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London Highlights: Westminster & Guard Ceremony
4.1
47 Ratings
Greater London
Experience the excitement of the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace with this exclusive tour. Get up close to the action and discover the best vantage points for a close-up peek at London’s most popular spectacle.
Experience the excitement of the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace with this exclusive tour. Get up close to the action and discover the best vantage points for a close-up peek at London’s most popular spectacle.
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Westminster Abbey - Start your day with priority access to one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks: Westminster Abbey. Known for hosting royal weddings, funerals, and coronations, this historic site is featured in history books worldwide. There’s much to explore—from the Coronation Chair and the magnificent High Altar to the resting places of…
- Westminster Abbey - Start your day with priority access to one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks: Westminster Abbey. Known for hosting royal weddings, funerals, and coronations, this historic site is featured in history books worldwide. There’s much to explore—from the Coronation Chair and the magnificent High Altar to the resting places of numerous historical figures. Navigating it alone can be daunting, but your guide will ensure you visit all the must-see locations, maximizing your time in this revered place.
- Wellington Barracks - After departing the Abbey, observe the guards as they prepare for their renowned march. These are genuine soldiers with real weapons performing their daily duty of safeguarding the Palace. Learn about their responsibilities and the meaning behind their symbolic uniforms. Walk alongside the soldiers to a prime viewing spot near the Wellington Barracks, home to all the Foot Guard’s Bands, allowing you to get as close as possible to the spectacle.
- Changing of the Guard - The Changing of the Guard is a time-honored tradition marking the official shift change of the Household Regiment—the King’s guards stationed at Buckingham Palace.
- Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall - Walk through St. James’s Park to discover the history of this royal green space and arrive at the Horse Guards Parade. Witness the equally impressive Changing of the King’s Life Guard, featuring mounted, armor-clad soldiers and their impeccably groomed horses.
What's Included
- Licensed Blue Badge guide
- Skip the line Westminster Abbey tickets
- Small group of 20 guests maximum
- Expertly guided walking tour
- Licensed Blue Badge guide
- Skip the line Westminster Abbey tickets
- Small group of 20 guests maximum
- Expertly guided walking tour
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Additional Information
Immerse yourself in two iconic London experiences in one morning on this unforgettable tour. Begin your day with skip-the-line access to Westminster Abbey and explore one of England’s most legendary monuments with a guide who knows the site like the back of their hand. From there, you’re off to the Changing of the Guard. But you won’t just watch the…
Immerse yourself in two iconic London experiences in one morning on this unforgettable tour. Begin your day with skip-the-line access to Westminster Abbey and explore one of England’s most legendary monuments with a guide who knows the site like the back of their hand. From there, you’re off to the Changing of the Guard. But you won’t just watch the ceremony—you’ll get as close as you can to the action. Your guide will lead you straight to the best vantage points and most secluded spots for a close-up peek at London’s most popular spectacle. Witness two different ceremonies from four different angles as your guide regales you with the unbelievable history of the iconic tradition.
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- IMPORTANT NOTE - The Changing of the Guard 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. When this occurs, customers will still see a ‘wet change’ during which the guards march but without the usual music or parade.
- Sites on this tour are subject to occasional closures. If modifications are needed and time permits, we will reach out to you prior to your tour. For last-minute closures, modifications may be communicated at the tour start time.
- This tour is in English.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
- Please contact Viator Customer Care in advance if you or a member of your party have any mobility issues or special needs to help us provide you with the best experience on your tour with us.
Location
Millicent Garrett Fawcett Statue
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets at the Millicent Garrett Fawcett Statue Parliament Square at London SW1P 3JX.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(47 Ratings)
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Joel_h
Oct 24, 2024
Excellent - We thought Geoff was an excellent guide and the tour was very informative. The access was quick and easy.
Review provided by Viator
Rayr_d
Oct 11, 2024
Our guide was well educated and professional in his approach - Our guide Matt was able to detail the history of Westminster Abbey clearly which put this beautiful shrine into perspective.
Review provided by Viator
Mark_y
Oct 6, 2024
Great experience, a must-see for all tourists! - Charlotte was our Guide and she was fantastic -- knowledgeable, entertaining and relatable. Westminster Abbey is an extraordinary place and a must-see for anyone visiting London!
Review provided by Viator
Kristenwn173wr
Aug 12, 2024
Totally worth the price!! - This was an awesome tour. Our tour guide was a retired BBC reporter and he was so knowledgeable but yet very relatable. The length of the tour was perfect and we got to see everything we wanted to see.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Donna_k
Aug 5, 2024
Good tour,but a lot of walking - better be in good shape for this one. - Our guide, Emily, was interesting and her history knowledge and explanations were very good. Also, she knew the best locations for the changing of the guards. It got very hot and she took her time with the older people getting around.
Review provided by Viator
Laurie_l
Oct 12, 2024
Excellent Guide - Our guide was amazing - she was very knowledgeable and gave us the best advantage to see all the bits.
Just wish we were up at the gate at the palace to see the changing of the guard instead of across the mall lawn. But overall a great bit of London in such a short time.
Review provided by Viator
Brian_m
Oct 6, 2024
A good tour - thought the stay at the Abbey was too short - The visit to Westminster Abbey was good - but had expected a longer time thete. Changing of the guard was not as impressive as I thought (maybe because we were further away) - but the tour guide did his best and shared a lot of interesting information with us and it was a good day
Review provided by Viator
Kathy_e
Oct 26, 2024
not recommended - We missed the changing of the guard, we walked right past as it happened behind a lot of people to the very end of the crowd. There were places we could have stopped to catch some of it but we kept moving until it was over! We only got to see some of it afterward in the pictures I took with my phone way above my head.
We thought that booking a tour would be the best way to see this but obviously we could have done better on our own.
The Abbey was great to see. However, we had no time to explore it on our own. All of a sudden, we were rushed over to the palace for the guard tour. Afterward the guide just walked us around some park to look at things we had no interest in. We finally just left the tour as we had no opportunity to use the restroom the entire time. Ended up going to a nearby pub (fortunately)where we could relieve ourselves.
I would recommend not offering these two tours together unless you reverse the order of the tours.
Our guide wasn't particularly excited about doing his job. He wanted to tell us about how he had previously worked in television in the US and on the Sesame Street program, etc.
Overall I would have liked a refund and my husband feels the same. We have taken other viator tours that we were really happy with, but not this one.
Thanks for asking.
Review provided by Viator
Rosemary_a
Sep 15, 2024
The description of the... - The description of the tour fell short of the description and the title listed--e.g., the guard change, we could have observed ourselves. I was expecting something more from this event. Although, a tour guide does provide good historical information, I would have preferred to pay less by just purchasing the ticket directly to enter Westminster Abbey and visit Buckingham palace on our own.
Review provided by Viator
Michael_v
Oct 5, 2024
Wrong Instructions - A Tour guide, from the correct touring company, told me to go to a different meeting place, which was a wrong statue, and I missed the tour. I’m leaving London tomorrow and there were no alternate tours that could be offered.
Review provided by Viator
