Westminster Abbey & Buckingham Palace Tours: The Abbey and the Palace
Quick summary: A Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace combo tour pairs the coronation church with the monarch’s official London residence — two pillars of the British monarchy separated by a 15-minute walk through St James’s Park. The combination covers the spiritual and ceremonial heart of the Crown (the abbey: coronations, weddings, burials) and its administrative and residential centre (the palace: state rooms, the Changing of the Guard, the balcony appearances). The palace State Rooms open for roughly 10 weeks each summer; the Changing of the Guard is free to watch year-round.
Abbey & Palace at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| The two sites | Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace |
| Distance apart | About 15 minutes on foot, through St James’s Park |
| The abbey’s role | Coronations, royal weddings, burials |
| The palace’s role | Official residence; state entertaining; ceremony |
| State Rooms open | Approximately late July to late September |
| Number of State Rooms | 19 |
| Royal Collection artists | Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Canaletto |
| Changing of the Guard | 11:00 AM — daily in summer, alternate days in winter |
| Cost to watch the Guard | Free, from the gates and the Victoria Memorial |
| Off-season palace access | Exterior, forecourt, and the Royal Mews |
What Is a Westminster Abbey & Buckingham Palace Combo Tour?
A Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace combo tour pairs the coronation church with the monarch’s official London residence — two pillars of the British monarchy separated by a 15-minute walk through St James’s Park.
The pairing is a natural one because the two sites represent different halves of the same institution. The abbey is the spiritual and ceremonial heart of the British Crown: the place where monarchs are crowned, married and buried. The palace is the administrative and residential centre: the working royal residence, the setting for state entertaining, and the backdrop to the Changing of the Guard and the famous balcony appearances.
Seeing them together, in sequence, gives a fuller picture of the monarchy than either does alone — the sacred and the domestic, the coronation and the day-to-day.
What Is There to See at Buckingham Palace?
What you can see depends on the time of year, because the palace is a working royal residence rather than a permanent museum.
During the summer opening, the 19 State Rooms are open to visitors. These are the rooms used for official entertaining, and they contain paintings from the Royal Collection — including works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer and Canaletto — along with furnishings and the Throne Room. This is the interior most visitors picture when they think of Buckingham Palace.
Outside the summer opening, the accessible elements are the exterior, the forecourt (where the Changing of the Guard takes place), and the Royal Mews — home to the royal carriages and horses. The Mews is open across much of the year and is an underrated attraction in its own right, particularly for anyone interested in the ceremonial side of the monarchy.
When Can You Go Inside Buckingham Palace?
The State Rooms are open to visitors for approximately 10 weeks each summer — typically late July to late September, when the monarch is traditionally at Balmoral.
This narrow window is the single most important planning fact for anyone hoping to see the palace interior. For most of the year the State Rooms are closed, because the palace is in use. Tickets for the summer opening must be booked in advance and regularly sell out, so early booking is essential.
If your visit falls outside the summer window, the interior is not available — but the exterior, the Changing of the Guard and the Royal Mews still make the palace well worth including.
What Is the Changing of the Guard?
The Changing of the Guard is the ceremonial handover of the soldiers guarding Buckingham Palace, and it is one of London’s best-known free spectacles.
It takes place at 11:00 AM — daily in summer, and on alternate days in winter, so the schedule is always worth checking before you go. The ceremony is free to watch from the palace gates and from the steps of the Victoria Memorial in front of the palace.
Because it is free, popular and held at a fixed time, it draws large crowds. Arriving early to secure a position with a clear view of the forecourt is the difference between seeing the ceremony and seeing the backs of other spectators.
How Far Is Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey?
The two sites are approximately 15 minutes apart on foot, through St James’s Park.
The walk itself is part of the experience. St James’s Park is one of London’s finest royal parks, and the route between the abbey and the palace passes through it rather than along traffic-heavy streets. Rather than a transfer between two attractions, the walk is a pleasant interlude in its own right.
This proximity is what makes the combination so practical: the two great monuments of the monarchy are close enough to see comfortably in a single outing, linked by a park stroll.
Can You See the Changing of the Guard and the Abbey in One Morning?
Yes — and the timing works neatly if you sequence it correctly.
The Changing of the Guard is at 11:00 AM. The efficient approach is an early-morning abbey visit — arriving for first entry at approximately 9:30 AM, when the abbey is at its quietest — followed by the 15-minute walk through St James’s Park to reach the palace in good time for the ceremony.
This sequence gives you the abbey before the crowds, the park walk in between, and the Changing of the Guard to finish, all in a single morning. It is the most efficient way to combine the two sites, and it front-loads the abbey visit into the calmest part of its day.
What Is the Best Order to Visit?
The recommended sequence is abbey first, palace second.
Three reasons support it. The abbey is best seen early, at first entry around 9:30 AM, before it fills with visitors. The Changing of the Guard at 11:00 AM provides a natural fixed point to build the morning around. And the walk through St James’s Park falls logically between the two, carrying you from the abbey to the palace at exactly the right time.
If the palace State Rooms are open and included in your visit, they can follow the Changing of the Guard, extending the outing into the afternoon.
What Does an Abbey & Palace Combo Tour Include?
A typical combination covers:
- Westminster Abbey, ideally at early entry — the coronation church, royal tombs and Poets’ Corner
- A walk through St James’s Park to Buckingham Palace
- The Changing of the Guard at 11:00 AM, from the gates or the Victoria Memorial
- The palace exterior and forecourt
- The State Rooms, if visiting during the summer opening, or the Royal Mews at other times
Exactly what the palace portion includes depends heavily on the season, so it is worth confirming what is accessible on your dates before booking.
Practical Tips for Visiting the Abbey and Palace
- Book the palace State Rooms well ahead if visiting in summer, as tickets sell out.
- Check the Changing of the Guard schedule — daily in summer, alternate days in winter.
- Start early at the abbey, around 9:30 AM first entry, to beat the crowds.
- Allow time to walk through St James’s Park, which is part of the pleasure rather than mere transit.
- Arrive early for the Guard to secure a clear view of the forecourt.
- Consider the Royal Mews if visiting outside the summer palace opening.
- Dress respectfully for the abbey, which remains an active place of worship.
Is a Westminster Abbey & Buckingham Palace Tour Worth It?
For visitors interested in the British monarchy, pairing the two is close to essential — they are the institution’s two great physical symbols, and seeing one without the other tells only half the story.
The abbey supplies the ceremonial and sacred dimension: the church where every coronation for the better part of a thousand years has taken place, and where monarchs, statesmen and poets are buried. The palace supplies the living, working monarchy: the residence, the state rooms, the guard, the balcony. Between them, linked by a 15-minute walk through one of London’s finest parks, they cover the full span of what the Crown is and does.
The timing even cooperates. An early abbey visit, a park walk, and the Changing of the Guard at eleven make a single, well-paced morning. Add the State Rooms in summer, and it becomes a full and coherent day at the heart of royal London.
Frequently Asked Questions
The State Rooms are open approximately late July to late September, when the monarch is traditionally at Balmoral. Tickets must be booked in advance and sell out. Outside this window, the exterior, the Changing of the Guard, and the Royal Mews are accessible.
Approximately 15 minutes on foot through St James’s Park. The walk itself — through one of London’s finest royal parks — is part of the experience rather than mere transit between the two sites.
Yes. The Changing of the Guard is at 11:00 AM. An early-morning abbey visit, with first entry at approximately 9:30 AM, followed by the 15-minute walk through St James’s Park to the palace, is the efficient sequencing.
During the summer opening, the 19 State Rooms are open, containing Royal Collection paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer and Canaletto, furnishings, and the Throne Room. Outside the summer opening, the exterior, the forecourt where the Changing of the Guard takes place, and the Royal Mews with the royal carriages and horses are accessible.
The Changing of the Guard takes place at 11:00 AM — daily in summer and on alternate days in winter, so the schedule is worth checking before you go. The ceremony is free to watch from the palace gates and the Victoria Memorial.
Yes. The Changing of the Guard is free to watch from the palace gates and from the steps of the Victoria Memorial in front of the palace. Because it is free and held at a fixed time, it draws large crowds, so arriving early to secure a clear view is worthwhile.
Abbey first, palace second. The abbey is best seen early at first entry around 9:30 AM, the Changing of the Guard at 11:00 AM provides a fixed point to build the morning around, and the walk through St James’s Park falls naturally between the two. If the State Rooms are open in summer, they can follow the ceremony.