REVIEW · LONDON
London: Changing of the Guard Tour at Buckingham Palace
Book on GetYourGuide →Operated by See The Sights Tours · Bookable on GetYourGuide
If you want the Changing of the Guard done the smart way, this walk gets you close to the action. You’ll line up for the key ceremony elements with Old Guard, New Guard, Household Cavalry, and the band, then connect the dots between several major royal sites as you move along The Mall and down toward Horse Guards Parade. It’s a classic London ritual with a practical route built around where you’ll actually be standing.
I really like two things about this tour. First, the focus on best viewing spots for the ceremony so you’re not just guessing where to stand. Second, you get more than one palace stop: Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Clarence House, and St James’s Park are part of the experience, not an afterthought.
One drawback to plan around: this tour does not go to the front gates of Buckingham Palace. If that’s the one photo you’re chasing, you’ll want a different option, because much of the ceremony happens away from those gates.
In This Review
- Key highlights you’ll feel on the ground
- Changing of the Guard views that feel planned, not random
- Starting at Victoria Palace Theatre: where you can actually begin
- Buckingham Palace ceremony viewing without the front-gate photo fantasy
- St James’s Palace, Clarence House, and the royal corridor feel
- Horse Guards Parade: the photo stop with the Household Cavalry
- Weather reality: the Wet Change and what that means for your experience
- Price and value: why $18 can work (if your priorities match)
- Guide-led viewing: what you gain from a pro on the route
- Who this tour suits best (and who should rethink)
- Should you book? My practical recommendation
- FAQ
- Where does the tour start?
- How long is the Changing of the Guard tour?
- Does the tour include entrance tickets to the palaces?
- Will we see the front gates of Buckingham Palace?
- What happens if it rains?
- Is there a photo with the Household Cavalry?
- What language is the tour guide?
- Is the tour suitable for wheelchair users or mobility impairments?
Key highlights you’ll feel on the ground
- Front-row style viewing for the ceremony’s main moments, including Old Guard and New Guard
- Household Cavalry and ceremonial band included in the viewing plan
- A tight royal sightseeing loop: Buckingham Palace → St James’s Palace → Clarence House → The Mall → Horse Guards Parade
- Photo opportunity next to the Royal Horseguards (subject to guard availability)
- Guided route along iconic streets with stops that make the palace area easier to understand
- A finish at Horse Guards Parade, so you end near another big ceremonial landmark
Changing of the Guard views that feel planned, not random
The Changing of the Guard can be chaotic in the best and worst ways. People swarm, everyone thinks their spot is the spot, and it’s easy to end up watching from a distance. This tour is built to reduce that guesswork by moving you through the most useful viewing areas while a guide explains what you’re seeing.
The other big win is how this tour connects ceremony and context. The guard change isn’t just marching and uniforms. It’s part of a bigger royal landscape—palaces, courtyards, and the military pageantry that makes London feel ceremonial on purpose. You’ll be walking through that setting instead of treating it like a one-minute street show.
If you’re the type who hates wasting time circling for photos, you’ll appreciate that the pace and stops are tailored to the event. And at about two hours, it’s long enough to see the main moments but not so long that you burn half a day.
You can also read our reviews of more tours and experiences in London.
Starting at Victoria Palace Theatre: where you can actually begin
Your meeting point is in front of Victoria Palace Theatre, on Victoria Street (SW1E 5EA). The guide stands at the clock and holds a yellow umbrella, so you’re not hunting for a group for 20 minutes while you lose prime viewing time.
This matters because for the Changing of the Guard, timing is everything. Even if you arrive early, you still need time to get into position and understand where you’ll be moving next. Starting at Victoria Palace Theatre keeps the plan straightforward and keeps you closer to the ceremony area than if you’re meeting somewhere vague.
One practical note: this is a walking tour. You’ll want to wear comfortable shoes and be ready for short stretches where you’re standing to watch the ceremony.
Buckingham Palace ceremony viewing without the front-gate photo fantasy
Here’s the key expectation-setting point. You will see Buckingham Palace during the tour and you’ll watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony, but you will not be taken to the front gates of Buckingham Palace.
That’s a make-or-break detail. The ceremony has multiple viewing possibilities, and this route is designed around where most of the action plays out away from the gates. If your dream is a very specific front-gate angle, you should not book this one and instead look for a tour that explicitly targets that exact area.
That said, this setup is still a strong choice if what you want is the real ceremony experience: the movement of the Old Guard and New Guard, the presence of the Household Cavalry, and the ceremonial music moments (when weather allows). The tour is aimed at keeping you in better positions as the action shifts, rather than leaving you stuck in one spot the whole time.
There’s also a useful reality check based on past bookings: if you end up farther away than you expected, you may feel like you didn’t get the palace-front view you wanted. So when booking, focus on what the tour is designed to do—ceremony viewing with the moving route—rather than assuming you’ll be pressed right up against the most famous gates.
St James’s Palace, Clarence House, and the royal corridor feel
After Buckingham Palace, the tour continues to St James’s Palace for sightseeing. This is where the walk starts to make the royal area feel less like disconnected landmarks and more like one working ceremonial zone.
St James’s Palace adds depth because it’s part of the same royal story you’re seeing through the guard change. You don’t need museum tickets to get the idea. A good guide can point out what’s different about each place—why this area has earned its reputation as London’s ceremonial heart.
Then you’ll move on to Clarence House. Clarence House is less famous than Buckingham, but that’s exactly why it’s worth seeing. It helps you understand the broader layout and the way these residences sit within a larger historic map.
Next comes St James’s Park. This isn’t just a scenic pause. It’s a visual buffer that gives you a break from street-level crowding. You get the feeling that you’re walking through a maintained royal environment, not only a monument corridor.
And then there’s The Mall, the famous approach road leading toward the ceremonial focus points. Walking up the Royal driveway of The Mall is one of those London moments that instantly makes your photos look more “real London” and less like you’re standing in front of a random building. It also helps you appreciate the scale of the route the guards move through.
Horse Guards Parade: the photo stop with the Household Cavalry
Near the end, you’ll reach Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall. This is the other big reason people choose this tour: the walking route sets you up to see and photograph the ceremony zone while also getting to a distinct ceremonial location.
One standout promised detail is a photo opportunity next to the Royal Horseguards of the Household Cavalry. That’s the kind of photo you can’t really recreate later by wandering on your own because it depends on availability.
Important expectation: those photo chances are subject to guard availability. So you should treat it as a strong possibility, not a guaranteed “stand here and pose” moment. If it works, it’s a very memorable souvenir shot—especially because the Household Cavalry look is so unmistakable.
The tour finishes at Horse Guards Parade, which is convenient. You’re not left wandering away from the ceremony area with everyone else. You can linger if you want a bit more time to watch, or you can plan your next stop from there.
Weather reality: the Wet Change and what that means for your experience
London weather can be stubborn, and the tour includes a key heads-up: in rain or bad weather, the ceremony may become a Wet Change. That’s a shortened version decided by the British Army at approximately 10:30am on the day.
The practical takeaway is simple: if you’re going for a full theatrical version with music, weather can change the experience. A Wet Change removes the music, and the ceremony may be less “concert-like.” It’s still the Changing of the Guard, but with a different feel.
So if you’re traveling in a shoulder season or expecting rain, don’t build your day around the assumption that everything will be the maximum version. Instead, think of this tour as your best chance to see the key ceremony structure and the royal setting—while accepting that nature may adjust the soundtrack.
Price and value: why $18 can work (if your priorities match)
At about $18 per person for roughly two hours, this is priced like a focused, event-oriented experience. You’re not paying for palace entry tickets here. The tour covers guided viewing, walking between major sites, and a photo stop with the Royal Horseguards.
Is $18 “cheap”? Not in the casual sense. But it becomes good value if you hate hunting for the right viewing angle and you want an organized route that includes multiple stops. With self-guided visiting, you often spend time figuring out where to stand for the ceremony, then re-walk the same streets to reach landmarks. A guided plan helps you spend your energy where it counts.
This is also a tour that fits a common London strategy: do one big iconic ritual, then use the rest of your day for museums, neighborhoods, or a pub meal. Two hours is a manageable commitment.
One more value note: it’s not going to the palace front gates. If you specifically want that gate photo, you may feel like you didn’t get what you paid for. If you’re flexible about angles and more focused on seeing the ceremony itself, the value makes more sense.
Guide-led viewing: what you gain from a pro on the route
A big part of this tour’s appeal is that you’re not just walking—you’re interpreting. A guide helps you understand what the uniforms and movements mean and why the ceremony pieces matter.
One helpful detail from past feedback: people have praised guides who keep you in good spots as the group moves. For example, Rahel was specifically mentioned as very nice and full of informative storytelling, and the group felt like they saw the guards well from the positions they were taken to.
That matches what you should expect from a tour like this. The best viewing isn’t always the closest viewing. It’s the viewing that stays aligned with the ceremony as it unfolds.
Also, one practical warning from experience: language expectations matter. The tour is listed as English, so if you were hoping for Spanish explanations, plan accordingly.
Who this tour suits best (and who should rethink)
This works best if you:
- Want the Changing of the Guard ceremony as a guided event, not an improvised street hunt
- Like a compact itinerary that hits several royal sights in one go
- Care about photo spots, especially near the Household Cavalry
- Are comfortable with walking and standing
It may not be ideal if you:
- Need a wheelchair-friendly or low-mobility-friendly plan (the tour is not suitable for mobility impairments or wheelchair users)
- Have very low fitness and expect frequent standing for ceremony viewing
- Are fixated on the front gates of Buckingham Palace (this tour won’t take you there)
- Want commentary in a language other than English
If you’re traveling with kids, it can still be a great family activity if everyone can stand comfortably and you’re okay with a walking pace. Just make sure your group is prepared for standing time.
Should you book? My practical recommendation
Book this tour if you want the smart “ceremony plus context” combo: organized viewing of the guard change, plus stops at Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Clarence House, The Mall, and Horse Guards Parade. The price-to-time ratio is solid for London, and the added guidance is what helps you see more with less stress.
Don’t book this one if your #1 goal is a front-gates Buckingham Palace photo. Since the tour avoids those gates, you’ll likely spend the whole time comparing what you see to what you imagined.
If you’re flexible on weather and viewing angles—and you’re ready for a walking, standing-style two hours—this tour is a strong pick for experiencing one of London’s most iconic traditions without getting lost in the crowd.
FAQ
Where does the tour start?
The tour starts in front of Victoria Palace Theatre, at Victoria Street (SW1E 5EA). Your guide stands at the clock holding a yellow umbrella.
How long is the Changing of the Guard tour?
The duration is 2 hours.
Does the tour include entrance tickets to the palaces?
No. Entrance tickets to sights and landmarks are not included.
Will we see the front gates of Buckingham Palace?
No. The tour does not go to the front gates of Buckingham Palace.
What happens if it rains?
If weather is bad, the Changing of the Guard may be a Wet Change, a shortened version without music. This decision is made around 10:30am by the British Army on the day.
Is there a photo with the Household Cavalry?
Yes, there’s a photo opportunity with the Royal Horseguards. Availability can vary depending on the guards.
What language is the tour guide?
The live tour guide provides the tour in English.
Is the tour suitable for wheelchair users or mobility impairments?
No. The tour is not suitable for people with mobility impairments or wheelchair users.
