Westminster Abbey launches booking portal for Blue Badge Guide-led tours

Groups given guaranteed timed entry on pre-booked tours

Westminster Abbey has announced the launch of its first group booking portal for travel operators and qualified Blue Badge Tourist Guides.

It allows for easier pre-booking of discounted group tickets with guaranteed timed entry to the London landmark.

The new system has been introduced in preparation for the opening of the King Charles III Sacristy, a new building which is expected to transform the way the Abbey’s visitors are welcomed.

The booking portal aims to improve visitor flow and capacity through pre-booked, timed entry tickets to ensure all group visitors enjoy a smooth and memorable experience.

Westminster Abbey welcomes guided tour groups of up to 20 visitors when accompanied by a Blue Badge Tourist Guide with group entry tickets priced at £29 for adults, £25 for adults aged 65+ and students, and £12 for children (6-17 years).

To access the group booking portal, travel operators and guides can register for an account on the Abbey’s website. Once a tour has been booked, entry to the Abbey remains through the Cloisters, where a member of the visitor experience team will scan the group ticket.

Leticia Edwards, groups and travel trade manager at Westminster Abbey, said: “Our new group booking system makes it easier than ever for Blue Badge Tourist Guides to plan and book visits to the Abbey and create an unforgettable day out for their parties.

“Previously, guides had to turn up on the day and queue to enter the Abbey, but now they can book with confidence knowing all groups will enjoy a seamless visit with guaranteed timed entry, allowing everyone to fully appreciate the Abbey’s beauty and rich history.”

During a group trip, visitors can explore the Abbey’s royal tombs, see the historic Coronation Chair, visit Poets' Corner, marvel at The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries with more than 300 objects from the Abbey's rich past, take a walk through the Cloisters and more.

With a history stretching back over a thousand years, Westminster Abbey has been the setting for every coronation since 1066 and has witnessed other events in the life of the nation. It is the burial place of many famous men and women from Britain’s history including Charles Dickens, Sir Isaac Newton, George Frederic Handel and Elizabeth I.

Every year, more than a million visitors explore the heritage attraction. Many thousands more worship at the Abbey’s daily services.