Out of all the London landmarks distributed throughout the city that can be visited with free walking tours, nothing are more distinguishable or identical with London’s culture than the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
The Houses of Parliament and its splendid clock tower (famously called “Big Ben”) have become iconic symbols of London for many decades, and it’s hard not to imagine these two attractions when an image of London comes to anyone’s mind.
The Houses of Parliament (also known as the Palace of Westminster – not to be baffled with the nearby Westminster Abbey) was originally built as a royal palace and residence during the reign of Henry VIII. In 1547 the structure was given to the British Parliament, and it has been its eternal location ever since.
Big Ben (now named The Elizabeth Tower) which is situated at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, stands at 96 meters in height and has the second largest
four-faced chiming clock in the world.
1. The Clock Mechanism:
The first part of the discussion was about the history of the bell such as who designed it, who built it, and who installed it. Our guide was fairly good and she went
into plenty of detail. However, there wasn’t a lot to see in this first room. Just a big poster on the wall and some seats where we could rest and catch our breath.
After that, she took us up another flight of stairs to the clock mechanism. This room appeared more like a small factory with pendulums whirring wheels and pulleys all over the place.
Just before it struck half-past ten, he warned us of a coming loudness of noise, and she wasn’t joking. When the whole thing buzzed into action, it terrified the living
daylights out of us.
Imagine the sound of a workshop gone wrong – long levers hitting up and down, cogs banging round and round, and heavy hammers striking the bells a couple of meters above your head.
2. How To Book A Big Ben Tour:
Nowadays or just recently, getting a tour inside Big Ben are only available to UK residents. It also took some effort to arrange. However, since the project to repair Big Ben was completed in 2023, Big Ben is now open to the public.
Tickets for the Big Ben tour can be reserved online from the UK Parliament website. These can be booked by anyone and are available to non-UK residents as well.
Because of this, they sell out quickly, so you do need to book some time in advance.
Tickets are rolled out to the public on the second Wednesday of every month at 10:00 am UK time. The slots are offered for tours scheduled for 90 days ahead, so if you booked in September, you’d get slots in January.
There are up to 7 Big Ben tours a day, with the earliest starting at 10 a.m. and the latest at 5 p.m. If you see dates displaying as available, but you see a request for a voucher code, it means this date or time isn’t available to the public.
3. The Big Ben Tour:
It’s recommended that you arrive at least 20 minutes before the start time of your tour.
When you arrive at the Houses of Parliament, you’re first allotted a visitor’s pass. Next is the airport-style security checks. Depending on how busy it is, it can take up
to 40–45 minutes to go through security.
The queue starts outside the building, so keep this in mind if it’s wet or cold. You can read more about what items are
restricted in the below article since we have explained most of them.
Once you cross through security, you are pointed into the massive Westminster Hall where you can check in to the tour. When you look out for the Big Ben Tour banner
make sure you’re in the right place.
There, you’ll be asked to put your belongings into a locker and left behind safely. Since photos aren’t allowed on the tour, so you have to submit mobile phones behind too.
Toilets and washrooms are available at the beginning and end of the tour in Westminster Hall, but they aren’t available inside the tower itself. There is also a gift shop there too.
The Big Ben tours are restricted to a maximum of around 16 people, although it’s not spacious inside the tower, it doesn’t feel that crowded because of a small group.
Once everyone is assembled and signed in, the guide leads your group across the courtyard outside towards the tower. You then walk through a mild-looking wooden
door next to a small road. It is the primary entrance to the Elizabeth Tower.
The tour opens in a tiny room just inside the entrance to the tower. Once everyone is placed, the guide gives some information about what you’ll be seeing during the tour.
4. Climbing The Elizabeth Tower:
When the introduction is completed, the Big Ben tour begins and you start climbing.
You’ll be climbing a lot of stairs, so it’s wise to wear comfortable shoes. There are 334 stairs in total to reach to top of the tower. Don’t worry though – the climb is done
in stages so you do get a chance to breathe.
Not like the uneven stairs you find in some old towers, the stairs in the Elizabeth Tower are simple to climb. There’s also a solid railing to assist if needed.
Once you reach the 1st stage, after climbing 115 of the 334 steps, you’re able to sit down and catch your breath. There the guide tells you some important facts about
Big Ben.
Then it’s back to the stairs, and you travel up a few more stories to the 4th stage. There you get to sit down and learn more facts about how Big Ben was created and
built.
5. Big Ben In Action:
The next stop is after 291 steps and is one of the highlights too. This is the procedure room where you get to see the heart of Big Ben.
It’s a remarkable sight, looking at this complicated system of cogs and steel ropes ticking away and moving almost gradually. The tour is timed so that you’ll be in there when the bells ring 45 minutes past the hour, and you get to see the procedure in action.
You also get to see one of the old coinages used to keep the clock in time. It is an experience to see and sense the clock in action. As the bells ring, there’s a lot of mechanical clanging and buzzing and you can feel the vibrations through the floor.
You’ve almost reached the top of the tower now, and after climbing another 42 or so stairs you enter the Belfry that is a pretty special moment. You’re now tapping the
distance of the 5 bells, containing the 13-ton bell known as Big Ben.
At this point, you need to put in your earplugs as you are just moments away from the bells ringing on the hour. It’s an incredible experience to see the hammers strike the bells and feel and hear them ring.
It’s quite loud, and you definitely feel the sensations through your whole body as the bells ring out across London.
Is It Worth Doing A Big Ben Tour?
Overall, it’s an wonderful experience and if you’re lucky enough to be able to get Big Ben tours ticket. The tour takes about 95 minutes and is recorded so you’ll be right in the middle of things when the bells ring.
As well as seeing behind the scenes of this iconic London attraction, you’ll also get to discover the history of the tower and its recent rebuilding.
Tip: if you want to get the most outcome for your buck, try to book a morning tour. You’ll get to experience 10 or 11 bongs instead of 1 or 2 if you book the afternoon.
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