Ultimate Guide to Summer Picnics at Buckingham Palace

Discover the Buckingham Palace Garden

If you’ve ever fancied checking out the garden at Buckingham Palace in England, or enjoy the prospect of having a picnic in it, you can utilize this opportunity this year.

Self-Guided and Guided Tours

The grounds of Queen Elizabeth’s official London residence can be explored through self-guided tours for the first time. Moreover, visitors can still participate in official guided tours. The current landscape of the historic 39-acre garden dates back to the 1820s when George IV transformed Buckingham House into a palace. Despite its urban location, the garden is home to a remarkable array of flora and fauna, including rare native plants seldom seen in London.

The gardens at Buckingham Palace in London
There is a 3.5-acre lake at Buckingham Palace © Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021. Photographer John Campbell

Biodiversity and Highlights

The garden serves as a rich biodiverse habitat, featuring more than 1000 trees and 320 different wildflowers and grasses. Notable features include:

  • The Rose Garden
  • Summer house
  • Wildflower meadow

Visitors will be free to explore a route through the garden that encompasses the 156-metre Herbaceous Border, plane trees planted by and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and views of the island and its beehives across the 3.5-acre lake. Consequently, the unique opportunity to enjoy a picnic on one of the sweeping lawns will enhance your visit.

Buckingham Palace Garden 3.jpg
The gardens at Buckingham Palace can be explored this summer © Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021. Photographer John Campbell

Guided Tours Schedule

On weekends in April and May, garden enthusiasts can enjoy the tranquillity of the garden and discover its history and highlights by joining a guided tour. Visitors will experience the garden in springtime, with its meadows carpeted with primroses and bluebells, alongside flowering camellia, magnolia, and azalea shrubs and trees. From May to September, special guided tours will be available, and from July, access to the garden will be included in these visits.

Guided Tours at Buckingham Palace Garden will run on weekends from 17 April to 16 May 2021 with tickets priced at £21.50 ($29.47) for adults. Furthermore, Buckingham Palace Spring Guided Tours will operate on Fridays and weekends from 21 May to 20 June 2021, priced at £47.50 ($65.11) for adults. The Garden at Buckingham Palace will be open from 9 July to 19 September, with tickets available at £16.50 ($22.62) for adults.

Highlights Guided Tours should be arranged alongside the main ticket, priced at £6.50 ($8.91) for adults. The State Rooms and Garden at Buckingham Palace will be open from 10 July to 19 September 2021, with entry tickets priced at £60 ($82.24) for adults. For further details visit the Royal Collection Trust website.

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