Buckingham Palace & Windsor Castle: Full-Day Tour

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace serves as the official London residence of His Majesty The King, and is one of the few remaining working royal palaces in the world today. Each summer when the Palace is not being used in its official capacity, visitors can enjoy the 19 magnificent State Rooms that provide the setting for ceremonial occasions and official entertaining by members of the Royal Family. The rooms are furnished with many of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyck, sculpture by Canova, exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. Visitors to the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace will see the White Drawing Room, perhaps the most beautiful of all the State Rooms with its spectacular crystal chandelier, the Music Room, where guests are presented on the occasion of a State Visit, and the Throne Room, which was the setting for the formal photographs following the wedding of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales.

Windsor Castle

The town of Windsor is best known for its historical links to the British royal family, and it is suitably steeped in pageantry and history. Towering over the rest of the town is Windsor Castle, the ancestral home of the English and later British monarchy, and largest inhabited castle in the world. It has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years and is today one of the official residences of His Majesty The King. Occupying over 10.5 hectares, the Castle offers a varied day out for visitors, including a visit to the magnificent State Apartments and St George's Chapel. The Castle's State Apartments are furnished with some of the finest works from the Royal Collection, reflecting the changing tastes of the Castle's royal occupants, particularly those of Charles II and George IV. Among the masterpieces on display are paintings by Holbein, Rubens and Van Dyck, Sèvres porcelain and exquisite English and French furniture. Many of the works of art are still in the historic settings for which they were first collected or commissioned by the kings and queens who have lived at Windsor.

Not suitable for

• People with mobility impairments
• Wheelchair users

Not allowed

• Luggage or large bags

Know before you go

• After visiting Buckingham Palace there is approx. a 15 minute walk to the meeting point for the afternoon tour to Windsor Castle.
• St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle is closed to visitors on Sundays.
• There is approx. 30-45 mins free time for lunch (not included) in the Victoria area.
• This tour is not able to accommodate guests in wheelchairs or with mobility scooters.
• Windsor Castle is used frequently by the royal family for state ceremonies and official entertaining, so there may be changes in opening hours and castle access without notice