Inside Buckingham Palace & See The Westminster Sights Tour

Buckingham Palace is more than a grand façade on the end of the Mall. On this five-hour tour, you get a guided walk through Westminster followed by time inside the royal residence, where 19 State Rooms and the Royal Collection put the palace’s public face into sharper focus. The visit is seasonal, so this is a chance to see the interior during its summer opening.

I like the combination of a three-hour walk with a local guide and independent palace time, which gives you both city context and room to set your own pace indoors. I also like that the tour can include the Changing of the Guard on selected mornings, a ceremony that adds spectacle to an already landmark-heavy route.

One thing to plan for: the guide does not accompany you inside the palace, and the tour includes no lunch break. You’ll need to manage your own food and drinks, and the palace visit is available only from mid-July to late September.

What to know before you book

• Start at the Ritz: Meet outside 150 Piccadilly, by the two red telephone boxes and souvenir stands. Green Park is the nearest Underground station.
• Expect a brisk Westminster walk: The guided portion lasts three hours and covers sights including Trafalgar Square, Horse Guards Parade, Downing Street, Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey.
• Guard ceremony days are limited: The Changing of the Guard is scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on the 10am tour. The British Army controls the schedule, and extreme weather can cancel it.
• Explore the palace on your own: Your ticket includes a multilingual audio guide, entry to 19 State Rooms, the gardens and the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition.
• Bring snacks and sensible shoes: Lunch and drinks are not included, and the five-hour outing involves plenty of walking.
• The price buys more than entry: At $101 per person, you’re paying for the Westminster guide, palace admission and garden access in one outing, not just a palace ticket.

From the Ritz into Westminster

The meeting point is outside The Ritz London at 150 Piccadilly, underneath one of the hotel signs. Look for two red telephone boxes and two souvenir stands. If you come by Underground, use Green Park station’s left exit, then follow the stairs or ramp toward the Ritz.

This starting point puts you near Green Park and Buckingham Palace, but the order of sights means the tour is not simply a palace visit followed by a walk away. Your guide leads the Westminster portion first, then brings you to the palace for your timed independent visit. The supplied route describes Buckingham Palace as a photo stop during the walk as well as the final entry point, so expect to see the exterior before going inside later.

The small-group format is a plus for a route with many stops. A smaller party can make it easier to hear the guide and stay together at busy crossings, though no maximum group size is specified. The English-speaking local guide leads the walking section; inside the palace, the audio guide takes over.

Trafalgar Square and the ceremonial route

Trafalgar Square is one of London’s great open-air stages. The tour allows about 20 minutes here for a guided look and photos. It is a useful place to begin connecting London’s royal, military and political landmarks, rather than treating each as a separate picture stop.

From there, the route includes Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall, another 20-minute stop. The name signals its ceremonial role, and the setting helps explain the formal character of this part of central London. Your guide can provide the context as you look around, while the short stop keeps the overall walk moving.

The route also passes 10 Downing Street, the official residence and office of the British prime minister. Here the listed time is around 20 minutes for guided sightseeing. You’ll see the famous address from the outside, not enter the residence. It is a worthwhile point on a Westminster walk because it brings contemporary government into a route otherwise dominated by royal and historic landmarks.

These short stops suit you if you want a broad first look at central London with someone to connect the dots. They are less suited to a slow, in-depth visit at every site. With several landmarks packed into three hours, the guide’s explanations and the walk between stops are part of the experience, but you should not expect a long stay at each one.

Parliament Square, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey

Parliament Square gets about 40 minutes, the longest stop on the walking section. It is the natural place to take in the political heart of Westminster, with Parliament and Big Ben among the sights. You’ll have time to look around and take photographs, while your guide supplies the story behind the buildings.

The tour also includes the London Eye in its list of Westminster sights. The supplied route does not specify a visit to the attraction, so think of it as a sight to see along the way, not a ride included in the price. The walk is about seeing the city’s landmarks from outside, not entering each one.

Westminster Abbey is another guided stop, listed at about 20 minutes. That is enough for an exterior view and some historical context, but not an interior visit. If going inside the Abbey is a priority, you’ll need to make separate plans rather than assume it is covered by this tour.

The route’s value is in its range: royal residence, government buildings, ceremonial spaces and major public sights in one guided circuit. It’s a strong orientation for a first London visit, though the fast succession of places means you may want to return later to the ones that catch your interest.

The Changing of the Guard, with a caveat

The Changing of the Guard is one of London’s most recognizable public ceremonies, and seeing it can give the tour a memorable focal point. It is included only on the 10am tour on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. The ceremony schedule is controlled by the British Army, and extreme weather can lead to cancellation. Even on a scheduled day, treat it as a possibility rather than a guarantee.

If the ceremony matters to you, check the tour’s available starting times carefully before booking. A tour on another day or at another time still covers the Westminster walk and palace visit, but it won’t include the guard ceremony. The itinerary is also busy, so the ceremony is one part of a broader outing, not the whole show.

Inside Buckingham Palace and its State Rooms

After the walking tour, your guide leads you to Buckingham Palace, but does not go inside with you. The entry ticket includes a multilingual audio guide, so you can explore the palace at your own pace and follow the explanations that interest you most.

Inside, you can visit 19 State Rooms, formal spaces filled with royal furniture and art from the Royal Collection. The rooms offer a look at the palace as a working royal residence and a place for official occasions. The contrast is part of the appeal: outside, the palace is a familiar landmark; inside, its rooms reveal the scale and decoration behind the famous façade.

You also have access to the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition. It adds a focused historical element to the visit, alongside the State Rooms. The ticket includes access to the royal gardens as well, a welcome change of pace after the busy streets and richly decorated interiors.

Allow about two hours for the palace portion. That gives you more than a quick pass through the rooms, but your pace is up to you. If you like to read every audio-guide stop or linger over the art, use your time thoughtfully. The guided city walk ends before this part, so you won’t have the same local guide to answer questions as you move through the palace.

Buckingham Palace opens to visitors only from mid-July to late September. That short annual window makes the tour a seasonal choice, and a poor fit if your London dates fall outside it. Check that the palace is open on your intended date before committing.

Is $101 a fair price?

At $101 per person, the tour bundles a three-hour guided Westminster walk with palace admission, garden access and the exhibition. The price makes more sense if you want the city orientation and palace visit together. You avoid having to piece those two parts into separate plans, and you have a local guide for the streets before switching to the audio guide indoors.

It is less compelling if you only want Buckingham Palace entry or prefer to explore Westminster without a guide. The walk covers several well-known sights but does not include entry to Westminster Abbey or the London Eye. Nor does it include transport to the meeting point, hotel pickup, lunch or drinks.

A small group and a local guide add value beyond the admission ticket, especially when you want background as you move through the city. The guide’s role matters: Will led a tour that left time for photos, while Jason was described as entertaining as well as well informed. Those names are useful examples of the tour’s reported guide experience, but you cannot choose a specific guide when booking based on the information provided.

The price also buys a practical structure for a day that could otherwise involve a lot of map-checking. For a first-time visitor who wants the major Westminster sights and the palace interior in one outing, that convenience is real. For families, consider the full five hours, the walking and the lack of a built-in meal break. One family-focused comment on the tour noted that a lunch pause would have helped, so pack snacks and drinks rather than counting on time to sit down.

Walking comfort, timing and useful preparation

Wear comfortable shoes. The three-hour guided walk followed by palace exploration makes this a substantial half-day on your feet. Bring an umbrella, since it is specifically recommended, along with a camera and food and drinks. Lunch is not included.

The tour is listed as wheelchair accessible, which is helpful if access is a concern. If you have specific mobility needs, confirm the arrangements for your date with the provider, as the available details do not spell out the route’s surfaces or the precise access provisions.

The booking offers free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance and a reserve-now, pay-later option. Those terms can help if your plans are still taking shape, but the key planning constraint is the palace’s limited summer opening. Check the date and start time, especially if you want the Changing of the Guard.

Who should book this tour?

I’d choose this tour if you want a guided introduction to Westminster and also want to go inside Buckingham Palace during its summer opening. The combination saves planning time, and the shift from a local guide outdoors to an audio guide indoors gives you two different ways to take in London.

It suits first-time visitors, history-minded families who can handle a long walking outing, and anyone keen to see both the public landmarks and royal interiors. The guard ceremony can be a bonus if your date and start time line up, but it should not be your only reason to book because the schedule can change.

Skip it if your priority is a slow, detailed visit to Westminster Abbey, a meal break during the walk, or a palace visit outside the summer opening period. If you do book, bring snacks, check the 10am schedule for the ceremony, and leave enough energy for the State Rooms and gardens after the city walk.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts five hours. The Westminster walking tour takes three hours, followed by time to explore Buckingham Palace.

Where is the meeting point?

Meet outside The Ritz London at 150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR, next to two red telephone boxes and two souvenir stands, beneath one of the Ritz signs.

Which Underground station is nearest?

Green Park Underground station is the nearest. Use the left exit and follow the stairs or ramp toward The Ritz.

Does the tour include the Changing of the Guard?

It is included on the 10am tour on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The ceremony schedule may change, and extreme weather can cause cancellation.

Can I go inside Buckingham Palace?

Yes. The ticket includes entry to the palace during its visitor opening period, which runs from mid-July to late September.

What is included with the palace visit?

You can visit 19 State Rooms and access the royal gardens and the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition. A multilingual audio guide is included.

Does the guide accompany me inside the palace?

No. Your guide leads you to Buckingham Palace after the walking tour but does not accompany you inside.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch and drinks are not included. Bring food and something to drink.

Can I cancel the booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The booking also offers a reserve-now, pay-later option.