Changing of the Guard: Best Views Tour

Experience the classic British tradition of the Changing of the Guard with our fully-guided walking tour. Get the best views and capture amazing photographs as our expert guide navigates the crowds for you.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Changing of the Guard - Your regal tour begins at the Duke of York Column, located in St. James’, where you’ll greet your guide, don a personal headset, and receive a historical overview of the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
    Many tourists make the mistake of viewing the ceremony outside of Buckingham Palace. However on this tour, handpicked…
What's Included
  • Small group of 20 people or less
  • Expert, English-speaking tour guide
  • Best vantage points and insights with your guide
  • Headsets when appropriate
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Entrance to Buckingham Palace
Additional Information

Experience a lively display of British tradition with our comprehensive Changing of the Guard walking tour, guaranteed to offer the most stunning perspectives of this exceptional ceremony. Don’t fall into the common tourist trap of believing the best viewpoint is right outside Buckingham Palace.
Those who do often swiftly end up disappointed when they…

Location
Duke of York Monument
Meeting Point: By the Duke of York Column, Waterloo Place, 9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ. This is the tall column with a statue on top. Arriving by tube: Take the tube to Piccadilly Circus and take exit No. 3 onto Regent Street/St James's. Walk south down Regent Street towards St James's Park (do not walk north towards Oxford Street). Waterloo Place is at the end of Regent Street. You will see the tall column with a statue on top. You can also arrive via Charing Cross Station. Walk down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace, you will see the statue on your right at the top of some steps.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(938 Ratings)
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Tia_f
Jan 5, 2026
Natalie is great - Natalie was great! Knew all the good spots and informative. She had a lot of history and a tad bit of gossip. Which we loved!
Review provided by Viator
Aishling_b
Jan 3, 2026
David out tour guide was... - David out tour guide was excellent. Got us prime spots for viewing the changing of the guards and was very informative about all things to do with royal family and area around Buckingham Palace
Review provided by Viator
Glori_k
Jan 2, 2026
Louise was so fun and... - Louise was so fun and knowledgeable. We all truly enjoyed every minute of this tour (parents avs two adult children)
Review provided by Viator
Mike_p
Jan 2, 2026
Alex G was great. Very... - Alex G was great. Very knowledgeable and well planned out. Great tour! Must do. Happy New year!!!!!!!
Review provided by Viator
Colin_m
Jan 2, 2026
Changing of the Guard - The tour guide, David, kept us entertained with his humour and interesting facts about the history of past and present royalty. Changing of the Guard is worth seeing while in London
Review provided by Viator
R2872kikenneths
Dec 31, 2025
Excellent and insightful tour - We had an outstanding experience at the Changing of the Guard thanks to our tour guide, Louisa. Her commentary was excellent. The tour was packed with fascinating historical insight and she went above and beyond to answer all of our questions. It was fascinating to learn about the royal family. She has an impressive depth of knowledge and delivers it with great humor, making the experience both informative and genuinely fun. The area around Buckingham Palace can be incredibly crowded and chaotic, but Louisa handled it well. She coordinated our group smoothly, chose great viewing locations, and made sure everyone had the best possible experience despite the crowds. Her organization and calm confidence really stood out. We felt we were in good hands following her around. If you’re considering this tour, Louisa is exactly the kind of guide you hope for: knowledgeable, insightful, humorous, and highly professional. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shawn_c
Dec 31, 2025
Worth the money for the guide's knowledge - The walking tour was good and our tour guide, Flora, added great stories along the way. She had good ideas where to stand to see them and when Buckingham Palace was crowded, she found a different place for us to go to see the guards leave.
Review provided by Viator
Donna_a
Dec 28, 2025
Excellent Walking Tour - Tour guide Louise was brilliant … excellent knowledge and delivery. She was entertaining as well and so helpful for other tourist tips at end of the tour.
Review provided by Viator
X6899igmelissat
Dec 30, 2025
Do not recommend! - Not worth the price. Just go on your own and follow the crowds. The history and stories were kind of boring. The crowds were ridiculous. Packed in like sardines. I would not recommend this.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joseph_r
Dec 29, 2025
Not as advertised and disappointed. - We have used Viatour many times in many different countries and have always found the tours to be excellent. However, we are extremely disappointed with the tour we undertook this morning to watch the changing of the guard while in London. Our guide was nice enough and did share historical information along the way, he was very slow moving which meant that we never actually saw any part of the ceremony. Additionally, the tour description noted that we would have a preferred viewing area which was absolutely not the case. By the time we arrived at Buckingham Palace after missing views at the two other locations we were so far back that all we could glimpse was the very top of the hats. As this was not what was promised at all we would like a credit or refund. Thank you.
Review provided by Viator
From $19
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).