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Buckingham Palace

Tristan Surtel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Attraction · London

Buckingham Palace

The monarch's official London residence, and for most of the year a façade with a ceremony in front of it. The State Rooms open in summer, which is the visit worth planning.

Time needed1–2 hours
Best timeSummer opening
BookingRequired for State Rooms
DistrictSt James's
About

A working headquarters that opens for part of the year

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the monarch and the administrative centre of the household, which is why most of it is closed most of the time. For much of the year the visit is the exterior and the Changing of the Guard in front of it — a genuine military ceremony rather than a show, which is also why it does not run every day and is called off in bad weather. In late summer the State Rooms open to visitors, and that is when the palace becomes an interior rather than a backdrop.

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What to See

What to see

What is available depends entirely on the time of year.

💂 The Changing of the Guard

  • The handover of the King's Guard in the forecourt, with a band
  • It runs on set days rather than daily, and is cancelled in poor weather
  • The forecourt railings fill early; the Victoria Memorial gives a raised view

🏛️ The State Rooms

  • Open to visitors for a limited season in late summer while the household is away
  • The Throne Room, the Picture Gallery and the Ballroom, furnished as used
  • The garden walk out, which is the only public access to the grounds

🖼️ Year round

  • The King's Gallery beside the palace, which shows the Royal Collection and stays open
  • The Royal Mews, the working stables and the state coaches
Getting There

Getting there

At the end of the Mall, in the middle of London.

🚇 Underground

  • Green Park, Victoria and St James's Park are all under ten minutes on foot
  • Green Park is the pleasantest approach, down through the park

🚶 On foot

  • Along the Mall from Trafalgar Square, about twenty minutes
  • From Westminster through St James's Park, about fifteen
Best Time

When to go

The season decides what you can actually do here.

📅 Season

  • Late summer for the State Rooms — outside that window the interior is closed
  • The King's Gallery and the Royal Mews run to their own longer seasons

🕰️ For the ceremony

  • Arrive well before the advertised time for a place at the railings
  • Check the schedule on the day — it does not run daily and weather cancels it

⏱️ How long

  • An hour for the exterior and the ceremony; two if the State Rooms are open
Visitor Intelligence

Worth knowing

This is the London sight most often visited on the wrong day.

📆 Check first

  • The Changing of the Guard schedule varies by season and is published in advance
  • A cancelled ceremony in the rain is the most common disappointment here

👀 Where to stand

  • The Victoria Memorial steps give height and a view of the procession as well as the forecourt
  • The railings give the closest view and require arriving early

📷 Photography

  • Permitted outside; not permitted inside the State Rooms

🎟️ Booking

  • State Room tickets are timed and the season is short; they go early
Nearby

Nearby

Within a short walk.

Tower of London
Across the centre · 20 min by tube
St James's Park
Directly in front, and the best view back to the palace
Westminster Abbey
Fifteen minutes on foot
Good to Know

Frequently asked

For part of the year. The State Rooms open to visitors for a limited season in late summer, while the household is away, and that is the only time the interior is accessible. Outside that window the visit is the exterior, the Changing of the Guard, and the two attractions beside the palace — the King's Gallery and the Royal Mews — which keep longer seasons of their own.
No. It runs on set days that vary by season, and it is cancelled in poor weather. This is the single most common way visitors are disappointed here — arriving on a day it does not run, or standing in rain for a ceremony that has already been called off. The schedule is published in advance and is worth checking on the morning itself.
The railings of the forecourt give the closest view and require arriving well before the advertised time. The steps of the Victoria Memorial opposite give height, a view over the crowd, and sight of the procession arriving as well as the handover itself — which many people prefer. Both fill up, and the Mall is a good compromise if you want to see the troops on the move.
In the State Rooms season, yes — it is a working royal residence shown furnished as it is used, which is unusual. Outside that season it is a façade and a ceremony, and whether that is worth a morning depends on how much the ceremony appeals. It sits within fifteen minutes of Westminster and St James's Park, so it combines easily rather than needing a dedicated trip.
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