Full Royal Tour: Royal London & Buckingham Palace Tour

Royal London rewards a good walking route. This five-hour experience combines a small-group tour of more than 15 royal sights with entry to Buckingham Palace, giving you both the outdoor spectacle and the palace interiors. It is a useful first look at central London, especially if you want history, royal ceremony, and major landmarks in one morning.

I like the route through Green Park, St. James’s, Whitehall, and Westminster, and I like that guides such as Will, Greg, Ari, Kris, and Brandon have been praised for making the history lively rather than dusty. The main drawback is the walking: you may cover roughly three hours on foot, with one person reporting about 19,000 steps, and the Buckingham Palace portion may place you in a much larger group than the walking tour.

Key points to know before booking

• Buckingham Palace access is the big prize: You visit 19 state rooms, the royal gardens, and the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition with a multilingual audio guide.
• The walking group is capped at 15 people: That allows more personal attention during the outdoor portion and makes it easier to hear the guide.
• Changing of the Guard is not guaranteed: On selected days, your guide will take you to a good viewing location.
• The route covers central London’s royal core: Green Park, Trafalgar Square, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall, Parliament Square, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey are all included.
• The palace portion is self-guided: Your walking guide gives you tickets and directions, then leaves you to explore Buckingham Palace with the audio guide.
• Allow plenty of energy for the walk: There are limited opportunities to sit, and the full day can feel demanding if you are not used to city walking.

Starting at The Ritz and walking through royal London

The tour begins at 10:00 a.m. outside The Ritz London at 150 Piccadilly. That is a central, easy-to-recognize meeting point, but you should arrive with comfortable shoes, water, and enough time to find the group. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you handle your own way to and from the tour.

The first stretch leads through Green Park toward Buckingham Palace. This is a pleasant way to approach the palace. Instead of appearing suddenly beside a busy road, the royal residence comes into view after a walk through one of London’s most attractive central parks.

Your guide uses this opening to explain the British monarchy and the role Buckingham Palace plays as the official home of the King. The outdoor storytelling is one of the stronger parts of the experience. Guides Will, Greg, Ari, Kris, and Brandon have all been praised for being engaging, witty, and able to involve the whole group.

That personal touch matters. Royal London can easily become a procession of grand buildings and familiar names. A good guide gives you the connections: why the palace sits where it does, how royal ceremony works, and how the nearby streets became the center of government and public display.

Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard

The first Buckingham Palace stop lasts about an hour and includes the outdoor palace visit. On certain days, you may watch the Changing of the Guard. The wording matters here: this is dependent on the day and ceremony schedule, so you should not book solely for a guaranteed view.

If the ceremony is taking place, the guide will choose a viewing spot. That is valuable because the crowds around Buckingham Palace can be thick, and arriving without a plan can leave you behind a wall of heads. Ari and Kris were especially praised for finding useful positions for major events and helping people see more despite the crowds.

The ceremony itself is only part of the appeal. Even on a day without a guard change, the palace gates, forecourt, Victoria Memorial, and broad approach along The Mall give you some of London’s most recognizable royal views.

Afterward, the walk continues along The Mall. This ceremonial avenue links Buckingham Palace with Trafalgar Square and is designed for pageantry. You get a better sense of how royal processions, national celebrations, and public ceremonies use this part of the city.

Trafalgar Square and the royal route through St. James’s

Trafalgar Square is a short stop of around 20 minutes. You will see Nelson’s Column, the fountains, The National Gallery, and the surrounding buildings. It is a busy public space, but the guide helps give the monument more meaning than a quick photograph can.

Nelson’s Column points back to Britain’s naval past, while the square itself has long served as a place for public gatherings and national events. You may not have time to enter The National Gallery, but the building is still an important part of the view.

From there, you continue toward Horse Guards Parade on the edge of St. James’s Park. The stop lasts about 20 minutes and includes the famous arch and clock. It is a good photo location, and the open parade ground gives you a change from the tighter streets around the palace.

This part of the route is also where the tour’s walking format makes sense. You are not simply being taken from one isolated sight to the next. You are following the physical route between palace, park, military ceremony, government, and Parliament. I find that helps central London feel connected rather than scattered.

Whitehall, Downing Street, and the machinery of government

Whitehall gets another 20-minute stop. This broad government street contains grand offices, monuments, and reminders of Britain’s political power. You will also pass Downing Street, where British Prime Ministers have lived and worked since 1735.

The tour does not include entry to Downing Street, and you should expect to view it from outside. Even so, it is an important part of the route because it shifts the focus from royal ceremony to modern government.

A guide can make this section worthwhile by explaining how the monarchy and government operate alongside each other. The best moments come when the stories connect the buildings to the people and decisions associated with them. The praise for Will, Greg, and the other guides suggests that this human side is a real strength of the outdoor tour.

The drawback is pace. Whitehall can feel like a quick succession of facades if you want extended time at each building. You are moving through a large amount of central London in a limited period, so this is an introduction rather than a full visit to every attraction.

Parliament Square, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey

The next major stop is Parliament Square, with about 40 minutes to see the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben. You also get views toward the London Eye and the Churchill statue.

This is one of the most satisfying sections for first-time visitors. The Gothic outline of the Palace of Westminster is instantly recognizable, and seeing Big Ben close up helps correct a common misunderstanding. The clock tower is officially Elizabeth Tower, while Big Ben is the name of the great bell inside. One guide made that distinction a memorable part of the tour.

You will have time for photographs and explanations, but not a full interior visit to Parliament. The same applies to the London Eye and the Churchill statue. They are part of the view and commentary, not separate admissions.

Westminster Abbey follows, with around 20 minutes outside. The abbey has more than 1,000 years of history and is the traditional setting for the coronation of British kings and queens. That makes it a powerful stop even when you are only viewing the exterior.

The short timing is worth noting. Westminster Abbey deserves far longer if you want to see its interior, memorials, chapels, and tombs. This tour gives you the setting and the royal connection, but you would need a separate visit for a complete abbey experience.

Entering Buckingham Palace for the state rooms

After the walking portion, you receive your Buckingham Palace ticket and directions. Your guide does not accompany you inside. Instead, you use a multilingual audio guide as you explore the palace at your own pace.

The palace visit lasts about two hours. You will see 19 magnificent state rooms furnished with royal pieces and decorated with works from the Royal Collection. This is the part that turns the tour from a city walk into a full royal experience.

The state rooms offer a very different view of monarchy from the outdoor route. Outside, you see ceremony, crowds, guards, and national symbols. Inside, the focus shifts to formal rooms, royal furniture, art, and the setting for official receptions.

The audio guide is useful here because you are no longer tied to the walking guide’s pace. You can spend more time with rooms or objects that catch your attention, then move on when you are ready. Since the guide is available in multiple languages, the palace portion may work well for mixed-language groups.

You also visit the royal gardens. This gives the palace experience some breathing room after the grand interiors. The gardens are part of the ticketed visit, not an extra stop that you need to arrange separately.

The Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition is included as well. It adds another layer to the visit by focusing on Victoria and her connection with Buckingham Palace. If you are interested in how royal life changed over time, this section may be one of the more rewarding parts of the indoor visit.

The most important group-size detail

The outdoor tour is limited to a maximum of 15 people. That is a meaningful advantage. A small walking group is easier to keep together at crossings, easier to hear in busy streets, and more comfortable for questions.

The Buckingham Palace visit is different. At least one participant was surprised to find that the palace portion involved a group of roughly 60 or more people. The experience can therefore change character after the walking tour. You may enjoy the freedom of the audio guide, but you should not assume the entire five hours will be a small-group experience.

This distinction is important when you compare the price with other tours. The small group applies to the guided walk, while the palace entry follows the palace’s own visitor arrangements. If your top priority is a private or tightly managed palace visit, this may not be the right choice.

There can also be confusion about the palace entry time. One person reported rushing to the palace, only to discover that the ticket time was 45 minutes later than expected. At the end of the walking tour, listen carefully to the guide’s directions and ticket instructions. Do not assume the palace visit begins immediately when the walk ends.

Is the $103.07 price good value?

At $103.07 per person, the tour is not a budget stroll. The value comes from combining a guided route through many major sights with Buckingham Palace entry, rather than paying for a simple walk around central London.

You are paying for:

• A guide for the outdoor portion
• A small walking group of no more than 15 people
• Buckingham Palace admission
• Access to 19 state rooms
• The royal gardens
• The Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition
• A multilingual palace audio guide
• Visits to more than 15 major royal sights from the outside

I think the price makes sense if you want Buckingham Palace and would otherwise need to arrange a separate palace ticket plus a sightseeing walk. It is also good value for a first visit because the route covers a large part of Westminster and St. James’s without requiring you to plan each stop.

The value is weaker if you mainly want a slow palace visit. Much of the day is spent walking, and several outdoor stops are brief. You are buying breadth and context, not long, quiet visits at every landmark.

The 91 percent recommendation rate and 4.7 rating from 22 ratings suggest a strong overall response, but the smaller number of ratings means you should still pay attention to the practical caveats. The guide can make a major difference, and the palace group size may not match your expectations.

Walking demands, transport, and timing

The stated duration is about five hours, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and ending at Buckingham Palace. The outdoor route alone takes roughly three hours, followed by about two hours inside the palace.

This is a point-to-point walking tour, not a bus tour. You avoid parking worries and see the relationship between the landmarks, but you must be comfortable walking for most of the morning. One person described the day as roughly 19,000 steps, and the limited number of benches around the route made the distance feel greater.

Wear shoes you can trust. Bring water and a small snack because snacks are not included. You should also plan your onward route from Buckingham Palace after the visit, since hotel drop-off is not part of the experience.

The tour is near public transportation, and most people can participate. Service animals are allowed. The supplied information does not promise a fully step-free route, so if you have specific mobility needs, confirm the details before booking rather than relying only on the general participation statement.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. If you cancel later or make changes within that 24-hour period, the amount paid is not refunded. The cut-off uses London local time.

Who will enjoy this royal London tour?

I would suggest this experience to a first-time London visitor who wants a strong orientation to the city and a guaranteed Buckingham Palace component. It suits history fans, royal enthusiasts, and anyone who prefers a guide to explain the sights rather than simply photographing them.

It also works well for people who like a full morning with plenty of landmarks. Guides Will, Greg, Ari, Kris, and Brandon were praised for warmth, humor, good explanations, and skill in handling busy public spaces. That can turn a long walk into a lively lesson.

I would be more cautious if you dislike long walks, need frequent seats, or want extensive time inside Westminster Abbey, Parliament, or The National Gallery. Those places are viewed from the route, not explored in depth.

You should also think carefully about your expectations for the palace portion. The walk is small and guided. The palace visit is ticketed and audio-guided, and it may involve a much larger crowd. That is not necessarily a problem, but it is a key detail to know before paying.

Should you book the Full Royal Tour?

Book it if you want a broad royal London introduction plus Buckingham Palace entry in one organized experience. The guides appear to be the main strength, and the route gives you an efficient first look at the city’s royal, military, and political center.

Skip it if you want a relaxed day with long visits at individual sights or if 15,000 to 19,000 steps sounds excessive. Also skip it if a small group inside Buckingham Palace is essential to you.

For most first-time visitors who have the stamina for a long walk, this is a worthwhile way to connect London’s famous sights. Just arrive ready to walk, treat the Changing of the Guard as a possible bonus rather than a promise, and pay close attention to the palace entry time.

FAQ

How long does the Royal London and Buckingham Palace tour last?

The experience lasts approximately five hours, including about three hours of guided walking and two hours inside Buckingham Palace.

Where does the tour begin?

The tour begins at 10:00 a.m. at The Ritz London, 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR, UK.

Where does the tour end?

The experience ends at Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA, UK.

Is Buckingham Palace admission included?

Yes. The ticket includes entry to Buckingham Palace, including 19 state rooms, the royal gardens, and the Queen Victoria’s Palace exhibition.

Does the walking guide enter Buckingham Palace?

No. The walking guide gives you your ticket and directions at the end of the walking tour, then you explore the palace with a multilingual audio guide.

Is the Changing of the Guard guaranteed?

No. The ceremony is available only on certain days. When it takes place, the guide will take you to a suitable viewing location.

How large is the walking group?

The walking tour has a maximum group size of 15 people.

Are snacks and hotel transportation included?

No. Snacks, hotel pickup, and hotel drop-off are not included.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours in advance are not accepted for a refund.