Private Changing of The Guard Walking Tour

★★★★★
★★★★★

Trip Highlights

  • Private Tour

  • Family friendly

  • Experience Changing of the Guard with a true local

  • World famous ceremony with an expert guide

Description

Witness one of the most dazzling ceremonies in the world with an expert guide - get closer to the action.

England is known for fish and chips, four seasons in a day, warm ale, history in spades, and of course, a deeply ingrained age-old love for pomp and ceremony. Join Urban Saunters as we serve a slice of world-famous ceremonial action with this small-group Changing of the Guards experience.

Tour info

Duration
1 hour 45 minutes
Group Size
no limit
Price starts at
180 GBP
Languages
English
Meeting Point

Equestrian statue of Edward VII, Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 5ER London

Dropoff location

Buckingham Palace

Why take this tour?

There is so much more to this extravagant shift change than meets the eye though- with your expert guide to lead the way, you’ll soon know your Welsh from your Grenadier guard, understand what the deal is with those fuzzy bearskin hats, hear the astounding origins of this dazzling spectacle and truly get a handle on the significance of every colour, button, mascot, symbol and movement in this most British of traditions.

From the best possible viewing point, your small group will join the guards on their journey towards Buckingham Palace as you march to the beat of their drums... but what will the music be today?

Included

  • Guided Changing of the Guard experience

  • English Speaking local expert guide

Excluded

  • Gratuities

  • Food & drink

  • Hotel pick-up & drop-off

Things to know

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation up to 7 days prior to the tour.
Learn More

Free cancellation up to 7 days prior to the tour.
Learn More

The Important Stuff

  • Please arrive fifteen minutes before the start time on your voucher.
  • The tour starts at 9:30 AM on Sunday and 10:15 AM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
  • The experience will end outside Buckingham Palace at around 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM.
  • We tend to move pretty fast to...
  • Please arrive fifteen minutes before the start time on your voucher.
  • The tour starts at 9:30 AM on Sunday and 10:15 AM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
  • The experience will end outside Buckingham Palace at around 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM.
  • 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 10:30 AM so come rain or shine, the Urban Saunters Changing of the Guard experience will go ahead. If the full ceremony is canceled, there will still be the chance to see the guards marching, just without the music.

Meeting Place

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 (do not walk north towards Oxford Street). Waterl...

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 (do not walk north towards Oxford Street). Waterloo Place is at the end of Regent Street. You will see a statue of a man on a horse.

Customer Reviews

tripadvisor reviews

Richard was een heel goede gids. Hij beantwoordt de vragen uitgebreid en correct. Aangenamen rondleiding!

tripadvisor reviews

Changing the Guard tour Washington perfect. Nathan explain us a lot of verry interesting things. He showed us different perfect point of view to have perfect photos of the Guard.

tripadvisor reviews

This was the best tour we did during our trip London. Our guide Nathan had so much knowledge of all the areas we visit and we could listed to him for hours. Really good value, could not recommend highly enough!

tripadvisor reviews

In mid December my family and I went on a changing of the guard tour with Francis. He was an amazing guide with exceptional knowledge and ensured we got the best view of everything. The tour was enjoyable and we’re all so glad we went!

tripadvisor reviews

Francis was a wonderful guide. He had us movin’ quick, but it was great for us to hit all the perfect vantage points on the tour, and kept my interest the whole time. Great photos came out of this!! He was super knowledgeable and as a retired police officer, had some great inside knowledge of events around Buckingham and also some fun personal stories. I definitely recommend Urban Saunters, tour was easy to book and the meet up spot worked out great. Enjoy!

tripadvisor reviews

We loved it. The tour guide, Francis, was very nice and got us to the right places at the right time. He talked about the history of the monarchy and some stories about the experiences he’s had with the royal family. The change of the guards was really cool and interesting to see. The overal experience was great. :)

tripadvisor reviews

I live seeing the marging bands from up close. Realy could see the whole happing.Francis gave a lovely tour.

tripadvisor reviews

We did the Changing of the Guards and Westminster tour with Nathan as well as the Churchill tour with Richard. They were both incredible guides, extremely knowledgeable, answered all questions and were so lovely. The most charming tours of our London experience. Would book again.

google reviews

Easy to book, easy confirmation and easy to find the tour starting point. Guide was Francis who was fantastic in terms of knowledge, good vantage points, answers to random questions, and running the whole walking tour at a good pace. Want to do other tours with him!

tripadvisor reviews

After living in the UK for some time, I have had the best morning taking part in Francis’ walking tour. He is so knowledgeable with no question he couldn’t answer.It’s evident that he’s popular on the tour beat as a lot of people in the area warmly greeted him which added greatly to the experience.I’m now planning on a few more tours specifically with Francis - book in!

tripadvisor reviews

We had a wonderful time with our tourguide Richard at the Buckingham Pallace! The Pace of the Walking tour was not too fast (as many others) and Richard always had a lovely joke and a smile on his lips!

tripadvisor reviews

It was fantastic, we watched the various parts of the parade from all the best spots. Francis really knew his stuff and clearly enjoys emparting knowledge which in turn makes it a lot of fun. Definitely need a good fitness level to keep up but for us that was all part of the experience!

tripadvisor reviews

We had a very interesting Tour with our guide Chris. Lots of facts about the royal guards and he took us to the best possible place for photos and videos of the event.

tripadvisor reviews

So glad we booked this tour rather than trying to go on our own , Richard our tour guide was awesome , shared all sorts of info about the guard change , the various residences, and made sure we were in good spots to see the action

tripadvisor reviews

Very interesting and funny thanks to our guide, Richard. Full of good advice for our stay in London. We highly recommand this tour.

tripadvisor reviews

Highly recommend this tour! Our tour guide Francis lead us to the best positions to see the guards up close, explained the different types of guards, their duties and how to become a guard. Francis used to be a police officer and also told us about his experiences and stories about meeting the royal family. Truly informative and entertaining, if you get a chance you shouldn't miss it!

tripadvisor reviews

Excellent tour with Chris, who is congenial, very knowledgeable, and who knew exactly where to position us so we could get a good view of the Changing of the Guard. I would gladly book again with this company and am happy to recommend them to other visitors to London.

tripadvisor reviews

Our guide Richard was a very nice man!He made a Very interesting explanation in a "coloured" & pleasant tour though the iced rain falling....I SUGGEST IT TO EVERYBODY!!!!Chiara

tripadvisor reviews

Chris was an amazing tour guide. Very warm, friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. The tour was a brilliant experience and excellent value for money. Chris was attentive and caring, checking constantly that everyone was together and encouraged us to ask questions. We felt like royalty!! This was our second experience with Chris and it was just as good as the first time.

tripadvisor reviews

Francis was great. He got us to all the right locations to see the marching and bands play. Both informative and entertaining.

tripadvisor reviews

Richard the guide, gave us the most enjoyable and enriching experience in the Changing of the Guard Walking Tour.That was almost 2 hours of sightseeing combining historical facts and interesting thoughts all in a funny and joyful presentation. We've succeeded to see and discover new things that we probably couldn't see without Richard. The only thing we regret about, is that was the only tour we got to take with Richard and the company.. Next time.. :)

tripadvisor reviews

What a fabulous experience! Richard our guide was extremely knowledgeable with a fantastic sense of humour. Our family of 5 enjoyed this beyond our expectations. Not only will you get right up close to the guards, but you will come away with a full understanding of the history behind the Royal palaces and the guards themselves. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Thank you so much Richard!

tripadvisor reviews

We decide to arrange this tour last minute. Richard, our guide was a fantastic man, very experienced and make us to fell very comfortable. Don’t miss it !!!!

tripadvisor reviews

I must say that our guide, Richard, was simply amazing; funny, engaging, informative, and a true pro.. as parents with 4 kids, we could not have asked for any better. An easy 5 Stars! Thank you!

tripadvisor reviews

Our tour couldn’t have been better. Our guide, Francis, was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. He answered all of the questions posed and brought personal stories of his time as a London Policeman. He knew the perfect spots to view the changing of the guard and kept us organized to get there on time. We even got a wave from King Charles as he drove by. I can’t over stress how amazing this guide was. The downside is I’m not sure I’m going to want to take this tour again in the future UNLESS I can be guaranteed to have Francis as my guide. He was THAT amazing!

tripadvisor reviews

Very helpful and informative. Good areas of where to share information about the tour. Very knowledgeable i enjoyed it

tripadvisor reviews

Francis, our guide, led us on a fast paced walking tour to several locations, to get the full effect of the changing of the guard.He was extremely knowledgeable and positioned us to get the best views and provided some great insight on the process! My original thought was to go solo to Buckingham Palace and I decided to book this tour instead. I’m so happy I did! There is no way the experience would have compared to the wonderful few hours spent with Francis!I highly recommend!!

tripadvisor reviews

Richard, our guide, was the funniest person I‘ve met in London. He has had many interest facts about the royals.

tripadvisor reviews

We just finished this tour with Richard as our guide. It was one of the highlights of our trip to London. Richard was unbelievably informative and funny. We got so close to the guards as they were marching past. We even got to see King Charles drive out of his residence on the way to the palace. Richard even recommended a lovely pub for our lunch. We would highly recommend this tour. Thank you Richard.Paul and Val, Dublin

tripadvisor reviews

Very nice experience, Richard is a very good guide, clear explanations and a good sense of humour ! I strongly recommend

tripadvisor reviews

it was fantastic tour 😍 and very informative love every minute of it🤍 the group were nice , great memories highly recommended

tripadvisor reviews

5 out5 Francis very knowledgeable and had us where we needed to be. Attitude was excellent and experience was excellent

tripadvisor reviews

Amazing tour. Francis is great and knows the perfect spots for each portion of The Changing of the Guards. Perfect for all ages. You do have to walk quickly to keep up.

tripadvisor reviews

Our guide knew the best spots to avoid the crowds and get a front row experience! Great with the kids.

tripadvisor reviews

Frances is a knowledgeable wonderful guide. He knows all the ins and outs of the changing of the guards where to stand and when to move. His knowledge about the historical sites and history of the Royal family was excellent. I have been to the changing of the guards in the past but never had the outstanding experience I had today. All thanks to Frances

tripadvisor reviews

It was one of the best tours I ever took! Our guide was fantastic and I learned so much about Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Family, Westminster area and London. I could listen to our guide and his stories for hours. Highly recommended!

tripadvisor reviews

Danke, thank you Francis! Auf jeden Fall machen, lohnt sich. Mehr als nur Changing of the guards! Gerne wieder

tripadvisor reviews

Our tour guide Francis was amazing. We got to see the best views of the changing of the guards. He was very knowledgeable and amusing. The group was small which was very nice as no one missed any of the tour or got lost. This day was one of my parents favourite days in London. Thank you for such an awesome experience Francis! Highly recommend! :)

tripadvisor reviews

It was fast pace, organized and all I wanted... Best spots for seeing the pageantry and some knowledge along the way. Go for it, but be fit!

tripadvisor reviews

We had a great tour guide Francis, who was energetic, upbeat, and knowledgeable about all the buildings we passed along the way to Buckingham Palace. He also helped us weave through all the crowds to get the best viewing points of the changing of the guard. The meeting point was easy to get to and directions were very clear. Highly recommend this tour!

tripadvisor reviews

We just so much enjoyed our walking tour of changing of the guard with Francis. He is extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. This was a highlight of our stay in UK this summer.

google reviews

Yesterday we did the Changing of the Guard tour with Francis - what a wonderful tour. Francis’ knowledge of the different regiments and places to be made it the best experience. Due to rehearsals for the Queen’s platinum jubilee he had to make adjustments which meant we had an extra special tour. A small group tour is definitely the best way to do this.

tripadvisor reviews

Richard was wonderful today. The best guided tour we have ever been on. He had us positioned perfect for perfect pics of the changing of the guards.

tripadvisor reviews

We did the Changing of the Guards tour with Urban Saunters. It was great and very informative small group tour with a guide that make it feel like you are walking around with a knowledgable friend. Don’t bother standing in front of Buckingham Palace - take this tour.

tripadvisor reviews

I was nervous going on a walking tour with my mum as she uses a cane however our guide Marnie was an angel, she was patient and kind and took photos of my mum and I on the serpentine river, as well as in the park. It was a small group so she had time. Thus was our last activity in the city and she made it one to remember, she was knowledgeable and so whip smart with jokes and a smile. I learned so much and she and the company took such good care of us. Cannot recommend her or the company enough. Thank you for the wonderful memory.

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