Buckingham Palace Adventure
Meet the Creator
Edinburgh
Our Arrival & First Impressions
Buckingham Palace is stunning from The Mall (the road up to the Palace). We were very glad we visited even though we were initially cautious to visit with children (due to the pick pocket rumours).
Activities Breakdown
We tried to make Buckingham Palace kid family and we succeeded. As an adult, you'd likely turn up early and wait at the railings to maximise your view of the proceedings. It's rife with pick pockets (and police warning you about this with signs) so we didn't want to risk it. Instead, we turned up an hour before the Sunday Parade and looked through the gate (it wasn't busy at all). We then moved to the big tree on the corner at Birdcage Parade with a view directly into the Parade Ground where the soldiers depart at 10am on Sundays. We waited from about 9.35am for them to come out and we then went to the adjacent play park in St James Park (which is great and has kid-only toilets). We listened to the bands through the hedge and had a distant view of the Palace from bench seating there. We then walked around to the corner at Marlborough Road and waited for the Guards to return and we walked back along The Mall behind them, turning off into the park again to get the tube back from Green Park. Our littles loved the soldiers and the park and we got to see the Palace up close and feel the atmosphere of it all.
- 1
Seeing Buckingham Palace on arrival
The view up The Mall if you walk that way up to it, is great.
- 2
Waiting and watching the guards leave for the Sunday Parade.
Get there 30 mins before to guarantee a spot on the roadside behind the barrier. - 3
The little play park in St James Park.
Kids loved it. Well equipped and tidy.
Food & Drink
Not applicable - no food and drink as part of this though you can obviously take snacks and I do remember there being a food truck type place by the play park.
Money-Saving Tip
Take your own snacks. No need to pay for anything as part of this experience except your travel and it keeps you busy for the morning.
Pros & Cons Summary
What We Loved
Free to see.- Planning ahead can make it fun and less stressful
- The play park in St James Park burns energy
- The Guards were super impressive especially the bands and music (modern tunes)
Could Be Better
There is some waiting around- The area clearly does have crime, pick pockets etc (lots of police to try to combat this) but be vigilant and sensible.
Overall Verdict & Ratings
There is crime here. Take care with valuables! The police warn you.
The bands and guards were excellent. The music was modern in style, which surprised us and we enjoyed it a lot.
Own snacks permitted. No food and drink options.
It does get busy but following the suggested plan above manages this.
The modern music surprised us and we enjoyed our day a lot.
Totally free to see from the outside. Tours of the Palace carry a cost. We decided not to do this because we have small children.
The Final Verdict:
The itinerary we planned was great and we'd recommend it. We were entertained for a few hours and experienced a lot of the key bits of the Sunday Parade / Buckingham experience. The kids loved how we did it too.
"Seeing Buckingham Palace Sunday Parade / Changing of Guards is possible with a young family (by planning ahead and standing in quieter but strategic spots)!"Amanda Kindness
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