Westminster Small Group Guided Tour with Changing of the Guard
Description
This two in one experience allows you to visit some of London’s most iconic sites alongside our expert guide in addition to attending the world famous changing of the guard’s ceremony outside Buckingham Palace. Walk past Big Ben, admire the residence of the British Prime Minister and learn about the historic occurrences on Trafalgar Square before having the picture-perfect view on the changing of the guard’s ceremony witnessing this spectacle from A to Z. Beat the crowns with your expert guide for the best views and photos Discover the magic and the splendor of the most iconic military parade Learn about the fascinating history of the Kings and Queens old and new Explore more than 2000 years of British history on a 3.5-hour tour See the most iconic parts of London with an interactive and small group
Tour Options
Itinerary
Discover this shopping and entertainment hub amidst St. Martins & Drury Lane alongside of our guide. Learn about the history of the impressive opera house, which today homes the 3rd largest auditorium in London.
Linking back to Napoleons Battle this square has been a significant landmark since the early 1200’s. Our guide will walk you past its most impressive sculptures and share its corelating anecdotes.
This impressive church in Gothic style is significant and not to be missed when visiting London, as it has held 17 royal weddings in addition to plentiful burials and coronations since the year 1066.
Discover where Churchills hid from the German Blitz attack during the second world war and planned some of his most significant strategies. Though only visited externally our guide will bring its history back to live by touching on some of these sights most memorable stories.
When visiting some of London’s most impeccable sights 10 Downing Street (meaning, passing by the office of the British Prime Minister) cannot be missed. Though containing over 100 rooms, our guide will point out which floor to look out for to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister.
Also known as the Elizabeth Tower, this stunning landmark is definitely one of London’s most famous. When the clock was completed, it was claimed to be the most accurate and largest of its kind, holding 5 enormous bells, of which the biggest weighing 13.5 tons is nicknamed as Big Ben.
Home to the British Royals and its famous beefeaters our guide will touch on the history of this impressive estate, following which you will attend the changing of the guard’s ceremony adjacent to the building.
Watch the famous changing of the guards on the palace square. Accompanied by music the old guards (also known as beefeaters) will ceremonially hand over the responsibility of guarding the Buckingham & St James’s palace to the new guards.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please note, if you book on a Friday you will witness the changing of the Household Cavalry
- The British authorities reserve the right to change modify or cancel the Changing of the Guards ceremony without notice in the case of wet weather and other official events. In such cases, your guide will modify the tour to include an alternative Parade where possible, and share more highlights of the Westminster area.
- In the case of heavy rain, you will see a wet change (guards marching without music).
- For the Changing of the Guard ceremony, we do not stand by the Buckingham Palace gates. The crowds swarm there hours in advance, only to find they can only see the very end of the parade all while being crushed by the masses. Instead, we take you to the best spots only the locals know, and actually walk along with the parade! This way you see the absolute most there is to see, and it’s a much more enjoyable experience.
- We highly recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes for this tour.
- Please bring ID for kids 15 and under
Reviews(37)
It was a great tour and Lee, our guide, was super friendly and knowledgeable. He knew exactly where to be to get to see the king come by in his car! I highly recommend.
She did a good job in certain areas like being up close for the marching band; but, my husband and I were disappointed that we didn’t walk right up to the guards at the gates of Westminster or get closer to Big Ben or the Lock Bridge. 🤷🏻♀️ We do love Liv Tour and how they limit groups to no more than 6 people. Jim & I were the only ones on the tour with her. This was the only Liv Tour guide that fell a bit short out of the many guides we enjoyed over the 6 weeks we were in Europe.
Really enjoyed the private tour with Charolette, she kept our time informative and moving as we prefer. It was our first time in London and she gave us so many good pieces of information about the city and the sites
Jenoe made of our adventure was Amazing, she explains eveything with details thanks to her we could have a better view, her knoledge made us see and hear all that was importat to see and learnr. We were in the best spot to see the parade. All excellent, very friendly and kind with us, she was very patient. An in redoble Character
The tour was great. Our guide Nathan did a great job of guiding us and was a wealth of knowledge. Definitely recommend.
My daughter and I had such a lovely morning with our knowledgeable and charming guide Lee Emmerson. The tour was a wonderful stroll hitting interesting historic highlights and learning details about the changing of the guard that made us appreciate the experience all the more. Lee was a great host introducing us to parts of London with interesting stories both historical and contemporary. He helped us document our morning taking photos of us and suggesting where we should take pictures and videos. He also has great suggestions for shopping, meals and sites for future visits. We highly recommend this tour as well as being on “team Lee” for it if you can.
I cannot recommend this half-day tour enough. Charlotte was an incredible guide who was knowledgeable, witty, and clearly knows Westminster like the back of her hand. Because we were in a small group, it was an intimate experience that felt very personal. It was so easy to move through the busy streets together without feeling like a giant herd of tourists. The highlight was definitely the Changing of the Guard. It can be a chaotic event to navigate on your own, but Charlotte knew exactly where to position us for the best views. That experience alone was worth every penny. If you want to see the best of London’s royal history without the stress, book this tour and ask for Charlotte!
Andy was the perfect guide to help us make it through the crowds to all the best viewing spots! He answered all of our questions and even kept it interesting enough for my 12-year-old to stay (mostly) engaged!
This tour was absolutely wonderful! Walking around for over 6 hours seems like a lot, but Lee made is very fun and engaging. He is super knowledgeable about the city, its vibrant history and landmarks. He was phenomenal during the changing of the guard - we really did see the best of it and he kept us out of the huge crowds. Cannot recommend LivTours enough!
Charlotte was an amazing guide! She knew all the secrets to ensure we saw all the action while avoiding the crowds. She was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. We had a fantastic time and highly recommend!
