Buckingham Palace Tour Including Changing of the Guard Ceremony

2h45

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About this activity

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: St. James's Park, Horse Guards Road The Storeyard, London SW1A 2BJ England

Greet your courteous guide at a central London location and stroll through the verdant splendor of St. James’ Park to Buckingham Palace, the majestic official residence of Her Majesty the Queen.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Changing of the Guard, Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA England

Stop at a prime position before the gates to behold the impressive Changing of the Guards Ceremony, a colorful and traditional performance that combines vibrantly dressed soldiers with rhythmic drum beats.

Please note: If there is heavy rain — or if the Changing of the Guard is rescheduled to early morning (as on some Sundays) — the ceremony will be replaced with a walking tour.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall, Horse Guards Whitehall, London SW1A 2AX England

See immaculately groomed horses and the beautifully dressed Household Cavalry canter across Horse Guards Parade, and then prepare to enter one of Britain’s most iconic cultural institutions.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Buckingham Palace, Spur Road, London SW1A 1AA England

Listen to illuminating commentary from your guide as you stroll to the entrance of the regal residence, only open for two months of the year. Pop in your audio guide and embark on independent exploration of Queen Elizabeth II’s luxurious State Apartments. Delight in opulent ornaments like sparkling chandeliers, classic artworks and elegantly upholstered furniture as you discover the historical rooms.

Return to the outside of Buckingham Palace and bid your guide farewell at this central location.

Duration: 1 hour

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Included

Professional host
Audio guide for Buckingham Palace
Changing of the Guard ceremony
Headsets when appropriate so you can always hear your guide
Entry/Admission - Buckingham Palace

Not included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities
Food and drinks

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Depending on the day you will see either the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace or Horse Guards Parade. The Changing of the Guard is subject to changes in date, time and cancellation at the discretion of British authorities.
On occasional Sundays may be rescheduled to early morning, this will then be replaced with an extended walking tour.
Near public transportation
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Cancellation due to bad weather is not announced before 11AM. When this occurs, customers will still see a ‘wet change’ during which the guards march but without the usual music or parade.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

Features

Tourism

90%

Cultural

85%

Original

40%

Reviews

4.5

323

David S

5 | 2019-09-30

Tour guide Rosie was outstanding - knowledgeable, friendly, well-prepared. Changing of the guard ceremony very interesting. The palace was crowded but beautiful.

Keith W

5 | 2019-09-27

Our tour gal, sorry I forgot her name, French accent maybe?, provided us with great information and set us up at excellent viewing points to see the entire sequence of the changing of the guards. After this first hour and a half, we gained entrance into the Palace. They have a wonderful multimedia audio tour system allowing you to go at your own pace exploring the various staterooms. Their adaptations for kids (a Family version) really is fantastic and allows children to also gain a lot of great information. You can also stroll through the gardens. Definitely worthwhile!

Nancy E

4 | 2019-09-27

Directions of where to meet tour guide could have been more detailed. Meet up place was far from palace. As a result, we missed changing of the guard and tour of palace. I called tour company and they set us up with another tour of palace. Loved tour of palace! Also loved the cafe at exit point. Wonderful pastries!

femalerm24

5 | 2019-09-23

Phil was a great guide on the first leg of the tour. He explained a lot as we walked from our meeting point to the changing of the guards. When we arrived at the Palace, we were on our own for a self guided tour. Overall great experience.

Nancy A

5 | 2019-09-23

Alexandra was friendly very knowledgeable. She also gave us lots of tips as to where and when to get the best photos. Recommend doing a tour. Too much history you’ll miss if you do this on your own.

Wesley R

5 | 2019-09-19

Dave was the best guide. His knowledge of history, current affairs and his sense of humor were amazing.

JACQUELINE C

5 | 2019-09-16

Our guide was Richard.. he was very interesting and knowledgeable. He has a great sense of humor and made this tour a lot of fun. We learned a lot and really enjoyed being with him.

ianhelen

4 | 2019-08-26

The guide was knowledgeable and provided a very interesting commentary. We were directed to a prime location to view the Changing of the Guard. The tour of Buckingham Palace was an unforgettable experience and we were happy that there was no pressure to move from room to room.

Steve M

5 | 2019-08-26

Nathan our tour guide was outstanding. Very informative and entertaining. He made sure we had superior vantage points.

stormy54

5 | 2019-08-26

We thoroughly enjoyed our Buckingham Palace Tour Including Changing of the Guard Ceremony. Mark our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and found perfect positions the holiday crowds to view all sections of Changing of the Guards. The tour of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace was amazing, I didn't know where to look first. All I can say is wow, wow, wow! The Palace grounds were beautifully maintained. If you get the opportunity to do this tour you must.

akersb955

5 | 2019-08-21

This was an amazing experience. Of course, it was quite crowded as this was mid-August, but for the most part, the lines moved right along. A very interesting place.

tonywccheung

5 | 2019-08-16

Francis, the tourist guide is humorous and provide excellent information about the royal family and the time table of changing guards.

Jennifer Lamotte

5 | 2019-08-15

Michael was a friendly and witty tour guide. He took us to the various views of the Changing of the Guard. Buckingham Palace was on our own and it was absolutely stunning.

William D

1 | 2019-08-14

This tour was a total rip-off. First, the audio sets did not function. Reception was intermittent and limited in distance -- as soon as the group strung out a bit, the reception died. Got to Buckingham Palace so late that we did not have a decent view. Would have been better to have gone there on our own. Plus, given the scheduled start time for our tour of the Palace our guide advised that we would not be able to stay for the entire changing of the guard. So we saw maybe half from a disatnce that we were unable to appreciate what was happening. Tour of the Palace is good, but one can buy a ticket to that for a fraction of the cost of this "tour" and the changing of the guard is free. Toatl rip-off. Do NOT buy this tour!

sabimeg

5 | 2019-08-13

David was great! Very informative and made our experience a very positive one. He showed us all the good spots on our tour!

Dindiok Micaiah C

4 | 2019-08-12

It was a nice experience and more of seeing things we have read about in books. Not much of surprise scenes but very interesting for people interested in history! Our tour guide (Natalie) was fantastic!

Cheryl H

1 | 2019-08-12

Awful - don't waste your money. Purchase your tickets directly from Buckingham Palace, less hassle and a lot better service. have escalate my concerns and have not received a proper resolution.

Heather Z

3 | 2019-08-05

Tour guide was knowledgeable and professional. Tour was good. However, we were not happy with the distance of the meeting point from Duke of York Column. this was a mile walk in the rain to the Palace. We are Seniors. You should explain better the distance and how much walking is involved including inside the Palace and steps, . It should be noted that people with disabilities need consider signing up.

sandip a

3 | 2019-08-05

The tour was informational, but had long pockets of wait times with overload of historical facts. I felt the tour was overpriced and could have been done self-guided rather than a guided tour. The fast track entrance to the palace was good.

kcflader

5 | 2019-08-02

The tour in a word was "Excellent". The audio/video devices worked well and were easy to use allowing you to do it at your own pace. This is necessary because there is so much to see.

rachel.agurkis

5 | 2019-07-29

This Palace is a MUST SEE in London! It's a beautiful place that Queen Victoria created. This tour was great. Make sure you locate the meeting point ahead of time. We got a little lost.

Fred W

5 | 2019-07-29

Our guide Richard was great. Informative, funny and and handsome. Historical information was good and he positioned the group for the best photo's for the changing of the guard.

Susan R

5 | 2019-07-26

Excellent tour guide, Joe! Got us in great position to see everything! Would highly recommend this tour!

Deepankar B

4 | 2019-07-24

The tour guide was informative and the tour included everything that was advertised. He had a faster pace and it was a little difficult to keep pace with him but overall it was a good experience.

Joseph C

5 | 2018-10-16

i have done this a number of times now with friends over the years and for the first time with my partner.You skip the queues and you pace yourself in the Palace.Before you get there with the aid of an excellent tour guide you get the best views and commentary on the changing of the guard at three vantage points.

Denise S

5 | 2018-09-25

Amber was amazing. Couldn’t ask for a better tour guide. Very knowledgeable and funny. She knew so much about the palace and surrounding area.

April N

5 | 2018-09-11

Obviously, Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard are fascinating, but our guide made it even more interesting. She was very knowledgeable, answered all our questions, and was entertaining. The tour wa just the right length.We would recommend this tour to any friends or family visiting London.

Steven H

5 | 2018-09-10

One of the Highlights of our three week trip was this tour led by Rob. He gave us behind the scenes info along with an interesting and often humorous view of Royal history. For example, he showed us the Nazi German Embassy of the 1930's right next to the Duke of York Tower. Good spots along the way to watch the different guard units in action, although the actual switch was behind the gates and hard to see. No matter we saw lots of pomp and circumstance. Our group walked right in for the tour of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms. It was awesome! Buckingham Palace trumps Versailles and all the other palaces of Europe, in my book. Wow!

Jennifer S

5 | 2018-09-06

Watching the changing of the guards was amazing! Highly recommend doing this tour to see both the palace and the guard change and hear the history behind it. Our guide Jenny was amazing! Get her if you can.

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