The Changing of the Guard Tour and Buckingham Palace
Description
Royal Westminster and Changing of the Guard is an unforgettable walking tour experience offering you the chance to get up close and personal with London’s most famous and impressive Royal sights. Marvel at Buckingham Palace, march down the Mall with the King's Guards and be surrounded by Royal history at Westminster Abbey - the site of every coronation since 1066. Not only will your guide entertain you with in-depth knowledge and anecdotes, they will also position you in the very best locations to witness the world-famous Changing of the Guard Ceremony. Without a guide hundreds of people stand in the wrong place every day. *Please read the additional information below for full information of Changing of the Guard. One minute be standing in the shadow of London's most iconic sight - Big Ben, and the next be stroking one of the horses of the Household Cavalry. Experience it all on this unforgettable tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin your tour with a journey through Royal London, witnessing some of the most famous Royal Houses and Palaces such as St. James' Palace, Clarence House and Buckingham Palace. Enjoy the iconic Changing of the Guard Ceremony as you march down the Mall with the Queen's footguards or marvel at the impressive horses of the Household Cavalry (daily itinerary is dependent upon the schedule of the British Army). Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the beautiful St James' Royal Park to finish the first half of the tour.
Our journey continues through historic Royal Westminster. We pass Churchill's War Rooms and onto Westminster Abbey - the site of every Royal Coronation since 1066, it is the most important church in England. Explore Parliament Square with its array of impressive statues immortalizing such historical figures as Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill. Overlooking Parliament Square is the most famous sight in London - Big Ben. Admire the stunning gothic architecture of the Houses of Parliament before heading down to 10 Downing Street, home of the Prime Minister. Capture the perfect photograph with the horses of the Queen's Guard before exploring Horse Guards Parade. Please note we do not enter Westminster Abbey, all of the above is approx 70mins, we spend about 5 mins at the Abbey.
Finish the tour at Trafalgar Square, home of Nelson's Column, one of the most impressive sights in London.
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
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There will be access to public toilets halfway through the tour.
- The Changing of the Guard (Foot Guards) ceremony at Buckingham Palace occurs on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
- On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the tour will witness the Changing of the King's Horse Guards at Horse Guards Parade ..
- The Changing of the Guard Ceremony operates at the discretion of the British Army. It can be changed or cancelled without notice. This is beyond our control.
- In the event of bad weather the Changing of the Guard Ceremony may be cancelled. The tour will endeavor to watch the Changing of the Horse Guards on these days.
- Not recommended for those with walking difficulties as the tour can be a brisk walk in parts.
Reviews(484)
Our guide Angie was amazing. So knowledgeable and passionate as well as friendly.
Angie was an amazing guide who got us the best possible position to watch the event. She was extremely knowledgeable and passionate and great fun
I feel those is utter cheating tourist . 3 miles away to stand and watch the changing of the guard an image of a red uniform is not that is expected . why should the people pay for listening to a commentary . The people who was with us was so disappointed . Not even worth for one penny . Please be aware that this is utter scam . Donot book it . Waste of time and tiring . No words to write after going from US to see places and eager to see an important actovity
I’m sorry but what tour were you on ? Clearly not ours. We are voted the number 1 Changing of the Guard tour because we get right up to all the action. Our guides know all the best places to stand and they are the best at what they do. You will be standing literally a few feet from the marching guards as they walk along the royal mall, then we add a little extra by taking you over the Royal barracks to see the guards other tourists don’t see. Then to top it all off we go over to the sentry guard changes by the famous horse guards parade ground. All this including a visit to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and 10 Downing Street. So from the looks of your review you have clearly taken another companies tour and left your review in the wrong location. Please contact us immediately so we can guide you to the correct location. In the meantime please consider removing this unfair and inaccurate review Richard
Our favorite tour of the week spent in London. Very exciting and informative. Our guide really knew what he was doing and saying. We got to see the guards moving and changing in several different places. Great fun !
Guide (Alan?) was great - funny and interesting but the changing of the guard was canceled bc of heat and shortened tour didn't include Westminster Abby / Big Ben area as I had thought.
It was the highlight of our week in London. Alan was so well informed and filled the tour with wonderful facts along the way. We don't normally book guided tours but this experience has changed my view. Well worth it and great value.
This was the perfect tour to watch this iconic London event. Our tour guide, John W., did a wonderful job maneuvering us around crowds to give us the best views. He was an excellent story teller and had so many interesting stories about London’s history and the royals. I highly recommend this tour and hope you luck out and take it with John
Guide knew exactly where to stand each time, it was little rushing but glad we were able to see clearly. Glad I booked through Viator then struggling on our own, especially in very busy travel season
We had a great guide was so knowledgeable We had great spots to watch Well worth the morning Wonderful
Excellent walking tour with guide, Angie! She knew exactly where to go to get the best views of the changing of the guard. We would have had no idea where to go if we tried to do this on our own. Go Team Angie!
