Buckingham Palace vs Changing of the Guard: which should you do first?

If you only have time for one, do Changing of the Guard first. Its top ten experiences average an Outty Ranking of 93 against 93 for Buckingham Palace, and it has 693 ranked ways to see it versus 669. With a full day in London, pair them: plan Changing of the Guard in the morning, as it is the shorter visit on average.

Ranked experiences at Buckingham Palace start from £14 and at Changing of the Guard from £14 per person. Changing of the Guard can also be visited for free; paid options add guides, skip-the-line access or transport.

Experiences at Buckingham Palace run 3.6 hours on average and at Changing of the Guard 3.5 hours, so both fit in one day in London with a break in between.

Yes. Book the longer visit for the morning when crowds are lighter, and keep the afternoon for the other. 100% of Buckingham Palace options and 100% of Changing of the Guard options offer free cancellation, which makes it easy to adjust.

For Buckingham Palace: London 30 Top Sights with Fun Local Guide (Outty Ranking 95, from £35). For Changing of the Guard: London 30 Top Sights with Fun Local Guide (Outty Ranking 95, from £35).