I've been to the Westminster Abbey for the first time as far back as 2000, and then at least a couple of times while living in London in the later part of the first decade of the millennium. It is undoubtedly among the most important monuments in London and in all of Britain, and the final resting place of a number of major historical figures. My very dated recollection of it somehow includes free entry and the ability to walk in without waits - twenty years hence, the cost is significant and the queues are pretty long all day around. On my most recent trip to London, even as I wanted my youngest child to see the Abbey, we took one look at the line from behind the fence and decided to pass.

We did go for a tour of the Parliament, though. Getting inside the Westminster Palace was a very welcome first for us, all those past years of residing in London notwithstanding. During recess months, self-guided audio tours are possible daily except Sunday (during in-session months, only Saturday is open for touring), with plenty of available time-slots showing up in the online booking systems even just a few days ahead. The cost is pretty steep - £27 per adult - but then London apparently can only do either free (for national museums) or exorbitant (for everything else). 

We showed up for our afternoon time slot almost half an hour early and were waved through the ticket control without any holdups. There was no line at the security checkpoint either, so even though it was a decidedly thorough airport-like check, the entire getting-in process took no more than a couple of minutes. That is most likely the function of the Parliament not being on the must-see circuit for most visitors in a city with dozens of incredible sights and museums on offer, but the ease of entry was an unexpected bonus.

The audio guide takes at a minimum about 45 minutes to listen through, with a number of "to learn more" segments that can extend the tour to around twice that. It covers all of the key architecture and design details of the main spaces, touches upon a number of momentous events, and gives a good overview of the inner workings of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. I am first and foremost a visual person, but in a place that functions as a seat of government, listening may be more important than seeing, even though the visual aspect is tremendous all by itself. Photography, unfortunately, is only allowed in two areas - the cathedral-like Westminster Hall that serves as the starting/ending point of the tour, and the beautiful chapel-like St Stephen's Hall (pictured) that leads to the parliament proper. There are a dozen other spaces that you will see on the tour, all with their own remarkable features, where you can only look and listen, but not capture.

All in all, touring the Parliament is a very fulfilling experience, helping to put the historical context of the WH inscription on equal footing with the appreciation of the neo-Gothic architecture, which on its own can be easily accomplished from the outside.