US dollars at 1 GBP = 1.3347 USD (27 October 2026); prices paid at the Abbey stay in pounds. Sightseeing runs Monday to Saturday only: on Sunday the Abbey is open for worship, not tours.
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#1Skip-the-line entry and guided tour
$100The best all-round guided visit: priority group entrance and a licensed guide
4.9 549 reviews
From $100 per person. A licensed guide takes you in through the priority entrance for groups and through the royal tombs, Poets' Corner and the Coronation Chair. Options run from 2 hours (Abbey only) to 5.5 hours (private, with St Margaret's Church, Buckingham Palace from outside and a car pickup on the longest option). Abbey rules allow one guide per 20 people. Tours run in nine languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese. Rated 4.9 from 549 reviews of this tour on GetYourGuide. Run by Rosotravel. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The Abbey ticket inside it costs £32 (about $43) on its own, so the guide and the faster entrance cost about $57.
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#2Abbey, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace walking tour
$44The cheapest guided way in, if you pick the 4-hour option
4.8 4,034 reviews
From $44 per person with a Blue Badge guide on a 3.2 km (2-mile) walk. Choose carefully. The 4-hour option includes a guided tour inside the Abbey with skip-the-line tickets through the priority group entrance. The 3-hour option sees the Abbey only from outside; it adds free, unguided entry to a service, Evensong or organ recital, which is worship, not sightseeing. Big Ben and Buckingham Palace are seen from outside on both options. Rated 4.8 from 4,034 reviews of this tour on GetYourGuide. Run by Rosotravel in five languages. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, but no refund if you arrive late.
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The Abbey's own verger-led tour
The official tour, and the only one that reaches the Shrine of St Edward
Abbey entry plus £10, so £42 (about $56) for an adult. A verger, one of the Abbey's own staff, leads a group of up to 20 for about 90 minutes, Monday to Saturday, in English only. It goes into areas general visitors cannot reach, such as the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor, as well as Poets' Corner, the royal tombs, the Lady Chapel and the nave. The catch: you can book it only on arrival at the Abbey. Buy an entry slot about 30 minutes before the tour time and book the tour at the Abbey. It cannot be booked through this site or any partner. If your date is fixed and you can arrive early, this is the best value guided tour of the Abbey.
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#4Westminster Abbey entrance ticket, self-guided
$43Not a tour, and the right answer for most first visits
4.6 14,666 reviews
$43 per adult, the same as the Abbey's £32 gate price. The provider is Westminster Abbey itself. It includes the multimedia guide, which the Abbey offers in 14 languages, so you still get the commentary without a guide. It is not skip-the-line: the listing warns there may be a long line. What the partner adds is free cancellation up to 24 hours before; tickets bought on the Abbey's own site are non-refundable. Rated 4.6 from 14,666 reviews of this ticket on GetYourGuide. Plan 1.5 to 2 hours for the main highlights.
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#5VIP Abbey tour with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries
$179The only partner tour that includes the Galleries
4.7 18 reviews
From $179 per person for 3 hours with a Blue Badge guide. It includes skip-the-line Abbey tickets, the Cloisters and tickets to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, the museum in the triforium high above the Abbey floor. The tour ends at Buckingham Palace, seen from outside. Groups are capped at 20. Rated 4.7 from 18 reviews of this tour on GetYourGuide, a small sample. Run by LetzGo City Tours. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. At the Abbey, the Galleries cost £5 (about $7) on top of entry, so this tour is for people who want both with a guide.
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#6Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey guided tour
$159Inside both buildings on one side of Parliament Square
4.5 389 reviews
$159 per person for 225 minutes in English. You get skip-the-line entry and a guided tour of the Abbey, then a guided tour inside the Houses of Parliament: Westminster Hall, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It does not go up Big Ben (the Elizabeth Tower); only UK Parliament sells that tour. The listing shows a 'Likely to sell out' badge. Rated 4.5 from 389 reviews of this tour on GetYourGuide. Run by Walks. Not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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#7One-day tour with the Tower of London, the Abbey and a river cruise
$127Two of London's biggest sights in one guided day
4.7 95 reviews
$127 per person for 8 hours. It includes a skip-the-line ticket for the Tower of London, a Thames river cruise and a guided visit inside the Abbey. Read the start times: only the 8:45am and 9:00am departures go inside the Abbey. The 10:00am departure sees the Abbey from outside and lasts 6.5 hours. Rated 4.7 from 95 reviews of this tour on GetYourGuide. Run by Walks, in English. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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#8Go City London Explorer Pass with Westminster Abbey
$87Worth it only if you will use every credit
4.4 1,196 reviews
From $87 for 2 credits. Each credit is one attraction, and Westminster Abbey is one of 75+ choices. The pass is valid for 30 days from your first visit. You must reserve your Abbey slot in the Go City app. The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries are not included. There is no guide: at the Abbey you use the multimedia guide like any other visitor. Rated 4.4 from 1,196 reviews of this pass on GetYourGuide. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Compare the total with buying each ticket on its own before you choose it.
Frequently asked questions
Can you tour Westminster Abbey?
Yes, Monday to Saturday. Every ticket includes a multimedia guide, so a plain ticket is already a self-guided tour. You can also book a guided tour with a partner (from $44) or join the Abbey's own verger tour (entry plus £10) on arrival. On Sundays the Abbey is open for worship only, not tours.
How long does a Westminster Abbey tour take?
The verger tour takes about 90 minutes. The partner guided tour runs from 2 hours, and combo tours from 3 to 8 hours. On your own, the Abbey suggests 1.5 to 2 hours for the main highlights and 2 to 3 hours with the Galleries and Cloisters.
How much is a Westminster Abbey tour?
The self-guided ticket is £32 (about $43) at the Abbey or $43 through the partner. The verger tour is £42 (about $56) in total. Partner guided tours start at $100 for the Abbey alone, or $44 for the Westminster walking tour with Abbey entry on its 4-hour option.
Does Westminster Abbey have an audio guide?
Yes. A multimedia guide is included in every ticket, with commentary in 14 languages. There is also an audio-described version, a British Sign Language version and printed transcripts.
Can I book the verger tour online?
No. The Abbey sells verger tours only on arrival. Book an entry slot about 30 minutes before the tour you want, then ask at the Abbey. Tour times are given by phone up to 24 hours ahead; the number is on the Abbey's website.
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