As part of our self-initiated walking tour of London, we stopped by the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

We queued for tickets, and after receiving them from a friendly ticket agent, entered the famous House of God and House of Kings. We opted not to join a guided tour, which cost extra, and instead just walked through with the free brochure, which was more than enough for us. The free brochure does an excellent job of guiding you through the hundreds of cool things that Westminster has to offer. From tombs to thrones, the abbey has enough to make anyone happy.

There are however, several things that you should not miss. If the abbey garden is open, take a stroll through it, there's an excellent view of Parliament from the garden, and since you're once again outside, you can take pictures.

Also, towards the back of the abbey (down the left corridor) there is a little museum with the faux crown jewels that the monarchy "practice" with for their coronations, as well as medieval weaponry and royal clothing. The ladies that run the museum area were eager to offer up tidbits and trivia that just added to the visit.

When you exit the abbey, there's a nice gift shop, but try to shop around before making any definitive purchases... most London gift shops offer similar products, for a variety of prices. Thus, you can probably find it cheaper elsewhere.

For updated prices and hours: www.westminster-abbey.org

Westminster Abbey is, of course, a place of worship, but most tourists go there to look at the graves of the hundreds of famous people who are buried within its walls.

The first part of the abbey was mostly of royalty we didn't know, but there were a few interesting highlights, such as Oliver Cromwell's grave (me: "I'm surprised they allowed him to be buried at Westminster!"), and Mary of Tudor and Elizabeth I interred on opposite sides of a chapel (with a moving plaque on the floor commemorating all those who had died, on both sides, for their conscience and their faith during those violent times). After the bit where most of their tombs belonged to royalty, we arrived at the Poets' Corner, and we got a kick out of identifying the graves of various great writers: Robert Browning, Jane Austen, T. S. Eliot, Geoffrey Chaucer, etc. We also saw Sir Lawrence Olivier's grave. We stopped at an external garden where we took a short breather, then headed back to see more famous graves: Edmund Halley, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin... Near the exit, we lit a candle for the dead and saw the grave of the Unknown Soldier, adorned with flowers, and finally, the grave of Winston Churchill alongside a moving tribute to all those who had died for king and country in the wars.

Photography is not allowed in the Abbey. Its visiting hours are at www.westminster-abbey.org (it is closed to tourists some days when important events are happening). Admission for adults is GBP 10. Services are at 11am and 6:30 pm on Sundays (sung), and 5 pm on Wednesdays (said); there is Holy Communion at 8am everyday and 12:30 pm on weekdays. Matins are at 7:30 am on weedays, 8 am on Saturdays and Sundays, and 9 am on weekday Bank Holidays. Evensong is at 3pm on weekends and at 5 pm on weekdays except Wednesday. Telephone: +44 (207) 2225152.

A trip to London would be incomplete without seeing the grandiose and spectacular Westminster Abbey. This church is closing is on a thousand years since it was first built on the grounds of an older shrine that was established in the early 7th century. The modern Abbey, officially called the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, was built between 1045 and 1065 by Edward the Confessor. And after the conquest of Britain by William the Conqueror in 1066, the Abbey has been the site of every coronation up to the modern time.

Walking through the Abbey is an interesting experience. Despite its function as a church with daily services, it is also a place where the lines of monarchs and other distinguished people are buried.

After entering through the North Entrance doors, you wind your way through the Abbey. In addition to the tombs and shrines, there is also a small museum that contains royal and funeral effigies, medieval glass. Nearby is the coronation chair that has been used for coronations since the time of King Edward I in 1296.

Continuing around the Abbey are other chambers and rooms that are interesting to spend time in. Also, within the grounds are the College Gardens that have been under continuous cultivation for the past 900 years.

Overall, Westminster Abbey is an historical icon. From the gothic architecture to the long line of nobles buried within its walls. I would certainly recommend seeing this place while visiting London.

You can get to the Abbey by Underground on the District or Circle Line to St. James Park or on the Jubilee & Circle Line to Westminster. The Abbey is also not open to tourists on Sundays since that is reserved only for worshipping services. And finally, the Abbey closes by mid afternoon on most days, so plan your trip to it accordingly.

This is another "must see" historical sight in London. The Abbey is a living church that enshrines the history of the Britain. It is not considered a museum, but it contains historical information and many things that are worth seeing. Worship is offered in the Abbey every day. The thing that absolutely amazed me is walking around the Abbey, being surrounded by history, touching stones and burial plates that date back to King Edward the first (1239-1307), walking in the footsteps of Benedictine monks who lived in the Monastery, and thinking about the pilgrims that prayed at the Shrine of Saint Edward! The audio tour, available at the information desk, helps somewhat to navigate the different parts of the Abbey and learn some history. However, it was a little hard for us to follow some information, because we weren't familiar in details with all the Kings and Queens in the English history. I would definitely recommend to read a good history book before coming here.

We took the Westminster by Gaslight Walking Tour in London. We originally needed something to do before waiting for our overnight train to Scotland, and this seemed to be perfect. It was on one the few nights that was chilly, but the walking helped keep us warm.

The tour guide had a portable speaker system that amplified her voice just enough to be heard in the back of the crowd. There is no need to reserve a spot for the tour; simply choose a tour and show up. And the London Pass even gives you a discount on the price.

For just over 2 hours, we walked around Westminster. We saw churches and some of the houses that were used as bomb shelters during the air raids of WWII. We walked over the Thames in order to see parliament from far away and heard how Big Ben is actually the bell inside the tower, not the clock, as many believe.

We also walked next to parliament and heard about the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and a little about how the House of Lords is currently changing its structure.

The tour was very informative, although more political than some of the others we went on in London. If you’re not up to walking a great distance, this tour is definitely not for you. But if you don’t mind the walking, then grab a cup of hot chocolate and put on your tennis shoes.