Buckingham Palace’s traditional summer season will see more of the famous landmark opened up to visitors than ever before.

In 2024, the East Wing was available to tour for the first time ever and it proved so successful that it will be open again in 2025, this time with additions.

Just as before, visitors on that tour will go into the Centre Room where the Royal Family gather to walk on to the Buckingham Palace balcony. There’s a chance to peer through the net curtains at the Victoria Memorial and get a glimpse of the view awaiting the King and Queen for ba

Anyone paying for a special East Wing Tour will get the chance to enter the Palace through its famous front gates and approach the building through the Forecourt, just as official visitors do.

And there are plenty of opportunities to make like a royal. As well as East Wing Highlights Tours being available as an add on to tickets for the summer opening season, there’s an East Wing Guided visit available in the winter months. Both tours cost £90 per person.

Between January and May, new guided tours will take visitors around the East Wing although they won’t be able to access the State Rooms which are only available to tour during the summer season which in 2025 runs from July 10th until September 28th.

There are also special Gardens Highlights Tours available in 2025 during the summer opening.

There’s another royal first for 2025 as St. James’ Palace opens up for a limited number of tours at weekends. Among the highlights will be a chance to see inside the Chapel Royal where Queen Victoria married Prince Albert and where royal christenings, including those of Prince George and Prince Louis, have taken place.

Windsor Castle and Holyroodhouse Palace are open through the year for visits but in 2025, another new scheme will open at those two famous royal homes. Both will offer tickets for £1 per person to those in receipt of some benefits, including Universal Credit. The £1 scheme will run between January 1st and April 4th 2025 initially.

Visits to the royal homes are managed by the Royal Collections Trust and tickets for Buckingham Palace’s summer opening will be available on their website from November 5th 2024.