from
$94
Westminster Abbey, Big Ben & Changing of the Guard London Tour
Watch the British Army's iconic ceremony, then bask in royal history at London's famous church
If this is your first time in London and you want the full royal experience with ceremonial marches, coronation chairs, and insider stories, this tour is for you. Stand before Big Ben, then walk through St. James's Park to watch the Changing of the Guard or Horse Guard near Buckingham Palace. Next, skip the long ticket lines at Westminster Abbey with a certified guide who reveals the intrigue behind Britain's monarchy. It's everything you came to London to see, wrapped into three magical hours.
What's included
Walk the path of kings and queens
Expert Blue Badge certified guide
Skip-the-line Westminster Abbey entry
Guided tour of Westminster Abbey
Changing of the Guard (or Horse Guard) viewing
Guided walk through St. James's Park
Admire Big Ben (exterior only)
Guide tips
Entry to Big Ben
Itinerary
Skip the Line
Meet your guide in Parliament Square
Meet your guide in Central London
Your tour begins at a central London meeting point, where you'll meet your Blue Badge certified guide. After a quick introduction to the day's royal highlights, you'll set off toward Westminster's historic heart.
Walk through Parliament Square
Stroll through Parliament Square, surrounded by statues of world leaders, and see the exterior of the Houses of Parliament. Your guide sets the scene with stories of Britain's political and royal history.
View Big Ben and the Elizabeth Tower (exterior only)
Pause in front of the Elizabeth Tower, home to the 13-tonne Big Ben bell that has tolled over the Thames since 1859. Your guide explains that it's actually the bell, not the tower, that carries the Big Ben name.
Pass by Downing Street
Walk past the famous black door of Number 10 Downing Street, home to Britain's Prime Minister since 1735. Your guide shares stories of political power and the armed guards who protect this iconic address around the clock.
Stroll through St. James's Park
Enter St. James's Park, London's oldest royal park, where pelicans glide across the lake. Follow tree-lined paths as you make your way toward Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British monarch since 1837.
Watch the Changing of the Guard or Horse Guard
Join your guide at a less crowded spot to watch the King's Guard in their iconic red uniforms and bearskin hats. The Changing of the Guard takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, weather permitting. On other days, you’ll see the Changing of the Horse Guard instead, with mounted guards carrying out the ceremony on horseback. See the Important Details below for more information.
Skip the long ticket lines at Westminster Abbey
Skip the long ticket lines and step into Britain's coronation church, where kings and queens have been crowned for nearly 1,000 years. Your guide brings vaulted ceilings, stained glass, and royal stories to life.
Explore royal tombs and Poets' Corner
Walk past Queen Elizabeth I's tomb, the Coronation Chair, and Poets' Corner, where literary legends rest. Your guide reveals hidden details about coronations, weddings, and centuries of British history in stone.
Conclude your tour at Westminster Abbey
After exploring the Abbey, your tour ends where you stand. Your guide offers recommendations for nearby cafes and pubs, leaving you perfectly positioned to continue exploring royal London on your own terms.
For Reference Only. Itineraries are subject to change
Select participants and date
Start times are in the product’s local time
Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance!
Mon, 28 Sep 2026
Meeting and drop-off point
Important Details
Discover what to expect, what's included, and everything you need to know before booking.
Good to know:
Dress Code: Westminster Abbey is a place of worship, so modest clothing is recommended.
Weather Advisory: The Changing of the Guard may be canceled without notice due to weather or decisions by local authorities, but an alternative experience will be provided.
Accessibility: Unfortunately, this tour is not wheelchair accessible and will require walking or standing for the majority of the 3 hours.
Tour Changes: The Changing of the Guard takes place on select days, including Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and may also be canceled due to poor weather. On days when it doesn’t take place, you’ll instead see the Changing of the Horse Guard, arguably an even cooler ceremony as the guards make the change on horseback, followed by a walking tour of Westminster.
Check-in: Arrive 15 minutes early for check-in at the meeting point so the group can enter sites on time.
Your tour includes:
Expert English-speaking guide with Blue Badge certification
Skip-the-line entry and guided tour of Westminster Abbey
Viewing of the Changing of the Guard ceremony or Horse Guard Ceremony
Exterior view of Big Ben
Visit to Downing Street and St. James Park
What to bring:
Valid government-issued ID
Comfortable walking shoes
Weather-appropriate clothing
Camera
Water bottle
See what people are saying
4.97
429 Ratings
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Fabulous tour
Laureen H.
September 23, 2026
Our tour today was fabulous. Jeremy was a wonderful guide, very informative and entertaining. We learned so much history and got to see so many areas of London in this tour. This is an excellent tour.
Jeff P.
September 18, 2026
David M.
September 04, 2026
Excellent and well timed tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and helped point out all of the key points of interest. We were also fortunate to see the Queen leave her residence with her motorcade.
Oleksandr D.
September 03, 2026
Fine
Gina B.
August 17, 2026
Windy C.
August 12, 2026
This tour was perfect. They time it out to see everything beautifully. Found a great place to stand for viewing and provided wonderful information at each site.
Kathleen C.
August 10, 2026
The tour guide was fantastic, knowledgeable, bright, funny, and always told us to stay close to him. I forgot his name. Please let him know Kathleen Cochran was very impressed with him. Thank You, Kathleen S. Cochran
Fantastic Tour
Teresa M.
July 05, 2026
Our tour of London included the changing of the guards and Westminster Abby. Jane was a wonderful tour guide provided us great insights and information on the area. We really appreciate the ear piece that allowed us to hear the tour very clearly. Jane pointed out important details including the meaning and symbolism of the guards uniforms and key highlights in Westminster Abby.
Great tour with Adrian!
Lorilee V.
July 03, 2026
Adrian gave us a great tour, with so much historical knowledge. We’ve been to London several times but this tour gave us a nice history lesson and was great for our son. Adrian was also very nice!
A Perfect Westminster Abbey & Changing of the Guard Tour
Austin C.
June 27, 2026
Isabella was an outstanding guide for our Westminster Abbey and Changing of the Guard tour. Her experience truly showed through her impeccable timing, always making sure our group was in the best possible spot at every stop. We never felt rushed or missed a thing. She was incredibly knowledgeable. There wasn't a single question she couldn't answer, and she shared the history in a way that was both engaging and easy to understand. Isabella also did an excellent job keeping the group organized while remaining kind, patient, and thoughtful throughout the tour. Thank you so much, Isabella, for making this one of the highlights of our trip to London. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the city!
Barry M.
June 21, 2026
Have went on many historical tours. Loved the earpiece, was able to walk and enjoy it while I was able to listen to the tour guide
Worthwhile
Rosanne D.
June 20, 2026
Our guide Isabel was excellent. A lot of information and I appreciated seeing the grounds around Buckingham Palace. Was longer and more walking than expected; we were a little saturated by the end of the time at Westminster. r
Great your
Michael L.
June 20, 2026
Jackie did a fantastic job.
Great Time
Thomas B.
June 07, 2026
Great tour
Great guide!
Bob E.
May 27, 2026
Ann was very knowledgeable and friendly. She communicated skill and kept us all together
London Walking Tour with Westminster Abbey and
Lawrence W.
May 11, 2026
Andrew did a superb job as our tour guide. Extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. It was a great tour.
Michael P.
May 07, 2026
Bang for the buck
KEvin K.
May 06, 2026
This is one of those tours that packs a serious amount of iconic London into a single morning, and for first-time visitors it's hard to beat for sheer bang-for-your-buck. The Abbey itself is the highlight for most people — nearly a thousand years of royal coronations, weddings, and burials packed into one building. Standing over Newton's grave or in Poets' Corner near Chaucer and Dickens is genuinely moving, and a good guide brings the history to life in a way the audio guide alone can't quite manage. Worth it for first-time visitors or anyone short on time who wants the marquee sights with proper context. Repeat visitors or history buffs may prefer to do the Abbey on their own at a slower pace and catch the Guard separately. Rating: 4 out of 5 — a polished, efficient introduction to royal and political London, dinged slightly for the Buckingham Palace crowds that no tour can fully solve.
Enjoyable and Informative Tour with Frances
Richard B.
May 04, 2026
We took the small group London Walking Tour of Westminster Abbey and Changing of The Guard on May 4, 2026. We did not realize May 4 was a bank holiday in England, so the sites were extremely crowded. Frances did a tremendous job of navigating the group through the crowds and putting us in position to get good photos of the changing of the guard. She is knowledgeable and friendly. We learned a great deal on the tour. We skipped the Glock lines at Westminster Abbey and entered with no wait. This was much more than Westminster Abbey and Changing of the guard. We were taken on a beautiful walk through St. James Park on the way to Buckingham Palace and were able to see St. James Palace and the Guards and Guard Band that marched from St. James Palace to Buckingham Palace. I highly recommend the tour and give Frances the highest review for making the experience enjoyable and memorable through significant crowds. She exceeded our expectations.
Wonderful visit and tour!
Alfred C.
May 03, 2026
The overall experience was very enlightening, and we enjoyed every aspect of the presentation. I would highly recommend this tour to others in the area. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and took the necessary time to make sure we all had a great understanding of what we were seeing.!
Jeannie C.
April 23, 2026
Andrew was wonderful! He was knowledgeable, helpful, and fun to be with. Enjoyed every minute!!
walking tour of Westminster & changing of guard
Carl R.
April 23, 2026
Andrew was phenomenal and covered so many interesting facts! Totally enjoyed him!!!!!
Mary T.
April 16, 2026
Enjoyed the tour!!
Not to miss!
Mary C.
April 13, 2026
Excellent walking tour of the highlights around the palace, fun to see the changing of the guard, and tolerable to squeeze into the abbey. It would have been so much better to see the abbey first then go on the wonderful (but long) walk through the park. Our guide (am embarrassed I can’t recall his name / he looked just like my oldest brother!) was fantastic. I can’t recommend him highly enough. He set a great pace that worked for my 80 year old mother and 25 year old daughter, and clearly related the historical information.
Dolores M.
April 08, 2026
Great tour, I will definitely recommend.