Buckingham Palace Entrance Ticket & Changing of the Guard Tour
London, England
+20
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Catch the Changing of the Guard with a clear view and visit Buckingham Palace during its limited July to September opening. This tour includes a guided walk through St. James's Park to watch the ceremony, followed by entry to the State Rooms with a self-guided audio tour available in nine languages. One booking covers palace admission and timing for a seamless experience.
- Ensure your admission to Buckingham Palace during its July–September opening
- Learn about royal history as you stroll through St. James’s Park
- Explore the State Rooms at your own pace with an audio guide in nine languages
- Watch the Changing of the Guard from the best vantage points
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Unlike a standalone ceremony viewing, this tour includes palace entry.
What's Included
- Pre-reserved entry to Buckingham Palace State Rooms (open July – September only)
- Official Buckingham Palace self-guided audio guide available in 9 languages
- Expert English-speaking guide for the walking tour
- Changing of the Guard viewing: Foot Guards (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun) or Horse Guards (Tue/Thu/Sat)
- Insider commentary on royal history and traditions
- Audio headsets when required for clear commentary
- Free time to explore Buckingham Palace at your own pace
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Duke of York ColumnLondon SW1Y 5AJ, UK
By the Duke of York Column, Waterloo Place, 9 Carlton Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ. It is the tall column with a statue on top, located at the top of the steps leading down to The Mall.
End point
- Spur RoadSpur Rd, London SW1A 1AA, UK
Inside Buckingham Palace
Itinerary
This tour pairs the Changing of the Guard with a visit inside Buckingham Palace, open to the public only two months a year. You meet your guide at the Duke of York Column in central London and set out on foot through St. James's Park toward the palace.
Depending on the day, you can watch the Changing of the Guard, with your guide explaining the ceremony and its background. If the weather turns or the ceremony is rescheduled, the viewing is replaced with a walking tour.
At Buckingham Palace, you explore at your own pace using an audio guide, taking in the State Apartments and their collection of art and antiques.
Depending on the day, you can watch the Changing of the Guard, with your guide explaining the ceremony and its background. If the weather turns or the ceremony is rescheduled, the viewing is replaced with a walking tour.
At Buckingham Palace, you explore at your own pace using an audio guide, taking in the State Apartments and their collection of art and antiques.
Duke Of York Column (Pass By)
The Mall (Pass By)
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Memorial (Pass By)
1
St. James's Park
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
St. James's Palace (Pass By)
Clarence House (Pass By)
Lancaster House (Pass By)
2
Changing of the Guard
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Wellington Barracks (Pass By)
3
Buckingham Palace
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- 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".
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.1
based on 2,144 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Ellen was very knowledgeable about British History and of the Royal family. Very friendly and enjoyable experience
Long lines and lots of people and renovations so some of the areas were not available or furnished. Still very interesting.
Marilyn our Guide was very knowledgeable and conducted an excellent tour of the surrounding area of Buckingham Palace! Once inside the Palace we used an Audio Guide going from room to room
Lots of walking but mostly level ground. Early tour time means less people. Limited bathroom facilities.
Our guide was amazing, funny, and engaging. We loved every minute of it! He knew the history and the anecdotes that made our tour worth it.
The tour inside of Buckingham Palace was truly enchanting. The absolute best part of the day. So many amazing things to see.
Umal did his best to accommodate us. Our tour started at 10am and around 1115 I realized we hadn't even gotten to the palace part. He moved us up to start at 1130 which would have given us enough time to finish by 1230 and make our windsor castle tour. Alas the palace staff directed us into another security line and at after waiting 45 minutes and still not through security, we realized we would not be seeing the palace and left by 1230. So we did see the changing of the guard from afar. Maybe we will see the palace on another trip when we cross the "pond" again.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Hi,
Thank you for sharing your experience.
We’re sorry you weren’t able to visit Buckingham Palace as planned. We’re glad Umal did his best to accommodate you and adjust the schedule, but we understand how frustrating it must have been to spend so much time waiting in the security line and ultimately miss the palace.
We appreciate your understanding and hope you’ll have the opportunity to visit the palace properly on your next trip!
Excellent experience and Ian was great! We had a lot of fun and got to see the castle. Would recommend for sure.
The tour was very good. We were disappointed because my wife showed up to London very sick. We tried to cancel her ticket so she would not get others sick and because it was within the 24 hour period she was not aloud to. We did not arrive or know she was sick until within the 24 hour period. She remained in bed our entire stay in London. I’m sure the other people in our group and the many people inside BP appreciate she stayed away. Exceptions should be made on a case by case basis.
Quite a bit of walking. Be prepared. Sunday parade a bonus. Have a spot of tea to conclude your visit
I learned so much about the tradition of the changing of the guards. And there is not just one area to view this. Our guide took us to at least 7 areas of different guard duties. We were up close to the cadets that serve this duty! So interesting and Michael was so knowledgeable and made it fun! We also loved Buckingham Palace but that was on our own pace and time.
This was a fantastic tour with lots great information and viewing. But be prepared because it is a bit of walking and standing with no where to take a break. I think the older crowd wood have more trouble with this. But we absolutely loved it. We got to see the changing of the guard and the place up close and personal. Then the tour was on our through the place. It was so beautiful and cool to see inside.
This is the way to do the Royal Mall and the Changing of the Guard. You don't get trapped against the fence of Buckingham Palace, you get to wander along the mall catching the parades and other parts of the ceremonies from excellent viewing points with a guide who understands where to go, when and how to avoid the crush. Highly recommend late September when the crowds are thinner and the Buckingham Palace State Apartments tour is fabulous, self-paced and not too crowded. Being in the group allowed us to skip the lines to get in. Worth every penny for a fabulous three hours. Having an afternoon tea including a collectible tin and a stroll through the palace gardens made for a perfect time. It is a LOT of walking so be prepared and wear comfy shoes!
The tour guide Ellen was very knowledgeable and provided interesting detailed information. Unfortunately, the audio equipment that she had kept going in and out, so she couldn’t be heard.
Our tour guide was funny and knowledgeable. The inside of Buckingham Palace was something I will never forget.
The sites we visited were somewhat interesting. But the information provided and the manner in which it was delivered was not interesting at all. It felt like a boring middle school field trip.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Hi Maria,
Thank you for your feedback.
We’re glad you found the sites interesting, although we’re sorry the tour commentary did not meet your expectations.
We always aim to provide an engaging and informative experience, and we’ll take your comments into consideration to improve our tours. We appreciate you sharing your experience with us.
Got separated at Buckingham and never found them again. Still have 2 headsets.
Got separated from group at Buckingham Palace and never found them again.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Dear Tom,
I'm sorry to hear this, the area can be very crowded, please reach out with the booking reference directly so we can provide assistance for the headset you kept with you.
I wish you a lovely stay in London.
Our tour guide, Brendan, kept us on track, took us to the best viewing spot for the Sunday Guard Parade, and was informative and comical! We were very glad we booked a tour as we would have missed details otherwise.
What a great tour and we loved our tour guide Angie! She is the BEST!! We had great fun with her and learned a lot.
Changing of the guard is a must-see and quick entrance to the palace with this ticket is a major plus!
What a great company to book with. Have used Viator lots in different countries. Never disappointed!!
Lesley the guide was very informative she had a lot of knowledge and answered as mean question as possible
This was an excellent experience. We saw a lot on this tour and our guide was knowledgeable, kind, experienced, and informative.
Exceptional guide. Could t have been happier. The sites were amazing and they yr guide was very knowledgeable about the history.
Our tour guide Nathalie was wonderful! She was informative,funny, and spoke loud and clearly, making it easy to follow along throughout the tour. We especially enjoyed being in her group for the Horse Guards Parade. She made the experience fun and memorable!
Ask for the earlier entrance to Buckingham Palace. 11:15 worked well with changing of guards before.
Our guide Umar was really knowledgeable and wove in lots of humor making the tour very entertaining. The castle is amazing. So much to see and admire. Highly recommend.
The tour we got was not the tour we signed up and paid for. We did not sign up for an hour walk around before entering the palace. We never saw anything of the changing of the horse guard. This opinion was shared by at least 6 other couples that also mentioned to the tour guide that the tour was not what they paid for as well. Very disappointed. When we checked in, we were confirmed that we were on the list and again confirmed by other staff and then sent to our tour guide. Unfortunately, not the tour we signed up for or got confirmation by email on. We really need compensation as the tour we got was listed at a much lower price than we paid
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Dear Linda,
Thank you for your feedback.
We’re sorry to hear the experience wasn’t what you expected.
As outlined in the booking information, the Changing of the Guard is subject to official schedules and may be replaced by a Westminster walking tour when the ceremony does not take place.
Guests are always welcome to contact City Wonders directly with any questions about the itinerary or tour arrangements. We hope you still enjoyed your visit to Buckingham Palace.
Our guide was Christopher, he was extremely knowledgeable and the whole experience. absolutely fantastic.
The walking historical tour before Buckingham Palace was way too long. I felt that the guide was dragging it out with many irelavent details just to get to our arrival time at Buckingham. Some people even walked away from the group. That could have been cut in half.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Hi Gretchen_C,
Thank you for your feedback. The walking portion of the tour is intentionally designed to provide historical and cultural information about London and the landmarks along the route before arriving at Buckingham Palace.
We’re sorry it felt too long for you, but the historical commentary is an important part of the tour experience.
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
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per personWas $96.90(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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