Buckingham Palace Entrance Ticket & Changing of the Guard Tour
Description
Experience London’s royal heritage and pageantry on a 2.5-hour experience that combines a visit to Buckingham Palace with the Changing of the Guard. Enjoy the colorful spectacle of the Changing of the Guard ceremony, and then enter the magnificent palace with a tour host for an independent audio tour of the State Rooms, an experience only available for two months of the year. Admire the lavish rooms that are used by the royals for State and ceremonial events, as you discover the palace’s history from the audio guide. Please note: Buckingham Palace is only open to the public for approx. eight weeks each year. Tickets sell out fast, so book now to avoid disappointment
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide in central London near the impressive Duke of York Column, a prominent landmark commemorating Prince Frederick, Duke of York, and marking the gateway to Royal London.
Stroll along The Mall, London's grand ceremonial avenue connecting Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. Lined with Union Jack flags during royal celebrations, this iconic route is used for state visits, coronations, and royal processions.
Pass these elegant memorials dedicated to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother while learning about their lasting impact on modern British history and the Royal Family.
Enjoy a guided walk through St. James's Park, London's oldest Royal Park. Take in beautiful lake views, seasonal flower displays, and some of the best views of Buckingham Palace while hearing stories of British royalty and royal traditions.
See St. James's Palace, the oldest royal palace in London and an important working royal residence. Your guide will share its fascinating history and continuing role in royal ceremonies today.
Pass Clarence House, the official London residence of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Situated beside St. James's Palace, this historic royal residence has been home to members of the Royal Family for generations and remains an important part of royal life in London.
Pass the magnificent Lancaster House, a lavish 19th-century mansion renowned for its opulent interiors and frequent use for state receptions, diplomatic events, and film productions.
Head to a prime viewing location to witness one of London's most iconic traditions: the Changing of the Guard. Depending on the official schedule, you may see either the Changing of the Foot Guards or the Horse Guards, featuring ceremonial uniforms, military precision, and centuries-old royal traditions. If the ceremony is canceled due to weather or operational reasons, your guide will instead provide an extended Royal London walking tour.
Pass Wellington Barracks, home to the Foot Guards responsible for protecting the monarch and carrying out ceremonial duties at Buckingham Palace and other royal residences. Please note: The Foot Guards can typically be seen at Wellington Barracks only on Foot Guard days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday). On other days, ceremonial guard duties are generally carried out by the Horse Guards instead.
Arrive at Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. After an introduction from your guide, enter with your included audio guide and explore independently. Step inside the spectacular State Rooms, open to visitors for a limited season each year, and admire glittering chandeliers, priceless artworks, grand staircases, and lavishly furnished reception rooms used for royal ceremonies and state occasions. Enjoy the freedom to explore at your own pace before your experience concludes at Buckingham Palace.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- On occasional Sundays may be rescheduled to early morning, this will then be replaced with an extended walking tour.
- The Changing of the Guards is subject to changes in date, time and cancellation at the discretion of British authorities. Cancellation due to bad weather or other circumstances is not announced before the morning of the ceremony. When this occurs, you will be provided with a walking tour of Westminster city instead
- There is no Changing of the Foot Guards on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday so you'll be provided with a Walking Tour of Westminster City. You may be able to see the Changing of the Horse Guards at Horse Guards parade but that's not guaranteed.
- On Sundays, a slightly different version of the ceremony takes place, known as the "Sunday Parade".
Reviews(1,721)
Aaron did a great job on this tour. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining.
Tour guide was friendly and informative. Was a busy tour but still enjoyed it. Doing the tour like this instead of on your own made it much easier. Would recommend to anyone.
I was very impressed with the Changing of the Guard experience. Every person had a audio set to hear the tour guide while walking along. He was very knowledgeable and had 4 stops picked out to get an Excellent view of the Guards. Then dropped us off at Buckingham Palace Entrance for the 2nd part of the tour experience. The group was escorted in and see the palace at own pace. We saw the paintings as well. Very well organized from check in to Buckingham Palace. Well worth seeing.
Loved this and worth doing with a guide as they know where to go and when to arrive to get the best view. Learnt many new things about the monarchy and how they operate. The changing of the guard was a highlight. Wouldn't be as good if we didn't join the tour and it was easy to navigate. Be aware the visit inside Buckingham Palace is self guided.
Marilyn was fabulous!! She shared so much neat and interesting information. My hubby and I could tell she so enjoyed doing her job! Great time with Marilyn, so appreciated her time and wealth of history.
The changing of the guard the guide took us was not what most want to see, he took us to where the mounted guards start from. Then he just went another way instead of the front of the palace to see the change. It was a very expensive useless tour. You should just stand there on your own and buy tickets to enter since the guide does not enter with you anyway!
Hello Ailyn_A, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear that your experience did not meet expectations and that the tour did not cover the aspects you were hoping to see. Please accept our sincere apologies for any disappointment caused. Your comments regarding the route and guide have been shared with our team to ensure future tours better meet guest expectations. We truly appreciate your feedback, as it helps us improve the experience for all visitors.
Our guide (I think his name was Aaron) was very informative and a pleasure to listen to. I really liked that he had earbuds for all of us so we could hear his presentation. So helpful when you're outside and a person who doesn't hear so good.
It was an ok tour. It’s more of an outdoor experience and then on your own for the Buckingham Palace, which was ok.
This was a good tour, but I would like people to be aware that this isn't just a 2.5 hour tour. The Changing of the Guard takes 2.5 hours, but then you have the tour of Buckingham Palace at your own pace, which takes much longer. We were unaware of this and so therefore booked a Kensington Palace tour later in the afternoon at 3:00 pm and missed it. Take note this is an all day event. The company refunded us half of our money we paid for Kensington Palace, but due to lack of time we never got back to see it. Buckingham Palace is right up there with the Vatican and the White House.
We had a great tour with Mary - she was well educated on the history and shared many nuggets of information with us. We began with a walking tour of the area and watched the guards change - pretty cool! She turned us loose to tour the inside of Buckingham Palace, which was amazing. The artwork is spectacular and was a bit of a surprise for me.
