Landmark
Banqueting House
en:User:ChrisO · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Some booking links are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We never let this influence which places we recommend.
The Banqueting House is a historic building on Whitehall, all that remains of the vast Palace of Whitehall after a fire in 1698. Designed by Inigo Jones in the Palladian style, it was completed in 1622. Visitors enter the grand single hall, where the stunning ceiling, painted by Rubens and installed in 1636, depicts the apotheosis of James I. The hall was the scene of Charles I's execution in 1649. Today, it is a tranquil space to admire the art and architecture, with audio guides available to explain the history.
Don't miss
- Rubens ceiling: nine canvases celebrating the Stuart monarchy
- Inigo Jones's Palladian architecture, a radical departure from Tudor styles
- The spot where Charles I stepped to his execution in 1649
Tickets & tours
Ways to visit Banqueting House
You can see Banqueting House on your own. A tour is worth it for the story behind it, for transport, or for combining nearby sights into one day.
Cheapest way inChanging of the Guard Walking Tour in London at Buckingham Palace4.9★ · 1,040 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$19 per personSee dates →
Most bookedLondon Small Group Tour of Historical Pubs5★ · 11,326 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$40 per personSee dates →
Private & flexibleWartime London Exclusive Walking Tour & Churchill War rooms Entry5★ · 83 travelers2-3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$139 per personSee dates →More attractions in London
