Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the British monarch, and a place for representative visits and ceremonies.
The monumental residence of the British monarchs was rebuilt in 1829 in the Classical and Georgian architectural styles. Buckingham Palace became the main royal residence in 1837 during the reign of Queen Victoria.
In the large area in front of the palace, you can admire the Victoria Monument, a memorial to Queen Victoria erected in 1911.
The Changing of the Guard
The biggest attraction is watching the changing of the guard of the King's Guard in their typical red uniforms with iconic black caps.
The changing of the guard takes place right outside Buckingham Palace with a procession from the adjacent St. James's Palace.
What times does the Changing of the Guard take place?
The guards will always form up here at 10:30am in the courtyard of Buckingham Palace and at approximately 10:45am they will meet the new changing of the guards, who will come in procession across The Mall from St. James's Palace.
The changeover itself will take place at 11:00.
The changing of the guard with this ceremony only operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
It's free to watch the changing of the guard, just arrive at the decorated fence ideally at least an hour before, especially in good weather.
Visit and tour the palace
Buckingham Palace is the real residence of the King, and he really does live there. For this reason, the palace is closed to the public for most of the year, however, since the 1990s it has been regularly opened for 10 weeks in the summer when the King spends time at his summer home in Scotland.
The palace is open to the public from the end of July to the end of September each year and on selected days during the year. Check the official website rct.uk/visit/buckingham-palace for exact dates and times.
On a tour of Buckingham Palace you can visit all the representative rooms, the ornate halls from which your eyes will pass and the study of the British monarch.
There are 3 guided tours. The table below shows prices when booking online more than 1 day in advance:
| Adults | Teens (18-24) | Children (5-17) | |
| State Rooms - Chambers and halls |
32 gbp | 20,50 gbp | 16,50 gbp |
| State Rooms + East Wing - Chambers and halls + east wing of the building |
90 gbp | 78,50 gbp | 74 gbp |
| Royal Day Out - chambers, halls, gallery and stables |
61,20 gbp | 39,10 gbp | 30,60 gbp |
Tickets must always be booked online ideally at least 3-4 weeks in advance as places are limited.
How to get to the palace?
Buckingham Palace is located between the Green and St. James's Park and terminates at The Mall, the famous boulevard.
Nearest Underground Station
- Green Park - 450 metres, the Piccadilly, Victoria and Jubilee lines cross here
- Victoria - 500 metres, intersecting the District, Victoria and Circle lines and several rail routes
- St. James's Park - 400 metres, District and Circle lines
Buses
For short journeys around the city centre you can also use the following bus routes:
- Green Park - 450 metres, lines 9, 14, 19, 23, 38.
Hotels in the vicinity
The area around Buckingham Palace is one of the best in London. It's surrounded by large parks and yet has great underground access to all parts of London.
Hotels here are expensive but of a very high quality. We would recommend these top-rated ones:
- The Ritz London **** - one of London's most luxurious hotels offering accommodation without compromise.
- The Resident Victoria **** - this modern boutique hotel is great value for money
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in London.
