London Sightseeing Tour: Guard Change with Tower of London Option

Badge of Excellence

London, England

High interest

Booked 4 times today.

4 to 9 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.3

· manuel_o ·

Apr 2026

Anna Maria was the best tour guide we ever had. We had a mixed group and she made sure everyone was comfortable doing every activity. She was funny, cheerful, and gave us the opportunity to explore on our own. The tour itself was well planned out and we saw a lot. The bus station was easy to find and had lots of quick food options inside.

· Samary_O ·

Jun 2026

Travelled with my husband and two teenagers and this tour was awesome during our short 2 day stay in London. Our guide Peter was engaging, hilarious and knowledgeable and efficiently guided us through all of the major sights. 100% recommend!

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Overview

Check off London’s most recognizable landmarks in one attraction-packed tour. Explore St. Paul’s Cathedral, then make a photo stop at Westminster Abbey. Watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace on selected dates and visit the Tower of London, where you have free time for lunch (own expense).

See top city attractions including Westminster Abbey in just half a day
Let someone else navigate with included transportation
Relax on a private River Thames sightseeing cruise with the full-day tour
Upgrade to include Harrods cream tea or a London Eye ride (full-day option only)

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

This comprehensive tour includes many London highlights, plus prebooked tickets and time-saving bus transit.

What's Included

Entry to Tower of London (full-day option)
Entry to St. Paul’s Cathedral
Changing of the Guard (selected dates)
Private Thames River sightseeing cruise (full-day option)
Professional guide & air-conditioned coach
London Eye ticket (upgrade option)
Harrods cream tea with sparkling wine (upgrade option)

Hotel pick-up & drop-off
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Victoria Coach Station, 164 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 9TP, UK
Located on 164 Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, London, SW1W 9TP, approximately 7 minute walk from Victoria Underground and Railway station. Tour departs inside the building at Gate 19 at 7:45am (Boarding starts at 7.30am)

End points

This activity ends in a different location. See details below:

Operating hours
.7:45 am

Itinerary

Select your tour option on booking. Then, after pickup from the central London meeting point, settle into your air-conditioned coach and head for St. Paul's Cathedral to spend the morning exploring. Make a photo stop to see Westminster Abbey, where you can admire the outside of the 13th-century Gothic church.

Continue to Buckingham Palace, the King’s official London residence, to see the Changing of the Guard. Watch a centuries-old ceremony as the soldiers of The King’s Guard, dressed in red tunics and bearskin hats, exchange places with the new guard to military music.

Move on to the Tower of London, an 11th-century fortress that looms over the River Thames. Spend some free time in the area exploring or having lunch, then meet back up with your group for a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stroll around history-steeped sites such as Traitor’s Gate, inspect the gruesome torture exhibits at the Wakefield Tower, and check out the Crown Jewels—the magnificent symbols of royal power that are still used by HM King Charles III.

Board a boat for an extended sightseeing trip down the River Thames. Cruise down the river, looking out for the top London attractions such as Tower Bridge and Shakespeare’s Globe, before stepping out onto dry land.

Finish your tour at the London Eye or upgrade to finish on a high note with one of two optional activities. Options include a cream tea or a trip on the London Eye for picture-perfect views over the capital. Both activities include transport to the attraction, but no transport back.

City of London (Pass By)

St. Paul's Cathedral

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Westminster Abbey

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Changing of the Guard

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Tower of London

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Thames River

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

London Eye

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Harrods

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
St. Paul’s Cathedral: Sunday tours cannot include a guided tour due to weekly services. Entry is usually possible but cannot be guaranteed.

Changing of the Guard: Takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and daily from May to July. Schedule may change last minute or be canceled during large city events. If the ceremony does not occur, we still stop for a photo outside or near the Palace.
Tour Schedule: Itinerary may change depending on St. Paul’s and Tower of London opening times and the Changing of the Guard schedule.
Tour Duration: Approximately 8 hours for the full-day tour and 4 hours for the half-day morning tour (ends at Buckingham Palace).
London Eye: Generally closed in January for annual maintenance. 2026 closure dates to be confirmed.
Children: Travelers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 45 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Monika_B

Our tour guide Peter was witty and very knowledgeable about all things London. He made the tour a delightful experience. We were able to watch the changing of the guard ceremony on a Friday and it was a great tour around London both on the bus and on foot. The Thames River cruise was fun and got to see the sights by water! Ended at the London Eye Ferris wheel for amazing aerial views of all of London. I would highly recommend this tour. So much sights packed into one day.

Reviews

4.3

based on 2,701 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Loved this tour

Mark_S, Jun 2026

Great tour, we are amazed at how much we saw it just one day. We could spend several days inside the Tower of London,so much history.

Great tour

Christina_P, Jun 2026

The tour guide was great. It was a perfect way to see so many sights in one day. Wear good walking shoes and bring a water bottle.

A great tour if you're short on time!

Samary_O, Jun 2026

This tour was incredible!...

Cody_F, Jun 2026

This tour was incredible! Our guide Peter was not only knowledgeable but also very personable. If you plan to see the hot spots of London in one day then this is the tour for you.

Great tour, lots of...

Susan_G, Jun 2026

Great tour, lots of walking, be prepared for weather! Very informative guide, very knowledgeable about hx of UK.

25th anniversary trip! First time in London!

Laurie_P, May 2026

You really get to do a lot in one day! Our tour guide Frank was so amazing!! He had a great sense of humor and so much knowledge!!

Family London tour day 1!

Terrence_G, May 2026

The sights were amazing and our tour guide was an Irish gentleman of impeccable character! We felt that we were in good hands the entire time.

The tour guy left us in...

Nha_D, May 2026

The tour guy left us in the middle of the tour and disappeared from the meeting point. We were looking for him almost 45 minutes and finally had to take a taxi back to the hotel. Extremely unprofessional, irresponsible and terrible service.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Dear Nha, Thank you for sharing your feedback. You had booked the London Full Day Tour with Harrods cream tea included. According to our records, you were unsure what Harrods was and expressed interest in visiting the London Eye instead. At that stage, it was not possible to change the tour inclusions. On the day of travel, the guide informed us that you had left the group after the river cruise, which was towards the end of the tour and before the visit to Harrods. As a result, the only part of the itinerary that was not completed was the cream tea experience at Harrods. The guide understood that you had chosen to leave the tour at that point and intended to purchase tickets for the London Eye instead. We are sorry for the misunderstanding, and we are not sure what happened after you left the boat with the group. It appears that you did not stop as the rest of the group did before splitting into different itineraries, as customers had different inclusions. Some ended the tour at that point, while others continued on to the London Eye or had the Harrods cream tea included in their booking. Kind regards, Premium Tours Team

Excellent tour and guide

John, May 2026

Zozo was an excellent guide! His knowledge was vast and he shared it with us. I learned so much about the city, art, architecture, and history. We went into St. Paul’s and the Tower of London. The tour was excellent, but what made it fantastic was Zozo. I am so happy that I booked this tour snd was able to see and learn so much about London. I would give it 6 stars if possible.

Book this tour!!

Karen_K, May 2026

Ben was an extraordinary guide! His knowledge was incredible, he kept us engaged the entire time, and he even got a little ‘punny’. I loved that when someone in the group mentioned something of interest to them, he focused more on that or would go out of his way to make sure he talked about or showed us that thing of interest. The small group setting made it easy to hear everything and to easily get in and out of any attraction. We truly felt like we saw a large amount of London in a day. If you are limited in time or want to check off a lot of bucket list items, this is your tour!!

Look both ways

Michael_S, Apr 2026

Great way to see a lot of London in a day. Peter James did a great job - very knowledgeable and kept things light and entertaining throughout the day.

It is good tour for us...

Bingfen_W, Apr 2026

It is good tour for our first time in London. Karen is very friendly, knowledgeable and responsible tour guide. We enjoyed.

Very knowledgeable guide....

Peter_M, Apr 2026

Very knowledgeable guide. Realized we only scratched the surface on all London has to offer. Recommend to do this tour first to see where you really want to spend more time.

Great tour 2026

manuel_o, Apr 2026

London

Nirali_C, Mar 2026

Fun times - good excursion and tour guide was good however he didnt leave anytime for people to take some pictures

London, England Spring 2026.

Edgar_D, Mar 2026

Fun, informative, full day tour of London. On this Saturday there was no changing of the guard ceremony, but, that gave us more time to explore the city.

Excellent guide and coach driver!

Karla_K, Mar 2026

John G. was an excellent guide and we had a very good coach driver!! John was very knowledgeable and interesting.

London

Diane_H, Feb 2026

The day was great! Carol our guide was very friendly and was full of information on all of our sites. I had taxi trouble and was a bit late. I messaged the company and they gave me perfect instructions to catch up with group.

Best full day to see London’s highlights

Katrina_P, Feb 2026

A full day of interesting and mind blowing history! Fantastic guide with great humour through the day. He never missed a beat to enjoy the entire itinerary highly recommend Peter!

Overall, the stops in...

Kristi_C, Jan 2026

Overall, the stops in this tour capture the most significant attractions in London in an efficient manner. All was as advertised with the exception of one significant area. We missed our time for the London Eye due to not being let off the Thames River boat under the London Eye. Overall, our guide was great, however when this mishap occurred there wasn't an alternative game plan for either rebooking the time for the London Eye or reimbursing those for the ticket cost. It was a very chaotic ending to an otherwise enjoyable tour.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Dear Kristi, Thank you for taking the time to post a review of your tour. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found the stops to be efficient and well-organized, and that your guide provided a great experience. We are very sorry to hear about the issues on the River cruise. Unfortunately, this was the first time our group has encountered such an issue, and we are working closely with the cruise provider to prevent it from happening again. However, please note that the cruise did return to the London Eye pier at last, allowing the rest of the group to enjoy the excursion. We apologise for any distress this caused, appreciate your feedback, and look forward to welcoming you on another Premium Tours experience in the future.

A wonderful tour, and our...

Taylor_R, Jan 2026

A wonderful tour, and our guide was so sweet and funny. It is a long day though. So be prepared to walk!

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you for sharing your feedback with Premium Tours. We’re delighted you enjoyed the tour and found your guide both sweet and funny. We appreciate your tip about the walking and hope it helps future guests prepare for a full and enjoyable day! Kind regards, Premium Tours Team

GREAT TOUR For London Introduction!!!!!!

Janie_S, Dec 2025

Another tour operator canceled our tour, so we booked this one instead. Should have booked this one in the first place. It is a magnificent tour, and our guide, Derek, was amazing!!! There is a good bit of walking involved, so be prepared for that.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Dear Janie, thank you for sharing your feedback. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Best of London Tour and that Derek provided an excellent experience. This tour does involve a moderate amount of walking, so we recommend guests come prepared to make the most of the day. We appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you on another Premium Tours experience in the future.

Great tour guide Frank!

Mary_M, Nov 2025

This tour was great and Frank our guide and Ricky our driver were truly amazing!!! We got to see so much in just one day.

Great for Historians

Lisa_L, Nov 2025

Our tour guide was so knowledgeable about the history of London that I was fascinated by the entire trip.

Peter was the best tour guide!

Angela_C, Nov 2025

Best way to see all the famous sights in London in 1 day! Peter was the very best tour guide. He has historical and local knowledge and made the whole day fun!!

Frank did an amazing job...

Michael_L, Nov 2025

Frank did an amazing job and was a wealth of knowledge about every aspect of the locations toured. Thank you for an amazing experience!

John, our guide, was very...

RickandJeanne_B, Nov 2025

John, our guide, was very good however it was hard to hear him at times while outside. A Voxbox would have been nice. Isaac was our driver, he did a great job!

Our London Adventure

Mike_O, Oct 2025

Derrick was a wonderful guide for our London adventure. He was very informative. We did and saw everything we wanted to for a day in London.

London City Tour

Clancy_D, Oct 2025

I can’t recall a more enjoyable experience where it rained all day. Derek was an excellent guide. The journey ended at the London Eye. The only thing I would adjust is end time. Ending at 5PM was at the height of rush hour. We had to wait for several overcrowded trains at Waterloo Station to pass before we were able to board.