Buckingham Palace Entrance Ticket & Changing of the Guard Tour
Description
Experience London’s royal heritage and pageantry on a 2.5-hour experience that combines a visit to Buckingham Palace with the Changing of the Guard. Enjoy the colorful spectacle of the Changing of the Guard ceremony, and then enter the magnificent palace with a tour host for an independent audio tour of the State Rooms, an experience only available for two months of the year. Admire the lavish rooms that are used by the royals for State and ceremonial events, as you discover the palace’s history from the audio guide. Please note: Buckingham Palace is only open to the public for approx. eight weeks each year. Tickets sell out fast, so book now to avoid disappointment
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide in central London near the impressive Duke of York Column, a prominent landmark commemorating Prince Frederick, Duke of York, and marking the gateway to Royal London.
Stroll along The Mall, London's grand ceremonial avenue connecting Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. Lined with Union Jack flags during royal celebrations, this iconic route is used for state visits, coronations, and royal processions.
Pass these elegant memorials dedicated to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother while learning about their lasting impact on modern British history and the Royal Family.
Enjoy a guided walk through St. James's Park, London's oldest Royal Park. Take in beautiful lake views, seasonal flower displays, and some of the best views of Buckingham Palace while hearing stories of British royalty and royal traditions.
See St. James's Palace, the oldest royal palace in London and an important working royal residence. Your guide will share its fascinating history and continuing role in royal ceremonies today.
Pass Clarence House, the official London residence of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Situated beside St. James's Palace, this historic royal residence has been home to members of the Royal Family for generations and remains an important part of royal life in London.
Pass the magnificent Lancaster House, a lavish 19th-century mansion renowned for its opulent interiors and frequent use for state receptions, diplomatic events, and film productions.
Head to a prime viewing location to witness one of London's most iconic traditions: the Changing of the Guard. Depending on the official schedule, you may see either the Changing of the Foot Guards or the Horse Guards, featuring ceremonial uniforms, military precision, and centuries-old royal traditions. If the ceremony is canceled due to weather or operational reasons, your guide will instead provide an extended Royal London walking tour.
Pass Wellington Barracks, home to the Foot Guards responsible for protecting the monarch and carrying out ceremonial duties at Buckingham Palace and other royal residences. Please note: The Foot Guards can typically be seen at Wellington Barracks only on Foot Guard days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday). On other days, ceremonial guard duties are generally carried out by the Horse Guards instead.
Arrive at Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. After an introduction from your guide, enter with your included audio guide and explore independently. Step inside the spectacular State Rooms, open to visitors for a limited season each year, and admire glittering chandeliers, priceless artworks, grand staircases, and lavishly furnished reception rooms used for royal ceremonies and state occasions. Enjoy the freedom to explore at your own pace before your experience concludes at Buckingham Palace.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- On occasional Sundays may be rescheduled to early morning, this will then be replaced with an extended walking tour.
- The Changing of the Guards is subject to changes in date, time and cancellation at the discretion of British authorities. Cancellation due to bad weather or other circumstances is not announced before the morning of the ceremony. When this occurs, you will be provided with a walking tour of Westminster city instead
- There is no Changing of the Foot Guards on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday so you'll be provided with a Walking Tour of Westminster City. You may be able to see the Changing of the Horse Guards at Horse Guards parade but that's not guaranteed.
- On Sundays, a slightly different version of the ceremony takes place, known as the "Sunday Parade".
Reviews(1,884)
Our tour guide Kevin was a delightful character who took good care of us, making sure we got really good spots along the route to see the marching band and soldiers!
We went on the middle of a Saturday during peak season, and It was pretty busy but thats to be expected. Looked nice and wait to get in wasn’t too long. Gave audio guides for free. Gift shop big, but has mostly luxury items.
We had a lovely time spent with Katarina touring the grounds outside of Buckingham Palace before we were left to our own devices inside the palace. She has a fantastic personality and really knows her stuff!! A total wealth of knowledge regarding the history of the monarchy and I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting London!
We absolutely loved the Buckingham palace tour and it was great we could get in so quickly. We wish that there would have been more history/narrating during the walking tour. The walking tour had a fast pace, which could be difficult for some people to stay with. I think the advertisement/description should more directly identify the amount of walking that this tour requires as there were older people in the group that had a hard time. The advertisement of it including the changing of the guard tour was misleading. Since the changing of the guard does not happen on Saturdays, this trip description should not be offered on Saturdays. Instead, it should reflect what actually occurred (horses’ inspection). We actually really enjoyed the horses’ inspection but there were several people in our group who were very upset about not seeing the changing of the guard as that description was in the title of the tour. Overall, Kathleen did a good job giving us enough information while keeping up a fast pace. She also had to navigate a very disgruntled tour member and she did so very well. It was impressive!
Buckingham palace visit was the highlight of this excursion. Watching the guards march was crowded but because our tour guide, Ellen, was a seasoned veteran she enabled us to see both the horse guards, the marching band and uniform inspection in addition to the foot walking guard tour we purchased. Ellen provided a lot of information and explained the history of places as we walked around on the way to palace
Was very very fun, great tour with amazing site to see, only thing I would recommend is for the tour guide.m not to be so pushy on the tips, even though he was great but after paying 120$ a person for a hour worth of a guide with 25 other people i don’t think a tip is necessary Thank you!!
Our guide Sophie was fantastic.
This was a great tour. Our guide had a great sense of humor. We got to see more of the palace than expected. I would do this again. There’s a lot of walking, a few areas with stairs. Exiting the gardens is a long walk as well.
Tour guide was nice and interesting but did not keep track of his guests. We got stopped while crossing the street with our group and the guide just kept going. He did not wait on the other side and we could not find him. So, we missed the changing of the guard and the palace tour, which is what a paid to do. VERY disappointing.
Dear Anita_D, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you became separated from the group. While our guides do their best to keep the group together, it is also important for guests to remain with the group throughout the tour, particularly in busy areas. We appreciate your comments regarding the guide and have shared your feedback with the relevant team to reinforce the importance of regularly checking that the group is together whenever possible.
Our tour guide was incredibly informative and fun. The schedule of the tour was disappointing. Our entry time to the castle was not until 12:15pm, but we thought the tour would end at 12:30. So Buckingham Castle was rushed for us. We were also disappointed with the view for the Changing of the Guards. We were not able to see them in action inside the gates of Buckingham.
Hi Teresa, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear that you found our guide informative and fun. We’re sorry for the confusion regarding the timing of the tour. The experience begins with the walking tour, including the Changing of the Guard, before continuing on to Buckingham Palace. The palace entry time is scheduled separately, which is why the tour does not end at the palace entry time. Regarding the Changing of the Guard, the viewing location can vary depending on the movements of the guards and crowd restrictions on the day. While we always aim to provide the best possible viewpoint, we unfortunately cannot guarantee a view from inside the Buckingham Palace gates. We appreciate your feedback and will certainly take it into consideration when communicating the itinerary and timings to our guests.
