Westminster Abbey

Published 18 September 2026 · By the Guide to London editorial team · Editor: Terje Moy

Westminster Abbey is the church where English and British monarchs have been crowned since 1066 and where around 30 kings and queens are buried, along with writers in Poets' Corner. A sightseeing ticket cost £31 for an adult in September 2026, the Abbey is usually open to visitors from 9.30am to 3.30pm on weekdays and until 3pm on Saturdays, and anyone can attend a daily service such as Evensong free of charge.

The Abbey stands beside Parliament Square, a few minutes' walk from Big Ben. It is still a working church, officially called the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster. It is neither a cathedral nor an ordinary parish church but a "Royal Peculiar", answering to the monarch rather than to a bishop.

For a visitor, that means two things. First, the building is full of history you can see and touch: the Coronation Chair, the shrine of Edward the Confessor, the grave of the Unknown Warrior. Second, worship comes first, so the Abbey closes to sightseers on Sundays and sometimes at short notice for special services. This guide explains what to see, what it costs and how to get in without paying.

A thousand years of coronations

The Abbey has been the setting for every coronation since William the Conqueror was crowned here on Christmas Day 1066. According to the Abbey, there have been 39 coronations and 40 monarchs crowned in that time; the only two monarchs since William who were never crowned are Edward V and Edward VIII, who abdicated. The most recent was the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in 2023, the first in 70 years.

The object that connects all of this is the Coronation Chair. It has been the centrepiece of coronations for more than 700 years, and for the ceremony it is carried to the centre of the Abbey in front of the High Altar. The rest of the time it stands in St George's Chapel, where you can see it at close range. It is easy to walk past, so ask a marshal if you cannot find it.

The Abbey has also hosted sixteen royal weddings. Its record of the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, including the royal marriage licence, is on display in the Galleries upstairs.

Royal tombs and the shrine of Edward the Confessor

The Abbey is the burial place of 30 kings and queens. The story begins with King Edward the Confessor, who greatly enlarged a small monastery here and built a large stone church; it was consecrated on 28 December 1065, and he died a few days later. His shrine still stands behind the High Altar, surrounded by the tombs of medieval kings and their queens: Henry III, Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, Richard II and Anne of Bohemia, and Henry V.

Henry III is the king you have to thank for the building you see today. He decided to rebuild the Abbey in the new Gothic style in the middle of the 13th century, and his church was consecrated on 13 October 1269. Later came the Lady Chapel of Henry VII, consecrated in 1516, with a fan-vaulted stone roof which we think is the most beautiful space in the building. Elizabeth I is buried in its north aisle. The western towers were finished only in 1745, to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor.

Poets' Corner, 3,300 graves and the Unknown Warrior

Around 3,300 people are buried in the church and cloisters, and there are more than 600 monuments and wall tablets. Most visitors head first for Poets' Corner, in the south transept, where more than 100 poets and writers are buried or have memorials.

The tradition started almost by accident. Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, was buried here in 1400, not because he was a poet but because he had been Clerk of the King's Works. Edmund Spenser asked to be buried near him about 200 years later, and the idea caught on. You will find the graves of Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Hardy, the composer George Frederic Handel, and memorials to Shakespeare, Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. The Dean still decides who receives a memorial today.

Near the west door is the grave of the Unknown Warrior, a soldier of the First World War buried among the kings to represent all those who died. The Abbey describes it as a place of pilgrimage, and visiting heads of state traditionally lay a wreath there.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries

High above the Abbey floor, in the 13th-century triforium 16 metres up, the Galleries display the Abbey's greatest treasures. Highlights include the 14th-century Liber Regalis, a guide to staging coronations that still shapes the ceremony; 21 funeral effigies from the 14th to the early 17th centuries, including a strikingly lifelike head of Henry VII; and the Westminster Retable, England's oldest surviving altarpiece. The view down into the church from the triforium is worth the extra £5 on its own.

Entry is by timed ticket, bought together with an Abbey entry ticket, and costs £5 for adults. Under-18s go free. The Galleries are fully accessible by lift. Last entry is at 3pm on weekdays and Saturdays, and they are closed on Sundays.

Westminster Abbey tickets and prices

These are the Abbey's own prices for visits between 2 and 30 September 2026. Prices for later dates had not been published on the Abbey's website when we checked, so look at the official prices and entry times page before you book.

There is no booking fee, online or at the door. A limited number of tickets may be available on the day, but the Abbey advises booking online, and tickets are non-refundable. The multimedia guide is included and is available in several languages, with a British Sign Language version and printed transcripts in 14 languages.

Other ways in

• National Rail 2 for 1. With a National Rail ticket and a Days Out Guide voucher, two adults pay for one at the door (not with pre-booked tickets), and each adult can bring one child free. See our guide to buying UK train tickets for how rail tickets work.
• London Pass. The Go City London Pass covers Abbey entry if you reserve through its app; the Galleries cost extra. Our analysis of whether the London Pass is worth it will help you decide.
• Highlights tour. When the whole Abbey cannot be opened, a shorter highlights visit is sold at the door for £20 per adult.

Attending a service: the free way to experience the Abbey

You do not have to pay to go inside if you come to worship. Everyone is welcome at the regular services, which are free, need no ticket and use the Great West Door. The weekday pattern is Morning Prayer, Holy Communion and Evensong. Arrive early, because seats are not reserved.

Evensong is the one we recommend for visitors. It is a sung service of psalms, canticles and anthems in the Anglican choral tradition, held in the Quire, and the Abbey's calendar for autumn 2026 shows it at 5pm on weekdays and Saturdays, and at 3pm on Sundays. Hearing the choir in that space is one of the great free experiences in London. Check the Evensong calendar for your date, as times and choirs change.

A service is not a sightseeing visit. You will sit in one area, you cannot wander around the chapels, and photography is not allowed. Dress respectfully and stay for the whole service. Our notes on British etiquette cover the basics of behaviour in churches.

Opening hours, closures and the best time to go

The Abbey is usually open for sightseeing from 9.30am to 3.30pm on Monday to Friday and from 9.30am to 3pm on Saturday. On Sundays and on religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter it is open for worship only. It also closes for special services, sometimes at short notice, and some days have shortened hours, so check the daily entry times on the official site before you travel. Our guide to opening hours and bank holidays explains how Sundays and holidays affect other sights too.

General admission includes the Cloisters, the Chapter House and the Pyx Chamber, one of the few parts of Edward the Confessor's 11th-century monastery still standing. There is a single-entry policy, so if you want to visit the café or shop and come back in, speak to a marshal before you leave.

Bags, rules and accessibility

Small bags up to 40 × 30 × 20 cm are allowed. Suitcases, large backpacks and any bag with wheels are not, and there is no cloakroom or left-luggage facility on site. Outside food and drink are not allowed except sealed items, water, and food needed for medical or family reasons.

The Abbey is accessible for wheelchair users, and wheelchairs can be borrowed without booking. A lift reaches the Galleries. Disabled visitors and one essential companion enter free, and there is a hearing loop throughout the main building. Assistance dogs are welcome. For planning the rest of your trip, see our guide to accessible London.

Getting there and what to combine with the Abbey

The nearest Underground station is Westminster (Jubilee, District and Circle lines), about 300 metres or four minutes on foot. St James's Park (District and Circle lines) is about 500 metres away. Charing Cross, Waterloo and Victoria main-line stations are between 16 and 24 minutes' walk. The Abbey's postal address is 20 Dean's Yard, London SW1P 3PA.

The Abbey is the anchor of any day in Westminster. Across the road are Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, which can be toured on Saturdays. St James's Park leads to Buckingham Palace, and a walk south along the river brings you to Tate Britain, which is free. If you are comparing London's two great churches, our guide to St Paul's Cathedral explains how the visits differ: St Paul's has the dome climb, while the Abbey has the royal history.

The Abbey's Cellarium Café and Terrace serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea on visiting days. The Abbey publishes its Christmas and Easter services on its website; our Christmas in London guide has the seasonal picture. For more ways to keep costs down across your trip, see our London budget tips.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to visit Westminster Abbey?

For visits in September 2026, an adult ticket cost £31, seniors aged 65 and over and students paid £28, and children aged 6 to 17 paid £14. A family ticket for one adult and one child also cost £31. Entry to services is always free.

Can you visit Westminster Abbey for free?

Yes, by attending a service. Regular services such as Evensong, Morning Prayer and Holy Communion are free and need no ticket; enter by the Great West Door. You cannot walk around as a sightseer during a service, but you will hear the choir and see the church in use.

Is Westminster Abbey open on Sundays?

Only for worship. On Sundays, and on religious holidays including Christmas and Easter, the Abbey is not open for sightseeing, but everyone is welcome at the services. Sightseeing usually runs Monday to Saturday.

Who is buried in Westminster Abbey?

Around 3,300 people, including 30 kings and queens such as Edward the Confessor, Henry V and Elizabeth I. Poets' Corner holds the graves of Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy, among others, and the Unknown Warrior lies near the west door.

How long do you need at Westminster Abbey?

The Abbey says most visitors spend one and a half to two hours seeing the main highlights. Allow two to three hours if you also want to visit the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, explore the Cloisters and listen to the full audio guide.

Sources

• Westminster Abbey - Prices and entry times (checked September 2026)
• Westminster Abbey - Frequently asked questions (checked September 2026)
• Westminster Abbey - History of Westminster Abbey (checked September 2026)
• Westminster Abbey - Poets' Corner (checked September 2026)
• Westminster Abbey - Royal tombs (checked September 2026)
• Westminster Abbey - The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries (checked September 2026)
• Westminster Abbey - Coronations at the Abbey (checked September 2026)