How to Turn Your Fascination With the Royals Into an Unforgettable Vacation

Perhaps the most famous of the Queen's palaces, Elizabeth's London home base, Buckingham Palace, is known for its majestic location at the base of a wide boulevard called The Mall. It's where the changing of the guard occurs daily at 11.30 a.m., a good free show for anyone who doesn’t want to actually enter the palace.

The palace, which contains apartments for the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, as well as a number of staff offices, is breathtaking to just admire from the outside. You'll see the balcony where royals have waved at major events over the years; it's where Will and Kate shared a memorable kiss on the day of their wedding.