How to Tour Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is open for tours just two months out of every year.

Buckingham Palace is a symbol of the British monarchy, and it's one of the few working palaces left in the world. It's small by the standards of European palaces. Queen Victoria found it inadequate for the purposes of raising a family, so she had the palace enlarged and her grandson George V had it remodeled. Since 1993, it is open for public tours during the months of August and September. The tours take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Visit the Royal Collection website and study the different tours. A basic general tour covers the State Rooms and the palace, while the "Royal Day Out" covers those places, the Royal mews and the Queens Gallery. As of 2011, 19 of the state rooms were open to tours. Tickets bought on the site are good for a 1-year pass. The site recommends all tickets be bought well in advance of the August-September window due to heavy demand.

2. Sign up for the general tours during August and September, or the exclusive tour in the winter. The exclusive tour, which is led by a guide, goes through all of the rooms on the tour and offers details on the works of art. As of 2011, it also offered an official guidebook, a glass of champagne, and a discount ticket for the shop.

3. Visitors on the general tours get an audio tour and guidebook. As of 2011, those items were available in English, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, German and French. There are special provisions for visitors with disabilities. Wheelchair-bound visitors need to book by phone. See the link for more information.

4. Check the website for updates on restrictions and prices. As of 2011, no food or drinks were allowed in the State Rooms, and any large items will have to be checked in at the entrance. Visitors are subject to a security check. Baby-carriers are available for rent at the check-in point. Cell phones and any kind of photography are banned except in the Palace garden.

Tips & Warnings

• The Changing of the Guard is held at 11:30 a.m. every day for most of the year. Check the main website for the schedule.

References

• Royal Collection Tickets
• Royal Collection: The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace