This guide is for you if you are planning a day in central London with your own driver-guide and want to get the details right before you book. It is about the calendar and the practicalities: which day of the week to choose, four hours or eight, morning or afternoon, which tickets to buy and what to leave at the hotel.
The day of the week changes the plan
Most of the landmarks on this tour are open most days, but not in the same way every day. Check these before you fix a date.
- Westminster Abbey is open for worship only on Sundays, so there is no sightseeing visit that day. On other days its hours can shift around services and events.
- The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is on set days, not every day. The Household Division publishes the dates in advance, typically Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:00, so check its calendar for your week. It lasts about 45 minutes, and it can be changed or cancelled at short notice, especially in wet weather.
- The Tower of London opens at 09:00 from Tuesday to Saturday and an hour later on Sundays and Mondays, on its published times.
- The British Museum opens every day and stays open until 20:30 on Fridays. It closes from 24 to 26 December.
So a Sunday suits you if the Abbey is something you are happy to see from outside. Pick a guard day if the ceremony matters. Opening times change through the year, so check the official site of each place before you go.
Four hours or eight, morning or afternoon
The four-hour tour covers Buckingham Palace, Westminster and the Tower, seen from the outside. It starts at 07:00 or 13:00. The eight-hour tour starts at 07:00 and adds the British Museum, lunch, Covent Garden and Hyde Park, with time to go inside. Either can start at another hour if you ask when you book.
Three things are worth knowing about the clock:
- With a 07:00 start you reach Westminster before the Abbey opens to visitors. If going inside the Abbey is a priority, tell your guide, and the order of the morning changes around it.
- The Tower itself says it is quieter in the afternoon, after midday. Last entry is at 16:30, so on the afternoon four-hour tour there is no time to go in. You see it from outside, as the four-hour tour intends.
- If the guard change is on your day, it is usually at 11:00. Soldiers start gathering and marching from 10:00, and the advice is to arrive early for a view. Your guide plans the morning around it.
If you are still choosing between lengths, our article on London in eight hours walks through the full day stop by stop.
Which tickets to buy, and how long each place takes
Entry tickets are not included, and you do not need them all. The question is how much time each one really asks for.
Westminster Abbey
Visit London suggests two to three hours for a full visit, which is more than most people expect. Tickets are sold for a morning or an afternoon entry. If you would rather not spend that long inside, there is another way in: anyone may attend the daily services, including evensong, free of charge.
The Tower of London
The Tower recommends at least two hours, and its own FAQ says three once you allow for queues. The Yeoman Warder tours are part of your ticket, and the last one of the day starts at 15:15. On days with a gun salute at 13:00 the tour at that hour is cancelled. The ground is uneven, worn and sometimes slippery, so wear shoes with grip.
The British Museum
Entry is free, but the museum advises booking a free ticket for a time slot. It gives priority entry at busy periods, and you should arrive at your booked time, not before. Galleries can close at short notice, so if there is one room you have come for, check it on the day.
For the Tower and the Abbey, buy ahead online. It is cheaper than at the gate, and you skip the queue.
On your arrival or departure day
A common plan is to fit the city in around a flight. It works, with one catch: luggage. The Tower of London does not allow suitcases, large bags or anything on wheels, and it has no left-luggage service. The British Museum refuses wheeled cases of any size, and bags over a set size. Both run a security check at the door.
If you will have your luggage with you, tell us when you book. For the run to or from Heathrow or another airport, our airport transfers can be booked alongside the tour. If you land in the morning after a night flight, the afternoon four-hour start is gentler than 07:00.
On foot and by Tube, or with a driver-guide
London's centre is well served by the Underground, buses and a lot of walking, and many visitors see these sights that way. If you have several days, that is a sensible way to do it.
What a private car changes is the time between the stops. You are collected at the door and dropped back there, or anywhere else in central London. The congestion charge, fuel and parking are covered. Your guide knows which queues are worth joining on the day, and the route changes if you want it to. It suits a first day, when you want your bearings, or a group with someone who cannot walk far. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
- It suits a first visit, a family or a small group, and anyone who wants the big landmarks in one go.
- Think twice if you already know London well. The landmarks here are the classic set. Our photography walk or a day out to Windsor may be the better use of your time.
- Think twice about Sunday if Westminster Abbey is the reason you came.
For the other ways to spend a day from London, see our guide to day trips from London.
Questions people ask
Can we see the Changing of the Guard and still do everything else?
Yes, on the eight-hour tour. The ceremony takes about 45 minutes from 11:00, and your guide moves the other stops around it. If it rains, it may be cancelled on the day.
Do we need to book the British Museum?
You do not have to, but the museum recommends a free timed ticket, and it helps at busy times.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. The details are on our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Fix the day of the week first, then the length, then the tickets you actually want. Everything else, from the hotel door to the drop-off, is on the private tour of central London page, where you choose four or eight hours and the size of your group.
