Experience two of Britain’s finest Royal residences on this fantastic full-day tour to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Get a rare glimpse inside the Queen of England’s official residence at Buckingham Palace before heading to the largest, continuously occupied castle in Europe and ancestral home of the monarchy at Windsor.
Meeting Point
Queen’s Gallery Entrance
Your Expert Guide will be waiting to greet you at the entrance to the Queen’s Gallery (the art museum located just around the facade of Buckingham Palace). The Queens Gallary is a 10-minute walk from London Victoria Station and Victoria Underground Station. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the tour (meeting at 9:00 am and the tour starts at 9:15 am).
Official London residence of the monarch since 1837, Buckingham Palace is the jewel in the British crown estate. Synonymous with the British royal family, this famous palace hasn’t always been in royal hands.
Built in 1705 as a private house for the Duke of Buckingham, it was eventually purchased and brought into royal hands in 1761 by King George III. Over time, it was renovated into the palace as we know it today.
Recognised around the world, Buckingham Palace opens its doors every summer to visitors from around the world. On this tour of the State Rooms, you’ll see rooms such as the Throne Room, The White Drawing Room and the Ballroom, each more lavishly decorated than the last and filled with ornate furniture, paintings and treasures.
Enjoy the Tour at your own pace with an audio multimedia guide that explains the history of the palace and the various rooms within the State Rooms. At the end of your tour, you’ll walk along the south side of the Palace garden, where you’ll meet your guide before the next part of your Royal journey.
‘Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession’ – 22nd July – 2nd October 2022
Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession will include portraits of The Queen taken by Dorothy Wilding, alongside items of Her Majesty’s personal jewellery worn for the portrait sittings. Shortly after Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on 6 February 1952, the first official photographic sitting with the new Queen was granted to the photographer Dorothy Wilding. The series of photographs taken of The Queen in 1952 are remarkable for their modern, emblematic approach and formed the basis of The Queen’s image on postage stamps from 1953 until 1971, as well as providing the official portrait of Her Majesty which was sent to every British embassy throughout the world.
Included in the Buckingham Palace display will be The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, which was a wedding gift to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, on the occasion of her marriage to the future King George V in 1893. Queen Mary gave the tiara to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth, as a wedding present on the occasion of her marriage to Prince Philip on 20 November 1947.
Enjoy the tour at your own pace with an audio multimedia guide that explains the history of the palace and the various rooms within the State Rooms. At the end of your tour, you’ll walk along the south side of the Palace garden, where you’ll meet your guide before the next part of your Royal journey.
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.
Built in the 11th century by William The Conqueror as a fortress to guard the western approach to London, today this royal castle is the stately retreat of Queen Elizabeth II.
Marvel at the splendour of the State Apartments, renowned as the grandest apartments in England, where paintings by Van Dyck and Rubens hang from the walls, and the ceilings are painted with elaborate, magnificent murals.
At St George’s Chapel, you will have the opportunity to visit the site where HRH Prince Harry married Ms Meghan Markle in 2018 to millions of viewers around the world. The chapel is also the final resting place of departed kings and queens from England’s illustrious history, including Henry VIII and Charles I.
If Her Majesty is in Windsor during your visit, you may even be fortunate enough to see the Royal Standard flying on the flagpole of the Round Tower.
‘Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Coronation’ – Until 26th September 2022
At Windsor Castle, the Coronation Dress and Robe of Estate worn by The Queen for her Coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 will be on display. Designed by the British couturier Sir Norman Hartnell, the dress was created in the finest white duchesse satin, richly embroidered in a lattice-work effect with an iconographic scheme of national and Commonwealth floral emblems in gold and silver thread and pastel-coloured silks, encrusted with seed pearls, sequins and crystals.
Her Majesty’s Robe of Estate was made by the royal robe-makers Ede and Ravenscroft of purple silk velvet. The goldwork embroidery design features wheat ears and olive branches, symbolising prosperity and peace, surrounding the crowned intertwined EIIR cipher. It took 12 embroideresses, using 18 different types of gold thread, more than 3,500 hours to complete the work between March and May 1953.
London Victoria Train Station
Your tour will finish outside London Victoria Train Station, centrally located and easily accessible by national rail and underground, it is serviced by the Victoria, District and Circle Lines and is in Travel Zone 1.
2022 Days of operation:
22nd July – 2nd October, Thursday-Monday inclusive
End Point
London Victoria Train Station
Your Tour will finish outside London Victoria Train Station, centrally located and easily accessible by national rail and underground, it is serviced by the Victoria, District and Circle Lines and is in Travel Zone 1.
Additional Information
- Tour Starts: 9:15 am, Queen’s Gallery entrance (meeting time 9:00 am)
- Tour Finishes: approx 6:30 pm, Victoria Train Station
- St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle is closed to visitors on Sundays. On occasion, the State Apartments may also be closed
- Guests travelling in a wheelchair, please contact us before travel. Unfortunately, mobility scooters are not permitted
Highlights
- See where HRH Prince Harry married Meghan Markle
- Enjoy a rare glimpse of the inside of Buckingham Palace
- Discover the 900-year-old ancestral home of the British monarchy
- Visit the largest occupied castle in Europe
What’s Included
- Expert Guide
- Wi-Fi On-Board
- Personal Audio Headset
- Superior Coach
- USB Charging On-Board
- Entrances
What’s Excluded
- Hotel Pick-Up & Drop-Off
- Lunch
Book With Confidence
- No Cancellation Fees
- No Change Fees
- No Booking Fees
- Your Money is Protected – Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the day of departure
- Our team, including our guides and drivers have been trained in our enhanced hygiene procedures.