Inside Buckingham Palace & See The Westminster Sights Tour

Buckingham Palace is the star here, and this tour gives you both the grand exterior ceremony and a proper look inside the royal residence. I like the small-group format and the useful mix of guided sightseeing with independent palace time. I also like that the ticket covers 19 state rooms, the gardens, and the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition.

The main catch is pace. You walk for about three hours before spending roughly two hours at the palace, and lunch is not included. The Changing of the Guard is available only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday tours beginning at 10am, and the British Army can change or cancel the ceremony.

Key points to know before booking

• The palace visit lasts about two hours: You have time for the state rooms, gardens, audio guide, and Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition.
• The morning ceremony is limited: Changing of the Guard takes place only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday for the 10am tour.
• Westminster comes first: Expect a three-hour walking tour covering Parliament Square, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Horse Guards Parade, and Trafalgar Square.
• You do not go inside with the guide: Your guide takes you to Buckingham Palace, then you explore the interior with a multilingual audio guide.
• Lunch is on you: Bring a snack and something to drink, especially if you are touring with children.
• The palace season is short: Buckingham Palace welcomes visitors only from mid-July to late September.

Starting beside The Ritz on Piccadilly

Your meeting point is outside The Ritz London at 150 Piccadilly, beside two red telephone boxes and two souvenir stands, under one of the Ritz signs. The easiest route is the Green Park Underground station. Take the left-hand exit, then use the stairs or ramp and walk toward the hotel.

This is a sensible central meeting point, but give yourself time to find the exact spot. A large hotel, tube station, and open park can make Piccadilly feel less tidy than a simple street corner. Look for the red telephone boxes and souvenir stands rather than relying only on the hotel frontage.

The tour runs for five hours, so wear shoes you can comfortably walk in. Bring an umbrella and a camera, and pack food and drinks. You will not receive a dedicated lunch break, which matters if you are traveling with children or tend to need regular stops.

The tour is conducted in English with a live guide. Guides named Will and Jason have led departures, and both received special praise for entertaining, informative commentary. The small-group setup should make it easier to hear the guide and ask questions than on a large coach tour.

Buckingham Palace before the long Westminster walk

The route includes a Buckingham Palace photo stop, followed by the main Westminster sights, and then a longer palace visit later. That means you get an early look at the building before continuing through central London, followed by time inside once the walking portion is complete.

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British Royal Family and one of the city’s most recognizable buildings. From the outside, the famous balcony and formal front facade give you the classic photograph. The interior is where the visit becomes more substantial, but the first stop helps you place the palace within the wider royal district.

The timing is useful for anyone hoping to see Changing of the Guard. On the 10am departure, the ceremony is included on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The schedule is controlled by the British Army, so it can change, and extreme weather may cancel it.

This is not a guaranteed performance on every departure. If the ceremony is your main reason for booking, choose the correct day and start time, then keep your expectations flexible. Even without it, the palace exterior and the Westminster walk provide the main sightseeing content.

Trafalgar Square and the route toward Whitehall

From the palace area, the tour reaches Trafalgar Square, one of London’s best-known public spaces. You have about 20 minutes here for a guided visit and photographs.

Trafalgar Square works well as part of a walking route because it connects several major parts of central London. The stop is brief, so think of it as a chance to hear the guide’s explanation and take photographs rather than a long open-ended break.

The tour then continues to Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall for around 20 minutes. This gives you another formal London setting, with ceremonial connections that fit naturally with the royal theme of the day.

You are not simply being driven between monuments. You walk from one major sight to another, which helps you understand how close many London landmarks are to each other. The tradeoff is that you cover ground at a steady pace, so this may feel demanding if you prefer a slow morning with frequent café stops.

Downing Street and the heart of government

The stop at 10 Downing Street lasts around 20 minutes and includes guided sightseeing. You should expect to view the famous government address from outside rather than enter the residence.

That short stop adds political context to a tour otherwise focused on royalty and ceremonial London. The route shows you how Buckingham Palace, Whitehall, Parliament, and Downing Street fit into the working center of British public life.

This part of the tour is especially useful if you are seeing London for the first time. You can connect names that often appear in the news with actual places. The guide’s commentary is important here because the street itself is not a long attraction. Without explanation, you would have only a guarded doorway and a quick photograph.

Parliament Square, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey

Parliament Square receives the longest stop on the walking section, at about 40 minutes. This is where the route gathers several of London’s biggest sights: the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and views toward the London Eye.

Big Ben is the famous clock tower, while the Palace of Westminster is the larger parliamentary building beside it. Parliament Square gives you room to take in the group rather than viewing each landmark as an isolated stop.

The London Eye appears as part of the Westminster sightseeing route, but it is not an included attraction. You should not expect a ride or a separate ticket. Its presence adds a useful visual marker across the river, while the tour keeps moving through the political and religious center of the city.

Westminster Abbey follows with about 20 minutes of guided sightseeing. The visit here is a look at the exterior and surroundings, not an included interior tour. That distinction matters. If entering the abbey is high on your list, you will need a separate plan and ticket.

The Westminster portion is marketed as a tour of the top sights, but you should read that as a broad highlights walk, not an exhaustive tour of every corner. One past departure did not show all the expected Westminster sights, so the precise route can vary. The guide may need to adjust for ceremony schedules, crowds, or timing.

Entering the palace through 19 state rooms

After the walking tour, your guide takes you to Buckingham Palace and points you toward the palace visit. The guide does not accompany you inside. Instead, you enter with your ticket and use the included multilingual audio guide.

This arrangement has a clear benefit: you can set your own pace inside. You are free to pause in front of royal furniture, paintings, and other pieces from the Royal Collection without trying to stay beside a group. If you like hearing detailed background while looking closely at rooms, the audio guide is a good match.

You can visit 19 state rooms. These formal rooms are the main reason to choose this experience over a simple outside photograph. They offer a look at the palace as a working royal setting, with grand interiors designed for official events and state occasions.

Allow roughly two hours for the palace portion. That is enough time to take in the main rooms without treating the building like a race. It is also not an unlimited amount of time for stopping at every display, taking many photographs, and lingering in the gardens. Keep an eye on the clock if you want to see all included areas.

The palace visit is not available year-round. Buckingham Palace opens to visitors only from the middle of July through late September. This narrow season is one reason advance planning matters. If you are visiting London outside those dates, this experience will not suit your schedule.

Royal gardens and the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition

The ticket includes access to the royal gardens, which adds an outdoor change of pace after the formal interiors. You can move from ceremonial rooms to the grounds surrounding the palace, giving the visit a broader sense of the royal property.

The gardens are not just an extra line on the ticket. They help make the palace entry feel like a full visit rather than a quick indoor route. Still, the amount of time you spend outside depends on your own pace and the time available after the state rooms.

The ticket also includes the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition. This is a useful addition for anyone interested in how the palace has been presented through royal history and public ceremony. It gives the interior visit another layer beyond furniture and paintings.

The experience is at its best when you treat the palace as the second half of the day, not as a quick add-on. The three-hour walk supplies context, while the state rooms, exhibition, and gardens give you time to focus on the building itself.

What $101 includes, and where the value sits

At $101 per person, this is not a low-cost London walk. The price includes Buckingham Palace entry, the royal gardens, the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition, a three-hour Westminster tour, a small group, and a local English-speaking guide.

The value is strongest if you planned to pay separately for a palace ticket and wanted a guide to organize the Westminster sights. You also save yourself the work of joining two unrelated activities and figuring out how to connect them on the same day.

The value is weaker if you mainly want Buckingham Palace and do not care about guided commentary. You could prefer a palace visit on its own, especially if three hours of walking sounds tiring or you want to choose your own route through Westminster.

The lack of lunch is worth factoring into the budget and schedule. Bring a snack and a drink rather than expecting a formal stop. You may also want to plan a meal after the tour, since the full five hours are filled with walking and sightseeing.

There is no hotel pickup or drop-off, and transport to and from your hotel is not included. That is normal for a central London walking tour, but you need to reach The Ritz independently and arrange your return afterward.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those terms help if your London plans are still changing.

Who will enjoy this five-hour London tour

I would choose this for a first visit to London when you want the major Westminster sights explained in one continuous route. It is also a good fit if you want both the Changing of the Guard and the inside of Buckingham Palace, since arranging those details alone takes more care.

Families can enjoy the variety, but parents should plan ahead. The walking section is long, there is no provided lunch break, and the palace portion comes after several hours on foot. Bring snacks and make sure everyone has comfortable shoes.

History-minded visitors will appreciate the combination of government, monarchy, ceremony, and architecture. The audio guide inside the palace also lets you take a quieter, more self-directed approach after the live tour.

The experience is wheelchair accessible. Even so, the five-hour length and walking-heavy format make it sensible to consider your own pace before booking. The published details do not promise frequent rest stops, so contact the provider if you need specific arrangements.

Should you book this Buckingham Palace tour?

Book it if you want an organized introduction to Westminster followed by a serious palace visit. The strongest features are the small group, the local English-speaking guide, the chance to see the Changing of the Guard on selected days, and access to 19 state rooms, the gardens, and the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition.

Skip it if you want a relaxed day, a guaranteed ceremony, or a guided tour inside the palace itself. Your guide leads you to the entrance but does not go inside, and the ceremony can be cancelled or rescheduled by the British Army.

For the best fit, choose the 10am departure on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday if Changing of the Guard matters most. Otherwise, focus on the palace season and the amount of walking. At $101, it makes the most sense for a first-time visitor who values structure, context, and convenience more than a bargain price.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The full experience lasts five hours. About three hours are devoted to the Westminster walking tour, followed by roughly two hours at Buckingham Palace.

Where is the meeting point?

Meet outside The Ritz London at 150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR. Look for two red telephone boxes and two souvenir stands beneath one of The Ritz signs.

Is Changing of the Guard included every day?

No. The ceremony takes place only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday for the 10am tour. The British Army controls the schedule, and extreme weather may cause cancellation.

Does the guide enter Buckingham Palace with the group?

No. The guide takes you to Buckingham Palace after the walking tour, but you explore inside independently with the included multilingual audio guide.

What is included with the Buckingham Palace ticket?

Your ticket includes access to 19 state rooms, the royal gardens, and the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch and drinks are not included. Bring food and something to drink, especially if you are traveling with children.