Guided Tours

Changing the Guard Ceremony at Buckingham Palace

Name: Changing the Guard Ceremony at Buckingham Palace
Start: 2026-05-16T10:00:00
End: 2026-05-16T19:00:00
Location: London

Changing of the Guards ceremony at Horse Guards Parade, London.

Tour guide leading a group on the Royal Walking Tour, Changing of the Guard in London.

Buckingham Palace State Rooms with ornate chandeliers and gilded decor.

Buckingham Palace gates, London, featured on the Royal Walking Tour.

Explore at your pace

Choose your entry time, stay as long as you like

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 3 days before the start of your experience

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Guided tour

4.4/5(1,610)

Iana B

Couple

Verified booking

Last week

Guided tour of Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey with Svetlana Craig on Thursday, April 30, 2026. I went with my 16-year-old daughter. The tour with Svetlana was informative and entertaining, delivered with humor and ease. The tour was promised to last 2.5–3 hours but ended up lasting 3 hours and 15 minutes—which we didn’t even notice. It was so varied that I didn’t realize how much time had passed. I’d love to do it again on my next visit to London, and I’d also recommend Svetlana Craig to my friends. Many thanks and best regards from Zurich, Switzerland. Jana Blank.

Roland J

Couple

Verified booking

Last week

We took the tour with Nathan. He shared lots of interesting facts and jokes, and knew exactly where to stand to get the best view of the changing of the guard. We stood at three different spots, and since we were always right up front, we had a perfect view. (There was a lot of pollen from the trees.)

Suzanne S

Couple

Verified booking

3 weeks ago

Richard, our tour guide, gave us a lot of information about the various statues and houses we passed . If we had just wandered ourselves along The Mall we probably wouldn't have noticed the various places of interest or known about their history. Richard was able to take us to various places on the route where we were able to get the best view of the guards. All in all we thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would definitely recommend this tour

Shirlee C

Group

Verified booking

Apr 2026

Our guide David was very entertaining and gave us lots of trivia about buckingham and the rest of the royal family. He found us the best spots to take pictures. We were the first group to arrive at the best spots except for 1 but did not matter because he made up for it at the next spot. Never a dull moment.

Garel N

Couple

Verified booking

3 weeks ago

All right, before taking us to St. Paul’s Castle, David told us about the history of the monuments we passed along the way. It was very interesting, and of course, watching the changing of the guard was fun.

Joseph M

Couple

Verified booking

Apr 2026

Natalia or Natalie is a good tourist guide. She explains everything clearly and know the right spot for the viewing of changing of guards. Definitely book again here.

Watch the iconic guard change in front of the royal residence in a small group, with an expert English-speaking guide bringing the pomp, precision, and pageantry to life.

Meet your guide near Buckingham Palace, get a quick briefing, and walk together to prime viewing spots so you are ready when the Changing the Guard begins.

Enjoy guided access to the Changing the Guard and the Horse Guard ceremonies on their respective days, with your guide ensuring you see key moments and formations.

Hear stories about royal traditions, uniforms, and marching bands as your guide uses headsets so you catch every detail without missing the spectacle around you.

Upgrade your experience with a 1.5-hour walking tour around Buckingham Palace, get entry to the State Apartments to explore at your pace, or add a Westminster Abbey guided visit.

Changing the Foot Guard Ceremony (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays)

Changing the Horse Guard Ceremony (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday)

Expert English-speaking tour guide

Small group tour

Audio headsets

Additional paid upgrades:

1.5-hour walking tour around Buckingham Palace

Entry to Buckingham Palace State Rooms

Multimedia guide in 9 languages

Guided tour of Westminster Abbey

You can cancel these tickets up to 3 days before the experience begins and get a full refund.

1,610 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
1.1K
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38
100
Guests from United States, France, Australia and over 40 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Iana B
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
Guided tour of Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey with Svetlana Craig on Thursday, April 30, 2026. I went with my 16-year-old daughter. The tour with Svetlana was informative and entertaining, delivered with humor and ease. The tour was promised to last 2.5–3 hours but ended up lasting 3 hours and 15 minutes—which we didn’t even notice. It was so varied that I didn’t realize how much time had passed. I’d love to do it again on my next visit to London, and I’d also recommend Svetlana Craig to my friends. Many thanks and best regards from Zurich, Switzerland. Jana Blank.
Roland J
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
We took the tour with Nathan. He shared lots of interesting facts and jokes, and knew exactly where to stand to get the best view of the changing of the guard. We stood at three different spots, and since we were always right up front, we had a perfect view. (There was a lot of pollen from the trees.)
Kara S
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
Babs our tour guide was excellent
Suzanne S
Couple
Verified booking
3 weeks ago
Richard, our tour guide, gave us a lot of information about the various statues and houses we passed . If we had just wandered ourselves along The Mall we probably wouldn't have noticed the various places of interest or known about their history. Richard was able to take us to various places on the route where we were able to get the best view of the guards. All in all we thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would definitely recommend this tour
Shirlee C
Group
Verified booking
Apr 2026
Our guide David was very entertaining and gave us lots of trivia about buckingham and the rest of the royal family. He found us the best spots to take pictures. We were the first group to arrive at the best spots except for 1 but did not matter because he made up for it at the next spot. Never a dull moment.

Watch the Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace in a small-group guided tour with audio headsets for clear commentary.

Getting started

Meet your expert English-speaking guide at the designated starting point near Buckingham Palace. Join your small group and pick up your audio headset if included in your selected option, so you can clearly hear your guide throughout. Your guide will set the scene for the ceremony ahead and outline whether you will see the Foot Guards or the Horse Guards based on the day of your visit.

What to expect

Changing the Guard

Get an up-close look at one of Britain's most iconic royal traditions outside Buckingham Palace, with a guide to help you follow every detail.

Features:

Expert guided experience: Witness the Changing the Guard Ceremony outside Buckingham Palace on, with your guide explaining the history, music, and military precision behind the Foot Guards.

Small group tour: Stay with your small group as your English-speaking guide leads you to the best available vantage points and shares stories about the palace, the monarchy, and nearby royal landmarks.

Clear commentary: Use the provided audio headsets to hear live commentary clearly, even when the area is crowded and the band is playing.

Extras

State Rooms entry: Get exclusive access to the palace interiors after your guided tour, with plenty to time to explore at your own pace.

Walking tour: Upgrade your experience with a 1.5-hour walking tour around Buckingham Palace, which lets you explore more of the surrounding royal neighbourhood with your guide.

Westminster Abbey tour: You can also choose a guided tour of Westminster Abbey, adding a deep dive into the site of royal coronations and burials to your Changing the Guard experience.

Buckingham Palace

Monday	9:30am - 7:30pm	last entry 5:30pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 7:30pm	last entry 5:30pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 7:30pm	last entry 5:30pm
Thursday	9:30am - 7:30pm	last entry 5:30pm
Friday	9:30am - 7:30pm	last entry 5:30pm
Saturday	9:30am - 7:30pm	last entry 5:30pm
Sunday	9:30am - 7:30pm	last entry 5:30pm

What’s not allowed

Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.

Additional information

The Changing the Guard ceremony takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays throughout the year. However, last-minute cancellations can occur without prior notice due to palace or local authority decisions or bad weather.

The Changing the Foot Guards Ceremony takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

On Sundays, a slightly different version of the ceremony takes place, known as the Sunday Parade.

If you book your tour on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, you will experience the Changing the Horse Guard Ceremony instead.

Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly. Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point. Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.