Changing of the Guard

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28 Reviews | Add review

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

8:09 PM Tuesday, May 21
Scattered clouds. Cool.
7 day forecast

The Changing of the Guard is one of London's most famous spectacles. It is the official shift change of the Guards of the Household Regiment, who protect Buckingham Palace and the Queen.

There is a lot of history here: the Household Guard was established to protect the Monarchy around 1500. These days the Guards band plays during the duty handover and the soldiers wear their official uniform of red tunic and high bearskin hat; some are mounted on horseback. When the Queen is in residence at the palace there are four guards at the front gate, when she is away there are only two.

Latest Reviews

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All Changing of the Guard Reviews

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.

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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!

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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.

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Practical Info

This is a very popular part of any visit to London so if you want a good view, get there early and take up position right next to the fence rails. The guards hand over the duty shift in the palace forecourt inside the gates so if you are too far back in the crowd, you won't see anything. The Horse Guards ride up from their barracks at the other end of The Mall and if you can't get a place at the Buckingham Palace Gate, you can always wait for the Horse Guards to pass St James's Palace and follow them from there.

The nearest tube stations are St James Park, Green Park and Victoria.

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