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Buckingham Palace
Sight
22
Signature City Experiences
ATTRACTION
Royal ResidenceHOURS/TIMES
Changing of the Guard: May-Jul., 11:30am daily (alternating days rest of year); State Rooms and Gardens: Aug.-Sept., 9:45am-6:00pm (last admission 3:45pm); Special evening tours offered periodically; Royal Mews: Mar.-Oct., 11:00am-4:00pm (last admission 3:15pm, closed Fri.); Queens Gallery: Mar.-Nov.: 10:00am-5:30pm (last admission 4:30pm)PRICE
Changing of the Guard: free; State Rooms and Gardens (includes audio guide): Adult: GBP 17.00, Over 60/Student (with valid ID): GBP 15.50, Under 17: GBP 9.75, Under 5: Free; Royal Mews (includes audio guide): Adult: GBP 7.75, Over 60/Student (with valid ID): GBP 7, Under 17: GBP 5, Under 5: Free; Queen's Gallery: Adult: GBP 5, Over 60/Student (with valid ID): GBP 4.50, Under 17: GBP 3, Under 5: FreePOPULAR TIMES
Best to plan and purchase your tickets online (via the Palace website) ahead of time to see any of the Palace attractions. Tickets for the State Rooms sell out especially early.RESERVE IN ADVANCE
YesWAIT TIME WITHOUT RESERVATION
For each attraction, admission is by timed ticket with entry every 15 minutes. Tickets are valid only on the date and time specified on the ticket.HIGHLIGHTS
Changing of the Guard outside the Palace (no ticket required); The State RoomsALLOW
30 min. for Changing of the Guard; 2-3 hours for the State Rooms; 1 hour each for the Royal Mews and Queens GalleryTUBE
St. James's Park; Green Park; Victoria; Hyde Park
VIBE
A visit to Buckingham Palace is one of the quintessential London experiences as you will learn based on the crowds grabbing that iconic photo outside the Palace gate. This historic place has been a rallying point for the British throughout their recent history, most notably in times of tragedy and joy.
GO HERE WITH
Parents; significant others; friends
WHY WE LIKE IT
The sense of recent British history: since 1837, Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of Britain's Royal Family and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch (The Royals really live and work here!). And it’s fun to try to make the stone-faced guards laugh.
WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE
There are many ways to see the Palace: Palace Façade and Changing of the Guard, State Rooms and Gardens, Royal Mews (Stables and Garage), and Queens Gallery. Timings and schedules are such that many of the most exciting parts of the Palace (i.e., the State Rooms) might not be available to you on your London visit. You need to plan (annoyingly) ahead to buy your tickets and enjoy the experience.
GOOD TO KNOW
You are not allowed to take photographs inside State Rooms, but you can do so in the gardens. Combo tickets with slightly discounted rates are available if you plan to see more than one Palace attraction.
CLOSEST COMPS
Kensington Palace (London)
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Photo Credit: Buckingham Palace
