minibus hire Westminster

The City of Westminster is located west of the City of London and has world-class tourist sites such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and 10 Downing Street.

London Walks-style whistle stop tour of Westminster favorites (with small tidbits to watch out for from our guides), as well as some more offbeat things to do in Westminster, in our 'things to do in Westminster' guide.

The Houses of Parliament, often known as the Palace of Westminster, is one of London's most recognizable landmarks, with its Victorian period gothic style. Its clock tower is technically known as the Elizabeth Tower, although it is more generally known as Big Ben because of the 13-ton bell that it houses. Indeed, the crucial statistics of this London monument are astounding from all angles. The clock face is nearly the size of a two-story home, measuring 23 feet in diameter. And each minute hand is 14 feet long—roughly the length of a London black cab—made of hollow copper and weighing nearly 224 pounds!

Touring Westminster is not something to do on an empty stomach. Therefore there are some hidden eating treasures in Westminster as well. The Cinnamon Club, hidden behind Westminster Abbey and housed in Grade II Listed building, is London's most excellent Indian restaurant, according to Jan Poole of London Walks. The Cinnamon Club serves inventive and imaginative Indian food in a spectacular location, only a short distance from major Westminster attractions such as the London Eye on the South Bank.

Deep under Westminster's streets are the Churchill War Rooms, an underground government nerve center where British Prime Minister Winston Churchill strategized during WWII. If you go, David Tucker recommends seeing where the earth meets the building. The building stone rising from the ground for the first 6 feet or so has a different colour from the remainder of the construction stone. This was because it was not there when the building was constructed in the early twentieth century. They 'roofed' the bunker with a 3 meter thick slab of protective concrete as the conflict approached.

St. John's Smith Square, a church-turned music hall erected in the 18th century in the baroque style, is hidden around the rear of Westminster Abbey. According to London Walks guide Karen Pierce-Goulding, this old church is noted for its vast schedule of musical performances and bell-like acoustics, making it the ideal environment to enjoy the works of Handel and Purcell. It even has a café in the crypt where you can dine before the play.

Buckingham Palace is the official house of the Queen and home to numerous members of the royal family, with an incredible 775 rooms and over 50,000 visitors each year. You may also see the Changing of the Guard event at Buckingham Palace when one group of soldiers takes over defending Buckingham Palace and St. James's Park. Other features are the State Rooms and the Gardens, which cover 42 acres and are more significant than Green Park.

If you still need to take a river trip down the Thames, now is the year to do it. Cruises depart at Westminster Pier and visit several of Westminster's highlights, including the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Bridge. Even better, learn about the history of these well-known sites. Here's a sample from Robert: Westminster Bridge is the only bridge in London with seven arches, and it was called "the bridge of fools" throughout its conception and construction.