Visiting Buckingham Palace is on nearly every London bucket list, and most people get it wrong.
They turn up at the gates, crane their necks, and leave disappointed.
Whether you’re flying in for your first trip to London or hopping on a train for a day out in the capital, here’s the honest version: what you can actually see, when the palace opens, what the tickets cost, and how to build a day that works.
Can You Go Inside Buckingham Palace?
Yes, but only at set times of year and only with a pre-booked ticket.
The palace is the working home of the monarch, so the interior isn’t open all year round. The famous State Rooms open to the public during the summer, and there are limited winter tours by guided visit. Outside those windows, the inside stays shut.
That matters for your planning. If you’re visiting Buckingham Palace in, say, April or November, you won’t be walking through the throne room. You’ll be enjoying everything on the outside instead, which is plenty.
When Does Buckingham Palace Open in 2027?
Buckingham Palace typically opens its doors to tourists for three months each summer, from July to September. Summer dates for 2027 are due to be confirmed in November. When the Royal Collection Trust publishes the schedule, it appears on the official Royal Collection Trust site. Opening times are typically July to September, but check there for the exact opening times and on-sale dates.
Winter guided tours run on select dates too. Again, availability is limited, they’re booked ahead, and dates are confirmed by the Royal Collection Trust.
What Can You See at Buckingham Palace Without a Ticket?
Plenty, and this is where most visitors underestimate the place.
You don’t need a ticket to enjoy a spectacular view of Buckingham Palace. Alongside this, the Changing of the Guard ceremony, the surrounding parks and the sheer scale of the building are all free.
Changing the Guard
Changing the Guard is the showpiece.
It usually takes place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, running from around 10.40am to 11.40am. It’s a full hour of music, marching and precision, not the two-minute swap most people expect. The guards move between St James’s Palace, Buckingham Palace and Wellington Barracks, so where you stand makes all the difference. Our guide to the best time to see Changing the Guard covers the timing, the crowds and the spots worth knowing about. If you would rather leave the guesswork to someone else, our Changing the Guard walking tour follows the ceremony stage by stage.
Want the background before you go? We’ve written plenty on it, including five fun facts about the Changing the Guard ceremony.
One thing to clear up. The Sunday Parade is a separate event with its own timing, explained in our Changing the Guard Q&A. And if it rains, a “Wet Change” means the guards swap to overcoats, the band usually stays away and the movements vary to protect the regimental colour.
The Palace Front, the Balcony and the Victoria Memorial
The palace facade is free to admire, and the balcony is more famous than any single room inside.
That’s the balcony you’ve seen on every royal wedding and jubilee. Stand back far enough and you can take in the whole front elevation, the railings and the Royal Standard, which flies only when the monarch is at home.
The gold-topped Victoria Memorial sits directly in front. It’s one of the best raised viewpoints in the area, which is why it fills up fast on ceremony days. It’s brilliant for a snapshot, but on ceremony mornings you’ll only catch part of the action from there.
The Mall and St James’s Park
The Mall and St James’s Park frame the palace beautifully, and both are free to wander.
The tree-lined Mall gives you that long, ceremonial approach with the palace at the end. St James’s Park, just alongside, is one of the prettiest green spaces in central London and a calm spot to regroup after the crowds.
How Much Does It Cost to Visit Buckingham Palace?
The outside costs nothing. Going inside is where ticket prices come in, and they vary by season and attraction. Pricing for 2027 may change, so confirm the current figures on rct.uk before you plan.
If you’re visiting Buckingham Palace on a budget, the free highlights alone make for a brilliant morning.
Summer State Rooms Tickets
Summer State Rooms tickets are the premium visit, giving you access to the grand interior.
These sell out, especially on weekends and school holidays. Both our Buckingham Palace tours include entrance tickets, so you skip the scramble when they go on sale. Just book early, because our spaces go quickly too.
Winter Guided Tours
Winter guided tours let you inside the State Rooms on select dates outside the main summer season.
These are smaller and more structured than the self-guided summer visit. Availability is tight, the price is high, and dates are limited, so they go quickly once released.
The King’s Gallery and the Royal Mews
The King’s Gallery and the Royal Mews are open across more of the year and cost less than the State Rooms.
The King’s Gallery shows rotating exhibitions from the Royal Collection. The Royal Mews houses the working stables and the state carriages, including the Gold State Coach. Both are worth adding if you want more time on-site without the summer price tag.
How Do You Combine a Palace Visit With Changing the Guard?
Ceremony first, palace second. That’s the order that works if you’re visiting Buckingham Palace in summer.
Changing the Guard finishes around 11.40am, and the palace is right there. The tricky part is getting from one to the other, because post-ceremony crowds and closed roads make reaching the entrance harder than it looks.
That’s exactly why we run our Buckingham Palace Tour while the palace is open. Your guide takes you through the ceremony, marching alongside the band rather than standing still, then navigates you to the palace entrance with your tickets sorted. The walk lasts around two hours, and we would suggest allowing about an hour and a half inside. Our guides don’t come into the palace with you, so you explore the State Rooms at your own pace.
Seeing More of London in One Day
First time in London and short on time? Our London Bucket List tour with Buckingham Palace tickets takes in Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square and more, finishing at the palace with your entrance tickets included. It doesn’t include Changing the Guard, but you’ll see the Household Cavalry along the way. It only runs on limited dates, so check the calendar early.
Why Not Just Watch From the Palace Gates?
Because the gates are the worst spot to watch from.
That’s where everyone else stands, ten deep, phones up, seeing nothing. The real action happens along the route, and the best viewpoints aren’t the obvious ones. We keep those spots for the tour, but trust us, there’s a smarter way to see it than pressing against the railings.
Practical Tips for Visiting Buckingham Palace
A little preparation goes a long way, whether you’re travelling from across the UK or across the world.
Getting There
The nearest Underground stations are Green Park, St James’s Park, Victoria and Hyde Park Corner, all within walking distance of the palace. If you’re coming in from elsewhere in the UK, Victoria is also a mainline rail station, so you can step off the train and walk.
If the Underground has you baffled, we’ve broken down why the London Underground feels so confusing to make the journey easier.
Planning Around the Ceremony Schedule
Changing the Guard dates are only confirmed about six weeks ahead, and although the usual schedule is Monday, Wednesday & Friday, they can shift for state occasions and bad weather. If you’re flying in and the ceremony is a must-see, check the schedule close to your trip. Book with us and we’ll contact you if there’s a late change and offer another date.
What to Bring
Dress for the weather, because London changes its mind quickly. A raincoat or small umbrella is always a good idea. In summer, bring water and a hat. In winter, layer up and wear waterproof shoes. Use the facilities before you arrive, as there’s plenty of standing and walking once the ceremony starts.
Accessibility
Our public Changing the Guard tours require good mobility. We march alongside the guards, keep a steady pace to stay ahead of the crowds, and there’s at least one set of steps. If that’s a concern, our private Changing the Guard tours can be adapted to suit. Our other walking tours, including the London Bucket List tour, can follow a step-free route if you let us know ahead of time.
What Are Some Little-Known Facts About Buckingham Palace?
The palace has 775 rooms, and that’s just the start of what surprises people.
It has its own post office, cash machine and even a swimming pool. The building only became the official royal residence in 1837, when Queen Victoria moved in. Before that, the monarch lived elsewhere.
Security is another rich seam of history. Over the years, more than one person has slipped past the gates and made it inside, some of them famously. We’ve told those stories in five times intruders got into Buckingham Palace, and they’re stranger than you’d think.
What Else Can You See Near Buckingham Palace?
Loads. The palace sits in the middle of some of London’s best walking territory.
Westminster, Whitehall and Trafalgar Square are all within a short stroll. Piccadilly is close too, and there’s more to it than shops, as our ten facts about Piccadilly Circus show.
History fans should look up the wartime side of the area. The Churchill War Rooms sit just a short walk from the palace, and our Churchill & The Blitz in Westminster tour brings that period to life. You’ll see Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall and the Cenotaph through the lens of the Second World War, and the tour finishes at the War Rooms with your entry included. Unless you’ve booked a private tour, your guide doesn’t come inside, so you explore the museum at your own pace with an audio guide. For more context, read about Churchill’s underground bunkers and shelters.
Already ticked off the big sights, or live closer to home? Our Secret Old London tour leads you away from the tourist hotspots into the most ancient part of the city, past medieval churches, Tudor gateways and alleyways barely touched in 400 years. And our list of hidden gems and unusual things to do in London pairs nicely with a palace morning.
What’s the Best Way to Visit Buckingham Palace?
The best way to approach visiting Buckingham Palace depends on the season, and there’s a right answer for each.
Right now and through spring, the State Rooms are closed apart from limited winter guided tours, so the ceremony is the main event. A guided Changing the Guard tour gets you the timing, the viewpoints and the stories you’d never piece together alone. It beats standing at the gates every time.
For summer 2027, when the State Rooms reopen, pairing the palace with Changing the Guard makes for the standout day out. Our combined tour includes your palace tickets and handles the logistics, so all you have to do is enjoy it.
Whichever season you’re visiting Buckingham Palace in, get the timing right and the day rewards you. If you want to skip the guesswork, join one of our tours and see Buckingham Palace the way it’s meant to be seen.
