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(82)
Danny was a wonderful guide who explained the sights and history. There is a lot of walking which was fine for us and Danny was very attentive and patient. The pace is relaxing Nd the tea was a nice highlight.
Ollie was absolutely wonderful!! We had the most fantastic morning with him walking by Buckingham palace, through green park and Hyde park and onto Kensington palace. He was a delight at tea to explain the different the sandwiches and treats. Would absolutely recommend to anyone!!
Such a splendidly lovely young lady! She was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her subject matter. Wished she could point out all the treasures in London while my sister and I were visiting! Becki is a treasure!
Becki was very knowledgeable and entertaining. We saw so much since Changing of the Guard was canceled due to extreme heat. Having afternoon tea was lovely and delicious .
Excellent value for money. Lots of walking and interest with Sharan who was our guide. She did a great job
Very nice and friendly! Private tour and got to see new parts of london I haven’t seen
Kate was our tour guide and she was great. The tour involved a lot of walking which left only small bits of time for each stop. Kate did a wonderful job of telling us the history but the time crunch really limited us. It was cool to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham but it’s important to note that you don’t get to stay long or get close as you have to stick to the tight tour schedule. Tea at the Orangery was lovely and a highlight of the tour. The tour does not include a guided tour through Kensington Palace, but the palace was our absolute favorite!! The information and displays were so informative. The Punjabi Princesses exhibit was by far the best exhibit we have ever seen.
Great way to get to Kensington palace through the parks All up there is alot of walking. It is flat and 2 drink stops along the way. Wear appropriate footwear And umbrella for hot/ warm and rainy days would be recommended.
Becki went above and beyond for my son and I. She mixed good conversation with great knowledge, was ok with our quick walking pace. And even adapted the tour a bit to show us more because we were running ahead of schedule. This wasn’t just a tour. This was us learning from someone proud of their craft and making a friend. I would absolutely do this again.
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.
