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I am trying to decide whether to do the Vergers Tour at Westminister Abbey or do a London Walks tour of the Abbey. Would like any comment on the Vergers tour if you have taken it.?
Westminister Abbey
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I took it about 2 years ago and recommend highly.
I've taken the Verger's Tour twice, in 2001 and in 2010. It's a great tour and I highly recommend it.
I'd take the Verger's tour myself.
AFAIK (and someone who has taken the LW tour may be able to confirm this) being w/ a Verger is the only way to enter the shrine to Edward the Confessor.
My family took the London Walks tour and enjoyed it very much. We had visited the Abbey twice before but the tour really highlighted things we had not seen on our own.
Really, really enjoyed the Verger's Tour; it was a highlight of our London trip. And I believe JanisJ is right about it's being the only way to enter Edward's chapel.
Another vote for Vergers tour.
The Verger's Tour is definitely the way to go.
Access to the tomb of Edward the Confessor is currently restricted to organised tour (verger's) while the floor is being restored.
Another recommendation for the Verger's Tour. They know the place better than any walking tour could.
And yet another recommendation for the verger's tour. We thought it was excellent.
Lee Ann
We took the London Walks tour and loved it.
Janisj is right as we did not access the tomb of Edward the Confessor but we did cover the coronation chair and poet's corner among other areas within the Abbey. We spent about 45 minutes of the two hour tour in the Abbey. We entered via the Cloisters entrance and did not have to wait in line. The highlight for us on the London Walks tour was the combination of seeing the changing of the guard too on the same day without having to wait on a long line either.
We found Westminster Abbey so crowded though on the day we went. There were numerous groups in various areas which made it very difficult to walk around and you had to stay within your group.
On the other hand, St Paul's was much more spacious and you had the ability after a tour to just wander around at your leisure without the feeling there were hundreds of others with you doing the same thing at the same time. We also climbed to the top of St Paul's which is recommended. If you have time, do both.
We took the 90 minute vergers' tour (3 pounds each) at 2pm at Westminster Abbey today. Pluses: It was great being able to see the Edward the Confessor tomb and chapel, since it is not open to general visitors, and they limit the group size to twenty (we were only 12) so it's easy to see and hear throughout the tour. For what it's worth, my 14 year old was bored halfway through, and the tour emphasis was a bit heavy on exposition of the religous and political history and significance of the Abbey for me (but perhaps we didn't have the most scintillating verger guiding us?). So perhaps the free audio guide would have been better for us?
But another good thing to know is that the Abbey is much, much less crowded at 2pm than at midday, so if you don't get there first thing in the morning, 2pm still gives you plenty of time to see the place. It also fit in well with seeing the Churchill museum and War Rooms nearby (very worthwhile)