Some doors don’t stay open for long

For most of the year, Buckingham Palace is exactly as people imagine it. The gates remain closed, the State Rooms continue their royal duties behind the scenes, and millions pass by wondering what lies beyond them. 

Then, for a few weeks each summer, the doors open. 

This summer, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors until 27 September 2026, offering a rare opportunity to step inside one of the world’s most famous working palaces. 

Walk the Grand Staircase and explore the magnificent State Rooms used by The King for ceremonial occasions and official entertaining. There is even more to see this summer, following a major redisplay of the Palace’s Picture Gallery. Some 120 masterpieces from the Royal Collection are now on show, including works by Rubens, Caravaggio and Zoffany. 

And the experience doesn’t have to end at the Palace doors. 

Step into the Palace garden 

Book the State Rooms with a Garden Highlights Tour and you can explore parts of Buckingham Palace’s famous private garden too. Hidden behind the Palace walls is a remarkable green space with more than 200 trees, over 350 types of wildflower and a three-acre lake. 

The guided walk takes in the Herbaceous Border, Rose Garden and summer house, as well as the enormous Waterloo Vase and the Palace tennis court, where King George VI once played Fred Perry. 

It is a side of Buckingham Palace that even those who have lived in London for years may never have seen. 

A royal neighbour 

From The Athenaeum, your visit begins with one of London’s loveliest walks. 

Green Park is directly opposite the hotel. Step outside, cross Piccadilly and wander beneath the trees, with Buckingham Palace gradually coming into view. In less than ten minutes, you can be standing at the gates. 

No tube. No taxis. Just a stroll through one of London’s Royal Parks. 

Afterwards, take the same route back to Mayfair. Settle onto our terrace for a glass of English sparkling wine or join us at 116 for lunch or dinner, where our new seasonal menu celebrates British produce, from Cornish seafood and Dorset crab to ingredients sourced across southern England. 

There is something rather fitting about the two experiences sitting so close together. One celebrates Britain’s royal history. The other celebrates the landscapes, producers and seasons shaping British cooking today. 

Plan your visit 

The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open until 27 September 2026, with advance booking recommended as tickets are subject to availability. 

For an even closer look behind the Palace walls, the State Rooms and Garden Highlights Tour is also available until 27 September 2026. 

Tickets can be booked directly through the Royal Collection Trust, or our Concierge team would be delighted to arrange tickets for you, leaving you to simply step outside, cross Green Park and enjoy the experience. 

And when Buckingham Palace is less than a ten-minute walk through Green Park from your room, this is one London summer tradition that is particularly difficult to resist.