Half-Day Royal London Tour with Changing of the Guard and a View of Buckingham Palace

Experience this historic ritual that has been guarding the sovereign's palaces for over 500 years
From US$743 privately
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Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • Buckingham Palace
  • Royal Mews
Photos & Highlights
  • A comprehensive exploration of the key royal sites in London
  • Led by a PhD level historian
Select a date
Tour Description
This royal exploration will begin with an introduction to the exterior of the King's official residence, prior to witnessing the iconic red tunics and bearskin hats performing the age-old ritual of the Changing of the King's Guard. A stroll through St James’s Park and past its Tudor palace, the principal palace in London during the Georgian era, will provide the opportunity to connect and consolidate the roles of these various sites within the narrative of the British monarchy. 

Elite soldiers have guarded the King or Queen since the reign of Henry VII who made the Royal Body Guard a permanent institution that has spanned over 520 years of history. This tour will allow you to witness this storied ritual within a narrative that encapsulates all of the key aspects of royal London; providing a comprehensive understanding of the roles these sites have played in the history of the monarchy.

Please note: The Royal Mews is open seasonally, usually between March and October, and is always closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you book this tour when the Royal Mews is closed, we will visit the Household Cavalry in its place.
Experts
Laurence Laurence
Local Guide
Janice Janice
Local Guide
Chris Chris
Local Guide
Melissa Melissa
Local Guide
Tim Tim
Tour Guide
Jane Jane
Local Guide
Anna Anna
Local Guide
Caroline Caroline
Architectural Historian
Charlotte Charlotte
Local Guide
Jenny Jenny
Local Guide
Cheryl Cheryl
Local Guide
Emily Emily
Historian
Robert Robert
Local Guide
Clare Clare
Local Guide
Harry Harry
Historian
William William
Local Guide
Oliver Oliver
Historian
Ben Ben
Local Guide
Ed Ed
Local Guide
Sean Sean
Local Guide
Laurence Laurence
Local Guide
Alex Alex
Local Guide
Zozo Daniel Zozo Daniel
Historian
Emanuela Emanuela
Local Guide
Fiona Fiona
Tour Guide
Alice Venessa Alice Venessa
Food Writer
Don Don
Local Guide
Sarah Sarah
Historian
Charlotte Charlotte
Local Guide
Laura Laura
Historian
Vivienne Vivienne
Historian
Melissa Melissa
Local Guide
Norma Norma
Local Guide
Simon Simon
Fashion
Imogen Imogen
Historian
Maurizio Maurizio
Art Historian
Jane Jane
Architectural Historian
Mark Mark
Local Guide
David David
Local Guide
Natalie Natalie
Local Guide
Jonathan Jonathan
TOUR GUIDE
Barry Barry
Local Guide
Ruth Ruth
Art Historian
Karen Karen
Local Guide
Amber Amber
Local Guide
Rob Rob
Historian
  • Buckingham Palace (Exterior)
  • St. James's Park
  • Royal Mews OR Household Cavalry

Additional Trip-Planning Resources

A few things that pair well with this tour: 
  • A little pre-trip preparation. Make sure you have your travel questions answered and get tips for your visit from a local with our London, England: Top 10 Highlights For Curious Travelers Talk.
  • An appetite for history... And for food! Tour the city on your own time, sampling tasty snacks along they way with Eats and Treats: A Culinary Tour of London Audio Guide.
  • A charged phone or empty film roll and an eye for seeing London in a different way.
  • This tour has an optional meeting point transfer if you'd like a private car to pick you up from your accommodation. If you choose to add this service, please add the address to your accommodation in the Additional Details section
Looking for insider recommendations? Get expert tips to seeing the true London in our London City Guide.
What is a private tour?
Our private tours are limited exclusively to travelers in your party. They are designed to provide a learning experience that is completely tailored to you and your traveling companions. Private tours give you more flexibility with scheduling (you decide when the walk best fits in your trip), the ability to tailor your itinerary (we'll work to match the itinerary to the interests and dynamics of your group), and more personalized time with your guide.

Does this include a tour of Westminster Abbey?
If you booked your tour before June 14th, 2024, the tour will end with a tour of the abbey's exterior, but will NOT include the interior. If you booked the tour after this mentioned date, the Westminster Abbey is not included in the itinerary.
If you would like to explore the inside of the abbey please book our Westminster Abbey tour or the Monarchy and Parliament, as the perfect complement.

Is this tour good for kids? 
Yes! We have some excellent family-friendly guides who can appeal to the learning styles of children. Please book privately if you have children under 13. Feel free to provide us with information about your children such as favorite school subjects, and hobbies. This way we can match you with the best possible guide. Please note that as this walk tour does not fall within our official family program, there will not be special family activities. 

Will you pre-purchase tickets?
Yes. We'll pre-purchase tickets for each participant for the Royal Mews. Your guide will have the tickets on hand.

What if it’s raining?
Tours operate rain or shine, but it also never hurts to have an umbrella on hand.

What are skip-the-line tickets?
For this tour, your tickets are pre-purchased which allows you to directly enter the security line at the Household Cavalry without waiting to purchase tickets. You may still have to wait in a security line or in a line to have your pre-purchased ticket scanned.   
We understand that some of our valued guests may have mobility concerns, and we want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout your tour. If there are any accessibility concerns that your tour guide will need to be aware of, please let our team know at the time of booking.

Is this tour wheelchair-friendly?
The tour is fast-paced and includes some narrow alleys and cobbled streets. We do not recommend this tour for clients with severe mobility issues.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.

Where You'll Start
(4.88) 33 Reviews

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.

Don was the best—-We highly recommend him—-he was super knowledgeable, easy to chat with, helpful with ideas for us to enjoy our time in London. Taking us to the Guard Museum and Guard Chapel was our favorite. By far best part of our vacation.
Janice was very pleasant and provided us with a vast history of the royal sites and lineage. She was mindful of our time and the tour was well planned. We were very pleased with our experience!
We had an absolutely fantastic experience on our Buckingham Palace tour, and a huge part of that was thanks to our incredible tour guide, Janice. From the moment we met her, it was clear that she was not only knowledgeable but also passionate about the history and traditions of the British monarchy. The Changing of the Guard ceremony was made even more memorable by Janice's thorough explanations of the traditions and significance behind it. She knew all the best spots for viewing and made sure we had a prime location to see everything up close.