Houses of Parliament & Big Ben vs Trafalgar Square: which should you do first?

If you only have time for one, do Trafalgar Square first. Its top ten experiences average an Outty Ranking of 91 against 90 for Houses of Parliament & Big Ben, and it has 521 ranked ways to see it versus 654. With a full day in London, pair them: plan Houses of Parliament & Big Ben 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

Trafalgar Square in London, United Kingdom

Trafalgar Square

Side by side

Houses of Parliament & Big Ben compared with Trafalgar Square in London
Houses of Parliament & Big BenTrafalgar Square
Ranked experiences654521
Top Outty Ranking9595
Average ranking (top 10)9091
Cheapest experience£19£19
Average time needed3.8h4.2h
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 Trafalgar Square

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

    Outty Ranking 95 · from £35 · 5h

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

    Outty Ranking 95 · from £60 · 3.5h

  3. 3. Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace Experience

    Outty Ranking 94 · from £19 · 2h

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

    Outty Ranking 92 · from £35 · 3.5h

  5. 5. London: Buckingham Palace & Big Ben (& Westminster Abbey entry)

    Outty Ranking 91 · from £65 · 5h

All 521 Trafalgar Square experiences

Frequently asked questions

Houses of Parliament & Big Ben or Trafalgar Square: which is better?

If you only have time for one, do Trafalgar Square first. Its top ten experiences average an Outty Ranking of 91 against 90 for Houses of Parliament & Big Ben, and it has 521 ranked ways to see it versus 654. With a full day in London, pair them: plan Houses of Parliament & Big Ben in the morning, as it is the shorter visit on average.

Which is cheaper, Houses of Parliament & Big Ben or Trafalgar Square?

Ranked experiences at Houses of Parliament & Big Ben start from £19 and at Trafalgar Square from £19 per person.

How long do you need at Houses of Parliament & Big Ben and Trafalgar Square?

Experiences at Houses of Parliament & Big Ben run 3.8 hours on average and at Trafalgar Square 4.2 hours, so both fit in one day in London with a break in between.

Can you do Houses of Parliament & Big Ben and Trafalgar Square 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 Trafalgar Square 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 Trafalgar Square: London 30 Top Sights with Fun Local Guide (Outty Ranking 95, from £35).

More London matchups

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