When the State Rooms are open

Royal Collection Trust's Buckingham Palace page states the pattern simply: the State Rooms open to visitors each summer, and outside summer the Palace opens only on selected dates for exclusive guided tours. Its visit overview listed Buckingham Palace as "Open selected dates" when we checked on 12 October 2026.

For next year, the same page says "Tickets for summer 2027 will be released in November." It did not give the 2027 opening dates, hours or prices, so we have not stated them here. If you are planning a summer 2027 trip, the decision is simply when to look: check RCT's site from the start of November 2026, or sign up for its newsletter, and book once the dates appear.

The winter option: East Wing Exclusive Guided Tour

RCT's Buckingham Palace page describes these small-group tours as the only way to visit the Palace in the winter months (checked 12 October 2026):

  • Dates: 6 November 2026 to 31 January 2027.
  • Price: £100 per person.
  • Format: led by an expert guide, with a more in-depth look at the history of the Palace's East Wing.

RCT's public pages do not give the tour's length, group size, start times or child prices in a form we could verify, so check those on the booking screen before you pay. For two adults the tour costs £200. That is the main decision point: the tour is a premium, small-group experience, not a cheaper winter version of the summer visit.

Turning a ticket into a 1-Year Pass

RCT's 1-Year Pass page lets you convert a ticket bought directly from RCT into free re-admission for a year from your first visit. Sign and print your name on the ticket before you leave, and keep it.

Exclusive guided tour tickets can be converted too, but the pass then covers standard admission only, not a repeat tour. At Buckingham Palace, standard admission is the summer opening, so an East Wing ticket converted in winter could cover a State Rooms visit the following summer if it falls within a year of the tour. RCT also notes:

  • Tickets from tour operators or agents, complimentary tickets and £1 tickets cannot be converted.
  • Free re-admission may not be available on up to five days a year.
  • For timed-entry sites, including Buckingham Palace, entry at your preferred time is not guaranteed.
  • Booking a return visit by phone costs a £2 transaction fee; walk-ins need the signed pass and proof of signature, such as a passport or bank card.

Security, bags and photos

RCT's practical information page sets these rules (checked 12 October 2026):

  • Airport-style security for every visitor; empty metal objects from your pockets before the arch.
  • Bags larger than 45 × 20 × 30 cm cannot be taken into the Palace at all. Small bags must be carried at your side, not on your back.
  • For luggage, RCT points to storage nearby, including at Victoria Station.
  • No photography or filming of any kind inside the Palace.
  • During the October to May guided tours, no food or drink is sold at the Palace. The nearest public toilets are at Victoria Station.

Other royal visits to compare

If you want to see a royal interior during the winter, Windsor Castle is open Thursday to Monday, with adult tickets from £32 booked in advance. For a royal church in central London, see Westminster Abbey tickets and hours.