REVIEW · LONDON
Buckingham Palace Visit and Changing of the Guard Tour
Book on GetYourGuide →Operated by Urban Saunters Ltd · Bookable on GetYourGuide
Red coats, marching music, and royal rooms. This tour strings together two of London’s biggest royal moments: the Changing of the Guard and a self-paced walk through Buckingham Palace. You get the ceremony first, with a guide steering you to a smart viewing spot, then you slow down inside the palace with an audio tour.
My favorite part is how the guide explains what you’re seeing—down to the moving parts of the ceremony—so it clicks fast instead of feeling like random pageantry. I also like that the palace time is yours to control, with an audio tour that helps you spot the highlights while you go at your own pace.
One thing to plan for: the visit involves a lot of walking, and it’s not set up for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments.
In This Review
- Key Things That Make This Tour Worth Your Time
- Getting Oriented at Waterloo Place (Before You Even See the Guards)
- What you should bring
- The Changing of the Guard: What You’ll Actually Watch
- The viewing strategy that makes this tour feel smoother
- After the Ceremony: Walking Into Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms
- Self-guided audio, but not aimless
- What you’ll notice in the rooms
- Buckingham Palace Outside the Headlines: A Few Things People Miss
- Palace Gardens: Where Royal Tea Stories Live
- A small tip for pacing
- Price and Timing: Is $97 a Good Value?
- Who Should Book This (and Who Might Want a Different Plan)
- Small Rules That Can Trip You Up
- Should You Book This Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard Tour?
- FAQ
- Where do I meet the guide?
- How long is the tour?
- What’s included in the price?
- Is food or drinks included?
- What should I bring?
- Are photos or videos allowed inside Buckingham Palace?
- Is hotel pickup and drop-off included?
- Is free cancellation available?
Key Things That Make This Tour Worth Your Time
- Best-possible ceremony sightlines with a guide who helps you avoid the worst crowd crush
- Old Guard to New Guard handover, explained step by step so it’s not just watching
- State Rooms access plus an audio tour that keeps you moving through the highlights
- Real Buckingham Palace atmosphere, including gifts from heads of state and big-ticket artwork
- A practical 3.5-hour format that works well even if you’re also seeing Westminster
Getting Oriented at Waterloo Place (Before You Even See the Guards)
The tour starts near Waterloo Place in St. James’s, at the equestrian statue of Edward VII. You’ll look for a man on a horse and a sign for Urban Saunters. It’s a solid launch point because you’re close to the Westminster royal scene without being jammed into the heaviest foot-traffic right away.
If you’re coming by Tube, the cleanest route given here is to go to Piccadilly Circus, then take exit No. 3 onto Regent Street. Walk south toward St. James’s Park, and you’ll find Waterloo Place at the end of Regent Street. I like starting here because it helps you get your bearings quickly—before the ceremony pulls all your attention.
You can also read our reviews of more tours and experiences in London.
What you should bring
Bring a passport or ID card (it’s required), and wear comfortable shoes. Since there’s lots of walking, the shoe choice is not a “nice to have” item here—it’s the difference between enjoying your day and counting minutes.
The Changing of the Guard: What You’ll Actually Watch
The ceremony is the headliner: you’ll watch the Old Guard hand over duty to the New Guard. It’s staged with military precision, music from the band, and a very recognizable look—those red uniforms and tall bearskin hats. Even if you think you’ve seen photos, standing there in person is different. The timing, the rhythm, and the coordination feel real.
Your guide helps translate the spectacle into something you can follow. You’ll learn the role of the Guards, what the band adds to the pacing, and why the movements are done the way they are. That matters because the ceremony is visual, but it’s also structured—once you understand the structure, you stop watching for just the big moments.
The viewing strategy that makes this tour feel smoother
A big part of why this works is simple: you’re not left to fend for yourself in the crowd. The guide aims you toward a strong vantage point and gives guidance on how to position yourself. That saves your energy for what matters—watching carefully rather than shuffling and craning every five seconds.
It also helps because the Changing of the Guard can get packed. With a guide running point, you’re more likely to spend your time looking at the ceremony instead of fighting for a line-of-sight.
After the Ceremony: Walking Into Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms
Once you’ve seen the handover, you shift gears from the outdoor ceremony into indoor grandeur. Inside Buckingham Palace, you get access to the State Rooms, which are the public-facing rooms linked to royal hosting and state occasions.
What I like about doing this right after the ceremony is that you stay in the same mood. The guards feel like the opening scene, and the palace interiors feel like the payoff. You’re still working with royal rituals, just in a different form—pageantry transitioning into furnishings, art, and ceremony-level display.
Self-guided audio, but not aimless
The palace portion is self-guided using an official audio tour. You’ll be able to stop, listen, and move on when you want. That’s a real advantage over a tightly timed group tour because you can linger where you care most—whether that’s artwork, room layout, or the kind of gifts and objects associated with heads of state.
You’re not stuck trying to read everything off labels while also waiting for a group to move. Instead, the audio tour gives you context as you walk through the rooms, so you get more meaning out of what you’re seeing.
What you’ll notice in the rooms
Expect a focus on the palace’s most lavish public spaces. The tour highlights things like spectacular furnishings and artworks, plus gifts from heads of state. Those details matter because they show the palace as a living symbol of international relationships—not only a building with history.
Also, there are a few practical rules: photography inside is not allowed, and video recording is not allowed. Plan to enjoy the rooms with your eyes and your listening, not your camera.
Buckingham Palace Outside the Headlines: A Few Things People Miss
It’s easy to think Buckingham Palace is just a backdrop for iconic photos. This visit nudges you toward the palace as an operational stage—rooms designed for public-facing display, with stories that explain what each space is for.
The most useful mindset here is to treat the audio tour as your “prompt.” If you find a room and think, I’m not sure what I’m looking at, press play. The audio is there to help you interpret what’s in front of you so you’re not just wandering from one impressive thing to another.
And because the palace is open to the public only three months a year (July, August, and September), tickets can be in high demand. If you’re traveling in summer, this is one of those situations where planning ahead pays off.
Palace Gardens: Where Royal Tea Stories Live
After the State Rooms, you can also stop by the Palace Gardens. The highlight here is the connection to real royal tradition: Queen Elizabeth is noted for holding her world-famous tea parties there.
Even if you’re not there during an event, the gardens give you a break from indoor looking. They’re a nice mental reset after concentrating on ceremony details and room displays. Also, having this outdoors time helps you handle the “lots of walking” reality of the day—if you build in small pauses, you’ll feel less rushed overall.
A small tip for pacing
Don’t force everything to feel like a checklist. If the ceremony made your legs tired, treat the gardens as your chance to breathe and re-center. You’ll enjoy the rest more when you’re not pushing through every moment in a hurry.
Price and Timing: Is $97 a Good Value?
At $97 per person for about 3.5 hours, this isn’t a throwaway add-on. You’re paying for a combo that’s hard to replicate on your own without extra friction: guided ceremony coverage plus palace entry plus an audio tour.
Here’s why the value holds up:
- You get guided Changing of the Guard with help finding a strong viewing setup, instead of trying to guess where to stand.
- The palace time includes State Rooms entry and an audio tour, so you’re not paying for silence or guesswork.
- It’s compact enough that you can pair it with other Westminster sightseeing without losing an entire day.
You’re also not paying extra for food here. Since food and drinks aren’t included, plan to grab something either before or after so you can keep moving without getting stuck buying a snack mid-walk.
Overall, if you care about understanding what you’re seeing—not just filming it—this price is easier to justify.
Who Should Book This (and Who Might Want a Different Plan)
This works best if you want a first-class mix of “watch” and “wander.” The ceremony is structured and explained, then the palace becomes your personal circuit with audio guidance. If you like traditions, uniforms, music, and learning the meaning behind movements, you’ll feel rewarded quickly.
It’s also a good fit for people who don’t want a rigid schedule inside the palace. You’re given the palace experience and the tools to enjoy it at your pace, rather than being herded from room to room.
That said, it’s not suitable for everyone. The tour involves a lot of walking, and it’s not suitable for people with mobility impairments or wheelchair users. If mobility is a concern, you’ll likely be happier with an option that reduces walking and offers more accommodation.
One more note from real-world booking patterns: at times, the group can be very small, which can make the experience feel more personal. Even when it’s not private, the guide role still matters because the ceremony viewing is where structure helps most.
Small Rules That Can Trip You Up
London royal sites have their own logic, and this one includes a few “check before you go” items:
- Bring a passport or ID card.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Leave large bags/luggage at home.
- No pets.
- No weapons or sharp objects.
- No video recording.
- No photography inside.
These aren’t just bureaucratic rules. They affect how smoothly you move and how quickly you can get in and out. If you arrive with an easy, minimal setup, you’ll spend more of your time watching the Guards and listening to the palace audio.
Should You Book This Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard Tour?
Book it if you want the smartest version of two iconic experiences in one compact visit. The best reasons are the guided ceremony (with explanations and smart positioning) and the chance to enjoy the State Rooms at your own rhythm with the audio tour.
Skip it or reconsider if you can’t handle lots of walking, or if you’re hoping for lots of indoor photo opportunities (since photography inside isn’t allowed). If you’re good with that tradeoff, this is a strong choice for a classic London day.
FAQ
Where do I meet the guide?
Meet at the equestrian statue of Edward VII by Waterloo Place, St. James’s, London SW1Y 5ER. Look for a man on a horse and a sign saying Urban Saunters.
How long is the tour?
The tour duration is 3.5 hours.
What’s included in the price?
You get a guided Changing of the Guard experience, an English-speaking local guide, entrance to Buckingham Palace, and a self-guided audio tour of the palace.
Is food or drinks included?
No. Food and drinks are not included.
What should I bring?
Bring a passport or ID card and wear comfortable shoes.
Are photos or videos allowed inside Buckingham Palace?
No. Video recording is not allowed, and photography inside is not allowed.
Is hotel pickup and drop-off included?
No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.
Is free cancellation available?
Yes. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
