London

Changing of the Guard Guided Walking Tour in London

Badge of ExcellenceLondon, England

1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Get up close to the iconic Royal Guards on this interactive walking tour of London. Learn about London’s royal heritage as you pass sights like Pall Mall, the Duke of York Column, the Royal Society and Marlborough House, then enjoy a prime view of the famous Changing of the Guards ceremony. Not only do you see the military bands and marching guards, you also get to march alongside the Old Guard, as they head from St. James Palace to Wellington Barracks.

See the famous Changing of the Guards ceremony along the Mall
Take in sights like Buckingham Palace and St. James's Palace
Learn about British history and the royal family from your guide
Enjoy a strolls through Picadilly Circus and Regent Street

What's Included

Local guide

Gratuities
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Transportation to/from attractions

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Piccadilly Circus, London, UK
Outside the Criterion Theatre by the Statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus. Your guide will be carrying a Fun London Tours flag. Arrive 10 minutes before the tour is due to start. We leave promptly at the designated start time.

End point

The Mall, St. James's, London SW1, UK
We finish the tour near Buckingham Palace.

What To Expect

Piccadilly Circus

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St. James's Palace

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Changing of the Guard

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Regent Street (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
There are no toilet or refreshment breaks on this tour
Stroller accessible
Tour operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Service animals allowed
Ceremony can be altered at the discretion of the British Army, or occasionally due to rain
Near public transportation
All tours are dependent on the British Army's schedule

No dogs are allowed on the tour other than guide dogs.
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
We do not see the section of the ceremony which occurs on the courtyard of Buckingham Palace, but instead we observe the highlights of the ceremony in other locations.
No videoing of the guide unless they have given permission
Arrive ten minutes before the tour for check in. Out of respect for other customers, we do not wait for latecomers.
Travellers should have good mobility as we encounter three flights of steps and march at the same pace as the guards at one point
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

1,165 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 1,165 reviews

Incredibly Bad Service and Tour Guide

Chuck_L, May 2024

Arriving at our predesignated meeting place, 5 minutes early and finding the guide left. Other couples arrived at the same time for the same tour and were very upset. I want a refund.

Simon was our tour guide....

marb165, May 2024

Simon was our tour guide. He was fantastic ….knowledgeable and funny. The only way to experience it!!

Good fun

Wendy_C, Apr 2024

Joe was great! Somehow he managed to keep 20 people together in a massive crowd. He was great at presenting details in a fun and engaging way.

Response from Host, May 2024

We're glad you had a great time with Joe and hope to see you on another tour soon!

Great tour

linda_c, Apr 2024

Simon was great! He told us so much and knew where to take us. He always watched out for “team Simon.”

Response from Host, May 2024

We're glad you had a great time with Simon and we hope to see you on another tour soon!

Very friendly tour guide...

Elizabeth_M, Apr 2024

Very friendly tour guide , gave an assortment of interesting information Was a very fun experience and a great way to observe English culture

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for joining us and we hope to see you on another tour soon!

Expert Changing of the Guard Experience

Kevin_G, Apr 2024

Our tour guide, Angie, was fantastic! She was very knowledgeable about the history of the area. She was also amazing at getting our group to perfect viewing spots for the various stages of changing of the guard. Highly recommend this tour for an optimal experience.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for the recommendation and we let glad to hear you had a great time seeing the guards with Angie!

Changing of the guard

Jennifer_O, Apr 2024

Our guide, Emily, was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Not only did we get to see the changing if the guard, but on the way to where we saw the changing she explained the many statues and buildings that we saw.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for joining us and we hope to see you again soon.

Team Angie, let’s go!

slabyakmarina, Apr 2024

Angie was fabulous! Extremely knowledgeable, got us to all the best spots despite the crazy crowds and protected our space so we could see all the action! Marching alongside the guards was the highlight.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Great to hear that despite the crowds, you got to the best spots with Angie. Thanks for taking the trouble to leave a review.

The best!!!

Paige_F, Mar 2024

We had the best time! Weather was a little miserable so the process was shorter - no band - but Rachel made up for it. What a great experience!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Well it just goes to prove with the right guide you can have a great experience even when the London weather doesn't play ball! We are delighted that Rachel made up for it. Thanks for leaving a lovely review.

Such a great experience!!

Jessica_J, Mar 2024

This was a wonderful tour. It ended up being a Wet Change so it was a bit abbreviated but if it weren’t for the tour, we wouldn’t have seen half as much!!! Rachel was amazing and it was a perfect way to end our London trip.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. It's great to hear that you enjoyed your tour with Rachel. There's always something to see even when there's a wet change.

We saw the King and Queen!

Melissa_H, Mar 2024

Rosie did an amazing job! She shared a lot of interesting information. She realized we could have a chance to see the King and Queen and she was right! She brought us to the location they would be leaving from. A truly once in a lifetime experience

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Brilliant to know that you came to London and saw the King and Queen thanks to Rozie's excellent knowledge. Thanks for taking the trouble to leave a review.

Rosie is the best guide

Amy_E, Mar 2024

Rosie is an amazing guide. She knew the signs and got our group in position to not only see the changing of the guard, we got to see the King and Queen drive right past us. Her experience made this possible. Thanks Rosie!!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Ah so great that Rozie got you in the best place. How wonderful that you got to see the King and Queen. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.

Outstanding

KEN_S, Mar 2024

We had Nick as our guide, and he was outstanding. Educated, lively, and informative. This tour was by Fun London Tours, and they were superior to a prior tour by City Wonders. In this case, we had a large group of 30 or so, and the company broke us into 3 groups, each with its own guide. That meant no earpieces, more interaction, and an overall better experience. It was the opposite with City Wonders. We would definitely recommend Fun London, and we would be looking for more tours with Nick if we weren't short on time.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience, and we’re glad it was such a great one! We’re very happy to hear you had an amazing time with Nick and we hope to see you again soon.

Rachel was great!

Heath_J, Mar 2024

You get to see a little part of each portion of the change of the guard. Fast paced and informative. Rachel was a great tour guide

Response from Host, Mar 2024

We’re glad you had a great time with Rachel and hope to see you again soon!

Loving Rosie

Doug_E, Mar 2024

The tour guide Rosie was beyond awesome. More laughs and giggles, as well as needed information and educational things

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for joining us - we’re glad to hear you had a lot of fun seeing the guards with Rozie!

Amazing tour!

Shirley_H, Feb 2024

Amazing your. Our guide Rosie was simply the best. She knew exactly where to be at the right time for the best views.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for joining us and we’re glad to hear you had a great time with Rozie!

Once in a lifetime experience!!

Veronica_T, Feb 2024

Joe was amazing! Very informative!! Walked to all the right spots! Gave a lot of information regarding mall the spots that we stopped at!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

We’re glad to hear you had a great experience with Joe and we hope you’ll join us for another tour soon!

A great experience

Tracy_S, Jan 2024

Emily is an engaging and knowledgeable guide. She was well prepared, offered interesting information and did a great job of keeping the group together despite large crowds. A great experience!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

We also think Emily is fabulous and we're to her you had such a great time seeing the guards!

Great guide and such a...

Fawn_S, Dec 2023

Great guide and such a great tour!!! Exceeded expectations! We learned a ton and our guide Garith was very fun!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

We're glad you had a fun but informative time with Gareth and hope you'll join us again soon!

Bitterly disappointed

Lynsey_H, Dec 2023

Considering the name of the tour is called ‘changing of the guards’ I expected that the emphasis of the tour would be on just that, the changing of the guards. Instead we spent well over an hour walking in the direction of Buckingham Palace, hearing about some statues of significance and many unrelated (and at times inappropriate) ‘facts’ about London and the royal family. When we arrived at the Mall our tour group was asked to stand in a prime location in preparation for the start of the Changing of the Guards. However, as soon as the guards started to approach us we were told to leave our prime location and march ‘alongside’ the guards. A lovely concept, however in reality a disaster. With crowds of people between 3-5 people deep as soon as we moved we could no longer see any of the procession. It was incredibly difficult to follow our tour guide and we followed blindly in a roundabout direction to a second location and later a third. Due to the volume of people, we were unable to see any of the procession as we moved from one place to another or at the second of third location, leaving my family bitterly disappointed.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

I'm sorry the tour didn't match your expectations - we take any criticism very seriously. Certainly Christmas 2023 has witnessed the largest crowds we've ever seen during the changing the guard ceremony, and we understand that this could have been overwhelming for some people. Regarding the route of the tour, we move around to give people the best overview of the ceremony, and although we didn't have as good a view as we would do at other times of the year when it is less busy, we hope that it provided an appreciation of the event, and a great overview of the palaces and the area's incredible history. We will continue to look at ways to adapt to the increasing number of tourists in London, but rest assured - your view on the tour would have been better and more comprehensive than the thousands of other people who were stuck in the crowds without a guide. Let us know if you ever return to London in the future, and we will offer you complimentary tickets and hopefully a more enjoyable experience in line with the thousands of happy travellers who have left reviews before you.

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