Changing of the Guard and Buckingham Palace Visit

Step into the heart of British royal history with an unforgettable visit to Buckingham Palace and witness the iconic Changing of the Guard ceremony.

Duration: 3.5 Hours
Group size:  20
Language: English

From £73

Language: English
Duration: 3.5 Hours
Type: Small Group Tours

Tour Highlights

  •  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
  • Walk through Buckingham Palace at your own pace
  • Explore the lavish State Rooms of Buckingham Palace

Description

Experience the best of British tradition and royal history with this exceptional tour. A guided visit to the world-famous Changing of the Guard ceremony, paired with a self-guided exploration of Buckingham Palace, offers an unforgettable insight into the monarchy's daily rituals and regal splendour.

Start your royal experience with the Changing of the Guard, one of London’s most iconic events. Watch as the Old Guard ceremoniously hands over duty to the New Guard in a display of British military precision and pageantry. Dressed in their distinctive red uniforms and tall bearskin hats, the Guards march in time to music, making this a spectacle you won’t forget.

Your guide will ensure you have the best vantage points, helping you to avoid the crowds and explaining the significance of each part of the ceremony, including the role of the Guards, the band, and the intricate movements that make this such a spectacular tradition.

After the Changing of the Guard, take time to immerse yourself in the magnificence of Buckingham Palace with a self-guided visit to the State Rooms. This iconic residence is the official home of the British monarch and offers a unique glimpse into royal life.

Take up this invitation to get a rare glimpse into life at this nationally cherished palace as you tour the opulent State Rooms and marvel at gifts from Heads of State, spectacular furnishings, and artworks, all brought to life by the official Palace Audio Tour. Don’t forget to stop by the 16-hectare Palace Gardens where Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth often held her world-famous tea parties.

With the palace being open to the public for just three months a year in July, August & September, tickets are always in high demand for this unforgettable experience.

Come saunter with us to the center of Royal London and onwards to the home of King Charles III.

Places You’ll See

Buckingham Palace
Changing of the Guard
King George VI Memorial

Entrance to Buckingham Palace with tickets

Guided Changing of the Guard experience

English Speaking local expert guide

Gratuities

Food & drink

Hotel pick-up & drop-off

Meeting point

Equestrian statue of Edward Ⅶ
Equestrian statue of Edward VII

Important information

Not allowed:
Luggage or large bags
Pets
Photography inside Buckingham Palace
Weapons or sharp objects
Video recording

Know before you go:
There is a lot of walking involved in this tour

Please arrive fifteen minutes before the start time on your voucher.

FAQ?

  1. No. The guided walk covers Westminster and Churchill’s wartime London above ground; inside the War Rooms you explore at your own pace with the museum’s audio guide, which is included in your ticket. Your guide will tell you what to look for before you go in.

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ExcellentGoogle star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 55.0474 reviews
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Excellent2107 reviews
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Nick Hobbs profile picture
Nick Hobbs
7 November 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Phenomenal tour and top-tier knowledge and storytelling by our tour guide (Nathan!). He had a wonderful ability to weave together nuanced factors over wide swaths of time to give backing context into London’s WW2 history. And he did so with a great sense of humor.
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James M profile picture
James M
7 November 2026
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Fantastic tour experience! Trudy is an absolute expert guide with amazing knowledge of Westminster Abbey. She tapered the information based on our basic background knowledge of the Abbey. We highly recommend this tour and especially credit Trudy with educating us!
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Michelle M profile picture
Michelle M
7 November 2026
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Excellent tour! Excellent tour!! The reason why it was excellent was because of our amazing tour guide, Paul. He took time to give us so many details and explain everything we would do in advance of starting the tour. As we walked he made sure all the people were together and able to hear. He gave us great details and insight about every building and the area in general. Would highly recommend this tour, especially Paul
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Patricia_A profile picture
Patricia_A
7 November 2026
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Very informative guide,... Very informative guide, Nathan was friendly, efficient in leading the group from historic locations, ending up at the Churchill War Rooms. Nathan was extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of both Britain's struggle-- and all other countries-- major participation in World War II.
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michellemU7475OZ profile picture
michellemU7475OZ
7 November 2026
Viator star 1Viator star 2Viator star 3Viator star 4Viator star 5Verified
Excellent tour! Excellent tour!! The reason why it was excellent was because of our amazing tour guide, Paul. He took time to give us so many details and explain everything we would do in advance of starting the tour. As we walked he made sure all the people were together and able to hear. He gave us great details and insight about every building and the area in general. Would highly recommend this tour, especially Paul
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Chris Schettino profile picture
Chris Schettino
6 November 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Paul was the man. Absolutely crushed the tour 10/10
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Stylincoll profile picture
Stylincoll
6 November 2026
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Walking tour Paul was outstanding very informative and fun!
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Kristin_M profile picture
Kristin_M
6 November 2026
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Enjoyable history tour Paul gave a great overview of London’s WWII history, hitting the memorials and significant locations with his enjoyable sense of humor. He timed the tour just right so we were able to see the Horse Guards taking the horses out for exercise just before we entered the Churchill War Rooms. Bonus! I would definitely recommend!
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Helen Hayes profile picture
Helen Hayes
5 November 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Thank you for a great tour!
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Carol_M profile picture
Carol_M
5 November 2026
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It’s a winner! Paul was outstanding. Information, pace of tour, interesting details to bring history alive; he had it all. The museum itself is unique and a must visit if in London. Highly recommended this tour with Paul.
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Karien V profile picture
Karien V
4 November 2026
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Changing the guard We had a wonderful time. Angie was knowledgeable and very entertaining. Highly recommend this tour.
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Rulisa P profile picture
Rulisa P
4 November 2026
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Our tour guide, Angie was the best! Our tour guide, Angie was the best, very knowledgeable, funny, well worth every pound for the experience we had. I left feeling like when I retire I would want to be a tour guide!
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255karienv profile picture
255karienv
4 November 2026
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Changing the guard We had a wonderful time. Angie was knowledgeable and very entertaining. Highly recommend this tour.
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rulisap profile picture
rulisap
4 November 2026
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Our tour guide, Angie was the best! Our tour guide, Angie was the best, very knowledgeable, funny, well worth every pound for the experience we had. I left feeling like when I retire I would want to be a tour guide!
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Kristin_P profile picture
Kristin_P
4 November 2026
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WW2 and Churchill War Rooms Our guide was Paul and he was outstanding. He has so much pride in England’s history and especially the role they played in WW2. We enjoyed his friendly nature and stories he shared about London during the war. The time we spent with him was perfect before we entered the Churchill War Rooms. I would highly recommend Paul as a guide and this tour in particular.
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Steve Box profile picture
Steve Box
2 November 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
WWII history tour given by Paul. Very knowledgeable, friendly and informative. Would highly recommend.
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Nicole Drews-Arnold profile picture
Nicole Drews-Arnold
2 November 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Eine tolle Tour mit sehr viel interessanten Informationen durch unsere sehr nette Führerin Ellen. Würden die Tour jederzeit wieder buchen.
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Joseph_T profile picture
Joseph_T
2 November 2026
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Churchill and WW2 Come to Life Paul was personable and extremely knowledgeable about WW2 London and Churchill. We would recommend this trip as a must see.
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Elizabeth C profile picture
Elizabeth C
1 November 2026
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Excellent and highly informative tour! Our guide Jeremy was fantastic and really brought the history alive for us. He was engaging and funny and provided a depth of understanding that really stood out. My husband was also very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed it too. He is a WW2 buff and still learned many new insights. The bunker was self guided with an audio recording included. It was fascinating and you could easily spend half a day there. It was a little overwhelming with all the info available. Highly recommend this tour!
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Escape35332665680 profile picture
Escape35332665680
1 November 2026
Viator star 1Viator star 2Viator star 3Viator star 4Viator star 5Verified
Excellent and highly informative tour! Our guide Jeremy was fantastic and really brought the history alive for us. He was engaging and funny and provided a depth of understanding that really stood out. My husband was also very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed it too. He is a WW2 buff and still learned many new insights. The bunker was self guided with an audio recording included. It was fascinating and you could easily spend half a day there. It was a little overwhelming with all the info available. Highly recommend this tour!
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Steve profile picture
Steve
31 October 2026
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Excellent Tour Excellent tour! Very insightful and our guide Jeremy knew all the right spots to go and see this amazing ceremony. Highly recommend for anyone going to see Changing of the Guard for the first time.
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Florian T profile picture
Florian T
31 October 2026
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Changing of the Guard - great family experience Our guide Ellen made the entire 2 hours very entertaining and interesting. She knew exactly when and where to be to experience the Changing of the Guard up close without the crowds! Absolutely recommended, even with children!
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D3725LRfloriant profile picture
D3725LRfloriant
31 October 2026
Viator star 1Viator star 2Viator star 3Viator star 4Viator star 5Verified
Changing of the Guard - great family experience Our guide Ellen made the entire 2 hours very entertaining and interesting. She knew exactly when and where to be to experience the Changing of the Guard up close without the crowds! Absolutely recommended, even with children!
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Cate O profile picture
Cate O
30 October 2026
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London and Westminster Highlight of our trip to London. Jeremy was our guide and he was an absolute knowledge of information, all things, London, and beyond. There were only four of us in this group so it was very personalized. We were able to go into the Tower of London before everybody else, and watch the opening ceremony and given a detailed history of the men and women who watch over Tower of London to this day. After plenty of time there, Jeremy took us on the Themes commuter boat up to Westminster. It was about a 15 to 20 minute ride and throughout it, he showed us different architectural importances throughout London and history. Once in Westminster, we walked through St. James Park, to Buckingham Palace, where once again, he explained past and present day monarchy, and showed us the area around the Palace. Do not skip on this tour. We saw many other groups with upwards of 30 people, and we’re so relieved to have Jeremy in a small group to experience London.
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Cindy S profile picture
Cindy S
30 October 2026
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Fantastic Guide Chris was very engaging and knowledgeable. Highly recommend taking a tour with him.
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Cyle Morpeth profile picture
Cyle Morpeth
29 October 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Paul provided an outstanding tour. He was personable, upbeat, charming and very well informed.
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xmx miss profile picture
xmx miss
29 October 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Bathilde was a wonderfull guide, very knowledgalable, very kind and sympaticable. We pasted 2 nice jours.
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Megan Kolbe profile picture
Megan Kolbe
28 October 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
A wealth of knowledge. Funny and very personable. Would highly recommend to anybody
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Bart Callear profile picture
Bart Callear
24 October 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Guided tour of Churchill bunker and ww2 London. Excellent experience.
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leah dillon profile picture
leah dillon
20 October 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Our guide Jeremy was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, we had a great time
Posted on Getyourguide Getyourguide
Carrie profile picture
Carrie
13 October 2026
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Paul was clear, knowledgeable, funny and helpful! Thoroughly enjoyed the war history and Churchills War Rooms
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GetYourGuide Traveller
13 October 2026
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Nathan had great stories to tell and Made it a morning to remember
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Linda profile picture
Linda
12 October 2026
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Ella hat alles super interessant erklärt und hat unsere beiden Kinder ganz toll mit eingebunden. Kann man wirklich empfehlen!!!
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Christiane profile picture
Christiane
9 October 2026
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Wir haben heute mit Ellen den Wachwechsel auf Deutsch erlebt und sind sehr begeistert . Sie hat uns viele Informationen geliefert und in einer sehr unterhaltsamen Art noch einige Anekdoten erzählt. Sie hat uns super platziert, damit wir den Wachwechsel genau verfolgen konnten, sowohl zu Beginn als auch am Ende des Wechsels. Vielen Dank dafür
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Madeline profile picture
Madeline
9 October 2026
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Awesome Guide!!
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GetYourGuide Traveller
9 October 2026
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Outstanding! Jeremy was engaging, Informative and a pure pleasure. We Loved this tour
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GetYourGuide Traveller
8 October 2026
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A great activity and the guide was very knowledgable
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Frank profile picture
Frank
7 October 2026
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Jeremy was absolutely brilliant! His incredible historical details, shared in such a fascinating way, kept us captivated the whole time. Great Scottish sense of humor! Highly recommended.
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Thomas
6 October 2026
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Die deutsche Tourguidein war sehr gut🫶
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Thomas profile picture
Thomas
6 October 2026
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Die deutsche Tourguidein war sehr gut🫶
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Ruth profile picture
Ruth
13 July 2026
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Jeremy was a very engaging guide. We really enjoyed the tour and would recommend it to anyone. It was about Churchill and much more.
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Rak profile picture
Rak
27 June 2026
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Excellent guide and also friendly and efficient communications with the operator. Highly recommend this tour.
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Jocelyn profile picture
Jocelyn
5 June 2026
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Nathan was a great tour guide. He was knowledgeable, well spoken and quite the character. Loved it
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宇煊
3 January 2026
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I like this very much, the guide shared some very moving stories
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Brent Dressen profile picture
Brent Dressen
22 May 2025
Trustindex star 1Trustindex star 2Trustindex star 3Trustindex star 4Trustindex star 5
London in WWII & War Tunnels Tour Great tour and very informative. Jeremy was our guide and was terrific! Great pace for the tour and we were able to cover all the highlights. Would recommend.!

From £73

Language: English
Duration: 3.5 Hours
Type: Small Group Tours

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