Changing of the Guard Tours London
Almost every visitor plans their trip around the weekday Changing of the Guard, and never learns that London has a second ceremony on Sundays. It is quieter, it moves differently, and very little of what is published about it explains how to actually watch it.
The Sunday Parade takes place most Sundays of the year, apart from Christmas and New Year. It begins at Wellington Barracks at around 10am and is usually finished by about 10.40am, although there is no fixed start time. It is a separate ceremony from the weekday Changing of the Guard: it celebrates the Regimental Colour, and involves one regiment of guards rather than the usual two.
| Day | Every Sunday except Christmas and New Year |
|---|---|
| Starts | Around 10am at Wellington Barracks, no fixed time |
| Finishes | Usually by 10.40am |
| How long | Roughly 45 minutes, sometimes a little longer |
| Where | Wellington Barracks, Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace |
| Cost to watch | Free |
| Introduced | April 2025 |
For the weekday ceremony, see Changing of the Guard times and schedule.
The Sunday Parade is a new addition to London’s ceremonial calendar, introduced in April 2025. Much like Changing the Guard, it involves foot guards, marching and music, and takes place in the same part of London.
The main difference is what it is for. The Sunday Parade celebrates the role of the Colour, the regimental flag, and involves one regiment of guards rather than the usual two. That makes it a shorter, tighter ceremony than the weekday handover, and it moves across the same three sites in a different order.
Although it is a new addition, the history of celebrating the Colour is as old as the Changing the Guard, and from a military perspective, arguably more important.
The whole ceremony takes around 45 minutes.
The Ceremonial Band leaves Wellington Barracks by 10am and marches to Buckingham Palace. Best place to stand – Spur Road between the barracks and Australia Gate. After a short inspection and a couple of pieces of music, the Band leads the Guards along the Mall to St James’s Palace, arriving by 10.25. Best views of the guards are on the northern side of the Mall between Clarence House and St James Palace.
Once the Regimental Colour has been left at the Palace, the Guards march back to Buckingham Palace while the Band heads to Wellington Barracks. Where to watch – the southern side of the Mall between Marlborough Gate and West Africa Gate. The ceremony concludes by around 10.40am.
One thing worth knowing before you go: unlike the weekday ceremony, which is fixed at 11am at the Palace, the Sunday Parade has no set start time. The times above are what we usually see, but the guards do not run to the minute. Sometimes they are a few minutes early, sometimes later. Forty-five minutes is about right, though it can run on a bit.
They are different events, not two showings of the same one. This is the comparison most people are actually trying to make.
| Sunday Parade | Changing the Guard | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | Sundays | Monday, Wednesday, Friday |
| Starts | Around 10am, no fixed time | 10.40am at St James’s, 11am at the Palace |
| Length | Roughly 45 minutes | About an hour |
| Regiments | One | Two |
| What it marks | The Regimental Colour | The handover of the Palace guard |
| Crowds | Quieter | Tens of thousands in summer |
For people who regularly attend both events, the Sunday Parade is more enjoyable to watch than the Changing the Guard. As most tourists want to see the more famous weekday ceremony, Sunday has about half the number of spectators, which means that it is far easier to navigate the events and to see more of the action.
On a Sunday the guards will always be accompanied by a full ceremonial band, and you will have front row views of them as they march between palaces and barracks. This is not always guaranteed on a weekday ceremony.
And as the event is less well advertised or understood, our guides have a distinct advantage and the knowhow to position you within touching distance of the guards, while most spectators are left confused.
Many websites still claim that the Change of the Guard ceremony occurs on Sundays, and the guards march with the same timings. Consequently, we see thousands of tourists waiting at the various locations waiting for something which never happens. The most glaring example is at the railings of Buckingham Palace. Aside from a short stop, guards don’t ‘change’ on Sunday. They simply gather, play a warm-up piece of music, then leave. Certainly not worth waiting for several hours.
We know the timings of the guards, meaning that we are in position for photos before everyone else. We are also able to observe signs which suggest that there may be a deviation from the usual routine, and are able to adapt.
If you are in London for a week and wish to decide between the Sunday Parade and the weekday ceremony, choose the Sunday Parade. Fewer tourists, better photos, less waiting around, and if you join our tour we also see the Household Cavalry and know of an incredible spot to observe foot guards which ensures you’re within 2 feet of their instruments! Weekday ceremonies are great, but they are busier and you’ll be further from the action.
Our guides are out for the Sunday Parade as well as the weekday ceremony, and the route is different enough to be worth being shown. Book the Changing the Guard tour, or see all Changing of the Guard tours.
