Changing of the Guard Walking Tour Experience

Badge of ExcellenceLondon, England

1 hour 30 minutes
Offered in: English

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Overview

No visit to London would be complete without experiencing quintessential traditions such as the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. With your guide and group for company, observe the King's iconic foot guards, clad in red uniforms and bearskin hats, and watch the household cavalry put on an impressive display. Follow history-rich guide commentary with ease using a headset.

View one of London's most celebrated royal traditions
Learn insider stories and facts you wouldn't uncover on your own
Head to a prime vantage spot for top-notch views
Headsets are included so you catch your guide's every word

What's Included

Expert, English-speaking tour guide
Small groups of 20 people or fewer
Headsets when appropriate

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Duke of York Monument
St. James's, London SW1Y 5AJ, UK
Meeting Point: By the Duke of York Column, Waterloo Place, 9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ. This is the tall column with a statue on top. Arriving by tube: Take the tube to Piccadilly Circus and take exit No. 3 onto Regent Street/St James's. Walk south down Regent Street towards St James's Park (do not walk north towards Oxford Street). Waterloo Place is at the end of Regent Street. You will see the tall column with a statue on top. You can also arrive via Charing Cross Station. Walk down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace, you will see the statue on your right at the top of some steps.

Start time

10:15 AM

End point

Spur Road
Spur Rd, London SW1A 1AA, UK
Outside Buckingham Palace

What To Expect

Your regal tour begins at a central London location, where you'll greet your guide, don a personal headset, and receive a historical overview of the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

Many tourists make the mistake of viewing the ceremony in the most crowded spots. However, on this tour, handpicked vantage points ensure you get the best views of the royal tradition while listening to commentary that explains each part of the performance.

Marvel at the household cavalry; capture photographs of the iconic red and black attire of the King's foot soldiers; and, move quickly between vantage points in a small group.

Your tour concludes outside of Buckingham Palace.

Please note: The Changing of the Guard ceremony is subject to changes in date, time, and cancellation at the discretion of British authorities. Cancellation due to bad weather is not announced before 11am. Even when canceled, customers will still see a ‘wet change’ during which the guards march but without the usual music and parade.

Changing of the Guard

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Buckingham Palace (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

The Changing of the Guard ceremony is subject to changes in date, time and cancellation at the discretion of British authorities. Cancellation due to bad weather is not announced before 11am. Even when cancelled, customers will still see a ‘wet change’ during which the guards march but without the usual music and parade.
Please note weather is very changeable in London, please ensure you have rainproof clothing
Please note that the changing of the guard schedule may change and on different dates we will see either footguards or horseguards
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 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 a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

504 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 504 reviews

Well worth your time

Donna_F, May 2024

I would recommend this tour. Our guide, Natalie went above and beyond making sure we had a great view of the changing of the guards

Highly recommend

Suzanne_G, May 2024

David was such an amazing guide and leader. His stories were great and interesting. Enjoyed the knowledge of where to see the guards.

Best money ever spent

Linda_V, May 2024

Tour guide was simply the best!! We were even able to get a glimpse of King Charles and Princess Anne

Well worth it!

Claudette_N, May 2024

Our guide took us to some great spots to watch the changing of the guard. The horse guard didn’t participate this time due to the threat of rain but the weather held out. We got some great photos.

Average

Mandi_H, May 2024

We did learn a few tidbits of new information from our guide. Due to crowds though we weren't able to get as close as we'd like and to see the actual change ceremony occur.

Tour guide was excellent, tour itself was underwhelming.

Bob_S, Apr 2024

Our tour guide, Flora, was great! Knowledge and engaging! The walking tour itself was a little chaotic. It was little too crowded in the area the day of our tour and fighting crowds was not so enjoyable. The first stop was outside St James Palace to see the first set of guards march out. Then we had to make a mad dash through the gardens, along with the huge crowds. It was very challenging to keep up with our guide and fight through the crowds. We really wouldn’t recommend.

Highly recommend

Pam_R, Apr 2024

This was the highlight of our trip. Saw Changing of Guard up close! Our tour guide Lee was awesome! Highly recommend this tour.

Great guide

Denise_R, Apr 2024

A great experience, Sophie our guide was super enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. Sophie took us to excellent viewing points.Value for money.

Great Experience

Patrick_M, Apr 2024

Louise was our tour guide and she was awesome! Very knowledgeable and she made it so much fun! This tour was one I'm glad I didn't miss out on.

We got our pics!

april_c, Apr 2024

We had a great time! Brenden, our guide, was knowledgeable, funny and on a mission to make sure we saw everything! He really hustled to get us to the front of the lines and we saw what we wanted! I highly recommend him and the tour!

Changing of the guard

Mary_S, Apr 2024

Paul was excellent but we did not get to see the changing of the guard that we were expecting. Instead we saw 2 horses dressed in guard uniforms.

Not what you might expect. Better.

Paul_W, Apr 2024

I had doubts about this tour, because London crowds for this event are massive beyond description. So do read the description. The operators avoid the mistakes I would have made without their expertise.

Change off guard

D_F, Apr 2024

Changing of the Horse Guard at the field where trooping of the guard is. Our guide was ok, I believe she tried her best with the hand she was dealt. It was London marathon weekend, so many things were disc bubbled due to cut offs in fencing to getting from one side of the mall to the other however, she also walked so fast. Her mic kept cutting off and she was not watching if everyone was keeping up with her, which was annoying, the group was supposed to be 20 there were 30

Response from Host, May 2024

Hi D_F, Thank you for sharing your feedback on your Changing of the Guard Walking Tour Experience. We're sorry if any inconveniences were caused by added activity caused by the London Marathon. We're glad our expert handled it well. That added assurance, when any event or circumstance is occuring, is precisely what our team is there to provide to our travelers, and we appreciate your understanding throughout. Regarding the size of the group and the pace of the tour, we apologize for any discomfort caused. We strive to ensure that all participants have a comfortable and enjoyable experience, and we regret that this could have been improved for you. Rest assured that all our tours and experiences always adhere to their correct group size, so we will investigate your comments about the extra travelers and get back to you on that one. We value your feedback, and it was a pleasure exploring London and seeing the Changing of the Guard ceremony with you! Kind regards, The City Wonders Team

Best tour guide

Lisa_B, Apr 2024

We had the best tour guide Louisa . She was knew the best spots to be and shared so much great info. She was full on energy and made the tour even better!

Great value

michelle_j, Apr 2024

Michael wa fantastic. He got us to the perfect spots right before the crowds decended so would have optimal views

Excellent tour!

Sue_V, Apr 2024

Seeing the horse guard change was an unexpected benefit thanks to the London marathon closing many avenues. We still saw the regular guard as well when they marched to the barracks. Well done tour - we enjoyed it!

Not with it

Karen_H, Apr 2024

This was supposed to be Changing of the Guard tour however we only saw the Horse guards and footmen change. Not impressed with this tour. We got a few tidbits from the tour guide but still not worth the money spent especially not to see or even get near the changing of the guards.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hi Karen_H, Thank you for taking the time to review your Changing of the Guard Tour in London with us at City Wonders. We would like to clarify that the ceremony you witnessed, involving the Horse Guards and footmen, is indeed part of the Changing of the Guard tradition. We advertise prior to the booking that the type of parade will depend on the day you book. While we strive to provide the most comprehensive tours that offer insight into this iconic ceremony, we apologize if the experience, in the end, did not impress you enough. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we continuously strive to perfect our tours around the world. We appreciate your honesty and hope to see you again! It was our pleasure exploring London with you. Sincerely, The City Wonders Team

Great tour

Karen_S, Apr 2024

Paul was great and although the usual path was closed due to the London Marathon, he still made sure we could witness the changing of the guard. He was very helpful with giving directions and getting those of us who wanted to go to Buckingham Palace afterwards.

Excellent

Rima_P, Apr 2024

Well organized to see change of guard from all key spots where the parade was going to pass. Our guide was very knowledgeable

Informative and Up Close and Personal

Matthew_R, Apr 2024

Our tour guide, Kevin, was fabulous! He was extremely knowledgeable and told us many interesting stories while we waited for the "action" to start. I definitely recommend this tour!

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