Visiting Big Ben in London: times, prices and tips

Photo by lunamarina. London is a city full of surprises and iconic places to visit, and among these of course you cannot miss what we might consider a bit of a symbol of the city itself, namely Big Ben. The most famous clock tower in the world can only be the starting point of a visit to the English capital: it is located in the Westminster district, which was the headquarters of William the Conqueror after the invasion of England in 1066, along the banks of the Thames.

Times and prices

Big Ben unfortunately cannot be visited. It is under renovation until 2021, and even then it will still only be open to British citizens. You can however admire it freely from the street, or from the famous red double-decker buses, and visit the Houses of Parliament(Westminster)

• Hours: (Houses of Parliament) guided tours Saturday 9:15am-4:30pm. In August: Monday 1.15am-5.30pm; Tuesday to Friday 9.15am-5.30pm. In September: Tuesday to Friday 9:15-16:30. Parliamentary sessions (October to June): Mondays and Tuesdays 14:30-22:30; Wednesdays 11:30-19:30; Thursdays 10:30-18:30

• Costs: (Houses of Parliament) full ticket £18.00 and £28.00 (approx. €20.00 and €30.00), with audio guide or guided tour respectively; concessions £15.50 and £20.00 (approx. €17.00 and €22.00)

Online tickets and guided tours

• 4 hour guided tour of Westminster Abbey and Palace: from £89.00 - Find out more

• 2.5 Hour Tour of Westminster and Visit to Churcill Rooms: from €49.00 - Find out more

• Royal London Tour with Changing of the Guard: from €45.00 - Find out more

Where is it and how to get there

Big Ben is located in the Westminster district, in the West-End of London, along the north bank of the River Thames, easily accessible by tube and on foot.

• Onfoot: from Buckingham Palace in approximately 20 minutes, walking alongside St. James' Park and straight on to Parliament Square - Get directions

• By bus: no 24 from Buckingham Palace, no 381 from London Bridge, no 11 and 211 from Victoria Station

• ByTube: Nearest stop is Westminster, served by the Circle, District and Jubilee lines

Useful tips for visiting the attraction

Although you cannot access Big Ben, you can still visit the Palace of Westminster, only on Saturday mornings and during the summer months. Also, if you wish, you can attend a parliamentary session by going to the palace Monday to Thursday at the St Margaret Street entrance.

1. Get up early: tickets for the Palace of Westminster can be bought at the ticket office, we recommend going early in the morning to avoid long queues.

2. Buy acity card: it can be a good idea to buy a London Pass, a magnetic card that offers many benefits to those visiting London, in fact with the pass you can have free access to over 60 London attractions, and skip the queue at the entrance.

3. Minimum time to visit the attraction: the guided tour lasts approximately 75 minutes, considering the vastness and beauty of the building we recommend you take your time.

4. Tour reservation: to take part in the guided tour, a reservation is required, which you can make here.

5. Security checks: to gain access to the building you have to go through strict security checks, like at the airport, so be careful what you bring with you: sharp objects, noisy objects, ropes and chains are strictly forbidden. You may have to wait about 20 minutes for the check, so plan your time carefully.

History, trivia and practical info: what to know in brief

Big Ben, built in 1858 together with the Palace of Westminster (seat of the British Parliament), is a 96-metre-high Gothic-style tower with four huge clocks located along its sides, each facing a cardinal point: its famous chime is struck every 15 minutes, and at night the tower is lit by 113 electric bulbs.

It is the largest clock tower in the UK and the third tallest in the world. Always known as the Clock Tower, on the occasion of Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in June 2012, it officially became the Elizabeth Tower.
The name Big Ben refers to theenormous 14-tonne bell inside the tower. Regarding the clock's enormous proportions: the dials measure 8 metres, the hour hand 2.7 metres and the minute hand 4.3 metres.

Historical background on Big ben

When the original Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1834, the city's architects were invited to submit designs for the new building and a committee was set up to select the most deserving. Sir Charles Barry's design was chosen, however this did not initially feature a clock tower, which was not added until 1836.

Assisting Barry in the design of the tower was Augustus Pugin, and work began on 28 September 1843 and lasted for a good 16 years (due to accidents and delays). As Charles Barry was not a trained watchmaker, he decided to organise a competition in 1846 to find an expert who could develop the design of the tower clock. Edward John Dent won the competition and based his design on the mechanism developed by Baron Edmund Beckett Denison (to the latter we owe the iconic chimes). On Dent's death, his stepson Frederick completed the clock in 1854.

In April 1859 the clock was installed on the tower leading to the completion of this historic work of architecture

5 Interesting facts about the tower

1. Theorigin of the name is not certain, but there are two theories: the most credible one claims that the name derives from Sir Benjamin Hall, a member of the House of Commons and supervisor of the work to rebuild the Palace of Westminster; the second theory claims that the name comes from the heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt.

2. The first bell mounted on the clock was to be called the Royal Victoria. It was welcomed with great ceremony, transported down the Thames by barge and then towed by a carriage with 16 white horses over Westminster Bridge. Unfortunately, that bell broke during testing in 1857. It was replaced the following year by another bell, but this one was also damaged. However, the problem was solved by turning it a quarter of the way clockwise and replacing the original hammer with a lighter one.

3. The musical note emitted by the bell at each chime is an E.

4. Currently, it is necessary to climb 334 steps to reach the top of the tower.

5. The Elizabeth Tower has appeared in dozens of films and TV series, the best known being 28 Days Later, V for Vendetta, Lost, Doctor Who, Thunderball and Mary Poppins.

Restoration work

The tower is currently under renovation. Big Ben rang its last chime at noon on 21 August 2017, before returning to ring again in 2021. The tower is currently half shrouded by scaffolding, however one of the clock faces will remain visible at all times marking the time via an electric motor. Of course, the bells will remain silent until the completion of the work.
The renovation plan includes several structural changes, including the installation of a lift and the creation of the first bathroom.