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Best of London Tour inc Tower of London and Changing of the Guard
4.3
2,391 Ratings
Greater London
Immerse yourself in the rich history and iconic landmarks of London on a full-day city tour. Experience the Changing of the Guard, explore the Tower of London, and cruise down the River Thames. Upgrade for a cream tea at Harrods or a London Eye flight!
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Whitehall - Drive up Whitehall and see Downing street where houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister
- Trafalgar Square - Drive past an iconic public square
- Royal Courts of Justice - Drive past the Law Courts of England and Wales. It is a large grey stone edifice in the Victorian Gothic Revival style built in the 1870s and opened by Queen Victoria in 1882. It is one of the largest courts in Europe.
- St. Paul’s Cathedral - First group to enter this magnificent cathedral rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the great Fire of 1666.
- Houses of Parliament - Enjoy a photo opportunity outside The Palace of Westminster including the Great Clock Tower where Big Ben (Great Bell) sits.
- Westminster Abbey - Enjoy a photo opportunity outside a World Heritage Site with over a thousand years of history
- Buckingham Palace - Take a photo stop outside Buckingham Palace and witness the iconic Changing the Guard ceremony. Note: The ceremony currently takes place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (subject to availability). On Wednesdays when St. Paul’s opens late (10am) the tour will not include the Guard Change but instead there will be a photo stop outside Buckingham Palace first thing in the morning.
- Tower of London - Explore London’s iconic castle and World Heritage Site. Get up close to the Crown Jewels, meet the legendary Yeoman Warders and ravens.
- Tower Bridge - Built in 1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London. You will enjoy the view from under the bridge!
- Thames River - Enjoy the guided boat trip on the River Thames from Tower pier to London Eye. You will see Tower of London, Tower Bridge, The Shard, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Houses of Parliament etc. all views from the river!
- London Eye - Enjoy the magnificent views of London from The London Eye (if London Eye upgrade option is selected). The London Eye is the Europe’s tallest observation wheel.
- Harrods - Harrods is one of the largest and most famous department stores in the world and currently owned by the state of Qatar. Here you will enjoy quintessentially English cream tea (if/when Cream Tea upgrade option is selected) After tea the rest of the afternoon is yours to explore the store.
What's Included
- London Eye Standard Ticket (if upgrade option selected)
- Private cruise on the River Thames
- Friendly professional guide and air-conditioned vehicle
- Cream tea at Harrods restaurant (if upgrade option selected)
- Entry to Tower of London
- Changing of the Guard ceremony (selected dates only) and photo stop outside Buckingham Palace
- Entry to St. Paul’s Cathedral
What's Not Included
- Hotel pick-up & drop-off
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
Additional Information
Discover the prime attractions of London on an all-day city exploration! Visit St Paul’s Cathedral guided tour, followed by a photoshoot at Westminster Abbey. Don’t miss the essential Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace and take some time to relish lunch around the UNESCO-recognized Tower of London. Wrap your day with a cruising experience on the River Thames. For a more enriched experience, consider upgrading to either enjoying a cream tea at Harrods restaurant or taking a flight on the London Eye.
- Sunday tours are unable to include a tour of St Paul’s cathedral due to the weekly service taking place; you will still be able to go inside the cathedral but there will be no guided tour
- Tour itinerary may change subject to St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tower of London opening times as well as on the day that Changing the Guard does not take place
- The Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace currently takes place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (subject to availability). When there is no Changing of the Guards we still stop for a photo outside/near the Palace.
- On Wednesdays when St. Paul’s opens late (10am) the tour will not include the Guard Change but instead will have a photo stop outside Buckingham Palace first thing in the morning.
- London Eye generally closes during January for annual maintenance work. 2025 closure dates to be confirmed.
- Harrods Tea Option: The Harrods Tea Rooms will be closed between September 22 – October 21 therefore the cream tea will be served in the new Harrods Café located on the lower ground floor.
- Children under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult
Location
Victoria Coach Station
Buckingham Palace Road
Located on 164 Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, London, SW1W 9TP, approximately 7 minute walk from Victoria Underground and Railway station. Tour departs inside the building at Gate 19 at 7:45am (Boarding starts at 7.30am)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(2391 Ratings)
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Cristiano_d
Aug 9, 2024
The London Intro - Everything was extraordinarily good. The tour guide Frank was excellent. Loved St. Paul's, Tower of London, the London Eye, etc
Review provided by Viator
Barbara
Aug 5, 2024
One of the best group tours we’ve ever taken. And, we’ve been on hundreds of them over the years. - The tour , tour representatives, driver and tour guide were excellent. They kept us informed before and during the tour. They even gave us excellent information about where to go after the tour. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Caroline_l
Aug 4, 2024
Excellent - Our tour guide was excellent. He managed time very well. He was very knowledgeable about things and he cared about us. Since we had a day and a half in London, we were able to accomplish much.
Review provided by Viator
Laura_b
Aug 4, 2024
Fabulous day - I had a great time on this tour. Our group saw a lot of the sights of London and the tour guide Ben was very friendly and informative. Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral were beautiful. The Tower of London and Crown Jewels is packed with history including where Anne Boleyn was beheaded and a changing of the word from the guards. After the tower we all went on an Uber boat up the Thames, which was well needed as it was over 30 degrees and gave us all the chance to cool down. We got to see Parliament and Big Ben, as well as all the skyscrapers and buildings along the river bank. We got off the boat at the London eye and Ben helped us with the tickets and security and that is when the guided tour ended. The London eye takes around 30 minutes to go around and is a must do while you are in London. It is a fantastic view.
Review provided by Viator
Jeremy_b
Aug 8, 2024
Lon-done! - Tour guide was fantastic (sorry to say I don’t remember his name but he recited poetry inside St Paul’s). Got to see so much of London and the Thames river cruise was a nice part of the tour. Perhaps a little lag between St. Paul and the Tower of London. Otherwise, highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Christybrown
Aug 7, 2024
Lot of info in 8 hours! - It was a lot to do in a day! John did a great job of giving us history of the city! Tower of London was overwhelming. So much to see and I didn’t do much research on what areas to go to because I was on a tour. The London eye was included but we were just taken to the admission area and waited in line.
Review provided by Viator
Colombiac533
Aug 7, 2024
amazing time!! - it was great!! we had a great day visitng london on this tour, it was beautiful and we got to visit the most iconic places and views.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leonard_k
Aug 2, 2024
Best of London needs more - Very knowledgeable tour guide with a sense of humor. Need headphones. Would have been nicer to have less time at St. Paul’s and instead a stop at 221B Baker St. Less time at the Tower of London and instead a stop at Abbey Rd.
Review provided by Viator
William_m
Aug 2, 2024
No Changing of the Guards. - The title of the tour was Best of London and Changing if the Guards. There was no Changing of the Guards. Change the title.
Review provided by Viator
Shamlakan_a
Aug 8, 2024
Avoid at all costs - Where do i begin??
Vame 10 mins late because of underground issue ,so i called in advance but they still left me ..
Joined them 2 hours later to an arrogant tour guide who really gave the most basic information...
Horrible snd will be asking for partial refund
Review provided by Viator
