Guided Tours of the Palace of Westminster
Members of Parliament can sponsor official tours for constituents (up to a maximum of 25) and these are available free of charge. They depart every 5 minutes and last approximately 75 minutes.
Some are full tours, which means visiting both Chambers of the House of Commons and House of Lords and some are partial tours which means it is not possible to see the Chamber of the House of Commons as it is sitting.
When Parliament is sitting, tours run at the following times:
Mondays
9.00 am to 12.00 pm (Full Tours)
Tuesdays
9.00 am to 9.55 am (Full Tours)
10.00 am to 12.00 pm (Partial Tours)
Wednesdays
9.00 am to 9.55 am (Full Tours)
10.00 am to 12.00 pm (Partial Tours)
Thursdays
No Tours
Fridays
3.30 pm to 5.00 pm (Full Tours)
Recess is when Parliament is not sitting and during this time tours only run on Mondays between 9.30 am and 5.00 pm (except for Bank Holidays).
Recess dates follow:
| 2014-15 session | ||
| Recess | House rises | House returns |
| Summer | 22 July 2014 | 1 September 2014 |
| Conference | 11 September 2014 | 13 October 2014 |
| November | 11 November 2014 | 17 November 2014 |
| Christmas | 18 December 2014 | 5 January 2015 |
Saturday and Summer Opening
Visitors can pay for a tour on Saturdays and during the Summer Opening. Tickets can be purchased in advance through Ticketmaster or by queuing on the day.
Some MP sponsored tours are also offered during the Summer Recess but these are very limited.
PLEASE NOTE THESE TOURS ARE EXTREMELY POPULAR AND ARE BOOKED UP MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
BOOKINGS OPEN ON THE FIRST WORKING DAY OF EACH MONTH AND ARE MADE FIVE MONTHS IN ADVANCE.