Changing of the Guard Walking Tour
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
London, England
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Surround yourself in fanfare and history, from the best vantage point in town, on a Changing of the King's Guard tour in London. This short excursion is ideal for curious travelers seeking a genuinely immersive sightseeing experience. As you enjoy the parade of bagpipes, drummers, and brass instruments, learn about the ceremony's uniforms, traditions, and significance. The tour also includes brief stops outside St. James' Palace and Buckingham Palace.
- Enjoy a small group size for a more personal experience
- Learn trivia about the ceremony not found in any guidebook
- Watch the Changing of the Guards ceremony in London
- Listen to entertaining stories about British royal history
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Start away from the crowds and follow the Guards as they march—ideal for photos and videos.
What's Included
- Guided Changing of the Guard experience
- English Speaking local expert guide
- Gratuities
- Food & drink
- Hotel pick-up & drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Equestrian statue of Edward VIISt. James's, London SW1Y 5ER, UK
Meet our guide by the Equestrian statue of Edward VII, Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 5ER. Arriving by tube: Take the tube to Piccadilly Circus and take exit No. 3 onto Regent Street/St. James's. Walk south down Regent Street towards St. James's Park. Waterloo Place is at the end of Regent Street.
End point
- Buckingham PalaceLondon SW1A 1AA, UK
The experience will end around Buckingham Palace
Itinerary
1
Equestrian statue of Edward VII
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Memorial
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
St. James's Palace
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Clarence House
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Changing of the Guard
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Buckingham Palace
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
7
Wellington Barracks
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- We tend to move pretty fast to keep up with the guards, so please wear comfortable shoes and always carry water.
- We will not stand at the forecourt of Buckingham Palace as, due to crowds, you see very little and the experience would be ten times less fun. We want to get you as close as possible with the opportunity to take some amazing snapshots.
- It is at the discretion of the British Army to change or cancel the Ceremony. The announcement will not be made until after 10.30am so come rain or shine, the Urban Saunters Changing of the Guard experience will go ahead. If the full ceremony is cancelled, there will still be the chance to see the guards marching, just without the music.
- No videoing of the guide unless they have given permission
- Ceremony can be altered at the discretion of the British Army, or occasionally due to rain
- There are no toilet or refreshment breaks on this tour
- Tour operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Sundays – From April 2025, the Army is trying out a slightly different version of the usual ceremony on Sundays. It still involves the same number of guard movements and the same locations, but it’s now being called a “Parade” instead of a “Change.” There’s no word yet on how long this trial will last
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
robert_l
The experience was fantastic. Our tour guide Nathan was the best you could hope for. You could understand every word he was saying he knew everything there was about where to go what to do what to avoid where to be exactly when and where things were going to happen etc. It was fast pace at times and no nonsense because his timing was like a well oiled machine. His knowledge was amazing. I would highly recommend this tour and try and get Nathan if at all possible.
Reviews
5.0
based on 870 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
felicia_s, Jul 2026
Our Changing of the Guards tour was fantastic, and Darcy made the experience even better! He was incredible knowledgeable, engaging, and shared so many fascinating facts and stories that brought the history to life. He knew the best spots to stand for great views and kept the tour organized, fun, and easy to follow from beginning to end. His enthusiasm, humor, and passion for London’s history really made the experience memorable. I highly recommend this tour, especially if you have the chance to have Darcy as your guide!
Felix_H, Jul 2026
Darcy is a great guide. He blends history with humor during the walk. His real time explanations were great while the guards were doing their processional duties.
Kristin_S, Jul 2026
Fantastic tour. Alex G gave us a great historical perspective of the Chsnging of the Guards. He got us up close and knee the ins and outs of the ceremony where we were able to get the best views. Highly recommend, and Alex G. was great!
Linda_B, Jul 2026
Excellent spots found by Jo, our guide.
She was entertaining and informative.
Well worth the experience!
Marjorie_A, Jun 2026
Nathan, our tour guide, was the best guide. He was friendly, had interesting stories & was funny. Highly recommend.
Sean_F, Jun 2026
We had an amazing time with a knowledgeable tour guide who kept us engaged the whole time. She did an excellent job moving us into the best spots to have the best views. This tour is the guard route, but I feel like it's actually better and more worthwhile.
Litaker_F, Jun 2026
Richard was very knowledgeable, witty and kept us on time and informed throughout the tour. We wish Richard could guide all of our planned tours.
Aidan_B, Jun 2026
Jeremy was fantastic was informative and funny. Even with a bad weather situation, he made the tour enjoyable. My family and I would do it again the next time we are in London.
Cassandra_H, Jun 2026
This tour was the highlight of our trip to London! I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Our guide, Nathan, was extremely knowledgeable. He knew all the best places to stand to see the ceremony at several different spots. He told us interesting background stories about the royal family and he taught us what the different elements of the ceremony meant. Without Nathan's guidance we would not have known what we were watching. My 11 year old son and 12 year old daughter both said it was their favorite thing that we did in London. We didn't see the official change of guards at the palace, but we saw the guards in several other spots with better views. I lived in London years ago and have seen the changing of the guards before on my own and I found this tour with Nathan to be much more interesting and effective. Definitely 5 stars.
Beverly_S, Jun 2026
Our guide was so knowledgeable, interesting and fun! He brought us to many places to see different parts of the event with good views. So much nicer than trying to figure it all out on our own.
Giselle_G, Jun 2026
Excellent walking tour! Definitely worth the money. I would have never known where to stand to see so many stages of the changing of the guard. Our guide got us to many great vantage points and we saw so much. Excellent photos & videos! A real Highlight of our family trip to London. Paul was an excellent guide with a wealth of knowledge. And excellent morning well spent🇬🇧!!!
Julia_P, May 2026
Fun, interesting and educational.
Our guide, Jeremy, did a great job, patient, full of information and funny.
Robyn_R, May 2026
Paul, our tour guide, was incredible! Very nice and informative. It was a hot day and he made sure to let us stop and purchase water, if needed. The guards were practicing for the King’s birthday so that was a treat to see. Would recommend this tour with Paul over and over again.
Dawne_A, May 2026
Nathan was a phenomenal guide! He was knowledgeable and had very interesting stories about the royals that added to the experience! Highly recommend!
Shannon_R, May 2026
Nathan was a wonderful tour guide. It was great to go to the right places to see the events and not be in huge crowds. I think it would be hard to find these areas on your own and know the right time to show up.
carol_l, May 2026
Fantastic tour! 2 hours goes by fast. Educational and interesting experience. Richard Cross was a GREAT tour guide….extremely knowledgeable, informative and interesting.
Linda_C, May 2026
Great tour. Chris was very friendly and patient. He made the facts he gave interesting. We had a good time.
Lorraine_M, May 2026
Great tour, tour guide Chris very knowledgeable about all the places we stopped at. Plenty of stops at landmarks finishing with band marching up for changing of the guards.
Kristine_M, May 2026
Instead of fighting for a place to see the guards, join this tour. While you won’t see it in front of the palace we had great spots to see the parade and final hand off at Wellington Barack’s. Richard provided a lot of history as we walked.
Carol_D, Apr 2026
This tour is so worth taking. Our guide, Nathan, provided great information about all aspects of our tour, and he was funny! We enjoyed everything about it and had great views of the guards. Thank you Nathan.
Lesley_l, Apr 2026
Easy enough to find the meeting point, we learnt some amazing facts, there was plenty of stops & all resulted in a fab view of the changing of the guards at the palace. Our female tour guide was very pleasant and informative it is a something i now would consider again.
Lori_B, Apr 2026
Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The issue was location. The mall was closed because of the marathon the day before. We didn't actually see the changing of the guards. It was so crowded we couldn't move to another location for viewing.
Sandrine_M, Apr 2026
We thought we would see one part of the Changing of the Guard yet we were pleasantly surprised that we were able to experience each part of the ceremony along with insight in England history. Our guide, Richard Cross was amazing and ensured we were in the right place at the right time to get the best views. I highly recommend this tour and if you’re fortunate enough to have Richard, you will be delighted! Best tour we’ve had thus far with Viator.
Charlene_F, Apr 2026
Jo was the best tour guide yet. She was very informative and made the history very relatable and fun. This was truly the best.
Carson_W, Apr 2026
Richard was an excellent guide on our Changing of the Guard Tour. He was very personable, easy to understand, and made the tour very enjoyable!
Matthew_P, Mar 2026
Jeremy was extremely knowledgeable and funny, he made the tour very enjoyable! Would recommend the walking tour.
Candace_T, Mar 2026
Loved our tour with Richard! We travel and like to hear about the history and surroundings to go with seeing an event. Very knowledgeable and got great pics away from the crowds. Speaks clearly with great detail. Willing to answer all questions
Brant_W, Mar 2026
Richard was a wonderful guide. So glad we did this. Our 11-yr old enjoyed It very much. Thank you Richard.
Jeff_Z, Mar 2026
Babs was fun, with a few good stories the kids liked hearing about. We would've have been lost on our own, but this tour got us good positions to be in. It would've been disappointing without the tour.
Melissa_D, Mar 2026
Chris delivered an informative experience. He knew exactly where to be to see it all, shared relevant and interesting facts/opinions, and was inclusive of the group.
From $20.37
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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