---
title: "How many steps up Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)? 334"
description: "334 steps up Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) in London, United Kingdom. Restricted — events or permit only. What the count reaches and how it compares."
url: https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/elizabeth-tower/
site: "At One Place"
---

# How many steps to the top of Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)?

**Steps to the top of Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben): 334**

Reaching the belfry, where the Great Bell hangs · restricted — events or permit only

Big Ben is the bell, not the tower — the tower has been the Elizabeth Tower since 2012 and was previously just the Clock Tower. The 334 steps of the spiral stair are the only way up; there is a lift, installed during the 2017-21 restoration, but it is for emergencies and staff. Tours are ticketed, run in small groups and were opened to overseas visitors in 2023 after decades of being limited to UK residents through an MP. The climb includes a pause inside the clock mechanism room, which is the part most people remember.

## The numbers

- **Steps:** 334
- **Reaches:** the belfry, where the Great Bell hangs
- **Public access:** Restricted — events or permit only
- **Where:** London, United Kingdom
- **Height climbed:** 62 m — 203 ft
- **Average rise per step:** 186 mm

## What the climb is like

About 90 minutes for the full tour. Booked well ahead; no lift, and a minimum age applies.

> These steps are not open on an ordinary visit. Access is limited to organised events, races or permit holders.

> Published counts for the same structure routinely disagree by five to ten per cent, and nearly always for one of three reasons: whether intermediate landings count as steps, whether the final platform step counts, and where the climb is deemed to start. The figure here says what it reaches.

## How it compares

*Only the ones marked open to climb can actually be walked.*

- United States Capitol dome: 365 steps
- Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey: 350 steps
- Wat Saket (the Golden Mount): 344 steps
- Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben): 334 steps
- Washington National Cathedral central tower: 333 steps
- Strasbourg Cathedral: 332 steps
- The Monument to the Great Fire of London: 311 steps

*Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) ranks 37 of 56 here by step count.*

| Structure | Steps | Reaches | Access |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| United States Capitol dome | 365 | the top of the dome — staff-escorted tours only | Not climbable by the public |
| Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey | 350 | the abbey church and the west terrace, from the village entrance | Open to climb |
| Wat Saket (the Golden Mount) | 344 | the golden chedi at the top of the artificial hill, at 58 m | Open to climb |
| Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) | 334 | the belfry, where the Great Bell hangs | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Washington National Cathedral central tower | 333 | the top of the Gloria in Excelsis tower, the highest point in the city | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Strasbourg Cathedral | 332 | the platform at 66 m, at the base of the spire | Open to climb |
| The Monument to the Great Fire of London | 311 | the viewing platform below the gilded urn, at 48 m | Open to climb |

## Common questions

### How many steps to the top of Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)?

334, reaching the belfry, where the Great Bell hangs.

### Can the public climb Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)?

Restricted — events or permit only. About 90 minutes for the full tour. Booked well ahead; no lift, and a minimum age applies.

### How high is that climb?

62 m, about 203 ft, which averages 186 mm per step.

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## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)