Francais
Español
Italiano
Deutsch
Nederlands
日本
中文版
русский
16°C
Heavy rain Buckingham Palace
Visitor Reviews
Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today. During the summer, visitors can tour the nineteen State Rooms, which form the heart of the Palace. These magnificent rooms are decorated with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto and sculpture by Canova.
Related Categories
| Opening times: | 29 July – 29 September 2008 09:45 – 18:00 (last admission 15:45) Timed tickets with admission every 15 minutes throughout the day. |
|---|
Lonely Planet review of Buckingham Palace
Built in 1705 as Buckingham House for the duke of the same name, this palace has provided the royal family's London lodgings since 1837, when St James's Palace was judged too old-fashioned and insufficiently impressive. It is dominated by the 25m-high Queen Victoria Memorial at the end of the Mall. Tickets for the palace are on sale from a kiosk in Green Park. After a series of crises and embarrassing revelations in the early 1990s, the royal spin doctors cranked things up a gear to try and rally public support behind the royals once again, and it was decided to swing open the royal doors of Buck House to the public for the first time. Well, to 19 of the 661 rooms, at least. And only during August and September, when HRH was holidaying in Scotland. And for a veritable king's ransom, but still, we mustn't quibble - no price is too great for an opportunity to see the Windsors' Polaroids plastered all over the fridge door.
Traveller Rating:
Based on 31 reviews
Latest 5 reviews of Buckingham Palace
Tour of Buckingham Palace
Because South Africa was once one of the Dominions of the United Kingdom, the English Royal Family and it's history is still of much importance in our country.
Of course, the facade of Buckingham Palace is one known to literally every South African, but to actually be at the Palace, and indeed, inside of such building, is awe-inspiring.
"Magnificent" is the only word to describe the interior of the building which is very well maintained - and particularly impressive of the tour is the fact that unlike other tourist attractions, you are not being rushed on from one room to the next - one can spend as much time as one likes in considering the breathtaking decor and magnificent furniture/art.
This was the highlight of my tour to Europe - even the Palace of Versailles, in my opinion, has little rating in comparison to that of Buckingham Palace.
Every time I now see a picture of the palace, I can justifiably boast that "I've BEEN there!"
MAURICE SHADIACK, QUEENSTOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
4 October 2008
An amazing, beautiful place.
We were able to book a private tour of the State Rooms through the Royal Collection website. This is offered a few days during August and September (the last one being Sept. 5, when we took it.) Although it was expensive, it was well worth it as we were able to tour the State Rooms with a private guide provided by the Palace, and 28 other people. We saw a few rooms that the public is not allowed to see, and the whole experiece was wonderful. Even if you don't get to take the private tour, Buckingham Palace is worth seeing. We have nothing in the U.S. that comes close to it.
I've seen Versailles, and other castles in Europe, but Buckingham Palace was by far the most impressive. The rooms were stunning, and the Palace Ballroom that was set up for a State Banquet, was amazing! We didn't get to see the Mews or the Queen's Gallery during our London visit, but no matter, as Buckingham was the highlight of our trip with Windsor Castle coming in a close 2nd.
20 September 2008
Fantastic Experience
We visited the Palace and the State Rooms Tours in August. We pre-booked our tickets for the 12.45 tour which gave us time to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony which finished at 12.30. Just a minute walk to the tour entrance. Everything was well organised. The Ballroom was set for a state banquet and the precision of the place settings was stunning. they also showed a short video of the preparations for the banquet. We were given an audio headset for the tour which gave details of each room as you passed through. Excellent value for money! Well worth a visit!
13 September 2008
The Best Day of London Visit!
My husband and I took the State Rooms tour on 31 August. From start to finish the tour was well organized. We bought tickets for the 3:45 p.m. tour. We were early, so we visited the palace gift shop across the street.
The tour was everything we had hoped for and more. One of the highlights was the ballroom that had been set up as for a State dinner. Spectacular! The audio tour was excellent and described everything so well. The rear gardens are gorgeous. There is a lovely pond. We sat on a bench and just marveled at the view. Definitely worth visiting!
8 September 2008
Buy advanced tickets
The Palace tour is definitely worth doing if you are in London during August or September. It is a bit expensive, but still worth it. One tip is to buy advanced tickets. You will be given a time to enter and just show up about 10 min before your time and you will be allowed to enter. Also, you do not have to wait in the long ticket lines.
4 September 2008
Are you a representative of Buckingham Palace?
Respond to Reviews
Read more reviews on Trip Advisor
About Trip Advisor and Visit London
Please be advised that any comments, opinions and statements submitted herewith are entirely independent and do not represent views held by, or are in any way connected to Visit London.
The Big Draw at the Royal Mews Special event
25 Oct 2008 to 27 Oct 2008
Explore the Royal Mews with an activity trail and discover what happens at the Royal Mews on State Occasions. Find out how long it takes to groom one of The Queens horses, what the coachmen wear and think about why work. Then drop in to the Education Room and help create a giant picture of Albert the Coachman by designing a new uniform for our coachman using a full State uniform as inspiration. Families can try on a coachmans tri-corn hat and wig and feel the weight of the scarlet and gold frock coat as they imagine what it would be like to take part in a royal event.Trooping the Colour Special event
13 Jun 2009
The Queen's birthday is officially celebrated by the Trooping the Colour. Over 1400 officers and men are on parade, together with two hundred horses, four hundred musicians from ten bands and the corps of drums. At 11am, the royal procession arrives and the Queen takes the royal salute and inspects the troops. After the event, the Royal Family gathers on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch an RAF flypast.
Prices and Booking for Buckingham Palace
Prices:
| Adult: | £15.50 full price |
|---|---|
| Child (over 5): | £8.75 child |
| Family (2 adults, 3 children under 17): | £39.75 per ticket |
| Concession: | £14.00 per ticket |
Location Information Buckingham Palace
| Address: | Buckingham Palace Road, London London SW1A 1AA |
|---|---|
| Telephone: | +44 (0)20 7766 7300 |
| Fax: | +44 (0)20 7930 9625 |
| Email: | bookinginfo@royalcollection.org.uk |
| Website: | www.royalcollection.org.uk |
| Public transport: | Tube/Rail: Victoria; Tube: Victoria, Green Park, St James’s Park or Hyde Park Corner. |
Getting to Buckingham Palace using public transport? Find the fastest route below:
What else is near here?
Find what's around using the tabs below.
© Collins Bartholomew 2008
