Travel: Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace – my oh my, it is the best sight to see in London. Even if you’re not hugely into the Royal Family, the architecture, the history, and the stories you’ll hear on the self guided tour are worth it.

Bryce and I watch The Crown, and Victoria on PBS – so visiting Buckingham Palace State Rooms is just too cool. When the building was built there obviously wasn’t electricity – yet you can see the conduit added after. It’s cleverly covered in the same wallpaper as the wall so it fits in seamlessly. It’s the little things like this we so enjoyed.

Oh, and you certainly can’t take any photos inside – so here are a few from the outside. Let the tour begin!

Buckingham Palace

First, be sure you book your tickets ahead of time – I’d say at least 2-3 weeks ahead if you’re not too flexible on when you want to visit. Also, it’s my understanding you can only visit in the summer when the Queen is on break. Mid July to the end of September. Your tour will be of the State Rooms – think halls, formal dining rooms, and galleries.

For some reason – probably excitement – I couldn’t multi-task on this tour. Meaning, I couldn’t look around and listen at the same time. Bryce thought it was the funniest thing.

The added bonus, the exhibit on our tour was all about Victoria. They even had a fashion display – it was breathtaking.

The tour will take you about 90 minutes – then once you’re out in the back garden you can take pictures.

Be sure to make you way around to the front – you do get to see it from inside, of course, but there is something about the building’s ‘new’ front.

We visited on our last morning in London – the perfect way to end-cap our trip. The tour was special to me – like touching history, walking where generations of royals have walked, and simply feeling the specialness of it all. Perhaps that’s silly, yet think about what’s important to you – walking on the filed where your team scored the winning touchdown, or seeing the movie set from your favourite film – I’m sure you get it in one way or another. I just didn’t know or expect it to feel that way.