Guided Kensington Palace Tour, Royal Guard Change & Afternoon Tea
Overview
Available languages
5 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Step into British royal tradition with a full-day experience covering London’s finest royal sites and ceremonies. From the best vantage point of Buckingham Palace's iconic Changing of the Guard to a visit to Kensington Palace complete with a traditional afternoon tea, you'll explore centuries of royal history as you hear tales of Queen Victoria, Princess Diana, and more. With all logistics taken care of—including pre-reserved access with an audio guide to Kensington Palace—this royal London tour is a perfect day out for anyone captivated by British history and regal charm. Upgrade to a private tour when you select Private Kensington Palace Tour at time of booking. A dedicated guide just for your party will take you a on royal walking tour of London, accompany you for afternoon tea, and escort you to Kensington Palace for a self-guided visit. A private tour means moving at your pace and more time for conversation with an expert local guide.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The tour is in English.
Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
This is a walking tour so guests should be able to walk at least 3 miles without difficulty.
Changing the Guard can sometimes be cancelled at very short notice, especially in wet weather and can be decided as late as 10:45am on the day. The tour will still run with an alternative itinerary.
Kensington Palace is Self guided with audio guide.
Please note that for security reasons bag searches might take place at Kensington Palace
What To Expect
Guard's Division Memorial
Start your royal London tour at the Guards Memorial, where your guide will introduce the British regiments that guard the royal palaces.
Changing of the Guard
Settle in for a front-row view of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. While most tourists jostle for space in front of the palace, they'll actually miss most of the main event! Instead, your guide will lead you to the perfect vantage point to see the full spectacle of the New Guard's arrival with a band, and share interesting insights about this celebrated British tradition.
Options
Shared Kensington Palace Tour
Private Kensington Palace Tour
with Guard Change & Tea: Enjoy a private London royal tour with Changing of the Guard, afternoon tea, and Kensington Palace entry.
What‘s Included
The Mall
Local English-speaking guide
Buckingham Palace (exterior)
St. James Palace (exterior)
Clarence House (exterior)
Kensington Gardens
Afternoon tea at the Orangery
Pre-reserved tickets to Kensington Palace
Audio guide at Kensington Palace
Hotel Pick-up/Drop-off
Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
64 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fantastic!
smschafer9,Jun 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Sharan was wonderful, getting us to the best viewing spots for the guard change and providing with lots of knowledge about the history and locations.
This was an amazing tour!...
Melanie S,Jun 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was an amazing tour! Sharan was exceptional and very informative about the history of the areas we walked. Be prepared to walk!
A bit misleading
Lawrence V,Jun 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00The guide was excellent. He knew his stuff and communicated well. I had 2 issues with the tour. 1) the meeting place is confusing. I had a taxi drop us off at the address, but the address is a long street. The actual meeting point is by the memorial statue. 2) the description says 3 miles walking. It was actually almost 5 miles. So if thats alot for you, think twice. The tea was lovely and we were in good position to view the guards marching back from Buckingham palace. It is not the actual changing of the guard at the palace. Still fun to see though
Thank you!!!
cheril385,Jun 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was wonderful!! A lot of experiences packed into a half day!! Ollie was knowledgeable and made the whole experience fun for everyone! Would definitely recommend the experience and our awesome guide, Ollie!
Great Tour! Kate was fantastic!
Bruce P,Jun 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Fantastic tour! Saw the changing of the guard parade, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace and a lovely high tea at The Orangery!
London Walk and afternoon tea
leslierP4162WP,Jun 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A lovely walk through the parks and nice afternoon tea. Kate was very friendly and knowledgeable. A very enjoyable experience.
A tour not to miss
Joe R,Jun 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An informative and well structured experience. Katie our guide was knowledgeable and provided a variety of details that added context to every site we visited. Overall a wonderful experience, made more so by Katie.
Best tour and tour guide we had in our visit to London.
Jerry G,May 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Becki was wonderful. Her in depth knowledge was outstanding. Plus her tips for vantage points was extremely helpful.
Excellent job done by Sophie
Seaside325873,May 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Sophie was a real pleasure! It was a warm day and she made sure we were able to take breaks in the shade
Shadow Is The Best!
Tim S,May 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Take this tour with Shadow! We had a private tour with her, exceptionally friendly, and easy to be with. Not to mention she has a Masters in history from Cambridge. She showed us everything. Wonderful education of the gardens, palaces, changing of the guards it was incredible. She had so many wonderful bit of history and fun mixed in with the tour. Highly recommended.
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