Having lived in London all my life and working in close proximity to Westminster Abbey, I have always been in awe and walked past it during my lunchtime walks, but I had never actually been inside. With the world’s eyes on Westminster Abbey recently for the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I thought this was a fitting time to go on a guided tour to see and learn about this fascinating church…

Get Your Guide organised a two-hour private tour of Westminster Abbey, with Larissa, a fantastic licensed expert guide. The ticket included skip-the-line entry, meaning we were able to bypass the 30 minutes-long queue for standard ticket holders and go straight in!

I saw other visitors using the self-guided audio tours. Although private guided tours are not the cheapest way to visit the Abbey, I thought that being able to benefit from the experiences of a knowledgeable tour guide during a one-on-one private tour, with the opportunity to ask questions and hear amazing anecdotes covering a 1,000 years of British history, was worth the cost. In fact, Larissa was so engaging that other visitors stopped next to us to hear her stories!

I was taken on a journey from the Abbey’s foundings in the 11th century right through to the present day, exploring every corner of the Abbey, learning some incredible historical facts and even spotting some hidden gems, including Britain’s oldest door!

I learnt that the church has over a 1,000 year history of coronations of British Kings and Queens, 17 royal weddings and is the resting place of more than 3,000 renowned Britons including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking.

I was able to admire the grand architecture of this Gothic masterpiece and even saw King Edward’s historic Chair, which has been used at every coronation of British sovereigns since 1302. It will be used during King Charles III’s coronation in 2023.

If you are interested in going on a private tour of Westminster Abbey, with a friendly and knowledgable licensed tour guide, check out more information and how to book tickets here.