London: Black Cab Westminster & Royal Palaces Tour 2-6 Hours
Big Ben & Buckingham Palace from the Back of a London Black Cab
You get a private cab with an accredited London driver who knows the timing of ceremonies and the history behind each palace and parliament building. The tour includes hotel pickup, and you choose your length: two hours hits the main Westminster sights, four hours adds the royal residences and parks, six hours covers everything from the Thames to Kensington. You avoid the tour bus crowds and the confusion of planning your own route.
Options for this experience
3 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Private London Highlights Tour
- See Buckingham Palace and Changing Guard
- Visit Westminster Abbey and learn history
- Watch Horse Guards Parade ceremony
- View Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
- Drive past 10 Downing Street
- Stop at Clarence House
- Stop at St. James's Palace
- Stop at Kensington Palace
- Stop at Princess Diana's ancestral home
- Drive by Admiralty Arch and Whitehall Palace
- Drive by River Thames and London Eye
- Drive by Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column
- Drive by Piccadilly Circus and National Gallery
- Drive by Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Drive by Royal Albert Hall and Albert Memorial
- Drive by Diana Memorial Fountain and Queen Victoria Memorial
- Buckingham Palace 10m
- Westminster 10m
- Changing of the Guard 15m
- Big Ben 10m
- Houses of Parliament 10m
- Downing Street passing by
- Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall 5m
- Palace of Westminster 10m
- Admiralty Arch passing by
- Clarence House 10m
- River Thames passing by
- Lambeth Palace passing by
- St. James's 10m
- Hyde Park passing by
- Diana Memorial Fountain passing by
- Royal Albert Hall passing by
- Kensington Palace 5m
- Spencer House 5m
- Winston Churchill Statue passing by
- London Eye passing by
- Parliament Square passing by
- Westminster Cathedral passing by
- Banqueting House passing by
- Trafalgar Square passing by
- Methodist Central Hall Westminster passing by
- Piccadilly Circus passing by
- Nelson's Column passing by
- National Gallery passing by
- Kensington Gardens passing by
- Albert Memorial passing by
- Queen Victoria Memorial passing by
What’s included
Your tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Central London, private transportation in a London black cab, an accredited English-speaking driver-guide providing running commentary with stops at major landmarks, and the flexibility to choose between 2, 4, or 6 hours depending on how many sights you want to cover. Specialized infant seats are available if needed.
- Monday to Saturday 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
- Sunday 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00
Information
Private London black cab tour of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. 2, 4 or 6-hour options with driver-guide and hotel pickup.
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The experience
The Changing of the Guard happens on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. If you time it right, you'll see the ceremonial shift at Buckingham Palace from inside the cab, no standing around required. Your accredited driver-guide narrates as you move through Westminster, pointing out the Houses of Parliament where Big Ben's chimes have marked time since 1859, then past the black door of 10 Downing Street, where you can't get out but the driver explains what's happened inside those walls. You choose between two, four, or six hours depending on how deep you want to go: the longer routes loop through Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, the Diana Memorial Fountain, and down to the River Thames.
The cab itself is part of the thing. You're in an actual London black cab, not a bus or a van, which means you move through the city at street level and stop where a regular taxi stops. The driver knows the timing of the Changing of the Guard and can adjust the route if you want to catch it, or skip it if you'd rather spend the time at Parliament Square or Trafalgar Square. Westminster Abbey gets a stop: over a thousand years of coronations and royal burials, and the driver walks you through the Gothic architecture and the names you'd recognize. Clarence House, St. James's Palace, Lambeth Palace. Each one has a story the guide delivers while you're parked or moving past.
Hotel pickup from Central London is included, which saves the negotiation of finding the right cab rank or the confusion of the Tube when you're jet-lagged. The cab fits up to five passengers comfortably, and it's wheelchair accessible if you need that. Children sit on laps or in specialized infant seats. The route covers all the landmarks (Piccadilly Circus, the National Gallery, Kensington Gardens, the Royal Albert Hall, the Albert Memorial), but because you're in a cab and not herded with forty other people, you actually see them instead of just passing them. The running commentary from the driver means you're not guessing what you're looking at.
Top questions
Can I be picked up at my hotel?
You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. When you book, you choose your hotel from 302 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you can type in your address.
What's the difference between the 2, 4, and 6-hour tours?
The 2-hour tour covers Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, and Downing Street. The 4-hour option adds Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, and the Diana Memorial Fountain. The 6-hour tour includes all landmarks plus the River Thames, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and the National Gallery.
Can I see the Changing of the Guard?
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace happens Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. On other days, you'll see the Horse Guards Parade ceremony on Whitehall. The driver can time the route to catch it, but timing depends on weather and official schedules.
Can I bring children or a baby?
Yes. Infants can sit on an adult's lap, or specialized infant seats are available. Children are welcome, and the cab is comfortable for families.
Is the cab wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the transportation is wheelchair accessible, and all areas and surfaces covered on the tour are accessible.
What language is the tour in?
The driver-guide speaks English and provides a running commentary throughout the tour.
Can the driver stop for photos?
Yes, the tour includes stops for stand-up presentations at key landmarks, giving you time to photograph and ask questions.
What type of cab will I be in?
You'll travel in a TXE, TX4, or Mercedes Vito London taxi, typically in black but may be other colors depending on availability.
Operated by Black Cab Heritage Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
London: Black Cab Westminster & Royal Palaces Tour 2-6 Hours
EN
from £ 315 per group
≈ US$ 424 in your currency
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