Changing of the Guard
the red tunics, for free
The full pageantry of red tunics, bearskins and a marching band swapping the guard at Buckingham Palace, free to watch if you know where to stand.
Free to visit · St James's · Green Park · SW1A 1AA
Opening: Selected mornings · usually from 10:45am · check the schedule
The Changing of the Guard is the full red-tunic, bearskin-hat, marching-band spectacle of British ceremony, and watching it costs absolutely nothing. The new guard marches to Buckingham Palace with a band, and through a long set-piece of orders and music takes over from the old.
The trick is knowing it does not happen every day, so you check the schedule first, and that the railings right at the palace get packed an hour before. Most people crush in there and see very little over the heads in front.
The smart move is to watch the soldiers and the band march to and from the palace along The Mall or from Wellington Barracks, where you get them up close and moving rather than a distant blur behind a fence. Same free spectacle, far better view.
Getting there: Buckingham Palace, between Green Park, St James's Park and Victoria stations.
Best time to go: Get there by 10am to claim a spot, or follow the band along The Mall instead of fighting for the palace railings.
Insider tip: Do not fight for the palace railings. Stand on The Mall or by Wellington Barracks and watch the guards and the band march past at close range on their way in. You get a far better look at the whole thing, for the same price of nothing.
Official site: https://www.householddivision.org.uk
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide