Changing of the Guard & Buckingham Palace: The 15 Best Tickets

1.Buckingham Palace: The State Rooms Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7,395 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $44Our pick

Enter Buckingham Palace through the State Rooms Visitor Entrance and explore rooms used for official royal ceremonies. Your ticket includes a multimedia guide in nine languages, access to paintings, porcelain, sculpture, and furniture from the Royal Collection, plus the Garden Café and palace grounds. Entry is timed, and photography inside is not allowed.

“It was absolutely wonderful to see the inside of the palace. (The map link of the meeting point from the GYG app brought us to the other side of the gate. Please fix the link.)”

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2.Buckingham Palace & Changing of the Guard Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 2,971 reviews · 2 hours · from $26

Meet your guide outside Santander Bank by Green Park Station for a two-hour walk past royal palaces, parks, Whitehall, and Westminster Abbey. Guides such as Joanne, Chris, Angie, Jude, and Tim bring the stories to life, then position you for the Horse Guards ceremony and, on select days, the Foot Guards at Buckingham Palace. Tours run in English or French.

“Jude was an incredible tour guide who was very warm, inviting, knowledgeable, and personable. I would recommend his tour to anyone and would do it again in a heartbeat!”

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3.Changing of The Guard Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,510 reviews · 2 hours · from $15Best value

Follow the guards toward Buckingham Palace with an English-speaking guide such as Chris, Nathan, Babs, Jo, or Alex. You’ll move through Waterloo Place, The Mall, St James’s Palace, Clarence House, and St James’s Park, learning about uniforms, regiments, royal protocol, and ceremony timing while finding clear views for photos.

“Our guide, Alan, was very knowledgeable, friendly and looked after our experience to ensure other tourists didnt get into our space.”

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4.Buckingham Palace Entry & Changing of the Guard Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 2,221 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $97

Start at the Duke of York Column with an English-speaking guide, watch the Foot or Horse Guards when scheduled, then enter Buckingham Palace for its State Rooms and official audio guide. Guides such as Aaron, Sophie, Joseph, Kevin, and Katarina have been praised for clear explanations and smart viewing positions.

“I really enjoyed Aaron’s knowledge on our tour of Buckingham palace and the Changing of the Guards. We had a great position and visibility of the guards changing and were guided right up to the palace for the rest of our tour. Thank you Aaron.”

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5.Westminster and Changing of the Guard Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,171 reviews · from $24

Walk from Green Park to Trafalgar Square with an English-speaking guide, seeing Buckingham Palace, the Guard change or Horse Guards, St James’s Park, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, and Downing Street. Guides such as Harry, John, Alan, and Peter are praised for finding prime viewing spots and adding sharp royal and political detail.

“Our guide found every perfect spot from which to watch the guards. It was like a dream come true to see all of this. He knew so much about the history of the people, the buildings, the guard. Today was amazing.”

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6.Westminster Abbey, Big Ben & Buckingham Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,170 reviews · from $101

Spend four hours with a licensed Blue Badge guide exploring Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament Square, St James’s Park, and Buckingham Palace. The Abbey receives the most time, with priority group entry and guided sightseeing. Choose English, German, French, Italian, or Spanish, and expect a group of up to 20 people.

“Lucy was great! Lots of info was shared and my 12 year old son was intrigued. I also luke that there was a break and a lot of different venues (like the park) were included. My only criticism is the tour name is deceiving. J thought we would see more of Big Ben!”

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7.Changing of the Guard Guided Walking Tour in London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,793 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $25Top rated

Walk from Piccadilly Circus to Buckingham Palace while following the Changing of the Guard along the Mall. Guides such as Joe, Angie, Paul, and Alex share royal history, point out the best places to watch, and keep the group moving through crowds. Expect 1 hour 45 minutes of brisk walking, steps, and no refreshment break.

“Even on a rainy day and a wet changing of the guards, our tour guide Paul did a great job setting expectations, flexing the tour, and ensuring we got to see as much as possible.”

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8.Buckingham Palace: The Royal Mews Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,759 reviews · from $22

Visit Buckingham Palace’s working Royal Mews to see the Gold State Coach, Diamond Jubilee State Coach, historic carriages, and some royal horses. Your ticket includes a multimedia guide in nine languages. Allow roughly one to two hours, and remember this ticket covers the Mews, not Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms.

“Great tour was about to start Lynne was a fabulous host and gave a great insight”

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9.Buckingham Palace Entrance Ticket & Changing of the Guard Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,720 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $98

Meet at the Duke of York Column for a guided walk through St James’s Park, royal stories, and a planned viewing of the Changing of the Guard. Then enter Buckingham Palace with a ticket and explore the State Rooms using an audio guide. The ceremony may change or be replaced by a Westminster walk.

“Our guide (I think his name was Aaron) was very informative and a pleasure to listen to. I really liked that he had earbuds for all of us so we could hear his presentation. So helpful when you're outside and a person who doesn't hear so good.”

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10.Changing of the Guard Tour by Buckingham Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,655 reviews · 90 minutes - 4 hours · from $18

Meet by the Duke of York Monument and follow an English-speaking guide through the Changing of the Guard. Headsets help you hear commentary as you move between viewing points near St. James’s and Buckingham Palace. Guides such as Louise, Natalie, Ian, and Katarina are praised for clear stories and smart positioning. Optional Royal Mews or King’s Gallery tickets are available.

“Highly recommend this tour! Our guide Katie was very knowledgeable and presented the information in depth. She was very entertaining”

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11.Walking Tour of London Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,213 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $95

Walk about 3.2 km through Westminster with a Blue Badge Guide, seeing Big Ben, Parliament, St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, and St James’s Palace. Choose a 4-hour guided Westminster Abbey visit or a 3-hour exterior tour with self-entry for an organ recital, evensong, or mass when scheduled.

“Natasha was enthusiastic, personable and knowledgeable. She added additional spots on Oxford Street at The end and picked out great spots for pictures.”

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12.Buckingham Palace Entry Ticket & Royal Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,010 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $93

Meet at the Duke of York Column for a guided walk past the Mall, St. James’s Park, St. James’s Palace, and Clarence House. Then enter Buckingham Palace with a timed ticket and explore its State Apartments using the official audio guide. The palace visit lasts about 90 minutes, with garden time afterward.

“This tour was excellent, starting with the guide, who was entertaining and very knowledgeable. The actual tour through the palace was outstanding - very well organised and the electronic guide units very easy to use and excellent quality. Overall this tour was the highlight of our trip.”

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13.Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey & Big Ben Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 949 reviews · 5 hours · from $91

Walk from the Ritz through Green Park, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, and Parliament Square with an English-speaking guide. See Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Downing Street, and the Changing of the Guard on selected morning tours, then enter Westminster Abbey with a pre-booked ticket. Guides such as Chris, Will, Ash, and Ari add humor and useful local tips.

“The tour was awesome. Our guide Will was the best! He was very knowledgeable, funny & he had really great tips on how to explore the city. Fun Facts were amazing!”

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14.Changing of the Guard Guided Tour at Buckingham Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 941 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $19

Meet at the Duke of York Column for a 90-minute walk through St. James’s and the Changing of the Guard. Your English-speaking guide uses headsets and several viewing spots to explain the ceremony, cavalry, footguards, and royal landmarks. Guides may include Louise, Paul, David, Natalie, or Kevin. The tour ends outside Buckingham Palace.

“Paul is the best! He is friendly, funny and he knows his stuff and led us to some great spots. In short a great tour!”

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15.Changing of the Guard Walking Tour in London at Buckingham Palace

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 919 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $19

Follow a guide through royal London to watch several parts of the Changing of the Guard, hear the story behind the ceremony, and see Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Clarence House, The Mall, and St James’s Park. Guides such as Rachel, Mike, Matt, and Conor are praised for finding strong viewing spots. The tour ends with a possible photo beside the Royal Horseguards.

“Our family (including grandparents, parents and kids 11-3) loved this tour! We had amazing views for photos and learned relevant history and details in advance of the changing of the guard ceremony. Our tour guide Rachel was fantastic - presented material in an engaging way, helped take photos, and answered all questions thoroughly. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect but I would highly recommend this tour to a friend. Everyone in our group was so glad we did it!”

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