Inside Buckingham Palace State Rooms & Royal London Walking Tour
Description
Step inside Buckingham Palace’s magnificent State Rooms and explore the landmarks of royal London on this expert-led walking tour. Discover the history, pageantry and traditions of the British monarchy as you stroll through the heart of the royal district, passing famous sites such as St. James’s Palace, Clarence House and The Mall. Along the way, your guide brings centuries of royal stories to life — from grand ceremonies to fascinating royal traditions. Your experience ends with entry to the spectacular State Rooms of Buckingham Palace, where you’ll explore the palace interiors at your own pace with the official audio guide. Admire the lavish rooms used for state occasions and see treasures from the Royal Collection inside one of the world’s most famous royal residences.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pass by Clarence House, a historic royal residence that has long been home to senior members of the royal family. Your guide shares stories about the royal household and daily life within these private walls, offering insight into how the monarchy functions today.
Make your way through Green Park and pause outside Clarence House, a beautiful nineteenth-century estate that the most recent generations of royals—including the current king himself—have called home.
See the striking red-brick façade of St. James’s Palace, the oldest royal palace in London. Built in the 16th century by Henry VIII, it remains an important working palace and the ceremonial heart of the British monarchy.
Stroll along The Mall, the magnificent tree-lined avenue used for royal processions, coronations and state celebrations. As you walk this famous route, your guide explains the pageantry and traditions that make British royal ceremonies so unique.
Stop by Wellington Barracks, home to the royal Foot Guards on duty in the area, and learn about who they are and how they protect the Royal Family.
For the highlight of your tour, head to the historic Royal State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. Only open to the public for a few months a year, this collection of ornate 19th-century salons and galleries will transport you straight to the heart of this storied institution. See the lavish White Drawing Room, Throne Room, and more magnificent spaces still used today by the Royal Family to entertain guests. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the State Rooms at your own pace with the informative audio guide.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Sites on this tour are subject to occasional closures. If modifications are needed and time permits, we will reach out to you prior to your tour. For last-minute closures, modifications may be communicated at the tour start time.
- We are able to accomodate guests with mobility impairment or wheelcharis, but space is limited please make sure to email our Guest Experience team.
- This tour is in English.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
- Please note - The Staterooms are open from July 11 to Sept. 29 of the current fiscal year.
Reviews(57)
Sharan was full of information and interesting facts. She was very friendly and respectful. The changing of the guard event was very impressive. My only disappointment was the Viator site stated that if one booked the Royal Mews option it would give us an excellent spot from which to view the changing of the guard ceremony. I did not think our vantage point was that good. I would definitely recommend this tour.
Our guide (Peter??) Was very knowledgeable and new exactly where and when to be, to get the best photos and experience for the changing of the guard. Gave us great insight and information for all sights.
I was sold a ticket for a guided tour that was never supposed to take place and did not take place. I couldn't reach anyone by phone. Looks like a lot of money is gone for nothing.
Dear Heike, Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear of the confusion surrounding your tour. Upon review, our records indicate your tour was originally scheduled for September 29th but had to be moved to September 27 due to Palace closures. We notified you in July and offered the opportunity to change the date or to have a refund. Upon your request, we issued a full refund on August 11. If you have not yet received it, please contact Viator directly, as they are responsible for refunding the card used for payment. We sincerely regret that you were unable to attend and hope this clarifies the situation. All the best, Samantha. Walks Feedback Team
Oliver was knowledgeable, personable, and helpful. He answered our questions patiently. Despite having to deal with unexpected detours due to a race the next day, he continued cheerfully and professionally.
We had an informative walking tour around the Royal neighbourhood surrounding Buckingham Palace. Our tour guide, Danny, was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed his history talks and swift and efficient in getting us from each busy spot. We were really disappointed though, about the way this tour was advertised. We were told we would have entry to Buckingham Palace and the Mews was a choice we made between that and the State rooms. Unfortunately we didn’t have access to Buckingham Palace so we were very disappointed. Our guide also left us before entering the Mews which we thought we would have the guide for the whole tour but this was okay because we were given a Multimedia pack which was very informative.
Dear Amanda, Thank you for your review and for joining our Inside Buckingham Palace State Rooms & Royal London Walking Tour. We’re so pleased you enjoyed Danny’s guiding and the insights on the royal neighborhood. I’m sorry, however, for the confusion around what was included. As shown in Viators tour description, this experience features a guided walking tour followed by entry into the Buckingham Palace State Rooms with the official audio guide provided by the Palace. The Royal Mews is a separate site and not part of this particular tour, which is why the guide does not accompany guests beyond the Palace entrance. Your feedback is very valuable and we’ll use it to continue improving the clarity of our descriptions. We hope to welcome you again on another tour in the future. All the best, Walks Feedback Team
Danny is a very lovely guide. Accommodating to needs (bathroom, coffee, suggestions for good food). You can tell his love for his city through his wealth of knowledge.
Sue was amazingly friendly and knowledgeable. I learned a lot about British history and culture. I highly recommend this tour, especially with Sue.
This tour was great, awesome to see all the history inside Westminster abbey buckingham palace, and houses around and learn about history of England. It is a quite a bit of walking but very doable. We saw the stores around the palace and one of the gardens. We had a food stop midway. The tour guide was awesome too.
The whole tour was good but not great for the money spent. Our tour guide around the mall was knowledgeable but a bit off putting with a cold. Palace was beautiful. We would have enjoyed more rooms, ie kitchen, which likely is just not available. It is a home, after all.
Our guide, Pete was fantastic! He was very passionate about the “Royals” and informed about British history! We had an “older” group and he was sensitive to not rush us through. The state rooms was a self guided tour and We had plenty of time to see all that we wanted. At the end of the tour we had a lovely lunch in the garden!
