Guided Kensington Palace Tour, Royal Guard Change & Afternoon Tea
Description
Step into British royal tradition with a full-day experience covering London’s finest royal sites and ceremonies. From the best vantage point of Buckingham Palace's iconic Changing of the Guard to a visit to Kensington Palace complete with a traditional afternoon tea, you'll explore centuries of royal history as you hear tales of Queen Victoria, Princess Diana, and more. With all logistics taken care of—including pre-reserved access with an audio guide to Kensington Palace—this royal London tour is a perfect day out for anyone captivated by British history and regal charm. Upgrade to a private tour when you select Private Kensington Palace Tour at time of booking. A dedicated guide just for your party will take you a on royal walking tour of London, accompany you for afternoon tea, and escort you to Kensington Palace for a self-guided visit. A private tour means moving at your pace and more time for conversation with an expert local guide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your royal London tour at the Guards Memorial, where your guide will introduce the British regiments that guard the royal palaces.
Settle in for a front-row view of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. While most tourists jostle for space in front of the palace, they'll actually miss most of the main event! Instead, your guide will lead you to the perfect vantage point to see the full spectacle of the New Guard's arrival with a band, and share interesting insights about this celebrated British tradition.
From there, stroll through the beautiful Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, where you’ll see iconic landmarks like the Diana Memorial Fountain and the Albert Memorial. Along the way, your guide will bring London’s royal history to life, sharing tales of the monarchy, famous figures, and royal dramas to fully immerse you in this staple of British heritage.
Before your self-guided tour of Kensington Palace, you'll indulge in a traditional afternoon tea at the Orangery, complete with scones, sandwiches, and more in a delightful baroque setting.
Your final stop is Kensington Palace. Explore this historic residence at your own pace with an audio guide to imagine life as a young Queen Victoria in these grand surroundings.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The tour is in English.
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- This is a walking tour so guests should be able to walk at least 3 miles without difficulty.
- Changing the Guard can sometimes be cancelled at very short notice, especially in wet weather and can be decided as late as 10:45am on the day. The tour will still run with an alternative itinerary.
- Kensington Palace is Self guided with audio guide.
- Please note that for security reasons bag searches might take place at Kensington Palace
- Please note: This tour offers multiple options. Take a moment to choose the one that best suits your interests.
Reviews(73)
George was great! My family was severely late getting to the meeting point, but we were able to find the group after asking many other guides. He welcomed us and caught us up. Pace is great, and the little cafe stop was a bonus. Ice cream is always great in the summer! Tea was also fun. A perfect amount of food for a mid day snack.
Sharan was great! Very knowledgeable, professional and friendly. Would highly recommend this tour
Ali did an amazing job. Would recommend this tour for anyone
We had a great experience even with the high temperature causing the Changing of the Guard to be canceled. :( George was a great tour guide and kept us entertained with many stories during our walk.
We had a wonderful tour with George!
We had a wonderful day on our guided Kensington Palace tour, Changing of the Guard and a delightful high tea experience. Deidra was an outstanding guide—knowledgeable, friendly, and fun to be with. Everything was well organized, and the high tea was the perfect finishing touch. A fantastic way to experience some of London’s most iconic traditions. Highly recommend, especially if you have Deidra as your guide!
Danny was an excellent guide born and bred here. Very nice, personable, and knowledgable. This is an extensive walking tour that was amazing. I felt like I saw two days worth of sights in this 5 hr tour.waling through three parks, passing by palaces, Danny explained it all. Having tea at Kensington was splendid. Lovely setting in Queen Anne's Orangerie. Enough food and tea for all. We had a small group of nine people ranging from 10 years to 75. Danny kept us all entertained. He showed concern that everyone knew how to get back to their destination. His direction got me to the proper underground to my hotel. Also there was a woman with a recent foot injury, and I had an unexpected, recent back injury. Danny was very considerate and we both finished the walking tour. Danny, if you are reading this I have made it back to The Shakespeare Pub near my hotel, and I am enjoying a lager. Here is a toast to you. Thank you for a great day!
Amazing! Excellent knowledgeable guide!
Highly recommend this excursion! Our tour guide was engaging and informative. So much information and we got to see a lot of things!
Sharan was wonderful, getting us to the best viewing spots for the guard change and providing with lots of knowledge about the history and locations.
