How to Buy Tickets for Buckingham Palace in London

One of the most iconic places to visit in London is without a doubt Buckingham Palace. Hosting the royal residence and enjoying the view of theChanging of the Guard is an unforgettable experience for every tourist. How can you enter Buckingham Palace and witness the beauty of the royal residence firsthand? In this article, we will guide you on how to purchase tickets for Buckingham Palace in London.

Buckingham Palace Tickets

Buckingham Palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London. As a result, there are several ways to get your tickets for Buckingham Palace.

Deciding where to buy tickets for Buckingham Palace depends on how organized you are, what you hope to see, and how much you are willing to spend. Below, we explain each option so you can choose the one that works best for you.

For those in a hurry. Available Tickets for Buckingham Palace

• State Rooms Admission Ticket – the most popular!

• Royal Mews Admission Ticket

• Queen’s Gallery Admission Ticket

Best Ways to Get Buckingham Palace Tickets

1. Queuing in Person (Not Possible)

At one time, this could have been a way to purchase tickets for Buckingham Palace, though an inconvenient one—now it is no longer possible to queue at Buckingham Palace to get tickets. The palace has moved to a ticketing system with scheduled time slots to better manage visitor numbers and, as a result, has removed the option to buy tickets at the entrance.

2. Book Online (Recommended)

The good news is that booking tickets for Buckingham Palace online could not be easier. You can even book up to five minutes before your entry time, although it is always best to arrange them well in advance of your visit to guarantee entry on your desired day and time. Since all tickets are now booked online, there is essentially no such thing as “skip-the-line” tickets for Buckingham Palace, as there is no ticket line left to skip.

Tourists can book their tickets online via the official Buckingham Palace website. However, it should be noted that these tickets are non-refundable and cannot be easily changed, which means you will lose your money if you have to cancel. Instead, we recommend booking through this link for the State Rooms tickets, through this link for tickets to the Queen’s Gallery, and through this link for tickets to the Royal Mews. With this option, you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance and receive a full refund for virtually the same price.

3. Book a Guided Tour

Visitors who want to get a little more out of the experience should take the time to consider a guided tour of Buckingham Palace. This option allows you to explore the magnificent State Rooms with a tour guide who will tell you about the royal residence and answer all your questions. Unfortunately, guided tours are only available at certain times of the year, so you’ll need to check the official website to see if they are offered when you plan to visit.

Useful Information for Visiting Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace Opening Hours

Buckingham Palace is only open for specific periods during the year, so the timing of your visit is crucial if you want to get inside. Opening hours are also different for the State Rooms, the Queen’s Gallery, and the Royal Mews, so be sure to check each one if you plan to visit more than one. The only thing they have in common is that they are all closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The State Rooms are open for general admission in summer from July to October. During July and August, opening hours are from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm, with last entry at 5:15 pm. In September and October, opening hours are from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, with last entry at 4:15 pm.

The Queen’s Gallery is closed from February to early April. Its opening hours are from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, with last entry at 4:15 pm. The Royal Mews are open from May to October, with closures on 21 May, 28 May, 2 June, and 5 June. Their opening hours are from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, with last entry at 4:15 pm.

When is the Best Time to Visit Buckingham Palace?

Normally, with popular tourist attractions like Buckingham Palace, there are better times than others to visit if you want to avoid large crowds. However, since the palace is not open to the public for much of the year, the best time of year to visit is really whenever the parts of the palace you want to see are open.

As for the best time of day to plan your visit, midday is always the most crowded, so it’s wise to avoid it. Instead, plan your visit first thing in the morning or wait until late afternoon, when the crowds have started to thin out. Weekends will always be the busiest days to visit, so try to go on a weekday if possible.

How to Get to Buckingham Palace

To reach Buckingham Palace, travelers have several options using the city’s famous public transport network. The exact route you should take will depend on where you are coming from, but we will highlight the main lines and routes that cover the last leg of your journey.

If you arrive in Westminster by train, you’ll want to take the train to Victoria Station or Charing Cross Station and walk 10 or 15 minutes, respectively. For those using the London Underground, the closest stations are St. James’s Park on the Circle and District lines, and Green Park Station on the Jubilee, Piccadilly, and Victoria lines. As for the bus, the nearest stop is Victoria Station/Grosvenor Gardens, where buses 11, 211, N11, and N44 stop.

For help on how to get to Central London if you are flying into the city, make sure to check out our dedicated guide on how to get from the airport.

How Do Tickets for Buckingham Palace Work?

Tickets for Buckingham Palace are designed to allow visitors to choose which parts of the palace complex they want to visit. There are three main parts of Buckingham Palace that the public can visit: the State Rooms, the Queen’s Gallery, and the Royal Mews. Each requires its own ticket, and each has its own opening hours. There are no restrictions on how far in advance you can book tickets, which makes planning your trip easier.

When booking tickets for Buckingham Palace, visitors will need to select a specific time for their visit, as the palace has introduced a timed entry system to manage visitor numbers. Visitors are asked to join the short entry line only at the time indicated on their ticket and not before. If you are not on a guided tour, complimentary multimedia tours in nine different languages are provided with your ticket for each site.

How Much Do Tickets for Buckingham Palace Cost?

Now that we have covered the types of tickets available to visitors, it’s probably best to also look at how much tickets for Buckingham Palace cost. Ticket prices will vary depending on where you get them and whether they are for a tour, but we will cover the most common ticket prices for Buckingham Palace.

General admission to the State Rooms costs £30 for adults, £19.50 for young people ages 18 to 24, and £16.50 for children ages 5 to 17 and people with disabilities. Tickets for the Queen’s Gallery depend on the current exhibition but can cost £16–£17 for adults, £11–£12 for youths, and £8–£9 for children. There are also tickets for the Royal Mews, which cost £14 for adults, £9 for youths, and £8 for children. Children under five can enter each of these sites free of charge.

For those wishing to visit all three areas, there is the Royal Day Out ticket. This combined ticket costs £55 for adults, £36 for youths, and £30 for children.

Hotels Near Buckingham Palace

Some travelers may want to know what their options are for places to stay near Buckingham Palace. With its location in the heart of Central London, there’s no shortage of accommodation to choose from in the areas of Westminster, St. James’s and Victoria. But if you want our opinion, here are the places to stay near Buckingham Palace that we think are the best choice for every price range.

It doesn’t get more luxurious than The Stafford London, an excellent five-star option for travelers looking for a special place to stay. The hotel overlooks Green Park, is five minutes on foot from the palace, and offers guests exquisite rooms and suites, a restaurant, a bar, and a wine cellar.

For those looking for equal parts comfort and convenience, consider The Eaton Townhousein Victoria. This three-star hotel is a 15-minute walk from the palace and offers cool rooms with all the basic amenities needed for a pleasant stay.

Central London will never be a cheap place to stay, so the best bet for budget travelers in this part of the city is the hostel PubLove @ The White Ferrylocated in Abbots Manor. The hostel is a 20-minute walk from Buckingham Palace, which is impressive considering how affordable and comfortable the dorm is.

Safety at Buckingham Palace

All visitors to the palace will need to go through a security check before entering. Knowing what to expect and what is allowed inside will help ensure there are no delays or issues getting in.

The airport-style security check involves passing through a metal detector and having your bags and personal items scanned. Handbags are allowed, but large bags, backpacks, and strollers are not permitted inside and must be deposited and collected later.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors to Buckingham Palace must follow certain health and safety measures, such as maintaining social distancing requirements and wearing a face mask throughout their time inside the palace.

Visiting Buckingham Palace with a Disability

To assist visitors with disabilities, Buckingham Palace has introduced measures to make the site more accessible. These measures are designed to assist people with mobility issues, hearing impairment, visual impairment, and those with neurodiversity.

Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs may be used inside the palace, while manual wheelchairs are provided when needed. Step-free access is available from the front of the palace. The palace provides BSL multimedia guides for those with hearing impairment and descriptive audio guides for those with visual impairment. Registered assistance animals are allowed inside the palace.

Fun Facts About Buckingham Palace

What Is Buckingham Palace?

Buckingham Palace is the official residence in London and also the administrative headquarters for the monarch of the United Kingdom.

When Was Buckingham Palace Built?

The house that laid the foundation for Buckingham Palace was built from 1703 to 1705.

How Old Is Buckingham Palace?

Buckingham Palace is 317 years old, or at least some parts of it.

Who Built Buckingham Palace?

John Sheffield, who would later become the Duke of Buckingham, had Buckingham House built by William Talman and Captain William Winde.

Why Was Buckingham Palace Built?

John Sheffield had an existing house on the Buckingham Palace grounds replaced with Buckingham House because he thought it was too old-fashioned.

Where Is Buckingham Palace Located?

Buckingham Palace is located in the City of Westminster in Inner London, between St. James’s Park, Green Park, and Buckingham Palace Garden. You should now be well prepared to visit Buckingham Palace now that all the ways you can visit have been explained for you. Understanding how tickets for Buckingham Palace work will make planning your visit much easier, and we hope it helps you have an unforgettable visit to this iconic attraction.