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Buckingham Palace Entrance Ticket & Changing of the Guard Tour
4.2
838 Ratings
Greater London
Explore Buckingham Palace and witness the Changing of the Guard. Book now for a limited-time, 2.5-hour royal experience in London.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- St. James’s Park - Greet your courteous guide at a central London location and stroll near the verdant splendor of St. James’ Park to Buckingham Palace, the majestic official residence of several monarchs including the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh
- Changing of the Guard - 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.
Depending on the schedule of the Household Cavalry, you may experience either the Changing of the Foot Guards or the Changing of the Horse Guards in London. These events are renowned for showcasing British tradition and military precision, further adding to London’s fame.
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.
- Buckingham Palace - 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 Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla’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.
What's Included
- Audio guided Buckingham Palace Tour
- Changing of the Guard ceremony
- English Speaking Expert Guide for Changing of the Guard
- Entrance ticket for Buckingham Palace
- Headsets when appropriate
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
Additional Information
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
- Depending on the day you will see either the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace or Horse Guards Parade.
- Changing of the Foot Guards run Mondays, Fridays, Sundays
- Changing of the Horse Guards run Thursdays, Saturdays
- 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
- Please note that the changing of the guard schedule may change and on different dates we will see either Foot Guards or Horse Guards.
Location
Duke of York Monument
By the Duke of York Column, Waterloo Place, 9 Carlton Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ. This is the tall column with a statue on top.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.2
(838 Ratings)
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R5529qmruthe
May 10, 2024
Tour - David was great and entertaining. The change of the guard was canceled unfortunately but we got to see soldiers on horses
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Northstar59062223405
May 8, 2024
David Westham - David Westham, was awesome! interactive overview of the history of UK, royal family and fun facts. Very knowledgeable, friendly, warm, and funny tour guide. I would highly recommend him. We had so much fun, learned a lot of the royal family history. Thank u very much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fl_vial737
Apr 28, 2024
Worth to see - Great guide to see such a beautiful city with a lot of knowledge. Worth paying this money to see it . I will go one more time .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Drejstam
Mar 31, 2024
A very pleasant experience at Buckingham Palace. - A very good view of Buckingham Palace! The guide Mandy was incredibly talented and she captivated us with her knowledge and the way she told stories. We are very pleased and will be happy to return for a viewing of the garden as well.
/Björn and Susanne
from Sweden
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quimicamarthabcs
Feb 14, 2024
Real experience - A pleasant experience. I recommend bringing an umbrella and checking the changing of the guard days. The use of big bus is a good option.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ocarc2024
Jun 5, 2024
Informative - Good tour near the buckingham palace, Ian explained us several things through the walking about the guards, the palace, the king and other things. It was informative and fun.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
219jeffk
May 22, 2024
Opulence, history, and stories… - We planned ahead and purchased the inside tour. It is a timed entry and is quite organized. You cannot take photographs so you just soak it all in. It is one dose of opulence, one does of storied history, and one does of great story telling. The guide mixed both historic and personal stories - keeping your attention.
It includes a good amount of walking and stairs.
Prior, we arrived around 10:30 to perhaps catch a glimpse of the changing of the guard. It is a sea of people and quite unpleasant. I have seen the changing of guards in 4 other countries, and combined times 10 is still fewer people than were here.
Knowing this ahead, we also are going to Windsor Castle, which I have heard and are hoping, is much less crowded.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K1436vdjosephf
Apr 14, 2024
OK Event - Disappointing could not see into the court yard good from the monument. If you have the time swing by for a Quick Look. Enjoy
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Indianagirl56
May 17, 2024
3 days in London - Quite the experience! Never have I experienced such a huge cultural mix of nationalities! Every tribe from every country is living in London! Lol! I felt safe tho. Rode the "tube" to all attractions. Walked until I thought my feet would fall off! The mass of people to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace was absurd! Kinda took the fun out of it because I'm short and couldn't see! I was 2 deep along the iron fence and that was even blocked by heads & selfish sticks video taping! Went to The Shard...awesome view! Enjoyed the Tower of London. The Crown Jewels (not a lot of jewels there). Kensington area was fun! Very relaxing with the pond & waterfowl. London Bridge was fun to walk across. Really enjoyed the Royal Mews! St Paul's is beautiful. Westminster Abbey is awesome!! It was all very educational to see where the "Royals" live. Didn't get everywhere but maybe another time. It was exhausting to try to see as much as we could in 3 short days. Need to really stay for about a week to fully see everything at a slower pace.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kholley71
May 10, 2024
Buckingham Palace - not a quiet place - CROWDS! CROWDS! CROWDS!! So many people on a Friday morning...if you don't like to be in crowds I would not recommend especially on a changing of the guards day!
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