Westminster Walking Tour & St Paul’s Entry review
My verdict: a five-hour guided walk that starts outside the Ritz and finishes with you inside St Paul’s on an included ticket. The route is sensible and the price of admission is folded in. The 4.8 rating is not the reason to book it, because that 4.8 rests on nine reviews.
Nine reviews is not evidence
I want this out of the way before anything else. Nine people have rated this walk. One indifferent afternoon would drag that 4.8 down by a chunk you could see from across the room, and one enthusiastic party would push it back up again. That is not a criticism of the tour. It is a statement about arithmetic. Book it because the itinerary suits you, not because of the number in the badge.
The route, in order
The Ritz, then Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Horse Guards Parade, 10 Downing Street, Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey. Then St Paul’s, where your entry is included and you go inside. The Abbey is an exterior stop only, which is fair enough at five hours but worth knowing if you had pictured going in. The Abbey is a separate paid attraction with its own ticket, and I compare the two buildings on St Paul’s vs Westminster Abbey.
Meeting point is outside the Ritz Hotel, 150 Piccadilly W1J 9BR, by the red telephone boxes. Green Park is the nearest tube. Transport, snacks and drinks are not included, so bring water and a way of paying for the odd coffee.
What works
- Cathedral entry is included, not an add-on you queue for separately
- A live guide for the full five hours, in a small group
- The route is walkable and logically ordered, west to east
- Ends inside St Paul’s rather than at yet another exterior
Worth knowing
- Nine reviews — the 4.8 has almost nothing holding it up
- English only, with no other language option
- Westminster Abbey is seen from outside only
- Five hours on your feet before you start on the cathedral floor
- Transport, snacks and drinks are all excluded
Who it suits
First-time visitors on a short trip who want the Westminster set pieces and St Paul’s in one go, and who would rather be told what they are looking at than read it off a screen. It works particularly well as a first full day, because it fixes London’s geography in your head in a way the tube never will.
Who it does not suit
Anyone who needs a language other than English — the private tour covers nine. Anyone planning to climb all 528 steps the same day, because you will arrive at the cathedral with five hours of pavement already in your legs. And anyone who wants unhurried time inside, in which case buy plain entry and give the building a morning.
What reviewers say
“We had a fantastic walk with the guide Christopher.”
“Tour was amazing! Our tour guide Ari was so fun and knowledgeable!”
“I learned a great deal in a lively way that I did not yet know.”
Two of the three written reviews name their guide rather than the tour. That is the honest shape of this product: you are buying a person for an afternoon, and which person you get is not something the listing can promise you. Nine reviews cannot tell you how consistent the roster is. The free cancellation window means the downside of finding out is small.
Green Park is the tube for the start and St Paul’s is the tube for the end, so plan your evening around the City rather than Mayfair. Getting there has the lines and the walk from the Millennium Bridge.
Compare it with
Full dayEntry fee includedTop 30 Sights Walking Tour & St Paul’s
Most bookedCathedral entry includedSt Paul’s Cathedral Entry Ticket
Themed walkEntry fee includedHarry Potter Walking Tour & St Paul’s Tickets
Frequently asked questions
Does the Westminster walking tour include entry to St Paul’s?
Yes, cathedral entry is included and the walk finishes inside. It does not include entry to Westminster Abbey, which is seen from the outside. More options on guided tours.
How long is the Westminster walking tour?
Five hours, on foot, with a live guide in a small group. If that sounds like a lot before you even reach the cathedral, how long to visit sets out what St Paul’s itself needs.
Is the tour available in other languages?
No, English only. For Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Japanese or Chinese, the private tour is the one that covers them.