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Stephen Fry’s Quite Interesting Tour of Westminster
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About the Tour
About the Tour
On this 60-minute walking tour, British actor, comedian and author Stephen Fry takes you on a journey through Westminster. He’ll share the historical stories, facts and quirks that lie behind some of London’s most famous landmarks.
To create this tour, Stephen reunited with the QI Elves, the researchers and writers behind the award-winning BBC comedy panel quiz show QI, which he presented for many years. It’s a Quite Interesting adventure spanning centuries of weird and wonderful goings-on, from royal affairs to revolutionary riots. We’ll also clear up a few myths along the way.
Our tour begins at Westminster Pier. From there, you'll head past the Houses of Parliament and through Parliament Square, where a suffragette was once arrested for driving in circles with a megaphone. You’ll continue along Whitehall, past 10 Downing Street and the Cenotaph, and into Trafalgar Square, finishing along the Thames Embankment by Cleopatra’s Needle.
Along the way, you'll learn about:
- The secret rooms hiding under the Houses of Parliament
- What King George V had hidden under his shirt
- The spooky inspiration behind London’s iconic red telephone boxes
- The WW2 heroines who motorbiked through bombings in the Blitz.
You’ll never look at London the same way again!
If you enjoy this tour, why not check out Stephen Fry’s Quite Interesting Tour of the City and Bankside?
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
QI
The QI Elves are the team of fact-finding writers and researchers behind the acclaimed BBC Two show 'QI', created by producer John Lloyd.
Dedicated to pushing the limits of human curiosity, we aim to investigate everything weird and wonderful that the world has to offer. We produce the hit podcasts 'No Such Thing As A Fish' and 'Lunchbox Envy' and have written multiple bestselling books, including '222 Answers To Your Quite Ingenious Questions', based on our BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show appearances. With over 20 years of experience of finding the best facts to delight and entertain, you’re in good hands.
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Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 19
10 Downing Street
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Houses of Parliament
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Westminster Abbey
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The Cenotaph
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10 Downing Street
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The Women of World War II
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Nelson's Column
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St Martin-in-the-Fields
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Charing Cross Station
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Victoria Embankment Gardens
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Cleopatra's Needle
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationWestminster Pier, Westminster, London SW1A 2JH, UK
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Total distance3km
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Final locationCleopatra's Needle, London WC2N 6NU, United Kingdom
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Distance back to start location815.03m
Directions to Starting Point
TUBE: Westminster, Waterloo
From Westminster underground station: Exit onto Bridge Street. Head east along Bridge Street, past Big Ben. At the end of the road, cross over so you are at the start of Westminster Bridge. Turn left here and head down Victoria Embankment, so you are walking parallel to the River Thames. Stop when you reach a sign on your right that says ‘Westminster Pier’. Stay on the road overlooking the pier: this is your starting point.
From Waterloo underground station: Exit onto Cab Road. Turn left and walk down until you reach York Road. Turn left onto York Road and walk all the way down until you reach Westminster Bridge Road. Turn right onto Westminster Bridge Road and walk down it until you reach Westminster Bridge. Big Ben should be straight ahead. Cross Westminster Bridge. At the other end of the Bridge, turn right at the corner and walk until you see the sign on your right that says ‘Westminster Pier’ Stay on the road overlooking the pier: this is your starting point.
BUS
Stop H: 11, 148,
Stop G: 12, 159, 453, N53, N109, N155, N381 to Westminster underground station.
From Stop G exit onto Parliament Street. Head south towards Bridge Street, then walk along it in the direction of Big Ben.
If you exited at Stop H you will already be on Bridge Street. Walk down to the end of the road, past Big Ben, then cross over so you are at the start of Westminster Bridge. Turn left here and head down Victoria Embankment, so you are walking parallel to the River Thames. Stop when you reach a sign on your right that says ‘Westminster Pier’. Stay on the road overlooking the pier: this is your starting point.
NATIONAL RAIL
Waterloo station (see Tube directions above)
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
The Houses of Parliament offers paid guided tours of its buildings. We’ll pass Westminster Abbey - you can pause the tour if you’d like to head inside and buy a ticket to see the waxworks we mention. Next to the Abbey is St Margaret’s Church, which is free to enter, as is St Martin-in-the-Fields church near Trafalgar Square, which often offers ticketed evening concerts.
Drinking: We recommend stopping for a drink at St Stephen’s Tavern, opposite the Houses of Parliament, or the Red Lion on Parliament Street - both mentioned in the tour.
Eating: There are plenty of cafés and casual restaurants along the route. St Martin-in-the-Fields church near Trafalgar Square has a cafe in its crypt, which is lift-accessible. Charing Cross station also has a number of quick-service food vendors.
Toilet breaks: St Martin-in-the-Fields church near Trafalgar Square has a large number of free-to-use toilets, a cafe and a gift shop. There are also free public toilets in Charing Cross Station and Trafalgar Square.
Best time of day
You can take the tour at any time of day, but it’s best to avoid busy hours.
Precautions
Westminster is a very busy area, so ensure you cross roads at marked crossing points. Please be aware that Trafalgar Square is also used to host cultural and seasonal events on occasion, and may become very crowded during these times. Be vigilant for pickpockets in central London.
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