All London Tours

Changing of the Guard & Buckingham Palace

5 reviews

1.5 hours

Max 20

Why take this tour?

Follow the Queen’s Foot Guards around Buckingham Palace during the Changing of the Guard on this local-led tour that takes in not one but two separate ceremonies from four different locations. Ideal for those who want to understand more about a quintessentially English event, on this tour you’ll discover the significance of the military symbols and traditions packed into every facet of what they do.

Highlights

Experience two separate Changing of the Guards ceremonies (one with horses!) from four different vantage points
Visit St. James’s Park, and see Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Palace and Clarence House (home of Prince Charles)
Learn more about the British royals and the people who serve at their pleasure with insights from your local guide

Health & Safety Standards

At Walks we take your health and the health of our community seriously. To accomplish this, we have set a series of standards that will be implemented across every tour;

Walks has been certified by SanseeShield.com
We use and offer hand sanitizer before, during, and after all tours
Walks Guides have received health & safety training, are self-monitoring temperatures daily, and trained in group social distancing practices
Masks will be worn and are available if you do not have one
If headsets are needed, they are disinfected at the beginning and end of your experience
All Walks tours are always small groups to give you the maximum comfort and safety

Survey the ceremonies from special vantage points

As the people begin to jostle in front of Buckingham Palace, our Changing of the Guard tour takes you away from the crowds and over to St. James’s Palace to witness the guards preparing to make their famous march.

Believe it or not, it’s not all for show; these are real soldiers with real weapons carrying out their daily duty of protecting the Palace. We’ll talk about what their duties include and the significance of their highly-symbolic uniforms.

As they leave, we’ll march alongside them, then head over to a special vantage point near the Wellington Barracks - home to all the Foot Guard’s Bands - that lets us get as close as possibl...

As they leave, we’ll march alongside them, then head over to a special vantage point near the Wellington Barracks - home to all the Foot Guard’s Bands - that lets us get as close as possible to the action.

Unlike most Changing of the Guard tours, we don’t finish here. Instead, we stroll across St. James’s Park and learn about the history of this royal green space which is among the most famous of the green spaces that cover nearly 47% of greater London.

Arriving at the Horse Guards Parade, we’ll watch the equally-impressive, but often overlooked Changing of the Queen’s Life Guard, which features mounted, armor-clad soldiers and their immaculately groomed steeds.