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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 06 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Sarah Barrell

Staff worked 14-hour shifts in this subterranean bunker, from which the cigar-puffing Winston Churchill directed operations during the Blitz. The warren of rooms, which remains exactly as it was in 1945 – from the rationed sugar cubes to the military maps – provides a fascinating glimpse of London during World War II.

During air raids, the weather indicator was changed to ‘windy’ as a joke. Ironically, it recently emerged that this secret nerve centre was neither bombproof nor gas-proof.

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Price from: £25
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 8+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

The nearest Underground station is Westminster (District, Circle and Jubilee Lines).

Allow 2 to 3 hours for your visit. Audio guides are available in multiple languages, providing anecdotes about the war rooms and insights about Churchill and the hard decisions he made.

When to do it

It’s open all year round, Wednesday to Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

May to August are the busiest months – go on a weekday during local working hours (around 9am-6pm) for the best chance of an uncrowded visit; the last couple of hours of the day are least likely to attract school parties. November to March are the quietest months.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Historical London Walking Tour in Westminster & Churchill War Rooms Entry

Historical London Walking Tour in Westminster & Churchill War Rooms Entry

London

Discover Westminster’s Second World War sights with a knowledgeable guide and visit the fascinating Churchill War Rooms, an underground netw...

£63 | Rating 4.42 / 5 [356 ratings]

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Westminster 3 Hour Walking Tour & Visit Churchill War Rooms

Westminster 3 Hour Walking Tour & Visit Churchill War Rooms

London

We will see 20 of London's most iconic sights in a 3-hour historic walking tour! After the walking tour : Visit the Churchill War Rooms Di...

£64 | Rating 4.74 / 5 [185 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Sir Winston Churchill Private Walking Tour & War Rooms

Sir Winston Churchill Private Walking Tour & War Rooms

London

This one is for all fans and affecionados of our Greatest Briton of all time, war time Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. This walking ...

£170 | Rating 4.92 / 5 [42 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Winston Churchill's London and The Churchill War Rooms - A Private Tour.

Winston Churchill's London and The Churchill War Rooms - A Private Tour.

London

Follow the life of Winston Churchill by taking a private tour through the most important and personal sites he knew so well, including skip ...

£189 | Rating 5 / 5 [36 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Marriott County Hall

London, United Kingdom (UK)

Get a front-row seat for the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and a sparkling stretch of the River Thames, at this Grade-II listed Westminster waterfront address. Right in the city center, it’s walking distance to the major sites.

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The Hub Covent Garden

London, United Kingdom (UK)

A super-affordable, tech-savvy stay in very centre of the capital between The Strand and Covent Garden, with a buzzy café, popular with locals.

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The Resident Covent Garden

London, United Kingdom (UK)

Low prices without sacrificing style or comfort are the order of the day at The Resident’s smart Covent Garden address.

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Henrietta Hotel London

London, United Kingdom (UK)

A stylish boutique hotel with a standout bar, superb London Eye views and Covent Garden and the Royal Opera House right outside the door.

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

London

Greater London, United Kingdom (UK)

World-class culture, fashion, music, food and history – and a mind-boggling array of bucket list experiences – packed into one extraordinary, incomparable destination. 

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The London Dungeon

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A gallows humour romp through London’s most gruesome periods of history, encountering its shadiest characters, via live action, rides and special effects.

Best for ages: 12+ | £27

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