Must-SeeOxford and the Cotswolds
England
About 52 miles away
Dreaming spires and old colleges, with honey-stone villages close by, and Blenheim Palace.
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Houses of Parliament
The Gothic Revival Palace of Westminster on the Thames, home of Parliament, with the clock tower of Big Ben.
- Open
- Public galleries when Parliament sits; tours on set days
- Price
- Free to watch debates; paid for tours
- Time Needed
- 1 hour
- Address
- Westminster, London SW1A 0AADirections
- Getting There
- Westminster station.
Why Go
Rebuilt after a fire in 1834, the palace holds the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Big Ben, properly the great bell in the Elizabeth Tower, has rung the hours since 1859, and medieval Westminster Hall survives from the 11th century.
You can watch debates for free from the public galleries when Parliament sits, and paid guided tours run on Saturdays and during recesses.
Tips
- The best photos of it are from Westminster Bridge or across the river on the South Bank.
Nearby in London
Go Next
1–3 of 6
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Must-SeeStonehenge
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About 76 miles away
The great prehistoric stone circle on Salisbury Plain, with the far larger Avebury ring nearby.
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Must-SeeThe Cotswolds
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About 85 miles away
Honey-stone villages, like Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water, in rolling countryside.
Guide Coming Soon
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