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Set your alarm: Timed-entrance tickets are released three months in advance, on the second Wednesday of every month at 10am (London time).
How Far in Advance to Book a Tour of Big Ben Tower in London
Updated March 2026
Almost everyone who visits London sees Big Ben. Almost nobody gets inside it. The great clock tower that stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, striking the hours across the Thames since 1859, receives millions of photographs a year from Parliament Square and Westminster Bridge and the South Bank, and the vast majority of those photographers never set foot in the building. This guide is for the small and lucky minority who want to change that, because the experience of climbing the Elizabeth Tower, standing beside the Great Bell as it strikes the hour, and looking down through the Prussian blue clock faces at the city 62 metres below, is one of the most extraordinary things you can do in London, and the booking logistics are more complicated and more time-sensitive than almost any other attraction in the country. Read this guide before you try to book a ticket, not after.
A quick note on naming: the tower is officially called the Elizabeth Tower, renamed in 2012 in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. Big Ben is technically the name of the Great Bell inside the tower, not the tower itself. Both names are used interchangeably in common speech, and everyone knows what you mean by either, but the official ticketing and visitor materials use Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben Tour. This guide uses both.
At a Glance
How Early to Book:
When tickets are released 3 months ahead (see below).
3 months in advance, on the second Wednesday of every month at 10am (London time).
Ticket price:
£35 for adults.
Where to Book:
Landmark Address:
Do You Need to Book Big Ben Tickets in Advance?
Yes, and the word "advance" does not begin to cover the situation. Tickets for the Big Ben Tour are among the most in-demand and hardest to obtain at any London attraction. They are released online on a strict, fixed schedule, they sell out within minutes of release, and there is no walk-up option of any kind. If you want to climb the Elizabeth Tower, you need to plan weeks or months ahead, know exactly when the tickets are released, and be at your device at the right moment.
How the ticket release works:
Tickets are released every second Wednesday of the month at 10:00am London time, for dates approximately three months ahead. This means that if you want to visit in, say, July, you need to be online on the second Wednesday of April at exactly 10:00am. The tickets for popular dates are typically gone within 10 to 15 minutes of release, and in many cases within five minutes. Being ready with your payment details entered and your device open on the booking page before the clock strikes 10:00am is not an exaggeration; it is a practical requirement.
Set a calendar reminder for 10 minutes before each release date if you are targeting a specific month. The official UK Parliament ticketing page is the only place to book. Do not use third-party sites; they cannot sell official tickets and any site claiming to do so is either misleading or reselling at inflated prices.
A maximum of eight tickets per person can be booked per transaction.
UK residents: free tours via your MP. UK residents can request free Big Ben tour tickets by contacting their local Member of Parliament. MPs receive an allocation of free tickets at the start of each month, before the public release, for their constituents. The allocation is limited and demand is high, but for UK residents planning well in advance, this is worth pursuing. Contact your MP directly (find your MP here) and ask to be added to their Big Ben tour list. Response times and availability vary by MP.
Tours can be cancelled at short notice. The Elizabeth Tower is part of the active Palace of Westminster, and if parliamentary business or unforeseen circumstances require it, tours can be cancelled on the day without advance notice. In this event, ticket holders are entitled to a full refund or rescheduling. This is not a common occurrence, but it is real, and visitors who have travelled specifically for the tour from outside London should be aware of it.
Combining with a Houses of Parliament tour: Big Ben tour ticket holders also receive access to Westminster Hall, the oldest building on the parliamentary estate, as part of their visit. Separately, full guided tours of the Houses of Parliament are available on Saturdays year-round and on weekdays during parliamentary recess. These require separate booking through the booking website.
Big Ben Tour Schedule
The Big Ben Tour runs Monday to Saturday. There are no Sunday tours. Some dates across each month are removed for scheduled maintenance, parliamentary business, or special events.
The tour itself lasts 90 minutes. Including the time required to deposit belongings in lockers at the start and retrieve them at the end, the total visit time is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Tours run at various times throughout the day from morning to mid-afternoon, with specific time slots allocated at the point of booking. The precise daily schedule varies and is determined by parliamentary requirements.
Arrive no later than 30 minutes before your tour start time. This is a firm requirement, not a suggestion. If you arrive after this window, you will not be admitted to your tour, and you will not receive a refund or exchange. Late arrivals cannot join the next tour. The 30-minute pre-tour arrival requirement exists to allow time for security screening, locker deposit, and group assembly before the climb begins.
Tours begin at the Cromwell Green entrance on the west side of the Palace of Westminster. Do not go to the main visitors' entrance on the north side of the building or to the Elizabeth Tower itself; Cromwell Green is the correct starting point. It is signposted from Parliament Square.
What is the Best Way to Get to Big Ben?
The Elizabeth Tower is located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, Parliament Square, London SW1A 0AA.
By Tube (recommended): The closest station is Westminster (Jubilee, District, and Circle lines), which exits directly onto Parliament Square with the Elizabeth Tower visible immediately across the road. The walk from exit to the Cromwell Green entrance takes approximately three to four minutes. This is by far the most direct approach from anywhere in central London.
St James's Park (District and Circle lines) is around 10 minutes on foot and is a pleasant alternative approach if you want to walk through the park.
Victoria (District, Circle, Victoria lines, and National Rail) is around 12 to 15 minutes on foot northward along Victoria Street.
By bus: Multiple routes stop on Parliament Square or on the Embankment immediately adjacent, including the 3, 11, 12, 24, 53, 77, 87, 88, 148, 159, 211, and 453.
On foot: The tower is around 10 minutes from Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, around 15 minutes from Tate Britain, and around 20 minutes from the South Bank via Westminster Bridge.
By car: There is no parking at the Palace of Westminster. Westminster is within the London Congestion Charge zone. Public transport is strongly recommended from any starting point in central London.
Planning your journey time carefully matters here more than at most attractions. The no-late-arrival policy is absolute. Build in an extra 15 minutes beyond what you think you need to account for transport delays, security queuing, and finding the Cromwell Green entrance for the first time. Arriving at Westminster station 40 minutes before your tour start time gives a comfortable buffer.
Is Climbing Big Ben Worth It?
For anyone who can meet the physical requirements and more importantly, is able to snag a ticket, then yes, it is absolutely worth doing. The Big Ben Tour is one of the most distinctive and most historically resonant experiences available at any London attraction, and the difficulty of obtaining a ticket only adds to its value once you are inside.
The experience is not a conventional museum visit. There are no display cases, no curated galleries, no option to browse at your own pace. It is a guided ascent of a working Victorian building, through spaces that most of the world has never seen and most Londoners have never seen either, ending beside one of the most recognisable objects in British cultural life at the moment it strikes the hour. The combination of the physical effort of the climb, the intimacy of the small group, and the reward of the view and the bell makes the 90 minutes feel earned in a way that a passive experience does not.
Westminster Hall, where the tour begins, is worth arriving early to absorb before the climb. Built in 1097 and substantially rebuilt in 1393, it is the oldest building in the parliamentary estate and one of the finest medieval halls in Europe. The hammerbeam roof of English oak, 21 metres above the floor, is one of the great achievements of medieval carpentry. This is the hall where Charles I was tried for treason, where Sir Thomas More and Guy Fawkes were condemned, and where the lying-in-state of the monarch has been held for centuries, most recently Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. The tour guide will cover some of this history before the climb begins.
The clock mechanism room is one of the most extraordinary spaces in the tower. The Great Clock mechanism, a marvel of Victorian engineering dating from 1859 and partially updated during the 2017 to 2022 restoration, fills the room with its gears, levers, escapements, and pendulum. The mechanism was dismantled piece by piece during the restoration and meticulously cleaned for the first time since its original installation. Watching the 19th-century machinery operate in the context of the rooms built around it is an awe-inspiring experience.
Behind the dials is the moment that most images in visitors' minds fail to anticipate. Standing behind the frosted glass of the clock faces, with the Prussian blue numerals and hands visible from the reverse and the city traffic, Parliament Square, and the Thames visible through the translucent glass panels below, is one of the most surreal perspectives available anywhere in the city. The dial rooms at each face give a different view: the south face looks along the river; the north face looks up towards the Strand and the City; the east and west faces look across Westminster and St James's Park respectively.
The belfry and the Great Bell is the destination and the climax of the climb. The Great Bell, weighing 13.76 tonnes and measuring 2.74 metres across at its rim, hangs in the belfry above the mechanism room. When it strikes the hour, the sound and the vibration are beyond any expectation formed by hearing it from a distance on the street. The floor shakes. The air shakes. Ear defenders are provided and should be worn. Being beside the bell at the precise moment it strikes is the experience the entire climb builds towards, and it fully justifies the preceding 334 steps.
The views from the belfry windows extend across the full panorama of central London at 62 metres above street level: Westminster Bridge and the Thames directly below, the South Bank and the London Eye to the south-east, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace to the west, and the roofline of the Houses of Parliament itself below and around you. This is not the highest or widest view available in the city, but it is the most historically freighted: you are looking at the same view the clockmakers have seen since 1859.
Workers' signatures and inscriptions are etched into the tower walls throughout the climb, including the names and dates of WWII clockmakers and maintenance engineers who kept the mechanism running through the bombing raids of the Blitz. The guides draw attention to these; look for them as you climb.
The current bell within the tower is the second cast (in 1858) after the first one cracked during testing. It measures 7 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 13.5 tons. The bell does not swing, but instead is struck by a mechanical hammer.
Physical Requirements and Suitability
I'm going to be super honest here: this tour isn't for everyone. Parliament is very direct about who the tour is and is not suitable for, and visitors who arrive without meeting the requirements will be refused entry with no refund.
The climb involves 334 spiral steps with no lift. The staircase is narrow, steep, and in sections enclosed, with limited room to pass another person. The steps are stone and uneven in places. The climb requires sustained physical exertion for approximately 45 to 60 minutes of the total 90-minute tour, interrupted by rest stops at the exhibition floors.
Good balance and hand-eye coordination are required due to the narrow passageways, uneven surfaces, and the steep pitch of the spiral staircase in several sections.
High noise levels are unavoidable in the mechanism room and the belfry. Ear defenders are provided for the belfry; visitors who are particularly noise-sensitive may wish to bring their own ear defenders in addition.
The tour is not suitable for visitors with the following conditions or circumstances:
Any heart condition including angina, palpitations, or narrowed heart valve
Any respiratory condition that could be adversely affected by sustained physical exertion
Pregnancy
Claustrophobia (the stairwells and passage rooms are narrow and enclosed)
Significant mobility difficulties or recent surgery
Vertigo or significant height anxiety
Any condition that makes sustained moderate physical exertion unsafe
Parliament's own guidance is unambiguous: if you have any health concerns about your ability to complete the tour, consult a medical professional before booking.
Minimum age is strictly 11. Children aged 11 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult throughout the tour. Children under 11 are not admitted under any circumstances and this will not be waived. Proof of age may be requested, and visitors who cannot provide it will be refused entry.
No assistance dogs are currently permitted inside the Elizabeth Tower.
Rules and Practical Information
Photography is strictly prohibited inside the Elizabeth Tower. This is the most important rule to know before you arrive, and it is absolute. All personal belongings including cameras, smartphones, and bags must be deposited in lockers before the tour begins. You will not have your phone during the climb. This is a security requirement related to the building's status as part of the active Palace of Westminster, and no exceptions are made.
You will be able to take photographs inside Westminster Hall before the climb and outside the building after your tour.
All belongings go in lockers. Lockers are available at the start of the tour for all personal items. Food and drink, large bags, and any items that cannot be placed in the locker cannot be taken on the tour.
Security screening at the Cromwell Green entrance is airport-style, with X-ray scanning of bags and personal screening. Allow time for this in your 30-minute pre-tour arrival window.
No large bags or suitcases. If you are travelling with luggage, store it elsewhere before your tour. There are no left-luggage facilities at the Palace of Westminster. London Bridge, Waterloo, and Victoria stations all have left-luggage facilities and are within reasonable distance.
Tours are conducted in English only. No other language options are available for the guided tour at present.
Wear comfortable, supportive shoes. The stone steps are worn and sometimes uneven. Heels or footwear without grip are a safety risk. Flat, grip-soled shoes are strongly recommended by Parliament's own guidance.
Bring a light layer. The mechanism room and belfry can be cool regardless of the weather outside, and the wind at the dial rooms is noticeable. A jacket or cardigan is recommended.
Toilet facilities are available only at the beginning and end of the tour. There are no facilities mid-climb. This is a practical consideration for tours of 90 minutes.
What Else is There to Do Near Big Ben?
The Elizabeth Tower sits in the middle of the most historically dense square kilometre in Britain, and any visit to the tower can be anchored within a full day of nearby attractions.
Westminster Abbey is directly opposite the tower, a three-minute walk from Parliament Square. One of the most significant buildings in the country, holding 1,000 years of royal, political, and cultural history, it charges a separate admission of £31 for adults and is one of the most rewarding museum-style experiences in London.
The Houses of Parliament guided tour can be combined with a Big Ben tour on the same day. Full guided tours of the Palace of Westminster run on Saturdays year-round and on weekdays during parliamentary recess, covering the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the Royal Gallery, and the Central Lobby, with an expert guide throughout. Book through parliament.uk/visiting. Watching live parliamentary debates from the public gallery (free, no booking required on sitting days) is also possible on days when the Big Ben tour does not require the building to be closed.
The Churchill War Rooms, around 10 minutes on foot through St James's Park, are the underground bunker from which Churchill and his War Cabinet directed Britain's war effort from 1940 to 1945. Consistently one of the most highly reviewed paid attractions in London, they are operated by the Imperial War Museum and offer immersive, expert-level interpretation of one of the most consequential periods in British history. Advance booking recommended.
Tate Britain, around 15 minutes on foot south along Millbank beside the Thames, is the national museum of British art from the 16th century to the present. Entry is free for the permanent collection. Less crowded than the Tate Modern, it holds one of the finest collections of Turner anywhere in the world, along with outstanding Pre-Raphaelite, Hogarth, and contemporary British works.
The National Gallery and Trafalgar Square are around 15 to 20 minutes on foot along Whitehall. The National Gallery is free to enter for the permanent collection and holds one of the greatest collections of European painting in the world.
St James's Park, immediately to the west of the tour starting point, is one of the most beautiful of the royal parks and a natural extension of any Westminster visit. The view from the bridge across the lake, looking east towards the Horse Guards Parade and the turrets of the Palace beyond, is one of the most frequently photographed urban views in London.
Westminster Bridge provides the most celebrated free views of the Elizabeth Tower and should not be missed regardless of whether you are climbing inside. Standing on the south side of the bridge looking north-west at dusk, when the Prussian blue clock faces are illuminated and the tower is lit against the darkening sky, is the quintessential Big Ben photograph and costs nothing.
Final Tips for Climbing Big Ben
Know the ticket release schedule. The second Wednesday of each month at 10:00am London time is the only window in which public tickets become available. Set a calendar reminder. Be on the ticketing page before 10:00am with your payment details ready. Do not expect to find tickets at any other time or through any other channel.
UK residents: contact your MP. Free constituent tickets are available through Members of Parliament and are allocated before the public release. The application process requires your name, address, preferred dates, and number of tickets, sent directly to your MP's office. This route exists and is worth using if you are a UK resident with a flexible schedule.
Do not arrive late. The no-late-arrival policy is the strictest at any major London attraction. A 30-minute pre-tour arrival at the Cromwell Green entrance is the required minimum, not a recommendation. Add 15 minutes on top of that as a buffer for the unexpected. Missing the tour results in the loss of your ticket with no refund.
Go straight to the Cromwell Green entrance. It is on the west side of the Palace of Westminster, signposted from Parliament Square. Do not go to the main visitors' entrance at the north end of the building or attempt to access the tower directly.
Leave your phone in the locker without regret. Photography is not permitted inside, and having your phone removed from the equation means you spend the 90 minutes actually looking at what is around you rather than photographing it. The mechanism room, the dial rooms, and the belfry all reward pure attention. The building has stood for 165 years and the experience inside it does not benefit from being documented in real time.
Do not underestimate the climb. 334 steep spiral steps is a physical undertaking, particularly for visitors who are not accustomed to stair climbing. There are rest points, and the tour guide manages the pace, but the ascent takes real effort. If you have any doubts about your fitness for this, consider them seriously before booking. Arriving at the belfry breathless and overwhelmed is still a wonderful experience; arriving at the mechanism room floor and being unable to continue is not.
Wear the right shoes. The stone steps are narrow, worn, and occasionally uneven. Trainers or flat grip-soled shoes are correct. High heels or slippery-soled footwear on a 334-step spiral staircase in a 19th-century tower are a safety issue, and Parliament's own guidance specifically addresses this.
Combine with Westminster Abbey on the same day. The Abbey and the tower are three minutes apart and cover complementary dimensions of Westminster's thousand-year history. A morning at the Abbey followed by an afternoon Big Ben tour, or vice versa, is one of the most historically complete days available in central London.
Consider staying for the chimes from outside before and after. Before your tour, stand on Westminster Bridge at the hour to hear the full chime sequence from the street. After the tour, the sound of the same bell from the same spot will be a completely different experience, because you will now know exactly what is happening inside the tower as the mechanism releases and the hammer falls.
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