Most people only see the front of the building, so the part worth planning is what lies inside Buckingham Palace: the State Rooms, a staircase of 47 steps and a long walk back through the garden. This page is a Buckingham Palace map for that visit, followed by the order I would take things in and a note on each area. Inside is only open in summer, and the entry options are on my tickets for Buckingham Palace page, so read that first if you have not booked.
Buckingham Palace Map: Entrances, Stations and Sights Around It
The map below shows the palace and the stations and landmarks around it, from Google Maps data.
Westminster Hall · Nearby sight · about 19 min walk
St. Stephen's Hall · Nearby sight · about 19 min walk
Richmond House · Nearby sight · about 19 min walk
The nearest stations in my data are Green Park, about 10 minutes on foot, St. James’s Park, also about 10, and Victoria at about 11 minutes. Hyde Park Corner is about 12 minutes away. Those times are my estimates, from straight-line distance multiplied by 1.3 at 4.8 km/h. Trafalgar Square is around 20 minutes on foot, and Big Ben about 19. Google Maps gives the address as London SW1A 1AA.
For visitors on the State Rooms route, the Royal Collection Trust says the main visitor entrance is the Ambassadors’ Entrance, per its mobility access page. Visitors who need step-free access use a different entrance at the front of the palace. Coaches pick people up after they leave, on Grosvenor Place.
I looked for an official floor plan of the State Rooms and found none on rct.uk. The official site has a map and directions tab for getting to the palace, and the Buckingham Palace page is where it sits. I am not linking an unofficial plan, because I cannot verify it. The order below is my own reading of the official room descriptions, and the free multimedia guide leads you through the rooms in the order the palace sets on the day.
The Route I Would Follow Inside Buckingham Palace
This is how I would use the visit if I wanted to see the main rooms and still have energy for the garden. For what to see inside Buckingham Palace, I have left out times because neither the official site nor the listings give a time for each stop. The whole visit is given as approximately 2 to 3 hours.
My route inside Buckingham Palace
1Entrance and securityAmbassadors' Entrance for most visitors
2Grand Staircase47 steps up to the State Rooms
3Green Drawing RoomSilk walls and a coronation portrait
4Throne RoomThe thrones and the state portraits
5Picture GalleryPaintings from the Royal Collection
6BallroomThe largest of the State Rooms
7West Terrace and Palace GardenGravel path of about half a mile out
Entrance and Security
Everyone going inside Buckingham Palace starts at the Ambassadors’ Entrance unless they have booked step-free access. The Royal Collection Trust lists three sets of steps there, two up, then six up, then three down, and four more from the Quadrangle into the Grand Entrance. Bring as little as you can, because the practical information page on rct.uk is the place to check what is allowed in. If your ticket has a time slot, the opening hours are in my Buckingham Palace opening hours guide.
The Grand Staircase
Inside Buckingham Palace, the staircase is the first thing that makes visitors stop. The Royal Collection Trust says John Nash designed it with his experience of London theatres, to give a sense of excitement and expectation before the rooms that follow. Full-length portraits of Queen Victoria’s family hang on the upper part, including her grandparents George III and Queen Charlotte. There are 47 steps up to the State Rooms, with a permanent handrail on both sides.
The Green Drawing Room
This is the first of the State Rooms Nash designed for George IV, per the highlights page on rct.uk. Look for the green and gold silk on the walls: Queen Adelaide asked for it to be woven in Ireland to provide employment, and although the covering is replaced about every 30 years, it has stayed green. The official page also names Allan Ramsay’s Coronation portrait of George III and a green Sevres pot pourri vase bought by Madame de Pompadour in 1759. Wikipedia describes the room as a large anteroom to the Throne Room, on the ceremonial route from the Guard Room at the top of the Grand Staircase, per Wikipedia.
The Throne Room
The arch and canopy over the thrones was Nash’s masterpiece, shaped by his background in theatre set design, according to the Royal Collection Trust. The pair of Chairs of Estate were made for the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and were used again for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. You can also see the throne chairs made for George V and Queen Mary in 1911 and a single chair made for Queen Victoria in 1837. The official site says the new State Portraits of the King and Queen now hang here permanently.
The Picture Gallery
Of all the rooms inside Buckingham Palace, this is the one to slow down in. The Royal Collection Trust says 120 masterpieces are on display, among them Rubens, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Rembrandt and Zoffany, grouped by geography, period or subject. The paintings change regularly because the King lends works to exhibitions in the UK and overseas, so I would not plan around a single picture. The trust also notes seating in the Picture Gallery for a rest, and it is on the visitor route.
Vox City Walks
Buckingham Palace State Rooms Entry & Royal London Audio App
★4.6 (157 reviews)
2 hours
My pick: The plain State Rooms entry with an audio app: $51, 2 hours, 4.6 from 157 reviews, for walking this route at your own pace.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Buckingham Palace State Rooms entry ticket
✓ Buckingham Palace State Rooms audio guide in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Brazilian Portuguese
✓ Royal London’ audio guide app in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese
✓ Any applicable fees and taxes
Not included / not suitable
✕ Guided tour
✕ Headset and mobile device (for Royal London audio guide app)
Meeting point: Visitors can head directly to the Buckingham Palace Ticket Office, located at Buckingham Palace Road. Please arrive 15 minutes before your booked timeslot, and have your ticket downloaded and ready to show. GV25+G6X, London, UK
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: This activity is non-refundable
“It was a beautiful experience and very well put together on the audio speaker. I really enjoyed this and it was well worth the money. Don’t miss this one.” – GetYourGuide review
The Ballroom, one of the largest spaces inside Buckingham Palace, is the largest of the State Rooms. It was completed in 1855 under Queen Victoria and was first known as the Ball and Concert Room, with a musicians’ gallery and an organ, per the Royal Collection Trust. Today it holds investitures and State Banquets. I would give it a few minutes for the scale, then move on to the Blue Drawing Room if your route passes it, since the trust says it was used as a ballroom until the 1850s.
The Garden Walk Out
The end of the visit inside Buckingham Palace is outdoors. The garden covers 16 hectares, with a 150 metre herbaceous border, a summer house, a rose garden and the Waterloo Vase, per the official highlights page. The route down the Ministers’ Staircase has 41 steps, then ten more from the West Terrace into the garden, and the path out is hard gravel. The trust describes the walk as half a mile. Wear shoes you can walk in.
The garden is also where the optional Garden Highlights Tour takes place, which is a separate guided walk. If you want someone to explain the outside of the palace, my page on Buckingham Palace tours compares eight of them, and one of those with entry is below.
City Wonders Ltd. UK
Buckingham Palace Entry & Changing of the Guard Tour
★4.4 (3,000 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: A tour that puts the ceremony and State Rooms entry in one booking: $96, 2.5 hours, 4.4 from 3,000 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert English-speaking guide for the Changing of the Guard walking tour
✓ Prime viewing of the Changing of the Foot Guards (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun) or Horse Guards (Tue/Thu/Sat), subject to the official schedule
✓ Pre-reserved entry to Buckingham Palace State Rooms
✓ Official Buckingham Palace audio guide (available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Brazilian Portuguese)
✓ Insider commentary on Britain's royal history and traditions
✓ Free time to explore Buckingham Palace at your own pace
Not included / not suitable
✕ Gratuities (optional)
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting point: Meet by the Duke of York column on Waterloo Place, 9 Carlton Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ. It's a tall column with a statue on top. Guides will have a City Wonders sign with the name of the tour at the meeting point for easy recognition.
Directions: Take the Underground to Piccadilly Circus. Take exit 3 to Regent Street/St James. Walk south down Regent Street towards St. James Park (do not walk towards Oxford Street). Waterloo Place is at the end of Regent Street. Alternatively, take the Underground to Charing Cross Station, and walk down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace. The statue is at the top of the stairs to your right after the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). Please note the meeting place is not at Buckingham Palace. (GPS Coordinates: 51.5063159, -0.1317662000000155) St. James's, London SW1Y 5AJ, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Our guide, Marilyn, was terrific. Knowledgeable and personable. My only disappointment was being unable to view the changing of the guard due to the thousands of visitors. (This tour was advertised as getting a favorable view.)” – GetYourGuide review
Getting Around Inside Buckingham Palace: Access and Rules
The palace is accessible, but step-free access must be pre-booked, per the Royal Collection Trust. There are two lifts inside Buckingham Palace, and manual wheelchairs and rollators can be borrowed if booked in advance. A free access companion ticket is offered. Most rooms are carpeted and some have polished wooden floors, and the trust warns that floors and surfaces may be uneven. If you need step-free exit through the garden, ask a team member whether buggy transport is available.
Guiding is not allowed inside Buckingham Palace, so no live guide walks the rooms with you. Visitors use a free multimedia guide, available in nine languages, per the trust. I find that helpful for the route above, because the guide does the pacing. The story of who built and lived in the rooms is on my Buckingham Palace history page, and when you are ready to book, compare every option on my Buckingham Palace tickets page. The home page lists the other attractions I cover.
Frequently asked questions
What can you see inside Buckingham Palace?+
On the summer opening you walk through the State Rooms, the public rooms where the monarch receives guests on state and ceremonial occasions, then out through the Palace Garden. The Royal Collection Trust names the Grand Staircase, Green Drawing Room, Throne Room, Picture Gallery, Blue Drawing Room and Ballroom among the highlights.
Is there an official Buckingham Palace map?+
I could not find an official floor plan of the State Rooms on rct.uk, so I have not linked one. The Royal Collection Trust does have a map and directions tab on its Buckingham Palace page for finding the palace, and visitors get a free multimedia guide in nine languages inside.
How long do you need inside Buckingham Palace?+
The Royal Collection Trust says a visit lasts approximately 2 to 3 hours. The listings I compared give 2 hours for the plain entry ticket and 2.5 to 3 hours for the walking tours that include entry.
Is Buckingham Palace step-free?+
Only on request. The Royal Collection Trust says the palace is accessible but step-free access must be pre-booked with its Specialist Sales team, and that step-free visitors use a different entrance at the front. The standard route has 47 steps on the Grand Staircase and 41 steps down the Ministers' Staircase.
Can you take photos inside Buckingham Palace?+
No. The Royal Collection Trust says photography and filming are not permitted inside the palace. Check the practical information page on rct.uk before you go, because the rules cover bags and other items too.
