Home > London > Sightseeing Tours > London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour including Tower of London, Changing of the Guard, and Thames River
USD $125.00
London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour including Tower of London, Changing of the Guard, and Thames River
London, United Kingdom
See the best that England’s capital has to offer on a full-day city tour of London! Explore St Paul’s Cathedral with a guide, then make a photo stop at Westminster Abbey. Watch the must-see Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace and have some free time for lunch around the UNESCO-listed Tower of London. Finish up with a sightseeing cruise down the River Thames. If you want to see even more, upgrade to one of two activities: an afternoon tea on a boat on the Thames, or a London Eye flight.
Start your day with pickup at the Victoria Coach Station in central London, and then travel by air-conditioned coach to St. Paul's Cathedral. Spend the morning there, then travel to Westminster Abbey where Prince William married Kate Middleton in a lavish royal wedding ceremony in 2011. Pose for photos outside the Gothic crowd pleaser. Head to the Mall outside Buckingham Palace to watch the legendary Changing of the Guard ceremony. Accompanied by a military band, soldiers from the Queen’s Foot Guard march in time to drumbeats, performing a ceremonial ritual that dates back centuries.
Move on to the Tower of London, a former prison, fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit sites like Traitor’s Gate, the Torture Exhibition and, of course, the glittering Crown Jewels – a collection of irreplaceable and historic items. Spend some free time here exploring and eating lunch.
Hop aboard a sightseeing boat for a short trip down the River Thames. Cruise down the river, looking out for the top London attractions such as Shakespeare’s Globe, and then step out onto dry land.
Finish your tour back at the start point or alternatively, upgrade to finish on a high note with one of two optional activities. Options include an afternoon tea at Westminster Park Plaza (see Itinerary below) or a must-do London Eye flight, for picture-perfect views over the capital. Both activities include transport to the attraction, but no transport back.
Please note: If your tour falls on a date when the Changing of the Guard ceremony is not taking place, you will stop at Buckingham Palace for photos
Good combo package. Started with a bus tour of the city then changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace before free time for lunch. The afternoon included a walking tour at the Tower of London plus free time to explore on our own and finally a Thames River cruise. Excellent tour guide. Cruise drop off point by the London Eye makes it convenient to continue exploring on your own.
Review by: Bonnie H, June 2018
We enjoyed the tour but were unable to see everything at the tower due to lack of time. The changing of the guard was not scheduled so the tour guide took us to watch the horse guards practice for the upcoming queen's birthday. At the end of the tour our guide hooked us up with another guide to get a ride back to the city. This guide was very animated and gave my grandson a chance to practice at being a tour guide. This was something my grandson will not forget-thank you.
Review by: iTravel2, June 2018
With time constraints you stand in line a long time only to get a glimpse of the crown jewels or see the changing of the guard for too long. The cruise was relaxing but I don't remember if I had tea. : It was great having out tour guide fetch our tickets for the London Eye as the line to pay was just as long as the line to get onto it - that saved us lots of time! If you're looking for a quick overview tour, this is worth the money.
Review by: redwarriorhlm, May 2018
Perfect day! Perfect tour! Excellent. I highly recommend this one!
Review by: Galina P, May 2018
We had a great time! Very informative and interesting. Highly recommend!
Review by: ewarchuck, May 2018
Very good tour, recommend it. Our guide, John, was funny and entertaining throughout the day's stops: Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, and Thames Cruise. We took the London Eye upgrade and were really glad we did - great views and some nice pics of the city. In addition to seeing all the major sights, John provided many tips and explained all we were seeing along the bus route. Things to know: 1. We took this tour on Sunday and therefore we couldn't get into Westminster or St. Pauls. 2. There really wasn't anywhere to stop to use a restroom until about midday which was an issue for some on the trip. 3. Take the suggestion for fish and chips at Tower of London, in the restaurant near the plaza. 4. Be prepared for queues...we waited quite a while at the Tower of London to get in and see the Crown Jewels. We had just enough time to buzz through the armory, but that was about it. 5. You will not really be close enough to see much at changing of the guard. Try to get close to the street to see the guards parade in if you can, but don't expect to see the actual change. Go back later on your own when the crowds are down to get a picture of Buckingham Palace. Overall, I would recommend this trip and John as a guide.
Review by: Tia'ron, May 2018
This was my second time booking this tour, I brought my grandmother this time. I was expecting the same formate but to my surprise it was totally different as gave me a different outlook to the same tour.
Review by: Jennie M, May 2018
Amazing guide and knowledgeable guide. However, a few of us got left behind afte the Cruise and didnt know how we can proceed with the Harrods Cream Tea part. Sad that we missed it.
Review by: Darius D, April 2018
This tour provided a nice overview of London and our guide was knowledgeable and fun. However, the tour felt a bit rushed and I was hoping to see more of Westminster Abbey. As wonderful as St. Paul's Cathedral is, I felt that part of the tour was too long and the time could have been better allocated. I would recommend this tour to first-time London visitors, but repeat visitors would be better off with more site-specific tours or self-exploring.
Review by: arvindkapoor1, April 2018
Our guide was excellent.
Review by: glee54, April 2018
What a perfect introduction to the city. We covered a lot of territory and saw so many of the major sights and our guide was very knowledgeable. We were really pleased that there was a good amount of walking involved instead of just riding round on a bus. Speaking of which, kudos to our bus driver navigating narrow streets with LOTS of traffic. Nerves of steel!!
Review by: Lisa L. P, April 2018
Well run tour and fantastic customer service. Tour guide, Karen, was so knowledgable and enjoyable. A very enjoyable experience.
Review by: Jill, April 2018
Great way to see London in a day. This covered all the highlighted. Adding the Harrods tea was a lovely way to end the day.
Review by: philip, April 2018
Our guide was great and made the day.
Review by: annemfelts, April 2018
Amazing full day of the wonderful London sites! Our tour guide, David, was an absolute pleasure to be with and provided us all with the history and special facts for each and every stop. Our family of seven from 11 years old to our 3 seniors enjoyed every location and felt that there was enough time at each to enjoy and take in all the beautiful sites. Would highly recommend this tour to first time visitors. Remember to ask for David....he was wonderful!
Review by: Sharon.Gaston, April 2018
wonderful
Review by: heather.hribar, April 2018
Claudia was SUPER knowledgeable about the city. Wish we had done the Tower of London first as the line to see the crown jewels was massive and we only had a hour of free time to look around. Had a great time!!
Review by: miha, March 2018
Amazing Sightseeing Tour! Our guide, John Ashton was so funny and so knowledgable. We were lucky to get John as our guide.. this was the best tour we went on!
Review by: Daniel, March 2018
Great way to experience the city in a day. Like any tour there is never enough time but at least this gives you the base to start with, so on your free days in the city you can go back thoroughly should you decide to. Very knowledgable tour guide, plenty of ground covered and more importantly, fun. Highly recommended and a beautiful city!
Review by: Yvie, March 2018
Best tour, John was fantastic and my children 7 and 15 have not stopped talking about him. He was a wealth of knowledge! I hope when we return he can guide us on further tours and quite simply he made the tour as brilliant as it was.
Review by: Carol P, March 2018
Absolutely great!! We got an insiders view of the opening of the Tower of London. St. Paul's was amazing.
Review by: dbmorrow, March 2018
Loved our tour guide David. Very informative and friendly. A nice boat trip down the Thames River.
Review by: Malcolm L, March 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: John R, March 2018
It was an amazing tour. The bus and riverboat were comfortable and clean. Top notch all the way. Highly recommended and the tour guides are fantastic.
Review by: Raissa Nina P, December 2017
Excellent, witty and jolly Danish guide. 5 stars._br/_ Unhurried pace. 5 stars._br/_ Far too many people in one tour. 1 star.
Review by: Raissa Nina P, December 2017
But if you can choose one with less people, choose that. London tours just pack in too many people into a tour.
Review by: Liset G, November 2017
It was a busy day. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and definitely knew the history inside and out. We enjoyed the Thames River cruise more than anticipated.
Review by: reginabarlee, November 2017
Was very informative ,disappointed in the high tea the guide didnt tell us it has been served. So we didnt get it._br/_ She didnt seem to care that we had paid for it.
Review by: crispy, November 2017
Great way to get around and can spend as much time at each and every place that interest you.
Review by: Anthony T, November 2017
awesome tour. nice guide.
Review by: leon, November 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Janet B, November 2017
The changing of the guard was like a cattle herd. Found it hard to breathe and lost our guide several times.at the Tower of London there was no guidance and we missed a lot. Not a good experience
Review by: boyetlk, October 2017
worth the trip on this day tour
Review by: Paula W, October 2017
Steve the guide was engaging and knew his stuff. He kept it lively. Best tour guide.
Review by: June M, October 2017
Great way ro see London sights with limited time. The guide was fantastic- knowledgable anf funny. Tour of St Pauls was great. Not enough time at the Tower.
Review by: turner3049, October 2017
It was a wonderful tour. And when they tell you all day, they mean all day. You definitely get your money's worth. James, our guide, was very British with an umbrella and top hat. He was very knowledgeable and thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
Review by: Thomas M, October 2017
Tour left on time, Dan was an excellent guide...knowledgeable, witty, and fun. Sights were as advertised Dan kept the group together and offered fascinating insights into the places we saw. Altogether a great experience well worth the money.
Review by: Helen L, October 2017
good
Review by: Michael V, October 2017
Anne Marie was a great tour guide! She was so knowledgeable and we learned a lot. There was a ton of walking but we were lucky in that the crowds were pretty thin. We got plenty of time at each place to take pictures and stop at the gift shops. You go inside St. Paul's Cathedral but not Westminster Abbey. Still got some cool pictures outside though.
Review by: Felix T, October 2017
Very good
Review by: Bill C, October 2017
Very enjoyable. Clean couch bus with comfortable seating. Our guide, Ann Marie, was fantastic!
Review by: Indymcdowell, October 2017
This was a fantastic tour. George by far was one of the best guides ever. He truly made our trip. Loved every minute of all the sites. Thank you George for a lifetime memory.
Review by: Sue G, October 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Joy M, October 2017
A wonderful day in London. Our guide knew exactly where the best location is for the changing of the guard. I would recommend this tour which shows the highlights and gives one the opportunity to know where to visit on a self-guided tour. The guide was very knowledgeable.
Review by: CHRISTOS K, October 2017
Nice way to see London.
Review by: Frederick R, October 2017
The sights and information were great and after we figured out where to get our London Eye ticket that was included we decided to skip it because the line went on forever. We had been out all day on the tour and it would have been at least an hour in line. If you are tall you won't be able to get your legs in front of you on the bus because the seats are closer than airline coach seats.
Review by: robinson.wendy21, October 2017
Our tour was amazing. John was a tour guide and was extremely knowledgeable about the sights we visited. He also gave us a lot of information along the way while we were on the bus going from place to place. He was very patient and made sure that the entire group was present before he started talking. We had a big group and he did a very good job of keeping us together. Also, it was nice to have the tickets already arranged for the sights we visited. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review by: Mark H, October 2017
Tried to get too much in one day. Guide was very informative. Had to be next to him to hear his narative . Stayed long time at Westminster Abby, then ran past view 100-200 yds. from Buckingham Palace. Very disappointed. A lot of time spent on bus in traffic and long lines waiting to get into Tower of London. Didn't get history of what Tower of London represented in history.
Review by: Roxanne D, October 2017
Not so much. Can't say there was anything on this tour that we could not have done independently. We did not skip any lines so that wasn't a bonus. No changing of the guard. BIg Ben under construction. The boat had such dirty windows that it was impossible to take any photos. The tour guide tended to want to stand and quote poetry and waste time. He failed to point out the chewing gum art at St. Paul's. He did not seem cognizant of the fact that we had gotten stuck in a downpour and everyone was wet and cold, and kept us standing outside rather than moving us indoors.
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