Changing of the Guard Ceremony & Central London Food Tour
London, England
Changing of the Guard Ceremony & Central London Food Tour
Badge of Excellence
London, England
- 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Delight in the best of English culture on this half-day tour that combines two British experiences. Watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Westminster, a living testament to the British heritage. Then, enjoy a walk through central London as you make your way to your first stop for your food tour. Sample a variety of dishes that have shaped the culinary scene of England, from Indian lassis to fish and chips to a frothy beer at a local pub.
- Royal London tour including a food tour, led by an expert local guide
- Stroll through St. James's Park and watch the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony
- Walk through SoHo, Covent Garden, Chinatown, and more
- Indulge in a variety of food samples and end with a beer at a pub
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
Itinerary
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 288 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Chris_K, Aug 2024
Enjoyed Fortnam & Mason food sampling in the store, walking all the renowned London neighborhoods and having front row seat to the last of the changing of guard ceremonies.
gr8wahine, Sep 2019
I've been to London many times but never able to catch this tour. We were lucky enough to book this time and SO happy we did. From start to finish, superb tour and tour guide, Michael. What a pleasure to have him for the day. He is AMAZING!!! Took good care of us and so freaking knowledgeable! We scored on tour guides!!! Inside palace was phenomenal and such a pleasure. Afternoon tea...well, it blew me away. Fabulous tour and day I will never forget.
Carmela_D, Sep 2019
Great tour, Marnie was amazing, she knows her facts and made it really lots of fun.
LOVED every moment.
Amy_P, Sep 2019
What an incredibly fun and informative tour! Nathan was amazing and brought history with humor together to create a fun experience. He knew all the right places to stand to get the best views of the changing of the guards, the band, etc. which resulted in amazing photo opportunities. I was disappointed the tea wasn't at Buckingham Palace, however we went to a charming and beautiful hotel "just around the corner" so it turned out perfectly. Absolutely hands down worth the money and I would do it again.
Leonard_L, Sep 2019
Enjoyed viewing the palace. Posted staff were friendly and very knowledgeable. Really enjoyed having a snack at the end of the tour in the grounds garden.
sallyn313, Aug 2019
What a wonderful experience! Sure, there were crowds and security was tight, but overall I would recommend this trip. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable and the afternoon tea at the St. Ermin's hotel was delicious!
Daniel_E, Aug 2019
Jennifer was an absolute delight. She knew her way around Buckingham Palace and the surrounding areas, was full of stories and details ( I learned so much!) and cared about her tour. She was very vigilant; when we encountered a hiccup with a missing party member, she calmly took charge, made queries and recommendations, and handled their 3 year old while they tracked down the grand mother who wandered. She did all this while keeping the tour flowing and on time. She was upbeat and positive and I would recommend her to any party - such a lovely young lady!
Linda_P, Aug 2019
Would have appreciated an overview of the tour with timelines - it was very confusing for the large group -
Ronald_L, Aug 2019
The tour started with the Changing of the Guards. Michael, our guide, showed us the best vantage points for a great view. He was fun, very interactive and had facts and anecdotes for every step of the tour. The audio guided tour of the Palace was amazing. Afternoon tea at St. Ermins was a great end to the tour.
698ValerieB, Aug 2019
Marni our guide was enthusiastic and informative. We saw changing of guard starting at Horse Guards. What pageantry! Horses and men in beautiful red uniforms. Then walked through park to palace where she positioned us to see the band coming straight at us. Great photos. Palace is fabulous — must see! Long walk to tea so sone took a cab and we all met at very old, interesting hotel. Beautiful afternoon tea. Wonderful day we’ll never forget.
Cruiser704031, Jul 2019
We enjoyed everything and went to wrong meeting place after tour before tea to meet up for tea. No place to call to recover. Left message but too late Later corporate for tour people called back and basically said should have paid better attention. I was nice and said yes I guess so but thought if I were going to call with that attitude, I wouldn’t have called. Usually the people that Viator chose are a good group and we have been on tours before and not had a problem. So something went amiss and there was no vehicle available to contact anyone. And the back office could care less. So who knows
OldBelAiran, Jul 2019
Buckingham Palace is open to the public only a few months a year. I lucked out to take this tour. My only gripe is that you meet at York Column and then have a long walk to palace. I could not keep up with tour guide but he stopped enough that I would catch up. State rooms were exquisite and tour was on your own. They have nice cafe in back of palace for a pleasant bite to eat. Exits through lovely gardens and ponds. Very nice tour.
Muboy09, Jul 2019
Lots of walking, west good shoes, sunscreen. Meet up with tour guide. No cameras or recording within the palace. Afternoon tea was underwhelming.
Cathy_M, Jul 2019
The guide was great. Pretty expensive tour for what you got. Didn’t see changing of the guard due to rain. Very disappointed in that. We thought we were seeing the Queens’s rooms but instead it was an exhibition of Queen Victoria. Disappointing . Our guide advised that the tour is usually about different members of the Royal Family and is done as an exhibition. Last year it was Prince Charles. If its about exhibitions then this should be included in the tours description so people know what they are getting and paying for. Afternoon tea was so so. 25min walk to the hotel from Buckingham Palace. We had some older folks in our group and after walking about and then having to walk to the tea they had to get cabs which I don’t think they were counting on. More information would have been helpful. You do indicate that there is a fair amount of walking but I don’t think these folks counted on having to pay to get there. This would be a good tip so that people know what to expect.
kettuvilly, Jul 2019
The weather was working against us on this tour (it was over 90 degrees) which made most things more difficult. While the palace tour was delightful, the afternoon tea that followed was disappointing. It was held in the back room of an African themed restaurant and while passable, did not meet our expectations in any way - or the expectations of any of the 20 people at the tea. We sat at long dining tables - which didn’t allow for relaxation or conversation, and the food seemed prepackaged and not fresh. If you’re interested in seeing Buckingham Palace - skip the tour and buy your tickets directly from the palace. The tour offers no exclusive views of the changing of the guard and only limited relevant commentary.
ChakborPaul_C, Jul 2019
the tour inside the Buckingham Palace was a great experience to us, but the changing of Guard was a bit disappointed; we only see the horse parades on road but not the actual Guard changing ceremony in front of the Palace or the Guarding post.
ANTONIO_O, Oct 2018
Very nice walking tour with and excellent guide!! our kids, mi wife and I enjoyed the tour and finishing with afternoon tea was fantastic!! what a nice place to have the afternoon tea and the food was amazing!!! our girls 6 years old enjoyed a lot!!!
Cynthia_B, Oct 2018
The tour was awesome. Our tour guide, Dani, was so knowledgeable and gave us great tips to see the most of this tour. The palace was beautiful and we loved the family app on the audio guide to engage the children. We enjoyed the Changing of the Guard and the tour of the palace, the cafe outside, and of course, shopping in the gift store.
Patricia_F, Oct 2018
OMG, Marnie is an expert! You want her as your guide. She is a font of FYIs about all things Royals + London history. Overall (for us, healthy sixty-somethings) the walking pace was an easy stroll. Marnie’s timing was superb, walking us to several perfect spots to witness different elements of the hour long changing of the guard ceremony. Her advice + care for her “Team Marnie” was awesome...even handed out 20p coins for the public park Loo! She gave great “how to” advice for best use of our precious allotted tour time @ Buckingham Palace, which was invaluable in light of slow security check-thru that ate up time! Marnie gave an excellent walking tour of significant historic sites along the way to tea...I never would have found these places. Our tea was at the St. Ermin’s hotel—it was delicious & lovely. Timing Note: book your evening theater event or fancy dinner for a different day!...no-fault time delays can occur. You will regret having to rush through Tea, which several in our tour group had to do. Our day was not a “2pm Tea time + done by 3” experience. If this is your desire—book high tea as a solo event. We waited to order tea + then waited for food served—it’s not American “fast food.” They even gave me a take-away box for Tea sweets I couldn’t finish. Wonderful!!Our full tour day ran from 10am to 4pm. Truly a wonderful tour experience for us. Again, time delays must be expected & taken into stride w/ this this tour package. Well worth the money.
Stay651499, Sep 2018
The tour was fabulous. The changing of the guard ceremony is a must see. The self guided tour was perfect for anyone because you were able to walk at a comfortable pace while learning the history of the palace and the royal family. The atmosphere of the afternoon tea was superb.
rayandbevperu, Sep 2018
We had a very knowledgeable guide!! She kept us entertained the entire time with wonderful facts and fiction. We got to see the changing of the up very close. I would recommend this tour to everyone
Jina_S, Sep 2018
Amber was an amazing guide. She was enthusiastic and knowledgable. Brought history to life thru her innovative explanation of the lineage of the Monarch and its future succession. Loved the afternoon tea at St Ermin’s Hotel. Very tasty!!!
288michele, Sep 2018
Danielle was awesome. Very funny, informative and got us to the best places for the best pictures. :-)
Paradise331685, Sep 2018
This was a great tour, the guide was knowledgeable. The only problem was that the whisperers kept breaking up and you couldn’t hear her when she walked. The palace and tea were so worth it! And the guide knew exactly where to go to get the best views of the Changing of the Guard.
Sandra_M, Sep 2018
our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. A little hard to keep up with his pace, but we managed. Tea was lovely. We had a great day!
obie1023, Aug 2018
Tea time was fun and the tour was very informative and Buckingham Palace is a must see for anyone going to London!
pal2017985, Aug 2018
Palace tour and walk in through the park with our guide Nathan was faublous and weather was perfect, the tour lacked when we particiapted in Afternoon Tea. We had walked so much and then we had to walk 20 more minutes from the palace to get to Tea. The Tea was weak, coffee cups for tea, the restuarant did not look anything like a tea house, no llnen table cloths, since we were sharing tea with people we did not know , the clotted creame and jam was given to group of four and the bowls held 1 tbsp each so there was not enough and it was uncomfortable to share with the strangers. Food was good but atmosphere lacked, I would re commend only the Palace tour
CBrown1516, Aug 2018
Did not go because my companion got sick. We asked for and received a refund. That was much appreciated.
Kelly_H, Aug 2018
My family of four greatly enjoyed the Buckingham Palace tour with afternoon tea at the St Ermins. Our guide was friendly and efficient and knew exactly where to take us for access to great pictures of the changing of the guard. (We previously attempted to see the changing of the guard on a prior London trip, our own, and were almost completely unsuccessful due to crowds).
Joann B, Aug 2018
This is #1 on our London Holiday. Our guide Julia was absolutely delightful, knowledgeable, and thorough. We started with the changing of the horse guard, moved onto St. James Palace, and from there walked through St. James Park, and to Buckingham. All along the walking tour, she pointed out historical sites, times and people in history. She also added commentary current with today's royal family and how it differs from the past. We strolled up the Mall, and went right into Buckingham Palace, and used the audio tapes throughout. It was GRAND, being among all the grandeur, inside the palace and all that history. We concluded the tour with afternoon tea at a local hotel. It was the highlight of my entire London visit.
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