- Where?
- Buckingham Palace, The Mall · Web: rct.uk
- Opening times?
- The State Rooms are usually open from the mid-Jul to Sep
- Visiting hours may change
- Time required?
- A typical visit is 2-2½ hours
- Parking:
- Nearby car parks
- Buses:
- 11, 211, C1, C10
- Bus fares
- Trains:
- The closest station is St. James’s Park Circle District
- Other nearby stations: Green Park
- Train fares
Photo: Craig CrossThe King and Queen must dread the Summer Opening – it’s a bit like having a million in-laws come round your house at Christmas. But they’ve got a big advantage over the hoi polloi because when we takeover their home they’re already halfway up the M1 for two months in Balmoral. If you’re hoping to surprise them then forget it – they’re 400 miles away in Scotland. They’ve gone. They’re outta here!
If you buy your ticket in advance then you can choose an arrival time and bypass the first gate (I definitely recommend doing that). If you take your chances on the day then you’ll have to join the back of a lengthy line that wraps around the railings and listen to the smartly-dressed staff all doing their best to direct the guests into the correct paddock. “Entry gate A B C, pre-booked tickets over there ma’am, timed entry pay on the day, this one’s just for groups, sir!”
Once you make it into the tented waiting zone you’ll start to feel like a lemonade bottle on one of those factory labelling machines, being bumped down a conveyor belt past all the robotic hands and scanners. They make you take your belt off, put your phone and coat and keys through an airport x-ray machine, then wave a 22nd century tri-corder over your bones while you hold your arms out like a tree. If you’ve got any outstanding parking tickets or overdue library books then you may as well forget it because security is super tight – they probably even frisk the King.
Inside the State Rooms: Grand Hall & Throne Room
Eventually you’ll make it into the Quadrangle and head up the steps to the Grand Hall. When you step through the Throne Room’s double-doors Handel’s Coronation Anthem will pipe up on your headphones and immediately give you goosebumps. Changing the Guard was happening across the forecourt this morning so all of their military music was drifting in through the open window and I had bombastic anthems coming at me from two different directions – if the King had paraded in at that exact moment then I would have bowed down and pledged my allegiance, no doubt about it.
They always have a little exhibition in here which this year included the official family photo taken straight after the King’s Coronation. In previous years I’ve seen a few tables laid out with the country’s top gongs and military medals. After having a good look around I decided I wanted a CBE or an Order of Merit, but if they’d run out of those then I would have settled for a knighthood or fifty quid’s worth of book vouchers (I’m not fussy).
You need to prepare yourself for the crowd because all of these rooms will be absolutely packed full of people – maybe fifty to a hundred people per room – all busy swiping the screens on their audioguide to bring up a few photos and listen to the commentary. Unfortunately they only provide about two minutes talking for each location because they need to keep the flow going, so it can start to feel like you’re being herded through the rooms on a conveyor belt of carpet.
Royal Collection paintings in the Picture Gallery
The Picture Gallery is where they keep the cream of the Royal Collection with a wall full of Canaletto’s and Old Masters by Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck and Vermeer. It’s like the best of the National Gallery condensed down into a single room.
After that comes the East Gallery with its paintings of Queen Victoria on her coronation day.
Royal exhibition in the Ballroom & State Dining Room
The main exhibition always begins in the big Ballroom where they hold the State dinners and investitures. It’s always something pretty spectacular and this year they had the King and Queen’s Coronation gowns on display. In previous years I’ve seen everything from Faberge eggs and diamond tiaras to Meghan and Kate’s wedding gowns.
There’s usually another little exhibition in the State Dining Room straight after. The best one I’ve seen was a display case of gifts donated by visiting Heads of State. They seem to receive a lot of porcelain plates so don’t buy them any crockery for Christmas for chrissakes, because they’ve got cupboards of the stuff.
Music Room, White Drawing Room & King’s private apartments
Then it’s through the Music Room where they traditionally christen the babies and the spectacular White Drawing Room with its famous Table of the Great Commanders, once owned by Napoleon.
They really should hand out some sunglasses as you enter here because it looks like the centre of the sun with its garish gold and crystal chandelier hanging ten feet off the ceiling. It reminds me of one of those nuclear fusion chambers where scientists are trying to create a star.
This room is also where you’ll discover a secret door in the corner… a mirrored table which swings open to reveal the King emerging from his private apartments – surprise!
Marble Hall, Bow Room & Garden veranda cafe
Photo: Craig CrossThe last part of the tour takes you past the statues and sculptures in the Marble Hall and then you walk through the Bow Room onto the veranda out the back, where the large garden party lawn is laid out before you.
Photo: Craig CrossThe veranda might be my favourite part of the day because you can buy yourself a cup of Earl Grey tea in the restaurant (I know it tastes like perfume but it’s what the King drinks so you’re having some – no arguing!). Treat yourself to a cucumber sandwich as well. They cut the crusts off and slice them up into triangles here. All of the food seems to come with half a strawberry on top and a sprig of greenery that nobody knows if they can eat.
Garden Highlights Tour
You always get to see a small part of the garden as you walk towards the exit, but they send you round the back of the lake down a pathway full of pine cones and pine needles. If you want to see the beautiful flowerbeds then you have to stump up a supplement for the Garden Highlights Tour.
Photo: Craig CrossMy garden guide today was was a very friendly fella with a posh persona and a side sauce of camp – exactly the right kind of colourful character you’d want leading you round a palace residence. Most of his talk was about the shrubs and plants, telling us what genus they were, which country they originated from, which monarch planted which tree, etc., and he pointed out the King and Queen’s private apartments round the side of the building as well (you can’t actually see much, you just get a glimpse of the big windows from afar). But if you’re hoping for some British history then I would skip it because it was more about the flowers than anything else.
If you enjoy this then try Clarence House (you can walk it in 6 mins); Hampton Court Palace; Kensington Palace (travel from St James’s Park to Queensway via tube); Royal Mews (you can walk it in 4 mins) and Windsor Castle. You might like to read my reviews of the Evening tour and Changing the Guard as well. If you fancy a five-mile walk between three different palaces then try our self-guided walk around Royal London
The author Craig Cross owns city-guide.london and has spent the last decade reviewing the capital’s landmarks, attractions and hotels. His guidebook London Squire is available from Amazon. This review was updated on
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Your comments and questions
Diane If we come during the autumn when the State Rooms are closed, what will we be able to do at Buckingham Palace?
Craig Just look at it, really - you won't be able to go inside. But you can have a look in the Queen's Gallery next door, which contains some of the Royal art collection. The Royal Mews is nearby as well, which contains the State coaches and limos
SH I would like to inquire how we get from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle?
Craig Hi. You have to get a train from Waterloo, which takes just under an hour. The best way to get from Buckingham Palace to Waterloo is to just walk it, past Trafalgar Square and across Hungerford Bridge. It's not worth getting the tube from St James's Park (the closest tube station), because you'll have to change at Westminster after just one stop. It will probably take the same amount of time as walking.
Emily Would we be able to take photos inside, and if so are there any restricted areas for cameras? Thank you
Craig Hi Emily. You're not allowed to take any photos at all inside the palace, or on the garden tour. The only place you can take photos is on the veranda out the back, overlooking the lawn, and along the path down the side of the garden that leads to the exit - but that does give you a good view of the back of the palace.
Joanna Can anybody recommend which is the best train station to arrive at London from Loughborough please? Thankyou
Craig Hi Joanna. It looks like trains from Loughborough all arrive into St Pancras, so I would get the Victoria line from Kings Cross (nextdoor to St Pancras) to Green Park. The Palace is just a short walk across the park
Norm Can you just have tea at Buckingham Palace
Craig Hi Norm. Not without going on the tour, no. The cafe is on the veranda out the back, overlooking the lawn, so you have to go through the palace to get there.
MsP Having already been to Windsor Castle and loved it immensely I was already knowing the kind of splendour to expect, but to say that Buckingham Palace took my breath away is an understatement! What an amazing palace. And it is even more impressive inside given that the outside is rather less than impressive. You walk in not really expecting to see the kind of riches that you do. Everything, from the furniture, ceilings and even the wallpaper is sumptuous. You really do appreciate the kind of impression that visiting foreign heads of state must get when they meet the Queen. Everything is designed to impress
Bernard Hi Craig, Greetings from America! Is Buckingham Palace open all year round to visitors or is it just during the summer?
Craig Hi Bernard. It's just the summer really, from the last week of July to the first week of September. If you don't mind splashing out more money then they usually do some 'exclusive evening tours' from the last week of December to early February as well - city-guide.london/events/?p=38894
Harris What time does Changing the Guard start?
Craig Hi Harris. The ceremony itself is from 10:45 to 11:30, but you'll have to get there early if you want a good viewing spot. If you want the very best spot up against the railings then you'll have to get there as early as 9:30. Check out my review for the full details - city-guide.london/events/?p=18995