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Westminster Abbey: what to see and how long to allow
A working church that closes to sightseers on Sundays, with a one-hour route through 700 years of coronations — and a free way in that most visitors miss.
Visitor information checked 17 October 2026 · prices and hours change
The video gives you the verdict and the viewpoints in under five minutes. This page has the numbers that change — prices, hours, rules — and the map pins.
Worth it? Yes, if you want the story of Britain in one building: coronations, kings and queens, poets, scientists and the Unknown Warrior. Go on a weekday morning, when it's quietest, follow the one-hour route, and add the Galleries if you can.
Skip the ticket if you only want to feel the place. Go to Evensong instead — it's free.
Five mistakes people make here
- Coming on a Sunday to sightseeOn Sundays the Abbey is open for worship only — tourist visiting isn't available. Services, including Evensong, are open to everyone.
- Queuing at the wrong doorVisitors go in by the North Entrance on Parliament Square. The Great West Door is for Evensong and private prayer.
- Bringing a suitcase or large backpackThere's no cloakroom, and large items aren't admitted. The nearest left luggage is at Victoria station.
- Planning to film your visitPersonal photos only. No video, flash, selfie sticks or tripods — and no photos at all at the Shrine of St Edward, in St Faith's Chapel or in the Galleries.
- Paying again to come backA ticket bought online can be upgraded to an annual pass free of charge (not promo or third-party tickets).
Opening hours
| Day | Open | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | 9:30am–4:30pm | 3:30pm |
| Saturday | 9:00am–4:00pm | 3:00pm |
| Sunday | Worship only — no sightseeing | |
It's a working church and can close at short notice. Check the day's calendar before you go.
Prices
| Abbey entry | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £32 |
| 65+ · Student | £29 |
| Child (6–17) | £14 |
| Under 6 | Free |
| Family (1 adult + 1 child) | £32 |
| Disabled visitor and essential companion | Free |
| Universal Credit (not online) | £1 |
Also free: UK Armed Forces serving and veterans with up to four family members (no pre-booking), and NHS staff until 30 September 2027. The Abbey's own pages describe child tickets in two different ways, so check the official prices page if you're bringing children. The multimedia guide is included, in 14 languages, and there's no booking fee.
Book ahead. Entry is by timed slot, door tickets are limited, tickets are non-refundable, and there's no re-entry on the same ticket.
Add-ons
- Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries — £5Separate timed ticket on top of entry. Funeral effigies, England's oldest surviving altarpiece and an elevated view down the whole Abbey. Lift or 108 steps. Mon–Fri 9:30am–2:30pm (last entry 2pm); Sat 9:30am–4pm (last entry 3pm).
- Verger tour — entry + £10About 90 minutes, Mon–Sat, English only, max 20. The only way for most visitors to get inside the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor. Bookable on arrival only — not online or by phone.
The one-hour route
This is the Abbey's own published route, in order.
- Nave — the Coronation Chair, used for over 700 years; the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, the one stone nobody walks on; Scientists' Corner with Newton, Darwin and Hawking.
- Quire, towards the High Altar and the 13th-century Cosmati pavement where monarchs are crowned.
- Shrine of St Edward the Confessor and the royal tombs, seen from around (inside only on the verger tour).
- Elizabeth I, Mary I and Mary, Queen of Scots.
- Lady Chapel — the fan-vaulted ceiling.
- Poets' Corner — more than 100 poets and writers remembered, a tradition that began with Chaucer.
With two hours, add the side chapels, the Galleries, the cloisters, the Chapter House, Britain's oldest door (1050s) and the Pyx Chamber.
The free way in: Evensong
Everyone is welcome at Evensong, free of charge. It's sung in the Quire, and you enter by the Great West Door, through security. In the week we checked it was at 5pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 3pm Saturday and Sunday, with none on Tuesday — check the calendar for your date. It's worship, not a tour: you stay in your seat and there's no photography.
Practical details
Find it — map pins
- Westminster AbbeyVisitors use the North Entrance, on Parliament Square
- College GardenThe oldest cultivated garden in England, reached through the cloisters
- Jewel TowerA surviving piece of the medieval palace, across the road
- ⭐ Westminster BridgeThe classic Parliament view, 5 min
- ⭐ Blue Bridge, St James's ParkThe view to Buckingham Palace, 12 min
What to take
There's no cloakroom here, and large backpacks are turned away at the door.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links below are paid links: if you buy through one, WanderSmart Guide may earn a commission. We only list kit that answers a rule or a problem on this page, and we never quote prices — Amazon's change constantly.
- Foldable backpack paid linkSmall enough to be let in, and it packs away when you don't need it.
The rest of the kit
- Sun hat paid link
- Rain poncho paid link
- Sunscreen paid link
- Travel power bank paid link
- Headphones paid link
- Earbuds paid link
- Budget earbuds paid link
- Budget headphones paid link
- Universal travel adapter paid link
- Wireless charging station paid link
- Carry-on bag paid link
- Suitcase paid link
Nearby
Walking times are our estimates.
- Houses of Parliament and Big Ben2–3 min, across Parliament Square
- Jewel Tower2 min
- Churchill War Rooms5–6 min · book ahead
- Buckingham Palace — our guideThrough St James's Park, about 18 min
- London Eye — our guideOver Westminster Bridge, 10–15 min
Book direct
- Westminster Abbey tickets — official
- Opening times and prices
- Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries
- Verger tours
- Evensong times
- Photography rules
We link to official booking pages, never resellers.