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Changing of the Guard Walking Tour in London
London, England
- 2 to 3 hours
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
The Changing of the Guard is one of London's signature attractions, a piece of pomp and circumstance where the Royal Guard march towards Buckingham Palace. Witness this historic ceremony with a guide to explain which regiment is which on this walking tour, then enjoy a sightseeing stroll past attractions including St. James's Palace, Clarence House, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament.
- See a signature London ritual—the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
- Learn about the different regiments that serve the King from a live guide
- Discover royal landmarks including Westminster Abbey and St. James's Palace
- Capture classic shots of Big Ben, the clock tower that dominates Parliament
What's Included
- Guided walking tour of the Changing of the Guard ceremony
- Guided tour to see London attractions including Big Ben, Buckingham Palace & Westminster Abbey
- Gratuities (optional)
- Entrance Tickets to the Royal Palaces and Landmarks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Victoria Palace Theatre79 Victoria St, London SW1E 5EA, UK
The tour starts at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The address of the Victoria Palace Theatre is 79 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5EA. The theatre is located opposite Victoria Station. On arrival please look for your tour guide holding the yellow umbrella.
Start time
10:00 AM
End point
- Parliament SquareParliament Sq, London SW1, UK
The tour ends at Parliament Square
What To Expect
Changing of the Guard
50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Buckingham Palace
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Big Ben
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Houses of Parliament
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
St. James's Palace
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Westminster Abbey
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Pall Mall
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Clarence House (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- The tour starts at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The address of the Victoria Palace Theatre is 79 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5EA. The theatre is located opposite Victoria Station. On arrival please look for your tour guide holding the yellow umbrella.
- The ceremony can be altered at any time at the discretion of the British Army. In the event of bad weather the British Army may decide to do a 'Wet Change' which is a shortened version of the Changing of the Guard ceremony without any music.
- For security reasons, the police request that no suitcases (big or small) be brought to the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Please arrange storage for these prior to joining the tour. Handbags and Small Backpacks are welcome and can be brought on the tour.
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.
Traveler Photos
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Reviews
5.0
425 reviews
Richard_H, May 2024
Not sure a guide is needed for the changing of the guard.
Our guide was a nice guy and knew a lot of stories and history. But not an effective guide. It was raining, so everyone had umbrellas. After the changing of the guards ended, he quickly walked through crowds and didn’t keep his yellow umbrella visible. He lost half the group, some of which never returned. One elderly couple was split up while trying to keep up. It took the wife over 10 minutes to find the group. Even after I told him that he lost half of us. I had to run to catch up and tell him to stop and raise his umbrella. He took no responsibility for losing people and said it was due to the crowds. He picked noisy intersections to stop and talk (when quieter areas in the park were literally 20 yards away). And lastly when he’d stop to talk he’d spin his umbrella continually (in a nervous habit way) but he’d be spraying us all with water. When I pointed this out he stopped for a little while then start spraying us again).
Seemed like a nice guy, Just not good for giving walking tours.
Alexander_N, Apr 2024
Great tour with amazing guide! This is certainly the best tour to book. The pacing and information are perfect. It moves along well.
Kristine_D, Apr 2024
Carolina was wonderful! Witty, knowledgeable and eager to show us all the very best of the homes/castles near Buckingham palace. We did get front row spots and lots of interesting private stories.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for the great review! Carolina is a great tour guide and we are so lucky to have her on our team. We hope to see you again soon!
Nancie_M, Apr 2024
We had Will as our tour guide and he was tremendous. He was so knowledgeable, friendly and answered all of our questions. He was so good he should win Tour guide of the year.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for the wonderful review of the tour and our guide Will! We are so glad you had a great time on Will's tour, he's a brilliant guide and we are so lucky to have him on our team. We hope to see you again soon!
Cathy_B, Apr 2024
We met our tour guide Griffin at the Ritz Hotel. He was quite personable and knowledgeable and brought our group to Buckingham Palace . We got to see the guards as they prepared to change shifts . That was fine with us at the crowds around Buckingham palace were quite large . However if you expect to see the actual changing of the guards at the palace you won’t as the tour is across the road and you will see the guards march over to the palace .
Unfortunately I must say that we were very disappointed as we were separated from our tour guide even though we never left the area where we stood with our group . When we realized that our group was gone I texted the tour group on the app and they did respond but it was an hour later to tell us that our guide was at parliament . At that point we had already tried to figure out to proceed on the rest of the tour route.
I must say the reason we booked the tour was to avoid the hassle of trying to find the attractions but we had to figure it out.
When I reached out again to the tour group about our situation I was told that we were the only ones that got separated from the group and that’s not true as there was another couple from Texas that was also left to fend for themselves. I was quite disappointed by the tour group response which put the blame on us for not staying with the group. While the bright yellow umbrella was up at the start of the tour that was it . I think there should be a check system to ensure that all participants in the tour are with the guide before proceeding away to the next site. The group was large and I think that is where most of the fault is against this tour.
I am not someone who complains but this tour and their response get a poor grade for customer service . I must mention that they did offer a repeat tour next week however we will no longer be in London. I think they should have offered a refund given the aggravation that we had to deal with trying to navigate the sights because again we booked the tour to have a guided tour.
I don’t fault Griffin but the tour group size should be more manageable .
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Dear Future Guests - Please note we have evidence which confirms this guest did not follow the clear directions of the guide throughout the tour. Obviously it is the guests responsibility to follow the directions of the guide during the tour. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to help, we cannot force a guest to follow instructions. Thankfully all other guests followed directions and had a great time (please see all the positive reviews from the same tour). If you have any concerns about booking this tour because of this review please do contact us at See The Sights Tours London on tours@seethesightstours.com and our team will be happy to provide any reassurance you require. Kind Regards.
Swati_A, Apr 2024
We had a 2.5 hour tour with Rachel to see the changing of the guard and the sights around Westminster. She was thorough, informative and entertaining! We very much enjoyed our tour and learned a lot of fun stories we would not have otherwise known if we had done the sights on our own. This is a great option for kids too. You get as close as possible to the guards’ procession.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for joining us on the tour, we are so glad to hear that you had a great time with us and hope to see you again soon!
catherineneiner, Apr 2024
Excellent tour and great value. Mike knew all the ins and outs of ensuring we got good views. He also gave a lot of interesting information. Do this rather than doing it yourself!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
What a great review! Thank you so much for joining us on the tour and for your recommendation. We hope to see you again soon!
Juanita_J, Apr 2024
Our guide Ian was great. He took us up close and personal to see the guards post in two locations. It was pack and I couldn’t imagine being about to be this close other wise
Response from Host, Apr 2024
What a great review! Thank you so much for joining us on Ian's tour - Ian is a fantastic tour guide and we are so lucky to have him on our team. We hope to see you again soon!
Jacqueline_Z, Mar 2024
Thank you Ian for providing fabulous views of the guards and for the wonderful stories and facts about the Royals and Monuments
Debra_S, Mar 2024
This event was well worth it. The tour guide was wonderful and took us to the best spots to see the changing of the guards, which we never would have known on our own. He also took us to the Clarence House, St. James House, Big Ben, and the parks. I was a little skeptical about this tour and not all that interested, but it turned out to be one of the best things we did while in London.
...
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From $12.74
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Changing of the Guard Walking Tour in London
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