The cheapest of the Big Ben tickets and tours I compared (cheap Big Ben tickets are walks) is the $19 Discover London walk, and the most reviewed is the Walks Westminster Abbey tour at $119, rated 4.7 from 156 reviews. No GetYourGuide listing sells entry to the tower itself, because the tower tour is run by UK Parliament, whose Google-listed adult price is 55 pounds (parliament.uk/bigben). I’d book the Walks tour.
Tour
From
Rating
Length
Free cancellation
Book
Westminster Abbey Tour with Guard Change & Big Ben
I compared all 10 Big Ben tickets and tours on GetYourGuide right now, and tickets for Big Ben in the strict sense are not among them; and they all lead to the same place: the area around the tower. Not one is a ticket that goes up the Elizabeth Tower. Seven are guided walks that pass it, one includes Westminster Abbey and Tower of London entry, and two are photoshoots with Big Ben as the backdrop. Prices are in US dollars from the listings, checked in November 2026, every one can be cancelled up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, and the buttons are affiliate links (see my about page). For hours, entrances and getting there, see my Big Ben opening hours guide.
Big Ben Tickets at a Glance
This table puts the Big Ben ticket types in one place, so you can see what Big Ben tickets cost and cover, and a Big Ben ticket from the official side is a different thing from any listing here.
What
Details
Ticket types
7 guided walks past the tower, 1 full-day tour with Abbey and Tower of London entry, 2 photoshoots; no tower entry ticket on GetYourGuide
Price range
$19 (Discover London walk) to $294 (private walk)
Official tower tour
Adult Big Ben Tour 55 pounds, adult meaning aged 18 or over, with a separate event listed for ages 11 and over (per UK Parliament ticket results in Google; see parliament.uk/bigben)
Areas by type
Outside views of the tower on every listing; Westminster Abbey entry on four; Churchill War Rooms on one; Tower of London on one
Time to allow
45 minutes for a photoshoot, 1.5 to 3.5 hours for walks, 5 and 7 hours for the long tours
Address
London SW1A 0AA, per Google Maps
Hours
Google Maps lists no opening hours for Big Ben
The honest summary is that Big Ben tickets for the inside are scarce and sold officially, while the tickets and tours on this page are about seeing the tower with a guide, a camera or a day of Westminster sights. Keep that in mind and choosing between Big Ben tickets gets simple.
Big Ben Entry Tickets
If you are searching for Big Ben entry tickets, the nearest of all the Big Ben tickets here on GetYourGuide is the Walks tour at $119, but I have to be clear that it does not take you into the tower. The title says Westminster Abbey Tour with Guard Change and Big Ben, and the included list says a Blue Badge guide, an expertly guided walking tour and skip-the-queue access to Westminster Abbey. Big Ben is a stop on the route, listed after Parliament Square and before the Changing of the Guard. It is rated 4.7 from 156 reviews, lasts 2.5 hours, runs in English and meets 15 minutes before the start at the statue of Viscount Palmerston in Parliament Square, where the guide holds a yellow sign. Hotel pickup and tips are not included.
Walks - UK
Westminster Abbey Tour with Guard Change & Big Ben
★4.7 (156 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: My pick if you want one booking that covers the tower from outside and the Abbey from inside: $119, 4.7 from 156 reviews, 2.5 hours, free cancellation.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Certified Blue Badge guide
✓ Expertly guided walking tour
✓ Skip-the-queue access to Westminster Abbey
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel Pick-up/Drop-off
✕ Gratuities
Meeting point: Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a yellow WalksDevour sign. This tour meets at Viscount Palmerston Statue, Parliament Sq, London SW1P 3JX Parliament Sq, London SW1P 3JX, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Our guide was extremely knowledgeable! She showed her love for England. She was friendly and wonderful . My daughter and I loved this tour🩷 highly recommend” – GetYourGuide review
Reviewers praise the guides by name and for their knowledge, and the wording is consistent across them.
“Our tour guide was the gold standard…… very knowledgeable and a great communicator”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
The price of this Big Ben ticket buys you the Abbey, because the Abbey is the one place on this route you cannot enter without paying. If the tower is all you care about, the cheaper walks further down show it for much less.
Big Ben Tickets and Prices
Big Ben tickets and prices differ widely because the listings sell very different days, so the price of Big Ben tickets says little until you know what each one includes. The one I’d compare first for value is The Tour Guy’s London in a Day at $165, rated 4.6 from 109 reviews. It lasts 7 hours and includes a guide, a timed-entry ticket and guided tour of Westminster Abbey, a Changing of the Guard or Horse Guards ceremony viewing on certain days weather permitting, a boat ride on the Thames by clipper and a guided tour of the Tower of London with access to the Crown Jewels and the White Tower. Big Ben appears in the itinerary beside the Houses of Parliament and Parliament Square, as an outside stop. The guide speaks English and Spanish. Lunch, tips and hotel pickup are not included, and the meeting point is the Abraham Lincoln statue outside Parliament Square, with an afternoon departure point to confirm with the guide.
the tour guy
Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Tower of London & Cruise
★4.6 (109 reviews)
7 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The big day: two paid entries (Abbey, Tower of London), a river cruise and Big Ben from outside for $165, 4.6 from 109 reviews, 7 hours.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert, English-speaking guide
✓ Timed-entry ticket and guided tour of Westminster Abbey
✓ Changing of the Guard or Horse Guards ceremony viewing (certain days, weather permitting)
✓ Free time for lunch near Trafalgar Square
✓ Boat ride along the River Thames by clipper
✓ Guided tour of the Tower of London
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Lunch
✕ Guide tips
Meeting point: Please arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled departure time to allow enough time for check-in. The tour will depart promptly at the stated time. Your meeting point is at the Abraham Lincoln Statue outside of Parliament Square, directly in front of the Supreme Court Building, closest to Westminster Abbey. A representative will be there holding a sign with ''The Tour Guy'' on it.
The afternoon tour will depart from the same meeting point, please check with your guide directly what time you will meet for the afternoon part of your tour Parliament Sq, London SW1P 3JX, UK
Languages: Spanish, English
Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Penny was our guide. She was very knowledgeable about all things England London politics royals and where the loos were! Highly recommend.” – GetYourGuide review
The listing is tagged as a ticket in my data, but it is really a full-day tour. At $165 you are paying for two attractions with their own entry fees, which is why it costs more than the walks that just pass the tower.
Calculator
What will it cost for your group?
–
from per person, before any child or group discount
Prices are the lowest per-person prices on GetYourGuide when I last checked; the final price depends on the date, time slot and age.
Big Ben Tour
A Big Ben tour is, in practice, a walk through Westminster that includes the tower, and these Big Ben tickets are bookings for the walk, not the tower, and the two leftover listings in this section are walks that are not guided entry products. Top Sights Tours has the longer one at $100, rated 4.8 from 111 reviews, 5 hours. It starts outside the Ritz hotel on Piccadilly, next to the Green Park Underground exit, and passes Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Horse Guards Parade, 10 Downing Street, Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey before finishing at the Churchill War Rooms, whose entrance ticket is included. The listing says the group is small and the guide walks you past over 20 sights. It states plainly that entry into Buckingham Palace or Big Ben is not included. I compare every guided walk on my Big Ben tours page.
Top Sights Tours LLC.
Big Ben, Churchill War Rooms & Buckingham Palace Tour
★4.8 (111 reviews)
5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: A leftover from my set rather than a tower tour, but a good long walk with War Rooms entry: $100, 4.8 from 111 reviews, 5 hours.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Fun local tour guide
✓ Entrance ticket to Churchill War Rooms
✓ Walking tour of Westminster area with over 20 top sights
✓ See Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and more
✓ Small group experience
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Entry into Buckingham Palace or Big Ben
Meeting point: We meet outside of the Ritz hotel (150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR) next to 2 red telephone boxes and 2 souvenir stands, underneath one of the Ritz signs. The nearest tube station is Green Park Underground station. When you get to Green Park Underground station, take the left hand exit. You will see a set of stairs and a ramp leading out of the station. Take the stairs up and walk towards the Ritz Hotel. 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Our guide, Adrian was excellent! He was very knowledgeable and really kept our attention. We would highly recommend Adrian as a guide!” – GetYourGuide review
“Our guide, Adrian was excellent! He was very knowledgeable and really kept our attention. We would highly recommend Adrian as a guide!”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
The other listing in this section is the private tour by Daria Pohorielova at $294, rated 5 from 2 reviews, 2.5 hours, in English or Russian. It meets at the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square, and the included list says you see the sights from the outside: Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, views of the Thames and London Eye, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. With only 2 reviews, I would not rely on the rating, but the price is for a private guide rather than a place in a group, and I’d only choose it if you want the walk to yourself.
Daria Pohorielova
Private tour “From Big Ben to Buckingham”
★5.0 (2 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: Private and pricey, with just 2 reviews: $294, 2.5 hours, an outdoor route from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ During our tour you will see (outside) the best and most famous sights of London, such as:
✓ Westminster Abbey
✓ Westminster Palace
✓ Big Ben
✓ Panoramic views of the Thames and London Eye
✓ The Prime Minister's office
Meeting point: Address:
Parliament Sq, London SW1P 3JX
Winston Churchill Statue Parliament Sq, London SW1P 3JX, UK
Languages: English, Russian
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Our tour guide - Daria - was awesome! She granted us with marvellous new information, including some funny remarks. Totally worth our money!” – GetYourGuide review
Big Ben tickets London searchers, who want London Big Ben tickets at a fair price, often want a cheap way to see the sights around Westminster, and Scandic Tours at $28 is the budget walk with the most coverage. It is rated 4.2 from 56 reviews, lasts 2 hours and meets at the fountain by Green Park Station, where the guide holds a Scandic Tours sign. The route lists Buckingham Palace, St James’s Park, Horse Guards Parade, 10 Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square and Big Ben, and Trafalgar Square. It is available in English, Spanish, Italian, French and German, and the changing of the guard is mentioned for Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in the listing text. Food and drink are extra.
Scandic Tours
London Buckingham Palace, Big Ben & Westminster Walking Tour
★4.2 (56 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The widest language choice at a low price: $28, 4.2 from 56 reviews, 2 hours, five languages.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Buckingham Palace
✓ The superstar home of the royal family and their place of work. The changing of the Guard takes place Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
✓ The Mall
✓ The fabulous entrance to Buckingham Palace. Home to the great processions and events of British legend. Gilded by the great homes of royalty and St James's Park
✓ St James's Park
✓ Whitehall
Not included / not suitable
✕ Drinks and food
Meeting point: Follow the Buckingham Palace signs out of Green Park Station. Your guide will be waiting near the fountain with a Scandic Tours sign. London SW1A 1RN, UK
Languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French, German
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Lara was fantastic! Highly recommend booking a tour w her. So much historical information and fun tidbits. She made sure we had a wonderful time.” – GetYourGuide review
The rating is the lowest in my set, so I read the reviews before booking. They praise the guides’ stories, and one parent in German said a 2-hour walk also works for children. The route is outdoors, so the tower is seen from the pavement and not from inside.
Big Ben Reviews
Big Ben reviews on this page come from the listings, so they rate the guides and not the tickets for Big Ben, and the one that mentions the tower most often in its own notes is the Thank You London City Tours walk at $38, rated 5 from only 6 reviews. It lasts 3.5 hours and comes in two options: a guided tour with Abbey admission and about 60 minutes inside with a Blue Badge guide, and a non-guided option with free access to the Abbey only for afternoon Evensong. The not-included list is the most useful part for anyone hoping to go up the tower: it says entry to the Elizabeth Tower or access to the Big Ben bell is not included, and neither is the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London. English only.
Thank You London City Tours
Westminster Abbey Guided Tour, Big Ben, Palace, Guard Change
★5.0 (6 reviews)
3.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: Top rated at 5 stars, but from 6 reviews only: $38, 3.5 hours, Abbey admission and a Blue Badge guide on the guided option.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Two options: A guided tour including Westminster Abbey and a non-guided tour with free Abbey access only for afternoon Evensong, no guiding, excursions and photography strictly prohibited.
✓ Admission ticket to Westminster Abbey
✓ Official London 'Blue Badge' Tourist Guide
✓ Approximately 60-minute guided tour inside the Abbey
✓ T-Guide Accredited Tourist Guide - a specialist qualification for guiding adults and children with learning and intellectual difficulties
✓ Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance.
Not included / not suitable
✕ Entry to the Elizabeth Tower or access to the Big Ben bell
✕ Entry to The Palace of Westminster aka The Houses of Parliament
✕ Entry to Buckingham Palace or its State Rooms
✕ Entry to The Tower of London, which is not in this area of the city and should not be confused with The Palace of Westminster
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Languages: English
Duration: 3.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“It was very authentic. Richard explained a lot to us and told us many jokes. We highly recommend this tour.” – GetYourGuide review
“It was very authentic. Richard explained a lot to us and told us many jokes. We highly recommend this tour.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
For wider opinion, the tower scores 4.6 on Google Maps from 99,380 reviews, which says it satisfies as a sight even without a ticket.
Big Ben London Tickets Price
The lowest price among the Big Ben London tickets price options is Discover London Tours at $19, a 1.5-hour walk rated 5 from 2 reviews. It starts at the equestrian statue of Charles I in front of Trafalgar Square and passes Admiralty House, Horse Guards Parade, 10 Downing Street, the Cenotaph, Big Ben, Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey and St James’s Park to Buckingham Palace. The included list says a Spanish-speaking guide and an outdoor tour of Westminster’s monuments, and the listing also offers English. Tickets for Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster are not included, and neither is the guide’s gratuity.
Discover London Tours
Must-See London | From Trafalgar to Buckingham via Big Ben
★5.0 (2 reviews)
1.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The cheapest by a clear margin: $19, 1.5 hours, outdoors only, but with 2 reviews I'd call it a gamble.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Professional Spanish-speaking guide
✓ Walking tour of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes
✓ Outdoor tour of Westminster's main monuments
✓ Historical insights, anecdotes, and fun facts about the British monarchy and politics
✓ Local recommendations to continue enjoying London
Not included / not suitable
✕ Tickets to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, or the Palace of Westminster
✕ Food & Drinks
✕ Transportation to the meeting point or from the end point
✕ Gratuity for the live guide
Meeting point: At the equestrian statue of Charles I, in the roundabout in front of Trafalgar Square Londres WC2N 5DU, Reino Unido
Languages: English, Spanish
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Tour muy ameno con Yanina! La mejor, lo ha explicado todo muy bien, se nota que tiene mucho conocimornto” – GetYourGuide review
The official price to compare against is 55 pounds for an adult Big Ben tour ticket, as the UK Parliament ticket pages show in Google results.
That is a different product from any of the Big Ben tickets in the table above, because it goes inside the tower.
Big Ben Tickets Online
Big Ben tickets online come from two places: the official site and GetYourGuide. The inside of the tower is sold by UK Parliament through its ticket pages, which I couldn’t open when I wrote this, so I can’t say how many people can book or who is eligible. One search result I saw claimed that tickets are released on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:00 and that the visit lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes, but that came from a snippet of an unnamed site, so I’d treat it as a hint and read the official page first. The Google results for the official ticket page showed example dates between September 2026 and January 2027, with start times such as 9:45, 11:45, 12:45 and 16:45, and one date marked sold out, so availability looks tight. A listing from an adult-only column said an adult was aged 18 or over, and another said the event was for ages 11 and over.
GetYourGuide, by contrast, sells the tours and photoshoots around the tower, which you can reserve with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. There is no card here because none of the ten products is a tower entry ticket, and the sections around this one cover them all.
Big Ben Tickets Promotional Code
I found no promotional code for Big Ben tickets, and no discounted Big Ben tickets on the official side either, and I’d be wary of any page that offers one for the official tower tour, since UK Parliament sets the price. What you can do instead is choose a lower-priced walk. The card in this section is a leftover and not a discount: Explora Londres at $21, rated 4.9 from 18 reviews, 2.5 hours, in Spanish and English. It meets outside St James’s Park Underground station, to the right of the exit, where the guide holds a blue umbrella. The route runs from St James’s Park via the Royal Military Chapel (the Guards’ Chapel), Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Parade and 10 Downing Street to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. The listing says groups are small and that museum entrance fees are not included, and a short list of restaurant and pub tips is part of the price.
Explora Londres
Big Ben, Palaces, and King's Guard Sightseeing Tour
★4.9 (18 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: Not a code but a low price: $21, 4.9 from 18 reviews, 2.5 hours, small groups in Spanish or English.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Small groups for a more intimate and personalized experience
✓ London-based tour guide with extensive knowledge of the city's history
✓ Recommendations for restaurants, pubs, museums, and other places to continue enjoying London
Not included / not suitable
✕ Drinks and food
✕ Transportation
✕ Entrance fees to the museums we'll pass by
Meeting point: Outside St. James's Park Metro Station, James's Park Tube Station, to the right of the exit, the tour guide will be waiting for you with a blue umbrella Westminster, Londres SW1H 0BB, Reino Unido
Languages: Spanish, English
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Great! Our guide Maxime was very interesting with fun facts about the city” – GetYourGuide review
“Great! Our guide Maxime was very interesting with fun facts about the city”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Big Ben Entry Pass
A pass for Big Ben does not exist in my set, so the two listings in this section are photoshoots and nothing else. The first is Debora Monne’s Big Ben Photoshoot at $93, rated 4.9 from 84 reviews, 45 minutes, in English and Italian. It includes a short walk through Westminster and 35 to 40 professionally edited photos, and the meeting point varies by the option you select. The second is a private shoot by Iconic London Landmarks Photoshoot at $84, rated 5 from 3 reviews, 30 minutes, with posing guidance, edited high-resolution photos and an online gallery. It has two meeting points depending on the option, with Westminster Station on Bridge Street as one of them. Neither includes entry to anything.
Debora Monne
Big Ben Photoshoot with 35-40 Edited Photos
★4.9 (84 reviews)
45 minutes
Free cancellation
My pick: The photo option I trust more because of its 84 reviews: $93, 4.9 stars, 45 minutes, 35 to 40 edited photos.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ You will receive a selection of 35-40 professionally edited photos
✓ Short walk in the iconic city landscape of Westminster
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Languages: English, Italian
Duration: 45 minutes
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Deboro was nice and gave us nice instructions for getting good photos” – GetYourGuide review
Private Photoshoot at Big Ben with Pro Photographer
★5.0 (3 reviews)
30 minutes
Free cancellation
My pick: A shorter, private shoot with just 3 reviews: $84, 30 minutes, edited photos and an online gallery.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Private photoshoot with a professional photographer
✓ Posing guidance throughout
✓ Professionally edited high-resolution photos
✓ Online gallery for easy download
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transport to the meeting point
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Printed photos
Meeting point: This activity has 2 meeting points. Your meeting point depends on the option you select. Westminster, Underground Ltd, Westminster Station, Bridge St, London SW1A 2JR, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 30 minutes
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Really professional photographer! Suggested all the right poses for us. Satisfied with the service. Eagerly waiting for the photos and videos!” – GetYourGuide review
“We had a wonderful family experience with Debora. She was fantastic at guiding us through different and natural poses, and the photos turned out beautifully. We received them very quickly too. We highly recommend Debora if you’re looking for beautiful photos in London.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Is It Worth Seeing Big Ben at Night?
Seeing Big Ben at night is worth it if you like the tower lit, and it needs no Big Ben ticket. The Ayrton Light, a lantern above the belfry added in 1873, is lit whenever the House of Commons sits after dark, according to Wikipedia. Open-Meteo data for 2025 puts sunset in London at about 15:51 in December and 21:19 in June, so a winter evening gives you the tower in the dark by late afternoon, while June means waiting until after 21:00. None of the ten listings is a night tour, and I found no night-time tower tickets.
Big Ben is a short walk from Westminster Underground station, and the area is lit and busy, but I would check Transport for London on the evening itself. The bell and the lit dials are the draw, and a walking tour in the afternoon in winter finishes close to dusk.
What Is Big Ben, and Is It the Elizabeth Tower?
Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell, and by extension of the clock tower. Wikipedia gives the tower’s height as 96 metres and 334 steps from the ground to the belfry, with the bell weighing 13.5 long tons.
“Originally named the Clock Tower, the structure was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.”
The tower is part of the Palace of Westminster, which has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, per Wikipedia. The restoration that silenced the bells began on 21 August 2017, the scaffolding came down in December 2021, and the chimes returned to regular service on 13 November 2022. The Houses of Parliament tour is a separate product with its own page, Houses of Parliament tickets, and it is the one to read if you want to see the chambers, whereas this page stays with the tower and the bell.
Opening Hours and Getting There
Google Maps lists no opening hours for Big Ben, because the tower is a street landmark and the tower tour is booked by timed slot. Westminster Underground station is the nearest, about a minute on foot by my estimate, and Transport for London covers live service. My Big Ben opening hours and visitor guide has the entrances, the walking times and the Westminster map.
Which Ticket Fits You
Choosing among Big Ben tickets, or a Big Ben ticket of any kind, comes down to how much of Westminster you want to see and whether a guide matters. This table is built from the listings, and the sections above hold the detail for each row. None of these goes inside the tower.
Ticket
Kind
Price from
Duration
Areas
Best for
Discover London walk
outdoor walk
$19
1.5 hours
Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace via Big Ben
Cheapest look
Explora Londres walk
outdoor walk
$21
2.5 hours
Palaces, Horse Guards, Big Ben, Abbey from outside
Small group in Spanish
Scandic Tours walk
outdoor walk
$28
2 hours
Buckingham Palace, Parliament Square, Big Ben
Five languages
Thank You London tour
tour with Abbey entry
$38
3.5 hours
Abbey with a Blue Badge guide, Big Ben from outside
Abbey on a budget
Private photoshoot
photoshoot
$84
30 minutes
Westminster, Big Ben backdrop
Short private shoot
Debora Monne photoshoot
photoshoot
$93
45 minutes
Westminster, 35 to 40 edited photos
Photos of you at the tower
Top Sights tour
tour with War Rooms entry
$100
5 hours
20 sights plus Churchill War Rooms
Long walk
Walks Abbey tour
tour with Abbey entry
$119
2.5 hours
Big Ben, Guard change, Abbey
First visit
The Tour Guy London in a Day
tour with entries
$165
7 hours
Abbey, Thames cruise, Tower of London
Full day
Private walk
outdoor walk
$294
2.5 hours
Big Ben to Buckingham Palace
Private guide
Near Big Ben
Big Ben is the middle of the capital’s best-known sights, so the Big Ben tickets above, whichever Big Ben ticket you pick, fit into a day of walking. Times are my estimates from straight-line distance multiplied by 1.3 at 4.8 km/h. The Palace of Westminster is next door, about 2 minutes, and Westminster Abbey is about 4 minutes by the estimate on its own page. The London Eye is about 7 minutes across Westminster Bridge, with the London Dungeon in the same County Hall building. Trafalgar Square is about 14 minutes and Buckingham Palace about 20. The British Museum is about 34 minutes, St Paul’s Cathedral about 38 and the Tower of London about 56, so those last three suit a bus or the Underground.
Cheapest Big Ben tickets: the Discover London walk at $19, or Explora Londres at $21 with a better rating.
Big Ben tickets with a guide and an Abbey visit in one booking: the Walks tour at $119, rated 4.7 from 156 reviews.
Languages other than English: Scandic Tours at $28 offers English, Spanish, Italian, French and German.
Big Ben tickets inside a long day with entries included: The Tour Guy at $165 (Abbey and Tower of London) or Top Sights at $100 (Churchill War Rooms).
Photos of yourself at the tower: Debora Monne at $93 for 35 to 40 edited photos.
Big Ben tickets for the inside of the tower: none of these. Read the official page, parliament.uk/bigben, and expect limited dates.
Night: no listing, but the lit tower is free to see from the street after dark.
Frequently asked questions
Is Big Ben the same as the Elizabeth Tower?+
Not quite. Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell, and by extension of the clock tower that holds it. Wikipedia says the tower was originally called the Clock Tower and was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. In daily speech people use Big Ben for the whole tower, and the listings I compared do the same.
Can you buy tickets to go inside Big Ben?+
Not on GetYourGuide. Two listings state it outright: one says entry to the Elizabeth Tower or access to the Big Ben bell is not included, and another says entry into Big Ben is not included. Tower tours are sold by UK Parliament, and the Google results I saw list an adult Big Ben Tour at 55 pounds for visitors aged 18 or over. I could not open the official page, so check parliament.uk/bigben for who may book.
Is a Big Ben tour worth it?+
It depends on which tour you mean. A walking tour that passes the tower costs $19 to $294 in my set and shows the outside only. The best reviewed of them, the Walks Westminster Abbey tour, is $119 at 4.7 stars from 156 reviews and includes the Abbey. If you want the inside of the tower, the only route I found is the official tour, which is limited.
What is the closest tube station to Big Ben?+
Westminster. Google Maps puts the station about 70 metres from the tower in a straight line, which I estimate as a one-minute walk. St James's Park is about 10 minutes away and Embankment and Waterloo are each around 12. Transport for London covers live service on its site.
Is Buckingham Palace close to Big Ben?+
Close enough to walk. By straight-line distance from the Google Maps coordinates it is about 1.2 km, which I estimate at around 20 minutes on foot. Several of the walking tours below link the two, and the Scandic Tours listing covers both in 2 hours for $28.
How long does a Big Ben tour take?+
The walking tours that pass the tower run from 1.5 hours for the Discover London route to 5 hours for the Top Sights tour with Churchill War Rooms entry. A 45-minute photoshoot is the shortest. A search snippet for a tower tour page said the visit lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes, which I could not confirm on the official page.
Can you see Big Ben without a ticket?+
Yes from the street. Several listings are outdoor walks that show the tower from Parliament Square, and none of them claims to go inside. The nearest Underground station, Westminster, is about a minute away on foot, so a free look costs only the fare.
Every Big Ben ticket and tour I compared
Westminster Abbey Tour with Guard Change & Big Ben★ 4.7
Big Ben, Churchill War Rooms & Buckingham Palace Tour★ 4.8
Big Ben Photoshoot with 35-40 Edited Photos★ 4.9
Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Tower of London & Cruise★ 4.6
London Buckingham Palace, Big Ben & Westminster Walking Tour★ 4.2
Big Ben, Palaces, and King's Guard Sightseeing Tour★ 4.9
Westminster Abbey Guided Tour, Big Ben, Palace, Guard Change★ 5.0
Private Photoshoot at Big Ben with Pro Photographer★ 5.0
Must-See London | From Trafalgar to Buckingham via Big Ben★ 5.0
