Abbey to re-open for visiting from 21st May

Opening the Abbey in May is conditional on the basis that Step 3 of the Government's roadmap for the re-opening of indoor venues is met.

Visits in May, June and beyond 

The Abbey will initially be open on selected days, with timed entry tickets for visits during May and June available to purchase online now. The dates and times we will be open for visits are:

May

• Friday 21st May: 12:00pm - 1:00pm (last entry)
• Saturday 22nd May: 10:00am - 1:00pm (last entry)
• Friday 28th May: 10:00am - 1:00pm (last entry)
• Saturday 29th May: 10:00am - 1:00pm (last entry)
• Monday 31st May: 10:00am - 1:00pm (last entry)

June

• Friday 4th June: 10:00am - 1:00pm (last entry)
• Saturday 5th June: 10:00am - 1:00pm (last entry)
• Monday 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th: 09:30am - 3.30pm (last entry)
• Tuesday 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th: 09:30am - 3.30pm (last entry)
• Friday 11th, 18th and 25th: 09:30am - 3.30pm (last entry)
• Saturday 12th, 19th and 26th: 09:00am - 1:00pm (last entry)

Visiting ends one hour after last entry.

• Book tickets for Westminster Abbey 

Further dates will be added throughout the summer.

If visits have to be cancelled

Visitors can book with confidence: tickets for any visits unable to go ahead due to government restrictions will be rescheduled or refunded.

Worship and individual prayer

The Abbey also remains open for public worship and individual prayer. Attendance at services is free of charge, and congregation sizes are limited to maintain social distancing.

• Find out about upcoming services and times

About the Abbey

The Abbey is an inspirational place to visit, with a thousand years of history to explore. It has been the coronation church since 1066, has held 16 royal weddings and is the final resting place of kings, queens and some of the most distinguished figures from our nation’s history. As the Abbey receives no Church or State funding, the return of visitors is also vital to protecting its priceless heritage, which has been put at risk by the drastic reduction in income caused by the Covid pandemic.

Visit England has awarded the Abbey its official ‘Good to Go’ kitemark in recognition that it is following government and industry best practice guidelines to maintain the highest standards of protection through cleanliness and social distancing to help keep visitors safe. Further information about the measures in place is available on our coronavirus page.

What visitors think

Visitors who came last summer enjoyed the opportunity to experience the beauty of the church without the usual crowds, with feedback including:

'A truly heart-warming and deeply moving experience, and an astonishing opportunity to see that beautiful old place without the normal crowds. The staff were brilliant, very welcoming, and actively helping people with enquires. And, although wearing masks, you could tell they were all smiling by looking at their eyes! Well done for bringing joy!'

'I knew that it would be a heart-lifting and morale boosting experience to see the old place again in these difficult times and especially after the restrictions of lockdown. And, of course, it certainly didn’t disappoint!'

'Great opportunity to see a normally crowded top tourist site with fewer people to compete with. Checking the website to get a flavour of what I could expect to see also helped.'