• Green Park - Legend has it that the park is green because Charles II’s wife Catherine de Braganza ordered all its flowers to be removed. Why you might ask? You’ll find out on the tour!
• St. James’s Palace - Built by Henry VIII on the site of a women’s leper hospital, this palace was originally built for the son promised to Henry by his second wife, Anne Boleyn. But things didn’t turn out quite as planned!
• Changing of the Guard - One of London’s ancient ceremonies, this is pageantry not to be missed BUT IT DOES NOT GO AHEAD EVERY DAY. We will need to check if the ceremony is scheduled for the morning of your tour. If it is, you’re in for a treat as we view different parts of the ceremony from three different places - we’ll need to move fast to get from one to another! EVEN IF THE CEREMONY IS SCHEDULED TO GO AHEAD, IT CAN BE CANCELLED AT THE LAST MOMENT SO THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL SEE THE CEREMONY.
• Clarence House - A chance to see where King Charles III and the Queen Camilla, call home.
• Lancaster House - Built from beautiful Bath stone, this building stood in for Buckingham Palace during the filming of Downton Abbey, the Netflix series the Crown and the film, the King’s Speech.
• Buckingham Palace - One of the London’s most iconic buildings, with its world famous balcony, Buckingham Palace is the office of the monarchy and one of the few working palaces in the world. Queen Elizabeth II lived here Monday - Friday but her son Charles has yet to decide where he is going to live. The palace is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment so we’ll have to wait and see what he decides to do.
• Wellington Barracks - Home to the Queens’ Life Guards, responsible for the security of the monarch since 1660. The new guard leave from here during the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
• St. James’s Park - One of the prettiest Royal parks with an abundance of wild life and a gorgeous ornamental lake, England’s most extravagant king George IV, made it what it is today. A few other monarchs before him had their say too - I will reveal all on our tour!
• Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall - Originally used for jousting during Tudor times, Horse Guards Parade is now home to two of London’s ancient ceremonies dating back to the 1600s, the Changing of the Guard and Trooping the Colour. The parade ring was also used during the London Olympics in 2012 - I wonder if anyone can remember which sport took place here?
• St. James’ Square - Once a housing estate for the English aristocracy, it still retains a beautiful garden in the centre.
• Paxton & Whitfield - This shop began life centuries ago as a market stall; how it has changed wince then as it now displays over 90 artisan cheeses from all over Europe.
• Floris - Originally a barber’s, Juan Floris quickly changed his shop into a perfumery which is still thriving nearly 300 years later.
  It still produces Lily of the Valley perfume which was one of the shop’s first creations but there are many others well worth a sniff!
• Fortnum & Mason - The most sophisticated department store in London - the hamper began here! As we take a quick walk arund the ground floor of the store, you will find out what unusual feature is up on the roof as well as the nature of a competition sponsored by the store. Intriguing!

• Experienced, local guide accredited by top institutions
• Guidance by Sandy, a member of the City of Westminster Guide Lecturer’s Association

• Food and drinks
• Food sampling
• Gratuities - optional
• Transportation to/from the start and end points of the walk

This private walking tour explores the area of St James’, often referred to as London’s Royal Village due to its numerous royal associations. The tour includes a walk past the exteriors of Buckingham Palace and St James’ Palace, and through the picturesque Green Park and St James’ Park. St James’ is famous for its Gentlemen’s Clubs, and the tour will pass by several that have thrived for over 275 years. These clubs are surrounded by exclusive shops, many established to cater to the gentlemen’s needs, offering everything from cheese and wine to shirts and shoes. If fortunate, the tour date may align with the historic Changing of the Guard ceremony, showcasing royal pageantry at its finest. This event currently occurs on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. This tour is a must-see, with hidden gems at every turn! All Trip Advisor reviews are rated Excellent, so the experience is sure to be exceptional!

• When your booking is confirmed, you will receive contact details for me (Sandy) and I will be your guide on this tour. My aim is to give you, my client, the best experience you could possibly have so if you have any special requests, be sure to tell me what they are! If you need to stop for a break midway through the tour, that will be fine with me.
• The tour will last up to 3 hours depending on the walking pace of the group, the number of questions asked and if the Changing of the Guard ceremony is going ahead on the day of the tour.
• The tour will cover roughly 2 miles in total.
• The tour will go ahead come rain or shine so please don’t be put off by the weather. Do wear comfortable shoes and clothing and, if needs be, bring waterproofs and an umbrella.
• Due to the distances involved, and the speed at which we may have to walk between events, this tour is not recommended for those with walking difficulties.
• Morning tours start at 09.45 under the Colonnade of the Ritz Hotel, Piccadilly
• Unlike some other guides, I specialise in just five areas of London, St James’ being one of them. This means that I have detailed knowledge of the area which I pass on to my clients in a fun and interesting way.
• 100% of my Trip Advisor/Viator reviews are graded ‘excellent’ and as I now have over 100 reviews in total, I must be doing something right!
• I prefer to guide small groups of up to five family or friends so that everyone can hear what I am saying above the usual street noises of a busy city. Also, everyone can ask as many questions as they like.
• I ALWAYS make contact with my clients before a tour so if you have not heard from me one week before your tour, please contact me instead.
• I only accept bookings directly from customers. Any bookings made by a travel agent on behalf of a customer will be cancelled.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.