Welcome to the group information page for Buckingham Palace. Here you will find everything you need to plan a visit.
Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today.
Today the State Rooms are used extensively by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on State, ceremonial and official occasions. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace's nineteen state rooms are open to visitors.
Find out more about the history of Buckingham Palace and how it is used today on the British Monarchy Website
The State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture.
Described as a 'walled oasis in the middle of London', the Palace's garden is home to thirty different species of bird and more than 350 different wild flowers, some extremely rare. Visitors end their tour with a walk along the south side of the garden, with splendid views of the west front of the Palace and the famous lake.
The special exhibition at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace in 2010 will give visitors a lively insight into the principal national and ceremonial events in the royal year.
The Queen’s Year will include displays of ceremonial robes, gifts, uniforms, dresses and jewellery, as well as archive photography and film to evoke the many and varied aspects of the sovereign’s work.
The exhibition will illustrate the pageantry, tradition and ceremony of the State Opening of Parliament, the historic Garter Day ceremony at Windsor Castle and Trooping the Colour, as well as investitures, garden parties and State Visits.
Combine a visit to Buckingham Palace this summer with a guided tour of the famous garden. The tour includes the Herbaceous Border, the summer house, the Rose Garden and views of the Waterloo Vase and Palace tennis court.
A visit to Buckingham Palace lasts approximately two and a half hours and guided tours of the garden last 45-minutes.
Availability 28 August – 1 October 2010 Selected times
Combined ticket price Adult £23.00 Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £21.70 Under 17 £13.50 Under 5 Free
Admission is by timed ticket with entry every 15 minutes throughout the day. Tickets are valid only on the date and at the entrance time specified on the ticket. Please make sure your group arrives on time and all together. Regrettably, late-comers cannot be admitted.
The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace (includes audio guide)
Adult £15.30 Over 60/ Student (with valid ID) £13.95 Under 17 £9.00 Under 5 Free
By asking us to treat your purchase as a donation, you enable us to claim gift aid tax relief on your payment. Tickets purchased directly from the Royal Collection can be converted into a 1-Year Pass, giving 12 months' complimentary admission to the site(s) you have visited.
All group visits to Buckingham Palace should be pre-booked. Book online or telephone +44 (0)20 7766 7321. All major credit cards are accepted.
Any guides or group leaders must be included within your application, unless they are a Blue Badge Guide registered with the Institute of Guiding. Guiding is not permitted in Buckingham Palace.
There is no coach parking near Buckingham Palace. Once your booking is confirmed, however, we will send a coach pass allowing passengers to be set down and picked up close to the entrance and exit.
Buckingham Palace is within the London Congestion Charge zone. Please see www.cclondon.com for further details.
All parts of the visit, except the garden, are accessible. Due to architectural limitations, it is not possible to admit wheelchair-users through the main entrance, and a separate entrance is provided. Wheelchair-users are asked to book by telephoning (+44) (0)20 7766 7324.
BSL video tours of Buckingham Palace are now available. We should be happy to reserve your tour in advance of your visit, if you contact the Specialist Sales team on + 44 (0)20 7766 7324 or e-mail specialistsales@royalcollection.org.uk.
Lavatories and baby-care facilities are located at the end of the visit.
For safety reasons, pushchairs are not permitted in the State Rooms. They must be checked in and reclaimed at the exit. Baby-carriers are available for loan.
Photography and filming (for private use only) and use of mobile phones are permitted in the Palace garden. Mobile phones must be switched off elsewhere on the visitor route.
The shop sells a wide range of merchandise, much of which is designed exclusively for the Royal Collection.
Situated on the West Terrace overlooking the Palace's famous lawn and lake, the Garden Café offers a selection of refreshments, including tea, coffee, juice and a choice of cakes and sandwiches.
The Garden Café is open throughout the Palace's visiting hours, 09:45-18:00 (last admission 15:45).
Changing the Guard takes place at 11:30 daily from May until the end of July and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting.
Provisional Schedule for 2010 (please note that this schedule is set by the British Army and is subject to change. Please check this site prior to a visit)
August - odd numbered dates (1, 3, 5, etc) September - even numbered dates (2, 4, 6, etc)
The new guards arrive at the forecourt of the Palace at 11:30 from Wellington Barracks. The journey takes about 5 minutes and the soldiers are accompanied by a band. The ceremony is conducted on the Palace forecourt and takes approximately forty minutes to complete.
This exclusive tour begins when the Palace has closed to visitors for the day. Your expert guides shows you around the nineteen State Rooms, describing paintings, furniture, sculpture and porcelain. Tours are for a maximum of 60 people and the price includes a copy of the official guidebook and a glass of wine.
