London Westminster Walking Tour & Abbey Entry Tickets

4.81

(1274 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Someone in a red scarf waved us over outside Green Park station — turned out to be our guide, Sam. He had this way of talking about London that made even the pigeons seem like they belonged in some royal story. We followed him past early-morning joggers and coffee carts, the air smelling faintly of rain and roasted beans. Buckingham Palace came into view just as the guards started lining up. I’d seen it on TV but didn’t expect the brass band to be so loud or the crowd to be so quiet, everyone craning for a glimpse. Sam nudged us to a spot where we could actually see the Changing of the Guard without holding our phones above our heads. I tried to catch a photo but mostly ended up with someone else’s umbrella in the frame — classic.

We wandered down The Mall, passing by Trafalgar Square — fountains splashing, someone sketching Nelson’s Column on a scrap of paper. There was this moment at Horse Guards Parade when one of the mounted soldiers gave a tiny nod at a kid waving (the kid looked like he’d won a prize). Whitehall felt busy in that government-officials-hurrying kind of way; Sam pointed out Downing Street and told us about how many Prime Ministers have lived behind that black door since 1735. I probably should’ve paid more attention in history class.

Big Ben surprised me — it’s both smaller and somehow grander than I pictured? The clock chimed while we stood near Parliament Square, and for a second everyone just stopped talking. Even with all the tourists around, there was this hush you could feel. Then it was time for Westminster Abbey. Our tickets were already sorted (no queuing, thank god), so we slipped inside where it smelled like old books and candle wax. You get an audio guide but honestly, I spent half my time just staring up at those arches and thinking about all the kings and queens crowned here. It’s hard not to feel small in that place — in a good way.