The Best Way to Experience the Changing of the Guards Ceremony
Fans of the British Royal Family dream of visiting London and taking in the many sites surrounding the King, his family and the history of it all. One of the big highlights for many is seeing the changing of the guards ceremony. Most people, if they want to see the changing of guard will choose Buckingham Palace for this historic ceremony, and that was certainly our initial plan.
Planning for Changing of the Guards Ceremony
On our vacations, we try to cram in as much as we can especially during our time in London. For us, waiting in long lines has to be heavily considered, because waiting in line is taking away from opportunities to see and do so many other things on our vacation. The perfect example of this dilemma is the changing of the guard.
We did all the research on the best way to enjoy this experience ceremony. Initially our focus was on seeing the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace – honestly we thought that was the only place to see the changing of the guard. But there are other options to consider.
Our Blue Badge guide made the suggestion that we consider catching the ceremony at Windsor Castle when we visited there instead. A Blue Badge guide is a highly trained, official tour guide throughout the United Kingdom who can provide indepth knowledge of attractions as well as insider information to help you optimize your time. Understanding our crunch for time, he suggested an alternate venue to Buckingham Palace to see the ceremony, as well as to see more during our time in London. Cutting out up to two hours of time getting in position for the ceremony at Buckingham Palace seemed like a good plan to us. In addition to the time element, you can have a better experience at Windsor Castle because there are less people at the Windsor ceremony. You will also see more of the ceremony.
So let’s explore both options for you to consider what is best for you and your vacation.
The changing of the guard is the formal process to bring in the next set of guards or sentries to protect the palaces. The ceremony features a precise and elaborate ritual that is same each time. In the United States, the closest comparison to it would be the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC.
Buckingham Palace
At Buckingham Palace, the changing of the guard is free to witness. The official start time is listed at 11AM, but it actually begins about 15 minutes earlier. It is not offered every day, so you’ll need to coordinate your plans with the schedule, which is typically each Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
You cannot expect to waltz up to Buckingham palace and see the changing of the guard at 11AM or a few minutes before and expect a good spot to watch. You will need to get there early, and find your spot. Some sites we’ve researched suggested getting there any where from 45 minutes to two hours early during peak times.
There are multiple locations where you can get glimpses of the ceremony at Buckingham Palace. A good resource when planning is a video from travel blogger Ninh Ly and his Ultimate Bucket List. Ninh walks you through the entire event and offers tips to see more of it throughout the various stages of the ceremony.
The ceremony has several segments, starting with the old guard leaving St. James’s Palace at 10:43AM. Moments later at 10:57AM, the new guard leave their barracks at Wellington Barrack. Both are heading towards Buckingham Palace, so you have the opportunity to follow them on their parade there, should you choose. At 11AM on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, the ceremony begins.
The British do a fantastic job of pomp and circumstance, and the surroundings of Buckingham Palace are great. But you should keep in mind, you’ll be competing with lots of other people especially at Buckingham Palace to get good photos and videos.
You do not need a ticket for the changing of the guard. There are plenty of tours that you can pay for that will include the ceremony. We can’t comment on the value of those tours, but if you are looking for ways to save money on your trip this is likely something you can do without impacting your budget.
Windsor Castle
Our choice to view the changing of the guard was at Windsor Castle, and this is our recommendation if the scheduling works out for your itinerary. The changing of the guard ceremony is performed at the castle every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11AM.
We were able to line up a few minutes prior to beginning of the ceremony, instead of having to camp out for up to two hours early at Buckingham. The ceremony at Windsor Castle is more compact, so you don’t have go from place to place to view what is going on.
On the day we observed, they had a guest regiment from somewhere within the commonwealth. We were also fortunate to have music accompany the ceremony with a nice pipe and drum corp.
The changing of the guard ceremony dates all the way back to 1660. The guards most all have seen action overseas in addition to the ceremonial duties they are performing. The five infantry regiments you’ll likely see are the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards. Two other regiments of the Household Cavalry, the Life Guards and Blues and Royals are also involved.
Should your schedule allow, you should definitely check out the changing of the guard ceremony. A chance to witness first hand something that has been occurring for 350+ years is something to not be passed up. If you are going to do it at Buckingham Palace, don’t invest in one of the tours available, and get there early for the best views.
Our recommendation is to enjoy the ceremony as a part of your your Windsor Castle tour with less crowds and a more compact ceremony. Check out some of our other London recommendations to help you plan your visit.
