London: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben & Westminster Abbey Entry

4.86

(468 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You know, the Queen’s corgis used to run right over there,” our guide Tom grinned, pointing across Green Park as we shuffled out from the tube. I’d barely had my coffee and already felt swept into some kind of living postcard — except it was all real people and traffic and pigeons. We wandered through the trees (it smelled like wet grass and diesel) and then suddenly there was Buckingham Palace, just sitting there behind those black railings. I didn’t expect to feel much but when the Changing of the Guard started — all that brass and boots on stone — I got goosebumps. Maybe it was the music or maybe just seeing everyone else so into it. Tom found us a spot where we could actually see their hats bobbing past; he knew exactly where to stand.

Trafalgar Square was next, all busy with red buses and people taking photos by the fountains. The lions looked smaller than I imagined but still kind of grand. We passed Horse Guards Parade too — a couple of soldiers barely flinched when a kid waved at them, which made me laugh. There’s something about London that feels both formal and totally chaotic at once. On Whitehall Tom told us about Downing Street (I tried peering through the gates but you can’t see much), and he kept tossing in these little facts about old prime ministers or scandals that made history feel less stiff.

Then Parliament Square — Big Ben chimed right as we walked up, which felt perfectly timed even if it wasn’t for us. The light caught on the gold bits at the top; I kept thinking about how many times I’d seen this view in movies but standing there is different. Our tickets for Westminster Abbey were already sorted so no queue (thank god). Inside was quieter than outside, almost chilly, with that old stone smell you only get in places with centuries of secrets. You get an audio guide so you can wander at your own pace — I lost track of time reading names on tombs and trying to imagine coronations happening here. Honestly, I still think about that hush under the arches.