Changing of the Guard
- Address: London, England
- Hours: Ceremony held at 11:30am (daily May - July, on alternate days rest of year)
- Admission: Free
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Cultural Experience,
Must-Do Experience,
Palace
Changing of the Guard Reviews
We've found 28 Changing of the Guard reviews from Viator.com travelers and members: what they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved. It's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
Review by Bev J, May 2012
Doing what: London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
This was a wonderful tour. It visited all the sites in London that we have heard so much about and are so magnificent. We saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace. Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament were so impressive and the Tower of London just as impressive and crown jewels are a must see thing, out of this world. The ride on the Eye topped this tour off. The sites from the Eye are breathtaking.
Review by Linda O, June 2011
Doing what: London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
I would highly recommend this tour if you are having a short stay in London as this tour covers so much. We had read mixed reviews prior to booking but we said we'd take a chance and were glad that we did. They picked us up on time from our hotel and brought us to Victoria station where we were introduced to our guide for the day. Our guide Alan especially made this trip enjoyable for us as he had a very in depth knowledge of London and he was also very entertaining. Also our bus driver, Malcolm, was very friendly and helpful. One piece of advice I would give is to try and do this tour on any day other than a Sunday as a lot of places are closed. We began the tour by visiting Westminster Abbey but couldn't go inside due to it being a Sunday, we were then brought to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben on the hour so we could hear the chimes which was a nice touch. We then had a guided tour of the Tower of London followed by the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. However, it was very busy due to it being a Sunday so we were unable to get down to the front of the palace so we just seen them marching along the road, we then had a cruise along the Thames followed by lunch. Then it was off to St Paul's but again we were unable to go inside due to service. We opted for a flight on the London Eye at the end, it began raining which restricted our view. Overall really enjoyed it but try and do it during the week if possible!
Review by Donna Lynne L, Canada, June 2010
Doing what: London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
This was a great tour and we saw a lot in a day. Most of the morning was spent in the bus seeing some of the sights like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Prince Albert's memorial and the Victoria and Albert museum, Harrods and more. Then we went to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. Our expert guide Richard told us where to stand for the best view and great pictures. After lunch it was on to St Paul's Cathedral. Amazing! The wisteria was in bloom along one wall on our way in. The stained glass, the ceilings, the dome, the crypt - all fascinating. It is a Must See. Our next stop was the Tower of London with it's gory history, the ravens and their story and of course the crown jewels. Our boat cruise on the Thames ended the day with great views of Big Ben and the London Eye.
Review by Fred, USA, May 2010
Doing what: London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
We took this tour one day and the Windsor Tour the next and saw everything there was to see. This tour took us from the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels, a short cruise down the Thames to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and left us at the London Eye. It was fantastic.
Review by James B, December 2009
Doing what: London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
It was great to get into the Tower of London and be personally greeted and provided an introduction to the Towers. Since it was an even day, there was no changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, therefore we were able to spend more time at the Tower of London and see the current Henry VIII exhibit. Our guide was excellent.
Review by Deborah C, USA, September 2008
Doing what: London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
A great tour to do on arrival to orientate yourself with the city and help you to decide what you want to revisit. All the major sites were covered. Our tour guide was charming, knowledgeable, and could be clearly heard and understood. Our tour fell on a day when they were not doing the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace but everything else was perfect. The boat ride turned out to be quite informative to our pleasant surprise. There was enough time allotted to see the White Tower and St. Pauls Cathedral and it's Whispering Wall. We elected not to eat lunch with the group and went to visit Trafalgar Square nearby instead. It was a long day but you were on and off the bus enough so that it was not just a boring ride though London. The tea and scones at Harrods at the end of the tour was the perfect touch. We did other tours of Buckingham Palace and the London Eye. It was a splendid combination.
Review by WASILIZA L, USA, August 2008
Doing what: London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
Our tour guide was amazing. He is so very knowledgeable of the history of London as well as where and when to go to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. We were in and out in less than 45 minutes. We had a great time at the Tower of London. We know more on Henry VIII than we need to know, but the way he presented the history and stories was delightful.
Review by Brian D, USA, December 2007
Doing what: London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
Great tour! Our tour guide and bus driver were friendly, informative and fun. There were only about 12 of us on the tour so that made things much better, as well. We were the very first people at the Tower of London and so had it virtually to ourselves for a little while. Don't rely on this tour to see the Changing of the Guard though. Even though we got to Buckingham Palace before the official ceremony start time, you really have to show up 1 hour 30 minutes in advance if you want a decent vantage point. Otherwise, every aspect of the tour was a lot of fun and very interesting. A great way to see lots of London in one day.
Review by Kathleen W, USA, November 2007
Doing what: London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
The guide and the driver were excellent representatives of their country and of their company. I think all of us tourists enjoyed the historical information the guide imparted, and the joviality of both men. Also, the Tower of London Beefeater was particularly funny. A real actor! I was disapointed that we didn't see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. I think traffic caused us to be late. Maybe the tour operator should allow more time to get there.
Review by Janice C, USA, April 2013
Doing what: Royal London Sightseeing Tour with Changing of the Guard Ceremony
Trevor was our guide and his knowledge and sense of humor was awesome....
He let us know where the best place to stand to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.... We were able to see the main highlights of London and Trevor gave us good details and facts....
Review by Peter D, Australia, January 2013
Doing what: London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
An excellent way to see the highlights of London. Our guide was good and very knowlegable on the history of London. Had a private tour of the London Tower, excellent. Short boat trip along the Thames to be picked up again by the bus. Our guide said he had the right spot to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and he was correct. Had an excellent view away from most of the other tourists. We didn't go on the London Eye optional as we did this ourselves the previous day.
An enjoyable way to see the highlights of London.
Review by Ronald B, October 2012
Doing what: Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle Day Trip from London
Our guide David was just excellent, he was so informative and had a wonderful sense of humour. Got an added surprise at Windsor Castle to see the Changing of the Guard. I felt we were a bit rushed and would have liked a bit more time for buying souveniers etc at Windsor Castle. Also it was quite surreal to walk through the state rooms at Buckingham Palace. Would highly recommend Viator.
Review by Andrea M, July 2012
Doing what: London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
A great tour if you have a short amount of time in London. The tour was well put together timewise, we never felt overly rushed. It was nice getting our own warder at the Tower of London, and seeing the Crown Jewels. The tour of St. Pauls Cathedral was excellent. A couple of improvements, I really think a visit to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben is needed. There is a drive by of the exterior, and a brief stop at Westminster, but these are two of the must see stops in London. The viewing of the changing of the guard was good, but was no where near Buckingham Palace. It would make sense to add Big Ben and Westminster as longer stops and advise people to see the guard change on their own. Additionally, the boat cruise is a ferry ride with some brief commentary from our guide. As another note, the Victoria Coach station wait can be confusing, with several buses leaving at the same time. Our start time was listed as 8:00am, but the bus was slated for 8:30 and then didn't leave until 8:45. The extra 45 minutes of sleep would have been nice. My mom and I did choose to eat lunch at the pub recommended. Service was good and quick and the vegetable pie was excellent. Finally, we added the Harrod's Tea option. Tea time was very close to lunch time, so we were not terribly hungry at Harrod's. It is an impressive spread of goodies (sandwiches and pastries), but we were stuffed from lunch so plan accordingly and have a light lunch. Overall, a good tour and a good guide. I would do this again.
Review by Diann C, December 2010
Doing what: London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
Both driver & guide were courteous and pleasant. We felt it was a good day overall, however, when we booked we did so in part to see the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and felt we ought to have been told in advance that we were not going to see that. We might have booked otherwise.
Review by Barbara C, USA, August 2010
Doing what: London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
We enjoyed the all-day sightseeing tour of London very much. The Tower of LondonCrown Jewels was truly amazing and very informative. We liked the Cavalry Museum tour, although we would have preferred a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral. We also enjoyed tea at Harrods, a nice end of the tour. The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is always special, but the most special part of our tour was David, our tour guide. He brought everything to life with his knowledge and wit.
