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Westminster Abbey Tickets

Updated: March 11, 2024

This post is an overview of Westminster Abbey tickets, with tips on discounts, free entry, audio, and guided tours, and how to plan your visit. 

Famous the world over, Westminster Abbey has seen over 16 royal weddings, including Will and Kate's, and is the burial location of 17 monarchs.

Additionally, it has held globally watched events, such as the funeral of Lady Diana Spencer, and is also home to the United Kingdom’s Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

This historic location is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its Gothic architecture remains striking to this day.

One of the jewels in London's crown, Westminster Abbey is a must-visit for history lovers and those who enjoy a touch of royalty!

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries are now open to the public.

A treasure trove of objects related to the Abbey is now on display inside these Galleries.

Think Henry VII's effigy mask, a medieval guide to coronations, and the wedding certificate of HRH Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton!

Access to the galleries is via a staircase up to the Weston Tower which provides beautiful views of the Houses of Parliament.

The Galleries have limited space and access is permitted only with the purchase of a TIMED £5.00 ticket (sold in conjunction with your admission ticket to the Abbey) for adults and it is free for those under 17's.

This is a video tour of Westminster Abbey led by Sinead, a tour guide with Free Tours by Foot London.


HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ENTER WESTMINSTER ABBEY?

The cost to enter Westminster Abbey depends on what you would like to do.

For general tourists who would like to see all available areas available to visitors, the following ticket prices apply.

Westminster Abbey Tickets
  • £24.00 for adults
  • £21.00 for concessions (60+ and students on production of valid student ID)
  • £10.00 for children between 6-17
  • £24.00 Family (1 adult and 1 child)
  • FREE for under 5 and under

More information or to book online. (affiliate disclosure)

Read the section on discounts below for more money-saving options.

Full access to Westminster Abbey is free with the purchase of the London Pass or the Explorer Pass.

Should you buy Westminster Abbey tickets in advance?

While tickets purchased in advance will allow you to skip the queue, many travelers indicate that the ticket line moves quickly, so you might not have to wait long.

We'd recommend this during peak seasons (spring and summer), but you might not need to do this during other periods of the year.

Can you tour Westminster Abbey on your own?

Yes! That said, if you're not confident in your ability to see all the best attractions inside, there are both audio guides and reasonably priced tours that you might want to consider.


8 TIPS FOR DISCOUNTS OR FREE ENTRY

Here are our suggestions for free or reduced-price entry to Westminster Abbey.

Please note that there are several add-ons to the general admission ticket. Most discounts apply to general admission.


Free Entry with a Tourist Attraction Discount Pass

Full access to Westminster Abbey is free with the purchase of the London Pass or the Explorer Pass.

In addition to providing admission to Westminster Abbey, tourist passes also frequently include the following attractions at no extra cost:

  • Tower Bridge
  • Windsor Castle
  • Tower of London
  • Kensington Palace
  • St. Paul's Cathedral
  • View From The Shard
  • Hampton Court Palace
  • Churchill War Rooms
  • And more!

Tourist passes ensure that you receive a ticket at a discounted price and you can skip the entrance lines, a major advantage, particularly during the busy summer months.

Read our full post that compares the various tourist attraction discount passes.


Combination Tickets for Bus and Abbey

Several local sightseeing bus tour operators offer combo tickets for their hop-on-hop-off service and Westminster Abbey.

By buying both tickets together, you will get a small discount on both.

Read about these combo tickets on in our guide to London bus tours.


Get 50% off with the 2-for-1 Ticket Scheme

When visitors to London purchase a ticket on the National Rail, they will get 2 for 1 ticket to some of the biggest attractions, exhibitions, theatres, and even restaurants in the capital!

There are a few strict rules in order to take advantage of the program and we explain them in detail.


Wednesday Lates

Get reduced rate entry on Wednesday evenings. £13/adults and £6/children.

NOTE: A multimedia guide is not included, and the following areas are not accessible during Wednesday Lates: The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, the Quire, the Lantern, the High Altar.


Serving UK Armed Forces Personnel

Active service members of the UK Armed Forces are entitled to free entry with up to 4 family members.


Free Entry for All Attending Mass or Private Payer

Visitors who attend Westminster Abbey for worship are allowed to do so for free.

This does not allow visitors access to all the tombs, monuments, or the Abbey Museum, but a seat in the nave gives guests a taste of the majesty and history this church holds.

Insider Tip: For those who do not have the time or interest in attending a full worship service or for personal prayer, we suggest that you visit Westminster Abbey for the Evensong, which typically lasts between 30-60 minutes and features the choir.

Evensong services are usually the later services, starting at 15:00 or 17:00.


Westminster Residents

Residents of the city of Westminster are eligible for discounted admission.

All you need is a Westminster City Save card! This also grants you free entry to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries.


NHS Staff

If you're a staff member of the NHS, you're eligible for free admission to Westminster Abbey.

This offer is dependent upon whether or not space is available when you arrive, and you must present your NHS Staff pass upon entry.


PLAN YOUR VISIT

In this section, we cover how to plan to time at Westminster Abbey, including hours, directions, dress codes, and information regarding security.


Hours of Operation

As Westminster Abbey is an active church, opening hours and entrance fees differ depending on whether you are visiting as a tourist or a worshiper.

Tourists must pay a fee to enter, whilst worshippers may always visit for free!

Tourist Hours

  • Weekdays: 9:30 - 15:30 (Please note that these times are subject to change)
  • Saturdays: 9:30 - 13:30
  • Sundays: No sightseeing allowed on Sundays. However, this is subject to change as the Abbey is a working church and monument.

Worship Hours

  • Weekdays: Typically at 7:30, 12:00, and 17:00, however, hours are subject to change daily.
  • Saturdays: 8:00, 9:00, and 15:00
  • Sundays: Worship services are held throughout the day. Check the Westminster Abbey website for the most up-to-date hours.

How much time do you need in Westminster Abbey?

Most visitors will find that 1-2 hours is more than enough, but you probably won't need more than 3 hours for this activity.


Where is Westminster Abbey?

Westminster Abbey is located in the City of Westminster on the western bank of the River Thames, near the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben.

We recommend using this Google Maps link for directions to Westminster Abbey.

Where is Westminster Abbey

The closest Underground Station is Westminster, which is served by the Jubilee, Circle, and District lines.

The cathedral is also near the Embankment station, which is also serviced by the Bakerloo and Northern lines.

If you are unfamiliar with London's subway, then be sure to read our guide on how to use the London Underground.

Let us guide you here.

Westminster Abbey is at the end of both our guided, pay-what-you-wish Royal London Tour as well as the GPS-enabled audio tour version of the same tour.

If you are considering a hop-on-hop-off bus ticket, keep in mind that all of the major companies stop at Westminster Abbey.

Read our post that compares the various different bus tours in London available to you.

Due to its central location, it is within walking distance of many popular London attractions.


Security and Dress Code

As Westminster Abbey is a place of worship, visitors are asked to "show sensitivity in the way they are dressed".

The church staff requests that clothing be modest and that gentlemen refrain from wearing hats whilst inside.

Photography and Mobile Phones:

No photography or filming is allowed inside the Abbey.

However, as a visitor, guests may take photos of Cloisters and College Garden. Mobile phones should be silenced and stored away at all times.

Bag Checks:

No large luggage, rucksacks, or suitcases are allowed inside, but there are many places to store your larger bags.


Things to See at Westminster Abbey

In addition to various busts and memorial stones, there are also a lot of great historic items and locations within this UNESCO World Heritage Site that you might want to experience.

Here are a few of the most notable things to see here:

  • Cloisters
  • The Quire
  • Poet's Corner
  • Pyx Chamber
  • Chapter House
  • The Lady Chapel
  • The Royal Tombs
  • The Coronation Chair
  • And more!

Many of these attractions are covered in the various tours of Westminster Abbey, and you can read more about those services in the section below.

It's also worth noting that you'll have to visit the Royal Tombs to see many of the memorials and burial sites listed in our section covering who was buried at Westminster Abbey.


TOURS OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY

London Westminster Abbey

Visitors interested in learning more about the history of Westminster Abbey can choose between an audio tour and a verger-led tour.

Audio Tours

These tours can be downloaded onto your iPhone or Android before your visit, and come in 11 different languages.

This is a great option for those who would prefer to pick and choose their content and have the chance to refer back to it later.

Click here to download the Westminster Abbey app for audio tours.

Reviews of the audio tours of Westminster Abbey are generally positive. Many visitors praise the quality and quantity of information provided.

However, the quantity of information available via the audio tour is much less than the verger tours. Some guests complain that there were only 2 sentences for certain stops.

Yet, those short on time or who prefer the freedom to only visit certain areas of Westminster Abbey would likely enjoy the audio guide more.


Verger-Led Tours

Guided tours last approx. 90 minutes and include the Shrine (containing the tomb of Saint Edward the Confessor), the Royal Tombs, Poets' Corner, the Cloisters, and the Nave.

The tour costs £10.00, which is charged in addition to the entrance fee.

Verger tours are limited to 10 people per tour and operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Days: Monday - Saturday
  • Hours: 11 am and 11:30 am

Reviews of the verger tours are consistently excellent. Visitors comment that the tours are "nothing short of excellent" and "undoubtedly the best money we spent in our 5 weeks UK visit" (TripAdvisor).

The vergers who work at Westminster Abbey are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the church and do a remarkable job of sharing that with visitors.

Furthermore, for those who are unable to visit Westminster Abbey, the Church also has an excellent Virtual Tour on their website.


Take Walks Tours

This company offers two guided tours that make an early visit to Westminster Abbey and include admission to the landmark.

In addition to a tour of the site, each outing also features at least one additional activity or attraction.

They also have a Changing of the Guard tour with an exclusive Westminster Dome climb!

London in a Day (affiliate disclosure)

  • £129/Adults, Students | £119/Children
  • Duration: 8 hours
  • Hours: 9 am
  • Includes Tower of London admission.
  • Includes Westminster Abbey admission.
  • Includes Thames River cruise.

Westminster Abbey & Houses of Parliament (affiliate disclosure)

  • £122/Adults, Students | £116/Children
  • Duration: 3 ½ - 4 hours
  • Hours: 9 am, 1:30 pm
  • Includes Westminster Abbey admission.
  • Includes Houses of Parliament admission.

Changing of the Guard & Westminster Dome (affiliate disclosure)

  • £40/Adults, Students | £34.50/Children
  • Duration: 2 ½ - 3 hours
  • Hours: 9:45 am
  • Includes Westminster Dome climb.

Reviews for Take Walks are typically very good, with most customers agreeing that their guides are quite helpful and provide a lot of useful information.


Our Tours that Feature Westminster Abbey

Though a visit inside Westminster Abbey is a must for most first-time visitors to London, there are also many things to see outside and around the church.

Fortunately, we offer many tours that feature Westminster Abbey and thus inform guests on the history of the outside of the building, as well as the surrounding area.

Westminster Walking Tour

Our Westminster Tour, unsurprisingly, focuses specifically on the area around Westminster Abbey. The tour is 2.5 hours and ends near Westminster Palace, which is adjacent to Westminster Abbey.

We also offer a GPS-enabled audio tour version of the same tour.

London All-in-One

This is an extensive, 6-hour tour that begins in Green Park, and then continues on to cover other attractions nearby such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace, in addition to Westminster Abbey.


Who's Buried at Westminster Abbey?

Westminster Abbey holds tombs, graves, monuments, memorials, and statues.

There are a plethora of things to see inside the Abbey, but to give you an example of the caliber of those who are celebrated therein, here is a (very!!) small list of some of those who are buried inside the Abbey.

Burials:

  • George Frederic Handel - Composter
  • King Edward III - King
  • King Charles II (no effigy exists but a life-size wax statue made after his death is still on display in the Abbey Museum!) - King
  • Lawrence Olivier (the last person to be buried in the Abbey, as of this post) - Actor
  • Charles Dickens - Author
  • Queen Elizabeth I (her original funeral effigy can be found in the Abbey Museum) - Queen
  • Rudyard Kipling - Author
  • Charles Darwin - Scientist
  • Mary, Queen of Scots (Not originally interred here but moved in 1612, by her son King James I) - Reina
  • Sir Isaac Newton – Scientist/Physicist
  • Geoffrey Chaucer – Poet
  • Stephen Hawking – Scientist

In addition to the several esteemed figures who are buried at Westminster Abbey, there are also many memorials to other people of significance. Some of these include:

Memorials:

  • Benjamin Disraeli – Prime Minister
  • Winston Churchill – Prime Minister and wartime leader
  • George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) - Author
  • Oscar Wilde - Author
  • William Shakespeare - Author
  • Sir Walter Scott - Author
  • Franklin Delano Roosevelt – US President
  • Alexander Pope – Satirist and Poet
  • Martin Luther King Jr. – Civil Rights Leader and Reverend
  • Captain James Cook - Explorer
  • John Keats - Poet

Is Queen Elizabeth II buried at Westminster Abbey?

No, she is not. Queen Elizabeth II is buried in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.


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About The Author

Stephen Pickhardt

Stephen is the CEO of Free Tours by Foot and has overseen the transformation of a local walking tour company into a global tour community and traveler’s advice platform. He has personally led thousands of group tours in the US and Europe, and is an expert in trip planning and sightseeing, with a focus on budget travelers. Stephen has been published and featured in dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Yahoo, Washington.org, and more.
Updated: March 11th, 2024
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