Houses of Parliament Tours: Prices, Saturdays and Recess

Which Parliament visit fits your day

There are three different ways in, and they happen on different days. That is the first decision, before price.

Choose the guided tour if you want the story told and the chambers explained: the booking page lists Westminster Hall, Central Lobby and both the Commons and Lords chambers. It is in English only and seating along the way is limited.

Choose the audio tour if you want your own pace, a language other than English, or cheaper family tickets. UK Parliament's visiting page says the multimedia guide comes in ten languages, plus a children's version in English.

Choose the galleries if you are in London on a weekday when the Commons is sitting. You see Parliament working rather than empty rooms, but you do not walk the historic route.

Saturdays and recess: when paid tours run

The guided tour booking page says tours run on Saturdays throughout the year and Monday to Saturday during parliamentary recess. The UK residents' page puts it more cautiously as "most Saturdays", and Parliament warns that tours can be cancelled or rerouted at short notice because it is a working building. Treat the date picker on UK Parliament Tickets as the final word.

The Commons recess dates show when weekday tours open up:

• November recess: the Commons rises on Wednesday 4 November 2026 and returns on Tuesday 10 November.
• Christmas recess: rises Thursday 17 December 2026, returns Tuesday 5 January 2027.
• February recess: rises 11 February 2027, returns 22 February. The page marks these three recesses as approved by the House; the later 2027 recesses are listed as announced but not yet approved.

Lords recess dates are published separately and can differ, so check the booking calendar rather than assuming every weekday in these windows has tours.

Prices by ticket type

UK Parliament's tour prices page gives these rates for tickets bought from 1 September 2026. The first figure is the advance online price; the second is the on-the-day price.

Children under 5 go free but still need a ticket, and Parliament does not recommend the guided tour for them. The 16–24 rate needs no student card on the price list, which makes it worth checking for young adults.

The same page lists a Big Ben tour at £55 for adults and £35 for children aged 11 and over, and the State Apartments of Speaker's House at £23, best suited to ages 16 and up.

Watching debates for free

Anyone, UK resident or not, can watch from the public galleries, and Parliament's debates page says it is free and needs no ticket for general debates. Enter at Cromwell Green. There is usually a queue, and Visitor Assistants can tell you roughly how long it will be.

The galleries generally open Monday to Thursday and on some Fridays, with different times for each House. Check Parliament's What's On calendar, linked from that page, for the day you plan to go; when both Houses are in recess there are no debates to watch.

Prime Minister's Questions is the exception. It takes place on Wednesdays at noon, and tickets are free but go only to UK residents through their MP. Anyone else can queue for leftover space, with no guarantee of getting in. Westminster Hall debates, held in a committee room just off Westminster Hall, are also open to visitors.

Free tours for UK residents

If you live in the UK, ask your MP for the free 75-minute tour. You do not need to know them or support their party. While Parliament is sitting, these tours run Monday to Wednesday from 9:00 to 12:00, on Thursday evenings at 19:00 or 19:10, and on Fridays from 15:30 to 17:00. They do not run at weekends or on bank holidays and can be booked up to three months ahead.

Security, bags and getting there

Every visitor goes through airport-style screening. Parliament puts the average wait at up to 30 minutes, rising to 45 minutes on busy Monday to Wednesday afternoons, and the queue starts outside. Arrive at least 20 minutes before your tour time.

• Luggage larger than 60 x 40 cm is not allowed, and there is no cloakroom. If you are between hotels, use luggage storage nearby first.
• Knives (including Swiss army knives), scissors, tools, padlocks, whistles, flags, placards, slogan clothing and open drinks other than water or baby milk are taken at the entrance and returned when you leave.

The nearest Tube is Westminster on the District, Circle and Jubilee lines, which Parliament describes as fully wheelchair accessible. Buy or collect tickets at the office in front of Portcullis House on Victoria Embankment; the main visitor entrance is Cromwell Green, beside Westminster Hall.