Known all over the world as the home of Her Majesty the Queen, don’t miss this unique opportunity to visit the Buckingham Palace State Rooms when they open this summer. Stand back and marvel at the size of this world-famous royal palace which contains 775 rooms overall.

See for yourself the nineteen State Rooms which reflect the tastes and requests of King George IV, who commissioned the architect John Nash to transform what had previously been known as Buckingham House into the grand palace it is today.

Admire the greatest treasures in the Royal Collection, from paintings by Van Dyck and Canaletto to some of the best examples of Sèvres porcelain and English and French furniture in the world.

Many of the rooms that you will enter during your visit also have particular uses today. Admire the Throne Room and imagine what it was like on the 29 April 2011 when this room was used as the setting for the formal photographs following the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Step inside the Music Room and see for yourself where guests are presented to the Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and the visiting Head of State during State visits.

Perhaps the most impressive room of all is the White Drawing Room, which serves as a royal reception room for the Queen and members of the Royal Family to gather before official occasions.

Your visit ends in the garden where you can enjoy a delightful moment of refreshment and relaxation in the Garden Café on the Palace’s West Terrace with tea, coffee, sandwiches and pastries, specially created for Buckingham Palace, served throughout the day (not included in price of admission) before finishing your visit with a walk through the Palace Garden.

Upon booking you will receive an immediate confirmation of payment from VisitBritain Shop. You will then receive a separate email, also from VisitBritain Shop, within 1-3 working days confirming your date of visit.

Opening times

• 21 July–31 August 2018: 9.30am-7.30pm (last admission: 5.15pm)
• 1 September-30 September 2018: 9.30am-6.30pm (last admission: 4.15pm)

Suggested visit duration: 2hrs – 2.5 hrs. Entry is timed but you are free to visit at your own pace.

Entry to the State Rooms

• On arrival, you and your belongings will be subject to airport-style security checks. Some items such as large items of baggage, backpacks and pushchairs will have to be checked in and reclaimed at the end of your visit. Please arrive with as few bags and bulky items as possible.
• You can take photographs in the Palace Gardens at the end of your visit, but not within the State Rooms.

Accessibility information

• The State Rooms of Buckingham Palace are fully accessible and welcome visitors with different access requirements. Wheelchair access and step-free access are available, but must only be booked by contacting the venue directly.
• For safety reasons, pushchairs cannot be taken into the State Rooms. They must be checked in and collected at the exit from the State Rooms.

Buckingham Palace Summer Opening

To mark the 70th birthday of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales this year, visitors to the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will enjoy a special display featuring a number of works of art personally selected by His Royal Highness. Having grown up surrounded by the Royal Collection, The Prince of Wales has enjoyed a life-long passion for art and, as Chairman of The Royal Collection Trust and Patron of several arts charities, has promoted the creation and understanding of art worldwide.  

In the exhibition Prince and Patron within the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, a selection of The Prince's favourite works of art from the Royal Collection will be shown alongside works created by young artists supported by three of His Royal Highness's charities – The Royal Drawing School, The Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts and Turquoise Mountain. These charities were founded by The Prince of Wales to encourage the revival of dying arts and to maintain traditional skills for the benefit of artists and communities across the world.