Which Buckingham Palace Ticket Is Actually the Best in 2026?

The top 3 tickets people actually book

Ranked from live GetYourGuide products, not from a made-up shortlist. Review counts, starting prices and product photos are taken from those listings. Prices below convert to your currency. The exact fare is confirmed on GetYourGuide at checkout.

#1

Best if you want to go inside

Buckingham Palace: The State Rooms Entrance Ticket

This is the official ticket into the 19 State Rooms. It is the product people mean when they ask which Buckingham Palace ticket to book, and it is the most reviewed palace ticket on GetYourGuide.

From

£33

Time

2.5 hours

Rating

4.6 (8,257 reviews)

Inside the palace

Yes

Skip the line

Not needed

When

Summer opening only

Who it is for: First-time visitors who will be in London while the palace is open to the public, and anyone who wants the Throne Room, Picture Gallery and garden walk.

Book State RoomsFree cancellation. Instant confirmation

#2

Best guided option

London: Buckingham Palace & Changing of the Guard Experience

This is the guided Buckingham Palace walk people actually book. It has more GetYourGuide reviews than any other Changing of the Guard tour we compared, and it costs less than going inside.

From

£20

Time

2 hours

Rating

4.4 (4,387 reviews)

Inside the palace

No

Skip the line

Not needed

When

Ceremony mornings

Who it is for: Visitors who want the classic palace photo and the ceremony explained, or anyone travelling outside the short summer opening.

Book Changing of the Guard tourFree cancellation. Instant confirmation

#3

Best year-round official ticket

Buckingham Palace: The Royal Mews Entrance Ticket

GetYourGuide does not sell the official Royal Day Out bundle. The Royal Mews is the official year-round royal ticket people book instead: working stables, the Gold State Coach and the horses that pull the carriages.

From

£18

Time

1 day ticket

Rating

4.3 (2,067 reviews)

Inside the palace

No

Skip the line

Not needed

When

Open most of the year

Who it is for: Families and royal fans who want a real official site next to the palace, especially outside July to September.

Book Royal MewsFree cancellation. Instant confirmation

Which one should you book?

• Book the State Rooms if your dates fall in the summer opening and you want to walk through the palace. That is the only ticket on this list that takes you inside.
• Book the Changing of the Guard tour if you want the classic palace experience with a guide, or you are visiting when the State Rooms are shut. You stay outside.
• Book the Royal Mews if you want an official royal site that is open for most of the year, with carriages and horses rather than state apartments.

Time, price and skip-the-line, honestly

The State Rooms take about 2.5 hours once you are through the timed slot. Late arrivals are not admitted, so allow time to exchange the voucher at Gate A. There is no separate skip-the-line add-on because entry is already by timed ticket.

The Changing of the Guard walking tour is 2 hours. The ceremony itself is free if you stand at the railings, so you are paying for a guide who knows where to stand and what you are looking at. Arrive early. The schedule is usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and it can be cancelled for weather or official duties.

The Royal Mews is a one-day ticket, typically an hour or two on site. It is the cheapest official ticket of the three. It does not include the State Rooms or the Changing of the Guard.

What about the official Royal Day Out?

The Royal Collection Trust sells a Royal Day Out bundle that combines the State Rooms, The King's Gallery and the Royal Mews on the same day. GetYourGuide does not sell that bundle. We are not going to pretend a third-party walking tour is the same ticket.

If you want all three official sites in one day, book the Royal Day Out on the Royal Collection Trust site. If you want to book through GetYourGuide, the Royal Mews ticket is the official year-round product they actually sell, and the State Rooms ticket is the official summer product.

Want the State Rooms and a guide in one booking?

GetYourGuide also sells Buckingham Palace Entry & Changing of the Guard Tour, rated 4.3 from 2,522 reviews. It is a 2.5-hour skip-the-line combo from £52. That is the right pick only if you want palace entry and the ceremony handled by one operator. Most people do not need it: the official State Rooms ticket is cheaper, and the ceremony is free to watch on its own.

More Buckingham Palace dates on GetYourGuide

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