Buckingham Palace is the monarch's official London residence, and you can only go inside during a short summer opening: in 2026 the State Rooms are open from 9 July to 27 September. For the rest of the year you can watch the Changing of the Guard, visit the Royal Mews and The King's Gallery, or join an expensive small guided tour on selected dates.
The palace began as Buckingham House, a large town house bought by King George III in 1761, and was rebuilt and extended into a palace in the 19th century. Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to live there, from 1837, and it has been the main London home and office of the monarch ever since. It is still a working royal building, used for state banquets, receptions and official ceremonies.
That is why a visit works differently from most attractions. The public rooms are only open for about eleven weeks in summer, and the rest of the time the palace is busy with official royal business. Security is airport-style, photography inside is banned, and tickets are sold in timed slots. The good news is that the outside of the palace, with its famous balcony and guards, is free to see every day of the year.
Buckingham Palace visitor facts
- Summer opening 2026
- 9 July to 27 September
- September 2026 days
- Thursday to Monday (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
- Adult ticket
- £33.00 in advance, £37.00 on the day
- Child (5-17)
- £16.50 in advance, £18.50 on the day; under-5s free
- Time needed
- 2 to 2½ hours, according to the Royal Collection Trust
- Photography inside
- Not allowed
- Bag limit
- 45 cm × 20 cm × 30 cm; no suitcases
- Nearest stations
- Green Park, Victoria, St James's Park, Hyde Park Corner
The summer opening of the State Rooms in 2026
The State Rooms are open to visitors from 9 July to 27 September 2026. From 9 July to 31 August they opened daily at 09:30, with last admission at 17:30 and closing at 19:30. In September the palace is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so it is open Thursday to Monday, from 09:30. The September closing time was not shown when we checked, so look at your ticket or the official page before you plan an evening.
Tickets are sold for 15-minute entry slots, and the Royal Collection Trust asks you to arrive at the time printed on your ticket, not earlier. The dates for summer 2027 had not been published when we checked in September 2026. Opening dates have varied from year to year, so wait for the official announcement before you book flights around a visit.
Only a few days of the 2026 season remain. After Sunday 27 September the State Rooms close to ordinary visitors until next summer. If you are in London in the last week, remember the Tuesday and Wednesday closures and book online, as timed slots on the final weekend can sell out.
What you see inside the palace
The visitor route takes you through the State Rooms, the grand rooms used by the royal family to receive and entertain guests. These are not private apartments. You climb the Grand Staircase and pass through a sequence of richly decorated rooms, including the Throne Room, the Ballroom used for state banquets and the long Picture Gallery.
The Picture Gallery holds major works from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Van Dyck and Canaletto. Much of the interest is in the detail: gilded ceilings, huge chandeliers, fine furniture and porcelain. A free multimedia guide explains what you are looking at and is offered in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and Russian, plus a British Sign Language video version. There is also a family tour aimed at children under 12.
The route ends in the garden. You leave along a gravel path of about half a kilometre, with views of the lawn and the lake. The Garden Café on the West Terrace serves light meals, cakes and drinks, and there is an ice-cream stall along the path. Both are only reachable once you have been through the State Rooms.
Ticket prices and combined tickets
Buckingham Palace tickets are sold by the Royal Collection Trust. Buying in advance is cheaper than paying on the day, and the Trust recommends booking ahead in summer.
| Ticket (2026) | In advance | On the day |
|---|---|---|
| State Rooms, adult | £33.00 | £37.00 |
| State Rooms, young person 18-24 | £21.50 | £24.50 |
| State Rooms, child 5-17 | £16.50 | £18.50 |
| State Rooms, under 5 | Free | Free |
| Palace + Royal Mews, adult (27 July to 27 September) | £45.90 | £49.50 |
| Palace + East Wing Tour, adult (11 July to 27 September) | £93.00 | £97.00 |
For a family of two adults and two children aged 5-17, advance tickets for the State Rooms come to £99.00, against £111.00 on the day. A couple saves £8.00 by booking ahead. Current prices are on the Royal Collection Trust's Buckingham Palace page.
Your ticket can be converted into a 1-Year Pass, which gives free re-admission for a year. To do this, print and sign your name on the ticket before you leave the palace. It is only useful if you expect to come back the following summer, but it costs nothing to do.
The East Wing tour
The East Wing is the front of the palace that faces The Mall, with the famous balcony. It was added for Queen Victoria. A guided tour of its highlights is sold together with a State Rooms ticket for £93.00 in advance. It is a special-interest option: most first-time visitors will be happy with the standard route.
Security checks, bags and the rules inside
Every visitor goes through airport-style security screening. Bring as little as possible, and put phones, keys and wallets in your bag before it goes through the scanner. There are no airport liquid rules, and you may bring bottled water.
- Bags: anything larger than 45 cm × 20 cm × 30 cm cannot come in at all, and suitcases are not allowed. Small bags must be carried at your side, not worn on your back.
- Items checked in and returned: pushchairs and buggies, long umbrellas, scissors, small pen knives and sealed alcohol.
- Photos: strictly no photography or filming inside the palace. You can take photos in the garden at the end.
- Food: no eating or drinking inside, except bottled water.
- Toilets: only at the end of the route, in the garden. There are none at the start.
The Trust suggests left luggage at Victoria station for bags that are too big. Our page on where to leave bags in London lists the options.
Use the toilets before you queue for security. The first toilets are in the garden after the State Rooms, around two hours into the visit. The nearest public toilets outside are at Victoria station, so plan a stop on the way.
The palace and garden are accessible, and a step-free Access route can be booked through the Trust's Specialist Sales team. Disabled visitors get concession prices and a companion goes free. The State Rooms can become very hot on summer days.
Visiting outside the summer months
From October to May the palace offers Exclusive Guided Tours on selected dates only. These are small groups of up to 30 people led by an expert guide, lasting about an hour and a half, with start times between 10:00 and 15:30. In autumn 2026 the Exclusive Guided Tour costs £100 per person, with dates from 2 September to 4 October. Pre-booking is essential, you must arrive 15 minutes before your time slot, and there is no café during these tours.
At £100 this is a luxury rather than a normal sightseeing ticket. If you are visiting in winter on a budget, the Royal Mews and the outside of the palace will give you a good feel for royal London.
The Royal Mews and The King's Gallery
The Royal Mews, next to the palace on Buckingham Palace Road, is the working stable and coach house of the royal household. You can see the state coaches used for coronations and royal weddings, including the Gold State Coach, as well as royal cars and, when they are not working, some of the horses. In 2026 it is open from 5 March to 1 November, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 10:00 to 17:00 with last admission at 16:15. An adult ticket costs £18.00; young people 18-24 pay £12.00 and children 5-17 £9.00.
The King's Gallery shows changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection. The Royal Collection Trust lists it as open daily, and the current exhibition is Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style. Tickets and dates for each exhibition are on the Trust's website.
Changing the Guard at the palace
The Changing of the Guard takes place in the palace forecourt at 11:00 on some days, usually Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but not every such date. The soldiers march in with a band, and the whole ceremony lasts about 45 minutes. Crowds build long before it starts, so arrive early.
Because the dates change every month and ceremonies can be cancelled in wet weather, always check the Household Division's calendar. Our separate guide to when to watch the Changing of the Guard and where to stand covers timings, the best viewing points and the route of the march.
The best free views of Buckingham Palace
You do not need a ticket to enjoy the palace. Standing at the railings in front of the forecourt gives you the classic view of the balcony, the sentries in their bearskin caps and the palace front. Here are some other good spots:
- The Victoria Memorial. The white marble monument in the middle of the roundabout in front of the palace has steps you can stand on for a higher view.
- The Mall. The wide red road running east towards Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square gives a long, straight view of the palace.
- St James's Park. The bridge over the lake frames the palace between the trees. Our guide to St James's Park and Green Park explains the best walking routes.
- Constitution Hill. The road along the palace garden wall, between the palace and Hyde Park Corner, shows how large the grounds are.
Look at the flag on the roof. When the monarch is in residence, the Royal Standard flies. At other times you will normally see the Union Flag. The balcony is used for big national moments, such as the end of Trooping the Colour in June.
The area in front of the palace gets very crowded, especially before the Changing of the Guard. Pickpockets are known to work in crowds like these, so keep your phone and wallet secure; our advice on staying safe in London covers the common tricks.
Getting there and planning the rest of your day
Green Park station (Victoria, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines) is the most direct choice: walk through Green Park and you reach the palace in about ten minutes. Victoria station, St James's Park and Hyde Park Corner are also within walking distance. Your ticket tells you where the visitor entrance is for your visit.
The palace is at the western end of a very walkable area. You can follow The Mall to Trafalgar Square, or walk through St James's Park to Westminster, with Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Churchill War Rooms all within about 15 to 20 minutes. North of Green Park, the smart streets of Mayfair and St James's are good for a look at old London shops, and several of the hotels there serve a classic afternoon tea.
If you want to see another royal home, Kensington Palace is open far more of the year, and Windsor Castle is an easy day trip from Waterloo or Paddington. For the history of the monarchy in a castle setting, the Tower of London holds the Crown Jewels. Many of the views around the palace are free, and our list of free things to do in London has more.
Frequently asked questions
When is Buckingham Palace open to the public?
The State Rooms are open during the summer only: from 9 July to 27 September in 2026. In September the palace is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. From October to May there are only small, expensive Exclusive Guided Tours on selected dates.
How much are tickets for Buckingham Palace?
In 2026 an adult ticket for the State Rooms costs £33.00 in advance or £37.00 on the day. Children aged 5-17 pay £16.50 in advance and under-5s go free. A combined ticket with the Royal Mews costs £45.90 for an adult booked in advance.
Can you take photos inside Buckingham Palace?
No. Photography and filming are strictly not allowed anywhere inside the palace. You can take photos for personal use in the garden at the end of the route and, of course, outside the palace gates.
Does the King live at Buckingham Palace?
Buckingham Palace is the monarch's official London residence and administrative headquarters. When the monarch is in residence, the Royal Standard flies from the roof; at other times you will normally see the Union Flag.
Can I bring a backpack to Buckingham Palace?
Small bags are allowed but must be carried at your side, not worn on your back. Bags larger than 45 cm × 20 cm × 30 cm and suitcases are not permitted, so leave large luggage elsewhere before your visit.
Sources
- Royal Collection Trust - Buckingham Palace (checked September 2026)
- Royal Collection Trust - Practical information for visiting Buckingham Palace (checked September 2026)
- Royal Collection Trust - The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace (checked September 2026)
- The Household Division - Changing the Guard (checked September 2026)
- The Household Division - Changing the Guard calendar (checked September 2026)