A Houses of Parliament tour is not what most people picture, because the two tours I could find are both built around an audio guide inside the chambers. I compared them: one is a $41 audio tour with a reserved entry slot, the other is a guided Westminster Abbey tour from $79 with Parliament as an option. Here I set out what each one covers, where it starts and what reviewers say. If you only want entry, my page on tickets for the Houses of Parliament covers the official route and the free debates.
Tour
From
Rating
Length
Free cancellation
Book
London Houses of Parliament Ticket & Political Audio Tour
Parliament is a working legislature, so a tour here is a route through rooms that are empty on days without sittings. The Vox City Walks listing names the three highlights: the House of Lords with its golden throne, the House of Commons where laws are debated, and Westminster Hall, which the listing calls the oldest building where the three highest courts used to sit. Both of the Houses of Parliament tours I compared reach the chambers with an audio guide, so the difference between them is what surrounds that visit.
The official audio tour is sold at tickets.parliament.uk, where the page says to allow 90 minutes. It lists audio in English, British Sign Language, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and Welsh. I could not confirm a live guided tour of the building on that page, which fits what the two reseller tours offer inside.
Houses of Parliament Tour With Reserved Entry and Audio Guide
Vox City Walks sells the audio tour at $41 for about 2 hours, rated 4.5 from 333 reviews. It is a ticket with extras: a host at the meeting point, the building’s audio guide in nine languages, and a second app called Political London with a digital map and 15 points of interest, including 10 Downing Street. The host wears a dark blue VoxCity uniform at the George V statue on Abingdon Street, opposite the Cromwell Green entrance. The listing says to arrive 10 minutes early, to bring a downloaded ticket and photo ID, and that free cancellation runs up to 2 days ahead.
The not-included list is the part to read twice: a guided tour, a headset and mobile device for the app, and a ticket for Big Ben. The Elizabeth Tower has its own booking, which my Big Ben tickets page explains.
Vox City Walks
London Houses of Parliament Ticket & Political Audio Tour
★4.5 (333 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: My pick for the building itself: $41, reserved entry, nine audio languages, 4.5 from 333 reviews, no live guide.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Houses of Parliament reserved entry ticket
✓ Houses of Parliament audio guide in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, British Sign Language, Welsh, and Brazilian Portuguese
✓ Political London’ audio guide app in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Chinese
✓ Host at the meeting point
✓ Any applicable fees and taxes
Not included / not suitable
✕ Guided tour
✕ Headset and mobile device (for Political London audio guide app)
✕ Big Ben ticket
Meeting point: Meet your host at the George V Statue, located at Abingdon St, London SW1P 3JY (opposite the Cromwell Green entrance at the Houses of Parliament). Your host will be wearing a dark blue ‘VoxCity’ uniform.
Please arrive 10 minutes early if possible. Bring photo ID, and have your ticket downloaded and ready to show Abingdon St, London SW1P 3JY, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 2 days in advance for a full refund
“This was an excellent insight to the workings of parliament. Very well organized and no waiting around. Bought this ad a present fir my husbands 75th birthday and he loved it.” – GetYourGuide review
Reviewers mostly like the access: one wrote that they enjoyed “getting close up to both the lords and commons”, and another praised how it was “very well organized and no waiting around”. The complaints are about the missing guide. One said “there was no guide to meet us” and that the start moved from 4pm to 3pm at the last minute, and another felt that “it would have been better with a tour guide you would get more information per section”. Another found the rooms “a lot smaller than we thought”.
“Fantastic. Really enjoyed getting close up to both the lords and commons.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Houses of Parliament Tour With a Guided Westminster Abbey Visit
Amigo Tours UK sells a different product, from $79, rated 4.1 from 292 reviews, in English and Spanish. The listing is a guided tour of Westminster Abbey first, and the Parliament part is one of four options: a shared tour with Westminster and Parliament tickets, a shared tour without Parliament and an outside view only, a shared tour of Parliament only with audio in different languages, and a private tour. That is why the duration is given as 75 minutes to 4 hours and why the included list says “if you choose the option” on every line.
The guide meets you outside the Abbey shop at 20 Dean’s Yard, not at Parliament. The Abbey part covers the Coronation Chair, the royal tombs and Poets’ Corner, where the listing names Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer and Rudyard Kipling. Inside the Houses, the listing says you explore the House of Commons and House of Lords with an audio guide. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead.
Amigo Tours UK
Houses of Parliament & Westminster Abbey Guided Tour
★4.1 (292 reviews)
75 minutes - 4 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The combined day: a live guide in Westminster Abbey and Parliament as an option, from $79, rated 4.1 from 292 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entrance to the Abbey (if you choose the option)
✓ Entrance to the Houses of Parliament (if you choose the option)
✓ Guided visit inside Westminster Abbey (if you choose the option)
✓ Audio-guided visit inside the Houses of Parliament (if you choose the option)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Entrance to any other monument
✕ Hotel pick-up and drop-off
✕ Additional expenses like tips or souvenirs
Meeting point: Your guide will be waiting outside the entrance to the Abbey shop at Westminster Abbey, 20 Dean's Yard, London SW1P 3PA, UK. Please, try to arrive 15 minutes before the tour starts to avoid any issues Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3JS, Reino Unido
Languages: English, Spanish
Duration: 75 minutes - 4 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Jane was so kind and knowledgeable. The perfect tour guide for the perfect day. Thanks for an incredible experience!” – GetYourGuide review
The reviews for this one are about the guides, nearly always by name. One wrote that “it is absolutely worth it to go inside the Abbey and the Houses of Parliament”, and another thanked the guide for “interesting and engaging stories”. None of the eight reviews I read criticised the Parliament part, but none described it either, so I cannot tell you how the audio visit felt. The lower 4.1 rating suggests some visitors were less happy, but the review texts I could read were all positive.
Guided Tour or Ticket Only?
Is a guided Houses of Parliament tour worth more than a ticket? Here the answer depends on what you call a guide. The audio tour is the ticket in this comparison, and the Abbey tour is the guide. The gap is $38 between $41 and $79, and what the extra money buys is a live guide in a different building, not a better visit to Parliament. If your goal is the chambers, the audio tour is the better value, and you can compare it with the official ticket on my Houses of Parliament tickets page. If you want someone to explain Westminster, the Abbey option with Parliament is the one to pick.
Small Group, Private or Standard
A private Houses of Parliament tour exists only inside the Amigo Tours options. The Amigo Tours listing is the only one that offers a split: a shared tour or a private tour for your group. It does not give a group size or a private price in the listing, so I cannot compare. The Vox City Walks tour is individual and self-paced, so it has no group.
When a Houses of Parliament Tour Runs
Check the day before you pick a Houses of Parliament tour. In my notes from the official site, tours run on Saturdays and during recess, and debates are on sitting days, so a weekday in term time may leave you with no tour to book. The Parliament calendar decides it, and neither listing replaces that check. My Houses of Parliament opening hours guide has the hours and security rules.
How I’d Choose a Houses of Parliament Tour
Only the building: the Vox City Walks audio tour at $41.
A live guide: Amigo Tours from $79, with Parliament as an option.
Families: the official audio page lists an English version for children up to age 11, so compare it with the audio tour first.
Rain or a short day: the audio tour, which is under cover.
For the building itself I'd pick the Vox City Walks audio tour at $41, rated 4.5 from 333 reviews, because it is the one that is only about Parliament. If you want a live guide and Westminster Abbey in the same day, the Amigo Tours option from $79 is the other choice, rated 4.1 from 292 reviews.
How much does it cost to go to the House of Parliament?+
A debate from the public gallery is free, per the official site. The official audio tour is sold at tickets.parliament.uk and I could not read its price, so check that page. On GetYourGuide the audio tour is $41 and the Abbey and Parliament tour starts at $79.
How long does it take to tour the House of Parliament?+
The official audio tour page says to allow 90 minutes, and the Vox City Walks listing says 2 hours. The Amigo Tours listing ranges from 75 minutes to 4 hours depending on the option you choose, because the Abbey tour is part of it.
Is there a live guide inside the Houses of Parliament on these tours?+
Not on the Vox City Walks tour: its listing puts guided tour on the not-included list and gives you an audio guide. The Amigo Tours listing says the Parliament part uses an audio guide too, and the live guide leads the Westminster Abbey part.
Are Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament the same?+
No. They are two separate buildings in the Westminster area, with separate tickets. The Amigo Tours listing is one booking that can combine a guided Abbey tour with Parliament entry, which is why it is priced higher.
Do I need photo ID for a Houses of Parliament tour?+
The Vox City Walks listing asks you to bring a downloaded ticket and photo ID. One reviewer said they were not asked for ID but passed airport-style security, so carry it anyway.
