Westminster Bridge

★ 4.6 (11,646)Free

Opened in 1862 and painted the same green as the House of Commons benches it sits closest to, Westminster Bridge offers what's widely considered London's single best photo of the Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower rising along the Thames, with the London Eye turning slowly on the opposite bank. With a 4.6 rating and over 11,000 reviews, it's less a destination than a vantage point, and reviewers note it can get crowded, particularly at the Parliament end, while pointing out that the river itself isn't the swimmable kind of scenic. It's an essential five-minute stop for anyone crossing between Westminster and the South Bank.

✨ Reasons to go

1Opened in 1862 and painted the same green as the House of Commons benches nearby.
2Regarded as offering London's best photo angle on the Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower with the London Eye across the river.

💡 Good to know

1Cross from the London Eye side for the classic view with Big Ben and Parliament framed together
2go at early_evening for golden-hour light on the Houses of Parliament
3be mindful of pedestrian and cyclist traffic, since the bridge gets busy and narrow at peak times.

⏱️ Typical visit

15 min

🕰️ Best time

early evening or evening

🚶 Walking intensity

Easy pace

📍

Address

Westminster Bridge, London SW1A 2JH, UKGoogle Apple

🎫

Booking

Walk-in

What people say

"Great views, the river itself is muddy, wouldn’t be a pleasant swim there. Also its really important that you understand, if not trying to piss of the locals…,that the tower itself is called Elizabeth tower not “Big Ben”, the bell its housing is the ben and its not visible from the outside."

— Kristofer Jussmann