Group visits and tours at the royal residences

Group offerings for 2025

Buckingham Palace

Throughout the summer months Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of His Majesty The King, opens its doors for visitors to explore the state rooms.

Highlights include the Picture Gallery, which displays some of the finest work in the Royal Collection. The Throne Room is where you can see the thrones made for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1953, which were reupholstered and used during the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The White Drawing Room and Ballroom should also be on the ‘must-see’ list.

The Garden Highlights tour explores the history of the garden and provides an opportunity for group visitors to discover the herbaceous border, the wisteria-clad summer house, rose garden and the palace tennis court, where King George VI and Fred Perry played in the 1930s. 

The itinerary allows time for groups to enjoy tea and cakes from the garden café and to visit the garden shop.

The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace

Since the 19th century, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace has been home to the royal collection of coaches and carriages, and has overseen all road travel arrangements for The King and members of the royal family, from horse-and-carriage to car and from livery to harness.

Group visits include opportunities to see the gold state coach used at every Coronation since William IV, the Diamond Jubilee state coach and the horses that draw the coaches and carriages. 

The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace

Located adjacent to Buckingham Palace in what was a private chapel for Queen Victoria, the King’s Gallery is open for groups to visit with exclusive after-hours access. Groups of 25 to 80 can book a visit which includes a 30-minute talk in English by an expert guide, a private view of the exhibition with a self-guided tour, and a glass of English sparkling wine at the end of the visit.

Exhibitions in 2025 are Drawing the Italian Renaissance, running until 9th March 2025, and The Edwardians: Age of Elegance, running from 11th April 2025 until 23rd November 2025. 

A Royal Day Out ticket offers admission to the state rooms, the King’s gallery and the royal mews. 

Windsor Castle

Groups can discover the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world when they visit Windsor Castle.

During a visit you can take a private tour of the castle’s state apartments with an expert guide who will take visitors on a journey through 1,000 years of royal history.

These include the grand reception room, St George’s Hall, and the grand Waterloo chamber, which holds 38 portraits celebrating the end of the Napoleonic wars at the Battle of Waterloo.

For groups, there is the opportunity to go behind the ropes and discover how William the Conqueror’s wooden castle was rebuilt by Edward III and how Charles II set out to rival his cousin Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles, while George IV filled the rooms with works of art and gave Windsor its famous skyline.

During the winter months, visitors can also explore the richly decorated Semi-State Rooms, which were George IV’s private apartments and are still used for official entertaining.

Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, the largest and most famous dolls’ house in the world, can also be seen at the castle and remains a highlight. The replica of an Edwardian townhouse has a fully stocked wine cellar, running water, working lifts, and is filled with thousands of objects made by leading artists, designers, craftspeople, and manufacturers of the 1920s.