Big Ben may be London's most photographed landmark, but surprisingly few people have ever been inside it. That's changing, thanks to guided tours of the Elizabeth Tower — the clock tower that houses the famous Great Bell — run through UK Parliament. It's one of the more unusual ways to experience the city, and demand is high.
Here's the deal. Tours take you up 334 spiral steps (there's no lift, and visitors must be 11 or older) through the clock mechanism room and up to the belfry, where Big Ben itself hangs. You'll stand behind the four iconic clock faces, see the Victorian Gothic engineering up close, and hear the bell strike from just a few metres away — bring earplugs, seriously. Guides cover the tower's history, the major restoration project that ran from 2017 to 2022, and the story of the Great Clock, which has kept time since 1859.
Tickets are released in batches and sell out fast, so booking ahead on the UK Parliament website is essential. Pricing and availability have shifted since tours resumed after the restoration, so check current dates before planning a trip around it. There are also options aimed at UK residents through their local MPs — a longstanding perk that lets Brits climb for free — but visitors from abroad will need to go the ticketed route.
A few practical notes: wear comfortable shoes, as it's a narrow spiral staircase all the way up with no easy exit mid-climb; bags aren't allowed inside; and the tour involves a fair bit of standing and stair-climbing, so it's not ideal for anyone with mobility issues or a fear of enclosed spaces. Tours last around 90 minutes.
Why bother? Because most London itineraries involve gawping at Big Ben from Westminster Bridge with a thousand other people. Seeing it from the inside — especially at the moment the bell strikes — is a genuinely rare experience, even for locals. It pairs neatly with a wander around Parliament Square, a look at Westminster Abbey across the road, and a riverside walk along the South Bank afterwards.
If tours are sold out on your dates, the nearby Jewel Tower and Westminster Abbey's own climbing towers offer decent alternatives, and Westminster tube station puts you right in the thick of it.
