Houses of Parliament & Big Ben vs St. Paul's Cathedral: which should you do first?

If you only have time for one, do St. Paul's Cathedral first. Its top ten experiences average an Outty Ranking of 92 against 90 for Houses of Parliament & Big Ben, and it has 547 ranked ways to see it versus 654. With a full day in London, pair them: plan St. Paul's Cathedral in the morning, as it is the shorter visit on average.

Houses of Parliament & Big Ben in London, United Kingdom

Houses of Parliament & Big Ben

St. Paul's Cathedral in London, United Kingdom

St. Paul's Cathedral

Side by side

Houses of Parliament & Big Ben compared with St. Paul's Cathedral in London
Houses of Parliament & Big BenSt. Paul's Cathedral
Ranked experiences654547
Top Outty Ranking9597
Average ranking (top 10)9092
Cheapest experience£19£6
Average time needed3.8h3.2h
Free cancellation100% of options100% of options
Free to visitNoNo

Best ways to see Houses of Parliament & Big Ben

  1. 1. London Bike Tour: Landmarks, Secret Gems, Pub Stop & Street Art

    Outty Ranking 95 · from £60 · 3.5h

  2. 2. London Sightseeing Walking Tour with 30+ sights

    Outty Ranking 94 · from £19 · 5h

  3. 3. Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Guided Tour of London

    Outty Ranking 92 · from £55 · 3.5h

  4. 4. London Classic Landmarks Bike Tour with Local Guide

    Outty Ranking 92 · from £35 · 3.5h

  5. 5. Westminster Guided Walking Tour with Abbey Entry

    Outty Ranking 90 · from £53 · 5h

All 654 Houses of Parliament & Big Ben experiences

Best ways to see St. Paul's Cathedral

  1. 1. London Small Group Tour of Historical Pubs

    Outty Ranking 97 · from £35 · 3.5h

  2. 2. Tour for Muggles The Ultimate Harry Potter Walking Tour in London

    Outty Ranking 95 · from £17 · 2h

  3. 3. London 30 Top Sights with Fun Local Guide

    Outty Ranking 95 · from £35 · 5h

  4. 4. London Sightseeing Walking Tour with 30+ sights

    Outty Ranking 94 · from £19 · 5h

  5. 5. London Classic Landmarks Bike Tour with Local Guide

    Outty Ranking 92 · from £35 · 3.5h

All 547 St. Paul's Cathedral experiences

Frequently asked questions

Houses of Parliament & Big Ben or St. Paul's Cathedral: which is better?

If you only have time for one, do St. Paul's Cathedral first. Its top ten experiences average an Outty Ranking of 92 against 90 for Houses of Parliament & Big Ben, and it has 547 ranked ways to see it versus 654. With a full day in London, pair them: plan St. Paul's Cathedral in the morning, as it is the shorter visit on average.

Which is cheaper, Houses of Parliament & Big Ben or St. Paul's Cathedral?

Ranked experiences at Houses of Parliament & Big Ben start from £19 and at St. Paul's Cathedral from £6 per person.

How long do you need at Houses of Parliament & Big Ben and St. Paul's Cathedral?

Experiences at Houses of Parliament & Big Ben run 3.8 hours on average and at St. Paul's Cathedral 3.2 hours, so both fit in one day in London with a break in between.

Can you do Houses of Parliament & Big Ben and St. Paul's Cathedral on the same day?

Yes. Book the longer visit for the morning when crowds are lighter, and keep the afternoon for the other. 100% of Houses of Parliament & Big Ben options and 100% of St. Paul's Cathedral options offer free cancellation, which makes it easy to adjust.

What is the best tour of each?

For Houses of Parliament & Big Ben: London Bike Tour: Landmarks, Secret Gems, Pub Stop & Street Art (Outty Ranking 95, from £60). For St. Paul's Cathedral: London Small Group Tour of Historical Pubs (Outty Ranking 97, from £35).

More London matchups

Best things to do in LondonLondon city guideLondon tours comparedHow the Outty Ranking works