Westminster Abbey: Tickets, Opening Times, Evensong and the Verger Tour

In this guide

💡 The Short Version:

• Arrive early. Get there 15 minutes before opening — 09:15 for the 09:30 start Monday to Friday, or 08:45 for Saturday’s earlier 09:00 start — and head straight to the royal tombs and Henry VII Lady Chapel before the ambulatory fills up.
• The verger tour is the only way to reach the Shrine of Edward the Confessor. It costs the Abbey entry price plus £10, but you can only book it in person, on arrival, Monday to Saturday — not online or by phone.
• Choral Evensong is free, no ticket needed. It’s sung at 17:00 on most weekdays and 15:00 on Sundays; check the Abbey’s Evensong calendar for your date. You sit in the Quire stalls, but touring the tombs before or after isn’t permitted.
• The Abbey is closed to tourist sightseeing on Sundays — it’s open for worship only.
• Tickets and the London Pass. Standard adult admission is £32, children (6–17) are £14, and concessions (65+ and students) are £29; under-6s go free. Pre-book a timed entry ticket on GetYourGuide, or use The London Pass, which includes admission if you reserve a slot online.

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2026 ticket prices and booking options

Other ways to visit

• Highlights Tour: on days the Abbey can’t open in full, it runs a shorter tour instead, at £20 for adults and concessions, £8 for children 6–17 (under 6 free), and £20 for a family of one adult and one child. Tickets are sold on-site only.
• National Rail 2-for-1: buy one full-price adult ticket and get a second adult free, plus a free child (17 or under) with each adult, through National Rail’s Days Out Guide. It’s on-the-door only — pre-booked tickets aren’t valid.
• Free annual pass upgrade: buy your ticket online through the Abbey’s own website, then ask a Visitor Experience team member to upgrade it on arrival at no extra cost. It becomes a pass valid for three visits within a year. This doesn’t apply to Highlights or Lates tickets, or to tickets bought through a third party.
• £1 admission: adults on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and several other means-tested benefits pay £1 (a £1 family ticket too), shown against proof of the benefit on arrival. It can’t be booked online.

Pre-booking a timed entry slot online is recommended. Visitors buying on the day queue at the North Green kiosk for bag screening before entry.

You can reserve direct or book an official timed entry ticket on GetYourGuide, which locks in your preferred entry slot and includes full cancellation up to 24 hours in advance. Check live calendar availability below:

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The walking route that avoids the crowds

Tourist entry is through the North Door into the north transept. Most visitors turn right down the Nave and reach the royal tombs at the east end an hour later, as the tour groups arrive. To see the tombs before the crowds, invert that order:

The Quire stalls. Photo: Maksim Sokolov (CC BY-SA 4.0).

1. 09:15 to 09:30: North Door entry and bag security

Arrive at the North Green gates 15 minutes before the stated opening time. Present your digital ticket barcode for scanning, pass through the bag check marquee, and collect your handheld multimedia guide inside the North Transept.

If you want to take a Verger Tour, ask as soon as you arrive instead of heading off round the building — tours are first come, first served, run Monday to Saturday, and can’t be booked ahead.

2. 09:35 to 10:15: Royal tombs and the Henry VII Lady Chapel

Walk straight past the crossing into the ambulatory around the High Altar and on to the Henry VII Lady Chapel, consecrated in 1519. Get there before 10:00 for space around it.

The Henry VII Lady Chapel ceiling. Photo: Jps3 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Key monuments in this section:

• The fan-vaulted ceiling: stone pendants hanging from ribbed tracery.
• The Tomb of Elizabeth I and Mary I: the half-sisters lie together in the north aisle beneath the inscription: “Consorts in realm and tomb, here we sleep, Elizabeth and Mary, sisters, in hope of resurrection.”
• Mary, Queen of Scots: in the south aisle, beneath a white marble canopy commissioned by her son, James VI and I.
• RAF Chapel: At the far eastern end, featuring stained glass honouring the fighter squadrons of the 1940 Battle of Britain.

3. 10:15 to 10:45: The Quire, High Altar and the Cosmati Pavement

Move back towards the centre of the Abbey:

• The Cosmati Pavement: in front of the High Altar, this 1268 floor of marble, porphyry and coloured glass was laid for Henry III. It was uncovered for the 2023 Coronation of King Charles III.
• The Coronation Chair: made in 1300 for Edward I, it stands behind glass in St George’s Chapel near the Great West Door.

4. 10:45 to 11:15: Poets’ Corner (South Transept)

Cross into the South Transept, known as Poets’ Corner. Geoffrey Chaucer, buried here in 1400, was the first writer to be.

Poets’ Corner. Photo: 14GTR (CC BY-SA 4.0).

• Burials: Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser, Charles Dickens, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Rudyard Kipling, and Thomas Hardy (his ashes; his heart was buried in his native Dorset).
• Memorials: William Shakespeare (standing pointing to a scroll from The Tempest), Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and George Eliot.

5. 11:15 to 11:45: The Nave and the Grave of the Unknown Warrior

Walk west down the nave, whose vault reaches 31 metres (102 feet), the highest Gothic vault in England.

Near the Great West Door is the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, an unidentified British soldier brought from France in November 1920. Nobody is permitted to walk on it. Near it lie the memorial stones of Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking.

6. 11:45 to 12:15: The Cloisters, Chapter House and Pyx Chamber

Follow the signs through the south aisle into the Great Cloisters, which many visitors miss on the way to the shop.

The West Cloister. Photo: Uwe Aranas / CEphoto (CC BY-SA 3.0).

• The Chapter House: completed in 1250, an octagonal chamber with 14th-century wall paintings of the Apocalypse and original medieval encaustic floor tiles.
• The oak door in the Chapter House vestibule is made from wood felled between 1032 and 1065, before the Norman Conquest.
• The Pyx Chamber: An 11th-century Norman vaulted undercroft that once served as the royal treasury and held the trial plates for verifying the purity of England’s coinage.

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The verger tour, and what it gets you

General admission does not include the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor. It stands behind the High Altar, with the tomb of the king who founded the Abbey in 1065, surrounded by the tombs of Henry III, Edward I, Eleanor of Castile and Henry V.

Why book it

• The only way in: the shrine is behind a locked gate, and a verger tour is the only way general visitors can pass through.
• Small groups: up to 20 people, with commentary in English only.
• Route: it also takes in Poets’ Corner, the royal tombs, the Lady Chapel and the nave.

How to book

1. A verger tour costs your Abbey admission price plus £10, with no separate child or concession rate.
2. You can’t book ahead, online or by phone. Sign up in person when you arrive; tours run Monday to Saturday. The Abbey’s enquiry line, 020 7222 5152 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm), can tell you what times are running 24 hours ahead but can’t take a booking. When you book your Abbey ticket, choose an entry slot about 30 minutes before the tour is due to start.
3. Arrive with the morning intake and ask as soon as you’re inside. Tours last around 90 minutes and take up to 20 people.

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Choral Evensong, free to attend

You don’t have to pay the £32 entrance fee to hear the Abbey’s choir. Choral Evensong is free to attend, sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey or the Lay Vicars of Westminster Abbey.

Evensong times

• Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 17:00. Saturday 7 November 2026 is also at 17:00.
• Sunday: 15:00.
• Monday and Wednesday in the week of 2 November 2026 are Evening Prayer, not choral Evensong. Check the Evensong calendar for your date.

How to attend

1. Queuing: enter via the Great West Door on Broad Sanctuary, not the tourist entrance at the North Door, and queue outside before the service. Arrive earlier for popular dates such as bank holidays and Advent.
2. Seating: early arrivals are directed through the stone rood screen into the Quire stalls; late arrivals are seated in the open nave.
3. What you cannot do: roam the church, visit the royal tombs or enter Poets’ Corner before or after the service. Marshals escort the congregation out through the Great West Door at the end.
4. Rules: keep silent, and no photography or video during the service.

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Practical information and visitor policies

Opening hours and the Sunday closure

• Monday to Friday: 09:30–16:30, last entry 15:30. The Abbey sometimes closes early for services, so check the entry times calendar for your date.
• Saturday: 09:00–16:00, last entry 15:00. As a working church, the Abbey sometimes closes early for weddings and other services (some Saturdays close at 13:00), so check the Abbey’s own entry times calendar for your date before you travel.
• Sunday: closed to tourist sightseeing. Open for worship only, at 08:00 (Holy Communion), 10:00 (Matins), 11:15 (Sung Eucharist) and 15:00 (Evensong).

Nearest tube and rail stations

• Westminster: 4 minutes’ walk (Jubilee, District and Circle lines).
• St James’s Park: 6 minutes’ walk (District and Circle lines).
• Rail: Charing Cross is the closest mainline station, 16 minutes’ walk, followed by Waterloo (19 minutes) and Victoria (24 minutes). Charing Cross and Victoria both have left luggage facilities — see below.

Bag policy and security checks

• Size limit: bags up to 40cm x 30cm x 20cm are allowed. Suitcases, large rucksacks, and any bag or case with wheels — at any size — are not, whether you’re entering the Abbey or just the precinct grounds.
• No cloakroom: there’s no luggage storage or lockers on-site, and staff will turn away oversized or wheeled luggage at the gate.
• The nearest left luggage facilities are at Charing Cross and Victoria stations.

Photography rules

• Personal photography is allowed in most of the Abbey. Flash, video recording, selfie sticks, tripods, monopods and drones are banned throughout, and photographing children needs a parent’s consent.
• No photography before, during or immediately after a service — that includes Choral Evensong.
• Photography is banned at all times in the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor, St Faith’s Chapel, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries.

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Common mistakes to avoid

1. Turning up on a Sunday expecting tourist admission: sightseeing is closed and only worshippers attending services may enter.
2. Missing the Cloisters and Chapter House: the visitor route leads to the shop exit in the South Transept. Look for the cloister archway.
3. Skipping the verger tour if you want the shrine: you can’t book it ahead, only ask on arrival.
4. Waiting until midday: coach tours and school groups fill the ambulatory through late morning and early afternoon. Book the first slot of the morning, or aim for mid-afternoon.
5. Paying for third-party audio guides: admission includes the handheld multimedia guide, in multiple languages.

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Continue planning your London trip

• 🏛️ Tower of London Guide — tickets, the quieter afternoon, the Crown Jewels and the Norman White Tower.
• 🗓️ Things to Do in London in December — the Abbey’s Christmas concert and when carol service tickets are released.
• 🗓️ Things to Do in London in January — the sold-out Bayeux Tapestry, the New Year’s Day Parade and the month’s closures.
• 🗺️ Three Days in London Itinerary — how to combine Westminster Abbey with Whitehall, Covent Garden, and South Bank.
• ⛪ St Paul’s Cathedral Guide — the dome climb, the crypt and the other big free Evensong.
• 🎟️ The London Pass Guide — when the pass pays for itself and when it loses money.
• 💷 London on a Budget — free museums, off-peak transport fares, and cheap dining across Zone 1.
• 🚤 How to Use London River Boats — scenic boat travel from Westminster Millennium Pier to the Tower and Greenwich.
• ♿ Step-Free London — the Abbey’s step-free doors and the parts of the route with steps, plus free companion entry.

Common questions

What is the best time of day to visit Westminster Abbey?

Arrive 15 minutes before opening: that's 09:15 for the 09:30 start Monday to Friday, but Saturday opens earlier, at 09:00, with last entry at 15:00 against 15:30 on weekdays. Entering with the first intake lets you reach the royal tombs and the Henry VII Lady Chapel before the organised coach parties fill the ambulatory.

Can you attend Choral Evensong for free at Westminster Abbey?

Yes. Choral Evensong is open to the public free of charge without a sightseeing ticket. It is sung at 17:00 on most weekdays and at 15:00 on Sundays, and the Abbey's Evensong calendar lists each service. Visitors sit in the Quire stalls, but there is no tourist access to the royal tombs or ambulatory.

Is Westminster Abbey open to tourists on Sundays?

No. Westminster Abbey is closed to tourist sightseeing on Sundays. The building stays open for worship and church services, which anyone may attend free of charge.

How much are tickets to Westminster Abbey in 2026?

Standard adult admission is £32.00, children aged 6 to 17 pay £14.00, and concessions (students and over-65s) pay £29.00. Children aged 5 and under enter free, and admission includes a handheld multimedia guide.

Is Westminster Abbey included on The London Pass?

Yes. Westminster Abbey is included on The London Pass. Pass holders must pre-book a timed entry slot online before visiting and present both their booking confirmation and digital pass QR code at the entrance.

What is the Westminster Abbey Verger Tour and is it worth it?

It costs the Abbey entry price plus £10, and it is the only way for the public to reach the Shrine of Edward the Confessor and its tomb enclosure. You cannot book ahead or by phone — sign up in person when you arrive, Monday to Saturday. Tours run for about 90 minutes and take up to 20 people.