London: Buckingham Palace State Rooms with Bus and Boat Tour

Buckingham Palace plus a Thames cruise in one plan sounds fancy, but it’s practical. You get e-tickets with no printing stress and the chance to see the 19 State Rooms up close, plus the freedom of a hop-on hop-off bus. The catch is timing: if you only have a tight window for the bus, a combo ticket can feel like too much to do in one go.

What I like most is the mix of formats. Your Palace visit is self-guided with audio support, then you switch to a 24-hour open-top bus to pace yourself across central London, and finish with a one-way River Thames ride that lets you see landmarks from the water. Just know the boat is one-way only, so you will plan your day around that direction.

Key things to know before you go

• E-tickets work for the hop-on hop-off bus, so you do not need to print anything.
• Frequent departures help you avoid long waits, with buses running every 20 minutes on Red and Blue routes, and every 30 minutes on Orange.
• Buckingham Palace entry details use the King’s Gallery Entrance, and Golden Tours staff escort you for entry.
• Photography is banned inside the Palace, so plan to save your photos for outside and for the boat.
• The Thames cruise is one-way, running between Westminster and Tower Millennium Pier.
• Audio guides are included in multiple languages, which makes a self-guided Palace visit feel easier.

Entering Buckingham Palace through the King’s Gallery Entrance

Your Palace experience starts with a clear meeting point. To enter, you use the King’s Gallery Entrance, and Golden Tours staff escort you to the Palace entry area.

That escort matters more than it sounds. Buckingham Palace is popular, and walking around looking for the correct entrance costs time. With the staff help, you can move straight into the visitor flow and start your self-guided route.

Once inside, you follow a one-way system for safety. That means you cannot wander like you would in a normal museum. Instead, you move forward through the State Rooms and then onward to the Royal Gardens.

The self-guided State Rooms: what you actually see

The State Rooms are the main event, and the tour is self-guided. You explore the functioning royal palace areas known as the 19 State Rooms, which serve as administrative headquarters for the Royal Household.

You are not relying on a group pace. You can spend extra time where you want, and you can skip what does not grab you. Audio guides are included, so the rooms do not feel like a walk-by, even when you are exploring on your own.

Expect classic royal interior details. The rooms feature fine examples of French and English antique furniture and major works from the Royal Collection. You might encounter pieces connected to Rubens, Canaletto, and Rembrandt, plus sculpture by Canova and porcelain by Sèvres.

Quick practical point: your camera is not the boss inside. Photography is not permitted inside Buckingham Palace, so plan your phone use accordingly.

Rules that affect comfort: phones, pushchairs, and the one-way route

This is a must-know section, because these rules change how smooth your visit feels.

• Pushchairs are not permitted in the State Rooms. They must be checked in and reclaimed at the exit.
• Baby-carriers are available for loan.
• There is a one-way system along the visitor route for safety.
• Mobile phones are permitted in the Palace Garden, but phones must be switched off elsewhere on the visitor route.

Also note a real limitation for accessibility planning. If you need mobility access, you must book directly with Buckingham Palace. That means do not assume the combo ticket handles every access need.

If you are traveling with kids, the pushchair rule is the part to solve early. Arriving with a plan for where the stroller goes during the indoor rooms can save you stress at the entrance.

Royal Gardens: the quieter side of Buckingham Palace

After the State Rooms, you step into the Royal Gardens, which feel like a walled oasis in the middle of London. Your route includes strolling through spaces where you can spot birds and seasonal plant life.

The gardens are home to 30 different species of birds and over 350 different wildflowers. That blend of nature and royal property is one reason this stop earns repeat visits, even when you already know the Palace from photos.

There is also a practical viewing moment. As you walk toward the south side of the garden, you get views of the lake and the western facade of the Palace.

Phones are allowed in the garden, which is a nice relief after the inside no-photo rule. Use this outdoor time to grab your photos and reset your pace before you head into London on the bus.

Open-top bus for 24 hours: how to use it without getting stuck

After the Palace, you switch gears to a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket. You can board from any of the multiple signposted stops associated with the service, and the ticket is valid for unlimited usage from when you first hop on.

This format is ideal for people who want control. You can go from Big Ben to the London Eye area and then decide whether you want to keep going or slow down with a walk.

The bus also includes practical extras:

• Free Wi-Fi on board the open-top buses.
• Audio support is available on buses.
• There can be a live guide, depending on availability that day.
• There is no restroom on board the bus.
• No food is provided.

The no-restroom detail matters. In London, things can take longer than you plan. If you are timing your day tightly, you may want to use toilets before you commit to long bus stretches.

Picking your bus route: Blue, Red, and Orange

Your route choice shapes your day. You can use any of the routes available, and each route has a different emphasis.

Blue route and Red route: both cover main central London sights and include stops connected with London’s Museum Quarter. The difference is route pattern, so the best option depends on where you start and where you want to hop on and off.

Orange route: it passes Madame Tussauds and Kings Cross, plus Hyde Park and Regent’s Park. That can be a strong fit if you want more parks mixed into your sightseeing.

Departure frequency helps you choose confidently:

• Red and Blue: every 20 minutes from main tourist points.
• Orange: every 30 minutes.

In real terms, the more frequent routes give you more flexibility. If you hate waiting, Red or Blue often feels better. If your priorities are parks and Kings Cross, Orange can be worth the slightly longer gaps.

The Thames boat ride: what you gain from water views

The River Thames cruise is your second big visual payoff. Boats depart every 30 minutes from Westminster Pier to Tower Millennium Pier, or vice versa.

Your ticket is for one-way only, so you cannot assume you can hop off at the far end and cruise right back. Plan your direction like part of your route, not like a random add-on.

The cruise includes panoramic views of iconic landmarks, and it runs along a section that keeps big-name sights in view as you move toward the next stop. You also get onboard narration using an audio guide.

If you want maximum impact, timing matters. A late-day or evening ride often turns landmark seeing into photo seeing. There’s a reason people tend to prefer the boat when the sky softens, and the schedule is frequent enough that you can usually choose a time that works for your bus plan.

Time management: fitting Palace, bus, and a one-way cruise

This combo can work beautifully, but only if you treat it like a system.

Buckingham Palace and the Royal Gardens are the anchor. You then use the 24-hour bus to connect major landmarks, and you finish with the Thames one-way ride. If you try to do everything at once, you risk losing the best parts to rushing.

A realistic approach:

1. Do Buckingham Palace first, while you are still fresh and before your legs get too tired from London sidewalks.
2. Use the bus for the big sightseeing clusters, then hop off when you want to walk for a bit.
3. Save the boat for a time when you can actually enjoy the view, not just pass time between stops.

If you only want a few bus stops, you can still use the bus ticket lightly. Just do not plan to do every major landmark in one go, because the boat direction locks your finish line.

Value and pricing: does $101 make sense for what you get?

At about $101 per person, this is priced like a convenience bundle: Palace entry plus a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus plus a one-way Thames cruise.

Here is why it can be good value:

• Buckingham Palace entry is the heavyweight cost in most London add-ons.
• The bus ticket gives you flexibility to see multiple landmarks without paying for separate point-to-point transport.
• The Thames boat ride adds a different perspective you usually cannot replicate on foot.

It may feel less worth it if you know you will not use the bus much. The 24-hour validity is only valuable if you actually hop on more than once. If you are more of a sit-and-walk person, you might decide you prefer separate tickets that match your pace.

So, I see this as best for people who want an all-in-one plan and can handle light self-management.

Who this tour fits best in your London plan

This combo is a smart fit if you:

• Want the big-ticket Palace experience plus an easy way to connect major sights.
• Like flexible sightseeing, not a strict hour-by-hour group schedule.
• Prefer self-guided time inside the Palace, with audio support doing the heavy lifting.

It may be less ideal if you:

• Have a very limited time window and plan to use only one or two bus stops.
• Need mobility access accommodations beyond what standard visitor rules cover, since mobility access has you booking directly with Buckingham Palace.

Should you book Buckingham Palace State Rooms with bus and boat?

Book it if your ideal London day includes Palace first, then a hop-on hop-off bus loop to see the big landmarks, and a one-way Thames cruise for a change of pace and views.

Skip or split it if you know you will not use the bus much. In that case, the bundle can feel like you are paying for hours you will not spend. This is especially true when your schedule is tight and you prefer to keep things simple.

If you do book, I would plan your day around the one-way boat direction and choose bus stops that match your Palace timing. Do that, and this combo can feel like a smooth way to see the heart of London without overthinking every move.

FAQ

Do I need to print my ticket for this experience?

No. E-tickets are accepted on all hop-on hop-off services included in this package, so you do not need to print anything.

Where do I enter Buckingham Palace?

You enter via the King’s Gallery Entrance. Golden Tours staff escort you to Buckingham Palace for entry.

Is the Thames boat ride a return trip?

No. The River Thames boat ride is one-way only. Boats run between Westminster Pier and Tower Millennium Pier, in either direction, but your ticket covers only one direction.

How often do the hop-on hop-off buses depart?

Buses depart every 20 minutes on the Red and Blue routes, and every 30 minutes on the Orange route. You can join from multiple signposted stops.

Are photos allowed inside Buckingham Palace?

No. Photography is not permitted inside Buckingham Palace.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible, and what about pushchairs?

The experience is wheelchair accessible, but clients that require mobility access must book directly with Buckingham Palace. Pushchairs are not permitted in the State Rooms and must be checked in and reclaimed at the exit, with baby-carriers available for loan.