Buckingham Palace is the British Royal Family’s official residence and also a popular visitor attraction. Researching its history can be a bit of a task while also planning your visit, however, it will be a lot easier with our visitors’ guide. I, a London expert, have gathered some easily understood information on tickets, admission, time-budgeting, and the palace’s history. Also, you might want to consider our Changing of the Guards Tours.
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Pro Tip: You might want to bookmark this article in your browser so you can circle back to it when you are in or near Buckingham Palace.
What We’ll Cover
- Opening Hours & Tickets/Admissions
- How Long to Budget for your Visit
- What to See in Buckingham Palace
- Tour Options
- Places to Eat Nearby
- Buckingham Palace Facts & History
Buckingham Palace Opening Hours And Admissions
Opening Hours
Visitors have access to the Buckingham Palace State Rooms and the Palace Garden. But for obvious security reasons, these can only be guided tours. If you want to book a visit in the near future, the Garden Guided Tours are available from 5 March – 1 May and the Guided Tours of The State Rooms from 25 March to 24 April. But only selected dates are available in the winter and spring seasons.
More importantly, there’s the summer season, 22 July to 2 October 2022, which is the main period for palace visits. This is the Queen’s official summer break during which the palace is open for paid visitors. From July to August the opening time is 09:30 and the closing time is 19:30. And from September to October the opening time is 09:30 and the closing time is 18:30. Note: the State Rooms are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Furthermore, a ceremony known as the changing of the Guard takes place outside the palace building but within its gates. Therefore, the public can view this ceremony without a ticket at 10.45 am every day.
Admission Price
For State Room visits adults pay a standard price of £30 or £50 for the combined Royal Day Out offer. This offer gives admission to the Queen’s Gallery and the Royal Mews – as well as the State Rooms. Young people aged 18-24 pay £19.50 (£36 with Royal Day Out offer), Children’s admission is £16.50 (£30.00 with Royal Day Out offer) while Under 5s are free. There are also Family Offers with savings of £25 for up to 2 adults and 4 children.
Note: You can only book tickets online, as the palace needs to carefully manage the number of visitors. Obviously, it’s a very popular attraction.
How Much Time To Budget For Buckingham Palace
Short Answer: 2 hours 30 minutes for the State Rooms. 4 hours 30 mins for the Royal Day Out
There are 19 State Rooms (the palace has a total of 775 rooms) so a meaningful visit will take a few hours. Interestingly, these are the palace’s official public rooms used for visits and state occasions. They are ornately decorated with treasures from the Royal Collection, paintings by Old Masters, expensive sculptures and elegant English and French furniture. So you might want to take your time admiring these items.
Also, you get to see the opulent and historic Throne Room. Interestingly, The White Drawing Room is regarded as even grander than the Throne Room. So, checking out these rooms for yourself and forming your own opinion will also be best achieved at a comfortable pace.
What To See In Buckingham Palace
- The Changing Of The Guard
- The Throne Room
- The Queen’s Gallery
- The White Drawing Room
- The Palace Garden
- Treasures Of The Palace
- The Ballroom
- The Gold State Coach
- The Diamond Jubilee State Coach
- The Grand Staircase
Buckingham Palace Tour Options
The Changing of the Guard is a centuries-old military ceremony. You get to see the Queen’s official guards hand over to the next guards on duty. So, you need to be at the right place at the right time to escape the crowds and get the best view. However, our Changing of the Guard Tours are led by expert guides who can get you in the best position to enjoy this daily morning ceremony.
Places To Eat Nearby
The good news is your dining options are plentiful but therefore require careful consideration. Firstly, you can dine like royalty on Buckingham Palace Road, very close to the palace. Alternatively, on the same stretch of road, there are sandwich bars with a more laid-back atmosphere where you’ll feel more comfortable and can wear casual clothes.
Pronto A Mangial
This sandwich bar will not stretch your holiday budget like some of the other restaurants nearby. You can try the Full English Breakfast, pasta, pizzas, salads or lighter snacks such as sandwiches. And the Buckingham Palace Gift Shop is right next door!
Address: Rosscourt Mansions, 11 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0PP | Hours: Daily, 7.00 am – 5.00 pm | €€€
Bon Gusto
An Italian restaurant with a selection of meat, seafood and pasta dishes. Also soups and Mediterranean salads.
Address: 75-77 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6PD. | Hours: Mon-Sat 12 noon to 10.30 pm, Sun, 12 noon – 10.00 pm | €€€
The English Grill – Rubens at the Palace
This restaurant promises you will dine like royalty. Indeed, it is ornately decorated with regal furniture and furnishings. Furthermore, you can enjoy traditional afternoon tea in a garden overlooking the Royal Mews. Also, the range of steak, salad, and dessert dishes (to name a few) are product-sourced from the same Royal suppliers as Buckingham Palace.
Address: 11 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0PS | Hours: Mon – Thurs 6.30 am – 10.00 am, Fri – Sat, 5.00 pm – 9.30 pm, Sun 7.00 am – 11.00 am – 10.30 pm.| €€€€€
Buckingham Palace Facts & History
- The palace has a total of 775 rooms, 19 of which are state rooms open to the public.
- There have been many properties on the site but from 1698 it was known as Buckingham House and was the home of the Duke of Buckingham. This is where its name comes from.
- In 1761 it became known as the Queen’s House after George III bought it for his wife Queen Charlotte.
- It became a palace for the first time in the 1820s when George VI had it lavishly restructured to be fit for a king.
- The royal family made it their official residence in 1837, and Queen Victoria was the first royal to officially live there as head of state.
- The palace entertains 50,000 invited guests a year. Also, it averages 578,000 paid visitors a year.
- The Changing of the Guard ceremony happens daily at 10.45am. King Henry VII made them the official Royal Body Guard, 500 years ago.
- During World War 2, the palace was repeatedly targeted but survived nine bombing raids. The Royal Family refused to move out despite concerns for their safety.
- The palace is heavily protected but in 1982 an intruder called Michael Fagan broke into the Queen’s bedroom while she was sleeping. When she awoke they had a brief chat before she fled the room and raised the alarm.
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