Best of London Tour: St Paul’s Cathedral & Changing of the Guard

Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

See the best that England’s capital has to offer on a full-day city tour of London! Explore St Paul’s Cathedral with a guide, then make a photo stop at Westminster Abbey. Watch the must-see Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace and have some free time for lunch around the UNESCO-listed Tower of London. Finish up with a sightseeing cruise down the River Thames. If you want to see even more, upgrade to one of two activities: a cream tea at Harrods restaurant or a London Eye flight.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Sunday tours cannot include a guided tour of St Paul's Cathedral due to the weekly service. Entry is usually possible on Sundays but cannot be guaranteed.

Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and daily from May to July. This may change last minute and doesn’t happen on days with large city centre events. If there is no ceremony, we still stop for a photo outside or near the Palace.

On Wednesdays when St. Paul’s opens late (10am) the tour will not include the Changing of the Guard. Instead, there will be a photo stop outside Buckingham Palace first thing in the morning.

Tour itinerary may change subject to St. Paul's and Tower of London opening times as well as on the day that Changing of the Guard does not take place.

London Eye generally closes during January for annual maintenance work. 2026 closure dates: To be confirmed.

Tour duration: Approximately 8 hours for the full-day tour and 4 hours for the half-day morning option, which finishes at Buckingham Palace.

Children under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Cream tea with sparkling wine at Harrods (upgrade option)

Private River Thames cruise (for Full-day option only)

London Eye standard ticket (upgrade option)

Professional guide & air-conditioned transport

Entry to St. Paul's Cathedral

Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace (selected dates) & photo stop

Entry to Tower of London (for Full-day option only)

Hotel pick-up & drop-off

Gratuities

What To Expect

Buckingham Palace

Take a photo stop outside Buckingham Palace and witness the iconic Changing the Guard ceremony. Note: The ceremony currently takes place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (subject to availability). On Wednesdays when St. Paul’s opens late (10am) the tour will not include the Guard Change but instead there will be a photo stop outside Buckingham Palace first thing in the morning.

40 minutes • Admission Not Included

Westminster Abbey

Enjoy a photo opportunity outside a World Heritage Site with over a thousand years of history

20 minutes • Admission Not Included

Options

Half-Day London Morning Tour

See London’s highlights in the morning: St. Paul’s Cathedral & Changing of the Guard (Tower of London & Cruise not included)

Full-Day London & Harrods Tea

Discover London’s landmarks: St. Paul’s, Changing of the Guard, Tower, Thames cruise & enjoy tea at Harrods

Full-Day London Tour

See London’s top sights: St. Paul’s, Changing of the Guard, Tower of London & Thames River cruise with a guide

Full-Day London & London Eye

Explore London highlights: St. Paul’s, Changing of the Guard, Tower of London, Thames cruise & London Eye ride

Reviews

4.29

2,670 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

1628

566

213

143

120

Great for Historians
Lisa L,
Nov 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Our tour guide was so knowledgeable about the history of London that I was fascinated by the entire trip.
Peter was the best tour guide!
Angela C,
Nov 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Best way to see all the famous sights in London in 1 day! Peter was the very best tour guide. He has historical and local knowledge and made the whole day fun!!
Frank did an amazing job...
Michael L,
Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Frank did an amazing job and was a wealth of knowledge about every aspect of the locations toured. Thank you for an amazing experience!
John, our guide, was very...
RickandJeanne B,
Nov 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
John, our guide, was very good however it was hard to hear him at times while outside. A Voxbox would have been nice. Isaac was our driver, he did a great job!
Our London Adventure
Mike O,
Oct 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Derrick was a wonderful guide for our London adventure. He was very informative. We did and saw everything we wanted to for a day in London.
London City Tour
Clancy D,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
I can’t recall a more enjoyable experience where it rained all day. Derek was an excellent guide. The journey ended at the London Eye. The only thing I would adjust is end time. Ending at 5PM was at the height of rush hour. We had to wait for several overcrowded trains at Waterloo Station to pass before we were able to board.
Perfect Day Seeing so many things
Nicole Dunham2022,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Zozo was a great tour guide. He was so knowledgeable about everywhere we went. The tour was great, he kept everything on pace but still in depth.
Great tour!
Grant H,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
This was a great tour! Our guide Soso was extremely knowledgeable and gave us lots of info and tips to see the best things on the tour.
Best tour ever
Monika B,
Oct 19, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Our tour guide Peter was witty and very knowledgeable about all things London. He made the tour a delightful experience. We were able to watch the changing of the guard ceremony on a Friday and it was a great tour around London both on the bus and on foot. The Thames River cruise was fun and got to see the sights by water! Ended at the London Eye Ferris wheel for amazing aerial views of all of London. I would highly recommend this tour. So much sights packed into one day.
Go for the walk but not for the weak
cascubacenter93612,
Oct 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Mike was an excellent guide. Gave us the full tour even though we went past our schedule time. Very knowledgeable and entertaining man. Highly recommend!