CLASSIC TAXI TOURS OF LONDON

Changing of the Guard: Times, Best Viewing Spots and Insider Tips

It’s one of the most searched questions on the internet about London: “What time is the Changing of the Guard?” And the answer is annoyingly complicated, because it depends on the day, the month and whether anything else is happening at the Palace.

Here’s the straightforward version, followed by everything else you need to know to actually see it properly rather than staring at the back of someone’s head for 45 minutes.

When does it happen?

The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace takes place at 11:00am. The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes.

Between April and July, it happens every day. Between August and March, it happens every other day — usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, though the exact schedule varies. It’s also cancelled in very heavy rain, during state occasions and occasionally for no publicly stated reason.

The official schedule is published on the Household Division’s website (householddivision.org.uk). Check it on the morning of your visit. Don’t rely on printed guidebooks or blogs that might be out of date. The schedule changes frequently and there’s nothing worse than turning up to an empty forecourt.

Here’s the bit people don’t realise: the ceremony isn’t just at Buckingham Palace. Guards also change at St James’s Palace (directly up The Mall), at Horse Guards on Whitehall, and at Windsor Castle. The Buckingham Palace ceremony is the most famous, but the Horse Guards ceremony is actually easier to watch and less crowded. More on that shortly.

What actually happens during the ceremony?

The “Old Guard” — the soldiers currently on duty — hands over responsibility to the “New Guard.” Both detachments form up in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. The captains of the two guards exchange the Palace keys. A military band plays. The sentries in the famous sentry boxes are swapped. Then the Old Guard marches off to Wellington Barracks down Birdcage Walk and the New Guard takes up their positions.

The soldiers wear the full ceremonial kit: red tunics and bearskin caps for the Foot Guards, or the distinctive uniforms of whichever regiment is on duty that day. These aren’t actors or extras. They’re serving soldiers from the British Army’s Household Division — the same troops who deploy to war zones. They just happen to also have this ceremonial role.

The band often plays a mix of traditional marches, film themes and pop songs. It’s not unusual to hear the theme from James Bond, a Beatles medley or something from the charts. The choice is usually down to the bandmaster’s sense of humour that day.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Where to stand — the insider spots

Here’s where most people go wrong. They head to the front gates of Buckingham Palace and join the massive crowd pressed against the railings. From there, you’re looking through iron bars at a forecourt that’s about 100 metres away. Unless you’ve brought binoculars, the soldiers are distant figures and the band is a blur of red and gold.

Better options:

The Victoria Memorial steps. The big white monument directly in front of the Palace gates. Get there by 10:15 and claim a spot on the upper steps. You’ll have an elevated view over the crowd and can see the entire forecourt, the marching routes and the gates. This is where our drivers drop most guests — it’s the best public viewing position and they know exactly when you need to be there.

The Mall / Spur Road junction. If you want to see the New Guard marching in from Wellington Barracks, stand on the corner of Spur Road and The Mall. They march right past you. You’ll be close enough to hear the boots on tarmac and see the expressions on the soldiers’ faces. Much more up-close than the Palace forecourt view.

Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk. This is where the New Guard forms up before marching to the Palace, and where the Old Guard returns after the handover. It’s far less crowded than the Palace itself. You’ll see the soldiers assembling, the band warming up and the whole procession starting — none of which is visible from the Palace gates.

Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall. The mounted guard changes at Horse Guards at 11:00am on weekdays and 10:00am on Sundays. It’s a smaller, more intimate ceremony and you can get much closer. The arch at Horse Guards is one of the official entrances to St James’s Palace, and the sentries there are among the most photographed soldiers in London. Tourists pose next to them constantly. The soldiers are under orders not to react, though they will shout “Step back from the Queen’s Life Guard!” if you get too close.

Timing your visit around the Guard

On our Changing of the Guard tour, your driver builds the entire morning around the ceremony schedule. They know exactly when to leave your hotel, which route avoids the road closures around the Palace, and where to position you for the best view with the least waiting.

A typical tour starts at 9:30am. Your driver takes you through St James’s Park, past Clarence House (the former home of the late Queen Mother, now used by members of the Royal Family), along The Mall and drops you at the Victoria Memorial by 10:15. You watch the ceremony, take your photos, and then spend the next two hours touring Royal London — St James’s Palace, Horse Guards, Downing Street, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.

The advantage of arriving by cab is that you avoid the crowds entirely until the last possible moment. Everyone else is walking from Green Park or Victoria tube stations, queueing and jostling for position from 9am onwards. You step out of the cab, walk thirty seconds to your pre-scouted spot and you’re set.

What if it’s cancelled?

It happens. Heavy rain, extreme heat, state funerals, royal events — the ceremony gets cancelled with little or no notice. If that happens during our tour, your driver simply adjusts. You’ll still see the sentry positions, the Palace, the guards on duty (they’re always there, ceremony or not) and all the Royal London landmarks. The tour doesn’t depend on the ceremony — it’s built around it when it happens, but it works perfectly well without it.

Your driver will check the schedule on the morning of your tour and let you know. No nasty surprises.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Quick tips

Arrive at least 30-45 minutes before the 11:00am start if you want a decent spot at the Palace. Our tour handles this for you.

Bring your phone camera rather than a big SLR. You’ll be in a crowd and holding a camera above your head for 45 minutes is tiring. Phone cameras are genuinely better for this — they’re lighter and you can hold them up one-handed.

Don’t try to drive or take a taxi to the Palace gates during the ceremony. The roads close. Our drivers know the drop-off points and the road closure timings.

The ceremony runs rain or shine unless it’s officially cancelled. Bring a light jacket. Standing still for 45 minutes in a British spring morning gets cold even when it’s not raining.

Book the Changing of the Guard Tour — 3 hours, £209 per cab, up to 6 guests. Your driver handles timing, positioning and the full Royal London route.