Changing of the Guard Guided Tour at Buckingham Palace
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London, England
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
No visit to London would be complete without experiencing quintessential traditions such as the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Your guide takes you to a prime vantage point—difficult to find on your own—to observe the King's iconic foot guards, clad in red uniforms and bearskin hats, and watch the household cavalry put on an impressive display. Follow history-rich guide commentary with ease using a headset.
- View one of London's most celebrated royal traditions
- Learn insider stories and facts you wouldn't uncover on your own
- Head to a prime vantage spot for top-notch views
- Headsets are included so you catch your guide's every word
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
A dynamic route ensures you get the best views—and photos—of this quintessential London ritual.
What's Included
- Changing of the Guard as it unfolds on a fully guided walking tour
- Learn how tradition, discipline, and pageantry come together in this historic royal event
- Expert, English-speaking tour guide providing live commentary throughout the experience
- If Option Selected: Entry to the Royal Mews (official horse stables of the Royal Family)
- If Option Selected: Tickets to the King’s Gallery (Exhibit: Queen Elizabeth II – Her Life in Style)
- Headsets when appropriate
- Gratuities
- Entrance to Buckingham Palace
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Duke of York ColumnLondon SW1Y 5AJ, UK
PLEASE NOTE! THE MEETING POINT IS NOT AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE. By the Duke of York Column, Waterloo Place, 9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ. This is the tall column with a statue on top.
End point
- Buckingham PalaceLondon SW1A 1AA, UK
Outside Buckingham Palace
Itinerary
Start your walking tour by meeting your guide at the Duke of York Column at the end of Regent Street. Hear your guide better by putting on your included headset as you brush up on local history—your guide will provide an overview of the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
Instead of seeing the ceremony from outside of Buckingham Palace with crowds of other tourists, you'll visit lesser-known spots to get the best views while hearing commentary that unpacks each part of the tradition.
Your tour ends outside of Buckingham Palace, giving you free time to explore the area on your own.
Please note: The Changing of the Guard ceremony is subject to changes in date, time, and cancellation at the discretion of British authorities.
Instead of seeing the ceremony from outside of Buckingham Palace with crowds of other tourists, you'll visit lesser-known spots to get the best views while hearing commentary that unpacks each part of the tradition.
Your tour ends outside of Buckingham Palace, giving you free time to explore the area on your own.
Please note: The Changing of the Guard ceremony is subject to changes in date, time, and cancellation at the discretion of British authorities.
Duke Of York Column (Pass By)
The Mall (Pass By)
1
Changing of the Guard
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Memorial (Pass By)
Clarence House (Pass By)
St. James's Park (Pass By)
St. James's Palace (Pass By)
Buckingham Palace (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- The Changing of the Guard ceremony is subject to changes in date, time and cancellation at the discretion of British authorities. Cancellation due to bad weather is not announced before 11am. Even when cancelled, customers will still see a ‘wet change’ during which the guards march but without the usual music and parade.
- Please note weather is very changeable in London, please ensure you have rainproof clothing
- Please note that the changing of the guard schedule may change and on different dates we will see either footguards or horseguards
- On Sundays, a slightly different version of the ceremony takes place, known as the "Sunday Parade".
- Please note that access to the Royal Mews, the official stables of the British Royal Family, and The King’s Gallery for a unique viewing of Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style is only available if the 'Upgrade Option' is selected
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.4
based on 1,059 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Cindy_S, Jul 2026
Our guide Katrina was super fun! She seemed to know the perfect spots! I have never seen something so amazing!
Beena_S, Jul 2026
It was good experience to watch the guards but I feell it would be more better if we could watch the full show infront of the Buckingham gates . It was almost 15 to 20 min performance inside the Palace which we didn’t see it .
Kimberly_F, Jun 2026
Excellent historical facts—not too much, not too little (made a long story short). Excellent spots to see the different parts of the Changing of the Guard. Guide (Louise) had a great sense of humor and was very knowledgeable. Easy to book. Easy to find. Easy to communicate.
Thomas_A, Jun 2026
The guide was very knowledgeable, and he pointed out things we would not have seen if we were to do this on our own.
Jodi_R, Jun 2026
An incredible experience. Our guide, Natalie, was amazing! She knew all the best places to stand and was very knowledgeable. And due to her knowledge, she set us up to see and wave to King Charles as he commuted from St. James to Buckingham Palace! Would definitely recommend!
Denyce_W, Jun 2026
Our guide (Aaron) provided us with a little history, a little gossip, and a prime location for the viewing of the changing of the guard. Definitely glad we didn't try to take our chances with finding a spot.
Beverly_L, Jun 2026
Our tour guide (forgot his name ) was great. He captivated our attention with great stories of the royals from the start and expertly guided us through the large crowds to a front row seat at the barracks at the end of the tour for the guards coming in at the end of their shifts.
Christopher_R, Jun 2026
Royal family tour for the area of London that houses them and the changing of the gaurd at Buckingham Palace.
Tillery_d, Jun 2026
Natalie with City Wonders was amazing. We got a great spot for each part of the changing of the guards. She even got us in front for the king moving to the palace.
Tom_S, Jun 2026
Your guide was rude to start with and then acted as if he were trying to be more a comedian than an informative tour guide. He needs to also understand that guests from other countries do not appreciate having their home country insulated by his attempts at humor. I’ve booked many tours through Viator over the years and five total on this trip alone. I will be considering other operators in the future.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hello Tom,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are very sorry to hear about your experience on the tour.
The behavior you describe does not align with the standards we expect from our guides. Our guides are trained to be respectful, professional, and considerate of guests from all backgrounds and nationalities.
As we would need to investigate this matter further, we kindly ask that you contact City Wonders directly with additional details about your tour experience. This will allow our team to review the situation thoroughly and address any concerns appropriately.
We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and hope to have the opportunity to look into this further.
Tina_C, Jun 2026
I would’ve given it 5 stars but the weather didn’t cooperate. The changing of the guard did not happen due to constant rain. Our guide was great despite everything!
Anne_M, Jun 2026
Rainy day trying to see Changing of the Guard. Guide was quite knowledgeable and friendly. Made best of wet weather.
Monica_G, Jun 2026
The tour was really good and very insightful. However, with this tour we did not get up close to Buckingham Palace to see the ceremony there. But we did get to see several other Changing of The Guards ceremonies and our tour guide was very knowledgeable of the different types of guard changes and history.
howard_g, Jun 2026
Amazing and awesome. The lady who did our tour was wonderful and informative.
Great tour. We saw every little detail.
Daisy_L, Jun 2026
Phillip was great. We enjoyed the tour. He was helpful and very knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour to others.
Keith_B, Jun 2026
Our guide, Louise, was wonderful! She was informative and entertaining. She got us to the right spots at the right times in spite of the rain! We got to see the King travel to Buckingham Palace!
Stef_D, Jun 2026
The beefeaters were wonderful. But Our tour guide Louisa/Louise was on her phone a lot, basically scrolling on Instagram. Swearing inappropriately when we had children., Didn’t like that at all.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Stef_D,
Thank you for your feedback. We're pleased to hear that you enjoyed the Beefeaters, but we're sorry to learn that your experience with the tour guide did not meet expectations.
The behavior you describe is concerning and does not reflect the level of professionalism we expect from our guides. We would appreciate the opportunity to investigate this matter further. If you could please send us your booking reference and tour date, we will be happy to review your comments with the appropriate team.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Jennifer_C, Jun 2026
We had a great experience. The meeting location was easy to find & our guide was fantastic! She guided us to the perfect viewing locations & did a wonderful job of explaining the details of what we were watching.
Marcia_N, May 2026
Seeing the changing of the royal guard during the.preparations for King Charles' birthday was the icing on the cake Jo our guide was exceptional, deserves all my respect, she knows EVERYTHING about the monarchy and the way she explained it to us with patience, clarity and humo...
John_S, May 2026
Our guide Kevin was phenomenal. He was very personable knowledgeable. He explained what we were going to see, the history behind it, and then took us to prime viewing spots including for a location where the band and guards going off duty literally marched right up to us before turning into the gate to the palace.
Jason_B, May 2026
Great experience. Our guide was very friendly and inclusive. He made the experience much more enjoyable.
Larry_V, May 2026
Marilyn was an extraordinary guide. My wife, our daughters and I thoroughly the experience. Marilyn made it all worthwhile.
CAREN_B, May 2026
The tour included a nice walk and some great info from the tour guide Joseph. He was very informative, energetic and entertaining, keeping the group engaged the whole time. The tour had us in the right spots at different times during the event, but the view of the guards and the overall “ceremony” was just okay.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear CAREN_B,
Thank you for your feedback.
We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed Joseph’s informative and engaging guiding style and that the tour positioning allowed you to experience the event from good viewing spots. We appreciate your comments regarding the ceremony itself as well.
Maria_K, May 2026
Having Brendan- a funny, witty, charming and amazingly knowledgeable guide made this such a fun experience where we learned so much about the royal family, the various buildings and statues and got to see the guards up close.
Kevin_H, May 2026
Very disappointed with the experience. We did not see the changing of the guard. We paid to have an experience that we did not get. The whole reason of the tour was to see the changing of the guards. That is the company’s responsibility to ensure that they can deliver what they advertised. We went on a different tour the day after and we were told by that guide that the changing of the guards would not be taking place this week due to the practicing for a ceremony that is to take place the second Saturday in June. If she knew this information you must have known as well. The company took the money and walked us around with no real agenda. Waste of time and money. Shame on the company for not doing their homework ahead of time.
Oh well, Right! We are still determined to have the best time ever!!
Response from Host, May 2026
Hi Kevin_H,
Thank you for your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear that you were disappointed and did not get to see the Changing of the Guard as expected.
In some cases, the ceremony is cancelled or altered at short notice due to official rehearsals, state events, or operational decisions by the authorities, and unfortunately this is outside of our control and not always confirmed in advance. We understand how frustrating this is when it is a key highlight of the tour.
We truly appreciate your comments and will review how this information is communicated to guests more clearly. Despite the disappointment, we’re glad to hear you still made the most of your time in London.
Sheri_W, May 2026
We originally booked this tour 6 months before our trip. It was cancelled. We rebooked and were charged double. It was cancelled. We rebooked and on the tour found out there was not going to be a changing of the guard on that day. We didn't stay for the walking tour because we had already seen those places. We feel we should get our money back, but there seems to be no way to contact Viator directly.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hi Sheri_W,
Thank you for booking our Changing of the Guard Guided Tour.
We are sorry to hear there seemed to be an issue with the event taking place. Please reach out to us directly at info@citywonders.com with your reference so we can check what happened.
I wish you a lovely stay in London.
Tammy_D, May 2026
Nathan was an excellent tour guide. Loved all the history of the royal family. We had prime viewing spots. I would highly recommend this tour.
Denise_S, May 2026
We saw the guards 3 or 4 times . We did need to move quickly from one spot to the next and it was worth it. Phillip, our guide told us the history of the guards and other relevant information.
Susann_C, May 2026
A guide definitely made the difference in seeing more activity than if one went to the Buckingham Palace gate to see the Changing of the Guard. Also saw changing at St. James Palace.
Linda_H, May 2026
Sunday was a good day as the guards do a longer parade that King Charles put into place.
Jay from Minnesota was a great tour guide. He has a head full of knowledge and stories.
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