Buckingham Palace and Vintage Bus Tour of London

London sightseeing rarely gets more classic than this: a 1960s red Routemaster, a boat on the Thames, and Buckingham Palace in one long morning-and-afternoon outing. You get a quick look at Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and the London Eye without having to plan several separate tickets.

I like the mix of three useful viewpoints: high from the bus, low from the river, and close up inside the royal palace. I also like the early start, which can help you see central London before the streets fill up. The catch is the timetable. The morning sightseeing ends well before your 2:30 pm palace entry, leaving a few hours to fill on your own.

Key points to know before booking

• Vintage Routemaster views: Ride an open-top classic bus through central London, weather permitting.
• Thames cruise included: A 30-minute boat trip adds views of Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the London Eye.
• Buckingham Palace State Rooms: Enter independently at the booked 2:30 pm time with an audio guide.
• Early start: Meet at Victoria Coach Station at 7:45 am, useful for seeing major sights before the busiest part of the day.
• Long midday gap: The morning tour and palace visit are separate parts of the day, not one continuous five-and-a-half-hour program.
• Guide quality varies: Guides named in past departures include Alan, Nick, Kevin, Mark, and Peter, but the person leading your group will depend on the date.

A classic London day, with one awkward pause

At $59, this tour gives you a lot of London in one package. You are paying for the bus tour, the Thames cruise, palace admission, a local guide, and the convenience of having the main route arranged for you.

I especially like it for a first visit or a short stay. If you have only two full days in London, the tour gives you a fast introduction to the city’s central sights and saves you from working out how to connect them all. The palace visit also has real seasonal value because the State Rooms open to the public for only about three months each year.

The main weakness is the schedule. The bus, river cruise, and palace are not joined in a tight, continuous chain. You will have several hours between the morning portion and the booked palace entrance, so you need a plan for lunch and extra sightseeing.

Starting at Victoria Coach Station at 7:45 am

You make your own way to Victoria Coach Station, 164 Buckingham Palace Road. The stated meeting point has caused some early-morning confusion, since the tour instructions have directed people to the wrong bay on occasion. Allow extra time to find the correct departure area, and ask station staff if needed.

The early hour is both a benefit and a burden. You must be ready to go before most sightseeing days have properly started, but the quieter roads can help the bus cover more ground. One particularly useful feature is the chance to reach Buckingham Palace in time for the Changing of the Guard on suitable days. Traffic can ruin that plan for ordinary tour groups, but an early departure gives you a better shot.

Bring a mobile ticket and dress for changeable weather. The bus is normally open top, and London rain can arrive without much warning. On rare occasions, the operator may replace it with a closed-top bus.

Seeing central London from a Routemaster

The vintage bus is not just transport. It is part of the appeal. A classic red Routemaster fits the city better than a modern coach and gives you the familiar London view from the upper deck.

You ride through the center and pass several of the city’s most recognizable places. Trafalgar Square brings Nelson’s Column, fountains, and a broad view toward Whitehall. The guide fills the ride with short stories, practical context, and facts about the buildings you pass.

The bus portion works best as an orientation tour. You will not receive a full visit to every attraction. Instead, you get a useful sense of where the main sights sit in relation to one another. That matters in London, where a map can make nearby landmarks look farther apart than they really are.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are among the key views. Big Ben is the bell inside the Elizabeth Tower, while the wider Palace of Westminster contains the House of Commons and House of Lords. The route also includes a photo stop outside Westminster Abbey, with about 15 minutes there. Admission to the abbey is not included, so think of this as a chance for exterior photographs and a quick look at the building rather than a formal visit.

You may spend part of the ride on the open upper deck, but seating and views can depend on the traffic, weather, and the group. Keep your camera ready, yet listen closely too. London streets can pass quickly, and the guide’s explanation is often what turns a passing building into something memorable.

Westminster Abbey and the royal procession

Westminster Abbey is one of the tour’s important outside stops. Its Gothic exterior gives you a strong sense of the ceremonial center of Britain, but the 15-minute pause is brief. If you want to see the interior, you will need another visit on your own.

The Buckingham Palace timing can add a bit of royal ceremony to the day. Some departures have reached the area in time to see the Changing of the Guard, with its military procession and formal movements. This is not the same as a guaranteed reserved event, so do not book the tour solely for that spectacle. Treat it as a valuable bonus when the day’s timing works.

The guide usually walks you toward the palace entrance and explains what to do next. Once you reach the entrance, the guided portion ends. Guides are not permitted to accompany you inside the State Rooms.

Thirty minutes on the Thames

The river cruise changes the pace. After the road traffic and quick stops, you step onto a sightseeing boat for about 30 minutes. The ride is short, but it gives you a different sense of London.

From the Thames, you can photograph the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament from the water. The views toward St. Paul’s Cathedral are especially useful because Sir Christopher Wren’s great dome is easier to appreciate from a distance. The cruise also includes views of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

The itinerary describes the cruise as leaving from the Tower of London area. The Tower itself is famous for the Crown Jewels and the Beefeaters, but admission to that attraction is not part of this tour. You see the area from the route rather than touring the fortress.

A few practical points matter here. The cruise lasts only 30 minutes, so it is a scenic interlude, not a full river tour. Some parts can feel rushed, especially if you are trying to photograph every landmark. Still, I consider the boat a worthwhile part of the package because it shows the city from a side you cannot get from the bus.

One useful improvement would be more time near Tower Bridge. The boat provides views, but the tour does not include a dedicated walk across the bridge or a visit to the Tower of London. If those are priorities, plan to return later.

Entering Buckingham Palace at 2:30 pm

Your palace admission is booked for 2:30 pm. This is the centerpiece for many people, and rightly so. Buckingham Palace has been the official London home of Britain’s monarchs since the 19th century, and the State Rooms offer a look inside the ceremonial side of royal life.

You enter independently with your pre-booked ticket. An audio guide leads you through the rooms, so the pace becomes your own once you are inside. That arrangement has a clear advantage: you can spend more time with the rooms and objects that interest you instead of staying beside a group guide.

Expect lavish interiors, large chandeliers, fine furnishings, and treasures from the Royal Collection. The State Rooms are designed for formal receptions and official business, not everyday family life. The visit therefore feels more like a tour through Britain’s ceremonial rooms than a peek into a private home.

The palace visit is listed at about two hours. That gives you time to take in the rooms without racing from one stop to the next. You finish at Buckingham Palace and can continue around London independently.

There are strict rules inside. You cannot eat or drink in the State Rooms. Photography, video recording, and filming are not allowed, including non-commercial use with wearable devices. Put your phone away and focus on the rooms themselves. The palace provides plenty to notice without trying to record every ceiling and chair.

The palace café and shop can make the visit last longer if you have time. A cup of tea, dessert, or a small royal souvenir can be a pleasant way to finish, but these extras are not included in the ticket price.

How the midday gap affects your day

The time between the morning route and palace entry is the issue you need to understand before paying. This is not a single uninterrupted five-and-a-half-hour circuit. You finish the morning sightseeing, then return for the palace at the fixed afternoon time.

That break can work well if you enjoy choosing your own lunch spot or want to add another London attraction. You might use it to rest, eat, walk through St. James’s Park, or explore more of Westminster and Victoria. The tour does not provide hotel pickup, drop-off, or a planned lunch during this gap.

It can also be inconvenient. If you have a timed afternoon plan, theatre ticket, restaurant reservation, or another tour, the palace entry may force you to cancel or rearrange it. Check your whole day before booking.

The fixed entry is also important for late arrivals. You should not assume you can simply enter the palace whenever you wish. The ticket is booked for 2:30 pm, and the morning schedule is built around reaching the palace area in time.

Guide style and group size

The maximum group size is 50 people. That is a fairly large group for walking and palace logistics, though the palace portion itself is audio guided and independent.

The human guide makes the biggest difference during the bus and river sections. The strongest departures have featured guides with humor, theatrical storytelling, and clear explanations. Nick has been praised for adding drama to London’s history, while Alan has been noted for witty commentary. Mark, described as a Scottish guide, and an Irish guide whose name was not remembered also received warm praise. Kevin was singled out for handling the large bus with confidence.

That does not mean every departure will have the same tone. At least one guide, Peter, was criticized for seeming unhappy and distracted. The lesson is simple: the tour format is solid, but the guide can shape your experience. A good guide turns traffic and passing streets into a lively introduction. A poor one makes the bus time feel like transport.

Is $59 good value?

For $59, I see good value if you want all three elements: a guided city overview, a river cruise, and Buckingham Palace admission. Buying each part separately could take more planning, and the palace ticket alone is the most valuable inclusion for many visitors.

The price is less attractive if you already plan to use public transport and visit only one or two of the sights. The bus tour does not include entry to Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, or St. Paul’s Cathedral. You see these places from outside, from the bus, or from the river.

Think of the tour as a London sampler with a major indoor visit, not a full attraction pass. You get orientation and atmosphere rather than long visits at every landmark. For a first-time visitor, that trade-off is often sensible. For someone who already knows central London, the palace ticket may be the main reason to book.

Physical effort and what to bring

You should have a moderate level of physical fitness. The day includes boarding and leaving a bus, moving through a coach station, walking between stops, getting onto a boat, and standing or walking around the palace.

Wear comfortable shoes. Bring a light rain layer even if the forecast looks promising, especially if you want to sit on the open upper deck. Keep your mobile ticket easy to access at the start and your palace entry details available for the afternoon.

Because there is a long break, carry only what you want with you for the full day. You can plan lunch independently, but do not count on hotel return or luggage storage as part of the outing.

Who should book this London tour?

I would recommend it to first-time visitors, couples or families with limited time, and anyone who wants a ready-made introduction to London without spending hours on transport planning. It is also a good choice if entering Buckingham Palace is high on your list and you are visiting during the State Rooms’ limited annual opening.

I would hesitate if you dislike early starts, fixed entry times, or gaps between tour sections. I would also choose another plan if you want full interior visits to Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, or St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The best way to use it is to treat the morning as your city orientation and the afternoon as a separate palace visit. Plan your midday break in advance, arrive early at Victoria Coach Station, and accept that the Thames cruise is a short scenic ride rather than a major attraction in itself.

Final verdict: book it for the palace and the broad London view

This is a useful, good-value introduction to London with a memorable transport theme. The vintage bus gives the day character, the Thames adds welcome variety, and Buckingham Palace supplies the one experience that is difficult to duplicate outside its short public season.

Book it if you want to cover a lot of ground quickly and can work around the 2:30 pm palace entry. Skip it if the long gap frustrates you or if you prefer slow, detailed visits inside individual attractions. For the right schedule, it is a practical way to get your bearings, see the royal sights, and finish the day inside one of London’s most famous buildings.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refundable.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

It starts at Victoria Coach Station, 164 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9TP.

What time should I arrive?

The stated start time is 7:45 am. Since the departure bay can be confusing, allow extra time to locate the correct bay.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. You must make your own way to the Victoria Coach Station meeting point, and hotel drop-off is not included.

What transport is included?

The tour includes a 1960s vintage bus, an open-top bus when conditions allow, and a Thames River cruise.

How long is the Thames cruise?

The included river cruise lasts about 30 minutes.

Is entry to Buckingham Palace included?

Yes. Admission to the Buckingham Palace State Rooms is included, with entry booked for 2:30 pm.

Does the guide enter Buckingham Palace with the group?

No. The guide walks you to the entrance, then you enter independently with your pre-booked ticket and use an audio guide inside.

Is Westminster Abbey admission included?

No. The tour includes a photo stop outside Westminster Abbey for about 15 minutes, but interior admission is not included.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience starts for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted or refunded.