Buckingham Palace is the working headquarters of the British monarchy. It has 775 rooms, 78 bathrooms, a private cinema, its own post office, and 40,000 light bulbs. The Royal Standard flying above the East Front means the King is home. The Union Jack means he is not.
The palace is also one of the most-visited attractions in London, and the single most badly-planned. Half the tourists who show up have chosen the wrong day for the Changing of the Guard (it does not happen every day). A quarter show up in October hoping to tour the State Rooms (they close at the end of September). And the ones who make it inside during summer often skip the two attractions that are open year-round, the Royal Mews and the King's Gallery. This guide fixes all of that.
Table of contents
Buckingham Palace State Rooms, the summer opening
The 19 State Rooms are the ceremonial heart of the palace, used by the King for official audiences, investitures and State Banquets. They are open to the public only when the Royal Family is at Balmoral Castle in Scotland for the summer break, which in practice means from the second-last week of July to the last Sunday of September each year. Nine to ten weeks. That is the entire window.
In 2026 the announced opening dates are 19 July to 28 September. Check royalcollection.org.uk to confirm before booking.
Changing of the Guard schedule 2026
The Changing of the Guard is the ceremonial handover of duty from the Old Guard (the one that has been on duty) to the New Guard. It runs to a fixed timetable and is not daily.
| Period | Days | Start time (at Wellington Barracks) | Palace ceremony |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr, early Jul | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun | 10:43 | 11:00-11:45 |
| Late Jul, late Aug | Daily except selected Tuesdays | 10:43 | 11:00-11:45 |
| Sep, Mar | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun | 10:43 | 11:00-11:45 |
| Winter reduced service | Some Tuesdays and rain days can be cancelled | , | , |
Cancellations. The ceremony is cancelled in heavy rain, high wind, ceremonial state events elsewhere (funerals, weddings, garden parties), and occasionally when the guard is redeployed for security reasons. Always check the schedule at householddivision.org.uk on the morning of your visit. There is no substitute ceremony, if it is off, it is off.
10:30, position yourself at the Victoria Memorial (the raised roundabout in front of the palace) for the best elevated view.
10:43, the New Guard forms up at Wellington Barracks on Birdcage Walk with the regimental band. Watch them here first if you want the marching-band experience up close.
10:57, the New Guard marches from Wellington Barracks up Birdcage Walk to the palace.
11:00-11:45, formal handover at the palace forecourt. Best viewing is at the palace railings (arrive by 10:15 for front row) or from the Victoria Memorial (arrive by 10:30 for a spot).
11:45, the Old Guard marches back to Wellington Barracks. Follow them for a second photo opportunity along Birdcage Walk.
Best photo spots at Buckingham Palace
| Spot | What you get | Best time |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria Memorial | Elevated view of palace facade with guardsmen visible on the parade ground | 10:30 for Changing of the Guard, or 06:30 for empty sunrise shot |
| Top of The Mall | Iconic view down the long ceremonial avenue with palace at the end | Any time, quietest at sunrise |
| Palace railings, centre gate | Face-on Union Jack or Royal Standard shot, close-up of guardsmen at sentry | Arrive 10:15 to hold position for Guard ceremony |
| Green Park path (north side) | Wide angle of palace with plane trees framing the shot | Late afternoon golden hour |
| Birdcage Walk from St James's Park | Watch the New Guard marching in with the band | 10:55, five minutes before the palace ceremony starts |
| Constitution Hill (north side) | Palace with Green Park trees, less-photographed angle | Any daylight hour, quiet |
Ticket prices 2026 & where to book (verified July 2026)
Adult £36 · Over 60 / Student £23 · Under 17 £20 · Under 5 Free · Family (2+3) £95
Adult £17 · Over 60 / Student £12 · Under 17 £10 · Under 5 Free · Family (2+3) £45
Adult £19 · Over 60 / Student £13 · Under 17 £11 · Under 5 Free · Family (2+3) £49
Adult £65 · saves roughly £7 over separate tickets. Booked online at royalcollection.org.uk.
The Changing of the Guard is completely free and does not require a ticket. You simply turn up on the correct day at the correct time. No booking, no wristband.
The Royal Mews, the palace's most overlooked attraction
Most tourists have no idea this exists. The Royal Mews is the working stables and carriage house of the Royal Family, situated at the south side of the palace on Buckingham Palace Road. Open year-round Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00.
Inside you can see the Gold State Coach (built 1762, weighs 4 tons, drawn by eight horses, used at every coronation since George IV, most recently the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023), the Diamond Jubilee State Coach (2012), the Australian State Coach used at the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine, the Glass Coach traditionally used to bring royal brides to their weddings, and the working stables housing the Windsor Greys and Cleveland Bays that pull them all. Live grooming and harnessing demonstrations run several times daily.
The King's Gallery, Royal Collection exhibitions
Formerly the Queen's Gallery, renamed on the accession of King Charles III, this is the palace's permanent exhibition space. Open year-round, Thursday to Monday, 10:00 to 17:30. Rotating major exhibitions drawn from the Royal Collection, the largest private art collection in the world, with works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Canaletto, Rubens, and Fabergé. Recent exhibitions have included Leonardo drawings, Fabergé Easter eggs, and George III's personal art collection.
Check the current show at rct.uk/visit/the-kings-gallery-buckingham-palace before booking.
Royal Standard vs Union Jack, the flagpole tells you if the King is home
| Flag flying | What it means |
|---|---|
| Royal Standard (quartered gold/red/blue with lions and harp) | The King is in residence at Buckingham Palace. This has been the case since 1997; before then, the palace flew no flag when the monarch was away. |
| Union Jack | The King is elsewhere (Windsor Castle, Sandringham, Balmoral, or on a state visit). Introduced in September 1997 after public criticism of the palace flying no flag in the week of Princess Diana's death. |
| Union Jack at half-mast | National mourning. Rare. |
The King spends roughly 40% of his year at Buckingham Palace, 30% at Windsor (his primary residence), 20% at Sandringham, Balmoral, and Highgrove, and 10% on official visits. He is almost never at the palace during the July-September State Rooms opening, that is why the State Rooms can be opened to the public.
Days to AVOID visiting Buckingham Palace in 2026
- Saturday 13 June 2026, Trooping the Colour. The King's official birthday parade. Central London closes to traffic, hundreds of thousands of spectators line The Mall, Horse Guards Parade is booked-ticket only. The palace gates area is a security-controlled zone with limited public access.
- May Bank Holidays (early May, late May). Every attraction in London is at peak capacity.
- US Independence Day weekend (early July). Very heavy American family tourism.
- Late August Bank Holiday weekend (final Monday). The single busiest weekend of the London tourist calendar.
- Christmas week and New Year's Day. State Rooms closed. Changing of the Guard cancelled or reduced.
- State Opening of Parliament (usually early November). Traffic and security closures across Westminster.
Getting there, accessibility, and practical tips
| Nearest Underground | Distance to palace forecourt | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Green Park (Jubilee, Piccadilly, Victoria) | 7 min walk down Queen's Walk | Best all-round access |
| Victoria (Victoria, District, Circle) | 10 min walk along Buckingham Palace Road | Best for Royal Mews entrance |
| St James's Park (District, Circle) | 10 min walk through St James's Park | Most scenic approach, best for Changing of Guard along Birdcage Walk |
| Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly) | 10 min walk through Green Park | Best for arrival from the west |
Accessibility
The palace forecourt and Victoria Memorial are step-free, so wheelchair users and families with pushchairs can watch the Changing of the Guard without difficulty. The State Rooms tour is largely step-free with lift access to the first-floor rooms; the West Terrace exit route has a shallow ramp. Wheelchair users book the "accessible tour" slot at rct.uk. Assistance dogs are welcome. Accessible toilets available at the exit and in the garden café.
Facilities on site
Multimedia audio guide free with State Rooms ticket. Cloakroom for coats and bags. Photography permitted in the garden and courtyards but not inside the State Rooms. Café in the West Terrace garden serving Royal Collection afternoon tea (£40 per person, book at ticket purchase). Gift shop at exit selling Royal Collection merchandise.
The stress-free option, private chauffeur tours
The single biggest complaint about a Buckingham Palace visit is transport. The Underground stations serving the palace (Green Park, Victoria, St James's Park) are all busy at 10:30 in high season. Emerging from a crowded Tube with your family in the July heat, walking 10 minutes to reach the palace, then standing at the railings for 90 minutes is a genuinely exhausting way to see the Changing of the Guard.
The pragmatic alternative: a private chauffeur pickup from your hotel, dropped at the north end of Birdcage Walk at 10:20 (perfect timing to watch the New Guard form up at Wellington Barracks), your driver waits nearby during the ceremony, then continues you either into the State Rooms tour (during summer opening) or straight out to Windsor Castle for a half-day royal doubling.
Chauffeurz Premium Services, Royal London Private Tours
Fixed pricing, no surge charges, Mercedes E-Class or V-Class vehicles, English-speaking driver, WhatsApp booking available for international visitors including Arabic-speaking dispatch for Gulf clients.
Frequently asked questions
Plan the rest of your London royal day
Clara Whitby is Welcome2London’s AI travel curator, known to readers as The Londonologist. She was created by our editorial team to help first time visitors plan London and the rest of the UK with confidence: where to stay, how to get around, what is worth your money and what you can happily skip. Every guide she presents is researched from official sources and checked by the Welcome2London team before it goes live.
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