Start the tour

Self-guided free tour

Westminster and Royal London: Abbey, Parliament and palace

Free · no booking Loop route

Duration
2 h 5 min approx.
Distance
4.1 km on foot
Stops
10 stops

A circular walk through the political and royal heart of London: the coronation abbey, Parliament and Big Ben, Whitehall, the Horse Guards riders, Trafalgar Square, St James's Park with its pelicans and Buckingham Palace. Along the way, a beheaded king, a cat with an official title, a nose hidden in an arch and an intruder in the Queen's bedroom. About two hours and just over four kilometres, not counting time inside the buildings.

Start and end Westminster Abbey

Get there

The route

The 1 marks where the tour starts and ends.

The 10 stops

At each one, a story of about two minutes.

  1. 1

    Westminster Abbey Start

    290 m · 4 min on foot

  2. 2

    Parliament Square

    260 m · 4 min on foot

  3. 3

    Westminster Bridge and Big Ben

    460 m · 7 min on foot

  4. 4

    Whitehall, the Cenotaph and Downing Street

    210 m · 3 min on foot

  5. 5

    Horse Guards and the Banqueting House

    410 m · 6 min on foot

  6. 6

    Trafalgar Square

    260 m · 4 min on foot

  7. 7

    Admiralty Arch and The Mall

    650 m · 9 min on foot

  8. 8

    St James's Park and its pelicans

    440 m · 6 min on foot

  9. 9

    Buckingham Palace

    490 m · 7 min on foot

  10. 10

    Birdcage Walk and the Guards Chapel

    670 m · 10 min back to the start

  11. Back at Westminster Abbey

    The tour ends where it started.

How it works

  1. 1. Get to the start

    Head to the starting point and tap “Start the tour”.

  2. 2. Listen

    At each stop, tap “I'm here” and listen to the story.

  3. 3. Follow the map

    Follow the map to the next stop. No rush.

Before you set off

Bring headphones and a charged phone: audio and map use up battery.

  • It is a loop: you finish where you started.
  • Stop whenever you like. Your progress is saved on this phone.
  • The route and the texts load when you start, so it keeps working with patchy coverage.
  • The walk stays outdoors. The time does not include going inside the buildings.
  • Available in Spanish and English.
Photo credits
  • 1. Westminster Abbey: Σπάρτακος (changes by Rabanus Flavus) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • 2. Parliament Square: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel... · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • 3. Westminster Bridge and Big Ben: Ivanmad404 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • 4. Whitehall, the Cenotaph and Downing Street: Godot13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • 5. Horse Guards and the Banqueting House: Doyle of London · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • 6. Trafalgar Square: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • 7. Admiralty Arch and The Mall: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • 8. St James's Park and its pelicans: Colin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • 9. Buckingham Palace: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • 10. Birdcage Walk and the Guards Chapel: Lewis Clarke · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons