Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the London residence and the administrative headquarters of the British monarch, standing at the western end of The Mall in the City of Westminster. The building began as Buckingham House, put up in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham and Normanby to a design by William Winde, and it became royal property in 1761 when George III bought it for £21,000 as a private house for Queen Charlotte. State Rooms open on selected summer dates with timed entry. Step-free entrances, lifts and accessible toilets serve principal public areas. State Rooms open on selected summer dates with timed entry. Adult State Rooms tickets start around GBP 33 by date. Step-free entrances, lifts and accessible toilets serve principal public areas. Green Park, Victoria or St Jamess Park stations. Yes. Events, ceremonies, maintenance and security can change the ordinary route. No. Special tours, exhibitions and premium products use separate tickets. State Rooms open on selected summer dates with timed entry. Adult State Rooms tickets start around GBP 33 by date. Step-free entrances, lifts and accessible toilets serve principal public areas. Green Park, Victoria or St Jamess Park stations. State Rooms open on selected summer dates with timed entry. Adult State Rooms tickets start around GBP 33 by date. Step-free entrances, lifts and accessible toilets serve principal public areas. Green Park, Victoria or St Jamess Park stations. Yes. Events, ceremonies, maintenance and security can change the ordinary route. No. Special tours, exhibitions and premium products use separate tickets. State Rooms open on selected summer dates with timed entry. Adult State Rooms tickets start around GBP 33 by date. Step-free

The 775 rooms of Buckingham Palace break down into 19 state rooms, 52 principal bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms, spread across more than 830,000 square feet of floorspace. The state rooms are the ceremonial half of the building, used for investitures, receptions and state banquets, and they are the rooms shown to ticket holders rather than the private apartments. Behind the palace lies a garden of 39 acres, or 16 hectares, described as the largest private garden in London, holding over 1,000 trees and between 20 and 25 nesting bird species. Adult State Rooms tickets start around GBP 33 by date. Green Park, Victoria or St Jamess Park stations.

Allow 90 minutes at Buckingham Palace if the plan is the outside of the building: time to walk the railings, climb the steps of the Victoria Memorial for a raised view, watch a guard change through to its end, and leave along The Mall or Constitution Hill without hurrying. Ninety minutes is the figure this guide records. Cut it to 20 minutes on a day with no ceremony, when the palace is a facade, two sentries and a set of gates and there is nothing further to wait for. Step-free entrances, lifts and accessible toilets serve principal public areas.

State Rooms open on selected summer dates with timed entry. Dated closures, ceremonies, performances, weather or security notices from the operator take priority over ordinary hours. Arrive early enough to complete the public route before final admission. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival.

Adult State Rooms tickets start around GBP 33 by date. The base ticket excludes transport, tours, premium access, special exhibitions and independently operated activities unless explicitly listed. Carry any required identity or concession document. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival.

Green Park, Victoria or St Jamess Park stations. Use the named entrance and station because security, separate exits and large complexes can change the practical route. Allow extra time for screening and the final walk. Follow staff directions on arrival. Follow staff directions on arrival.

Step-free entrances, lifts and accessible toilets serve principal public areas. State Rooms open on selected summer dates with timed entry. Adult State Rooms tickets start around GBP 33 by date. Step-free entrances, lifts and accessible toilets serve principal public areas. Historic surfaces, crowds and security remain relevant.

The palace faces roughly east, so the Webb facade takes direct morning light and falls into flat shade by mid afternoon, which is the opposite of what most visitors assume when they turn up for the late-morning ceremony. For the building itself, come early. For the ceremony, the steps of the Victoria Memorial give the only free elevation in the area and turn a wall of heads into a clear line down onto the forecourt, which is why they are occupied long before 1045. Adult State Rooms tickets start around GBP 33 by date.