Tickets Alert: Tours of Parliament’s Speaker’s House

The now semi-regular opportunity to see inside the richly decorated Speakers House within the Houses of Parliament returns for Easter and the Summer recess.

The State Dining Room in Speaker’s House (c) UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

Speaker’s House can almost be described as a Palace within a Palace, as it’s exceptionally richly decorated and is both the private home of the Speaker of the House of Commons and a suite of state rooms used for events away from the main Parliamentary buildings.

The tours were an idea of the current Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who wants to open up more of the estate to the general public, with the first tours taking place in 2022.

Tours start in Westminster Hall, where you’re supplied with radio headpieces to wear, so the tour guide can talk without shouting to be heard, then a walk around the outside into a courtyard where the stone entrance to Speakers House leads up a grand staircase to the main staterooms.

The Crimson Drawing Room (c) UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

The public tours last around 75 minutes, including the Grand Staircase, Crimson Drawing Room, State Dining Room, and State Bedroom. The tour starts and finishes in Westminster Hall, which you are welcome to explore afterwards. You can also have tea in the undercroft cafe if you want.

  • General tickets: £21
  • UK armed forces: £12
  • Essential Companion: Free

You can also buy a guidebook for £7.

Tickets are on sale from here.

The tours run between the following dates:

  • Easter recess: Friday 11th to Saturday 19th April
  • Summer recess: Friday 1st to Saturday 30th August

Note – photography is NOT allowed during the tour except in Westminster Hall, and they advise that while there’s no explicit age limit, the tours are aimed at people over 16.

Profits from the tours will go to the Speaker’s Art Fund, which supports arts and educational projects that aim to increase understanding of Parliamentary democracy in the UK.