See London By Night Bus Tour

The Queen's Gallery was built in the shell of the former Holyrood Free Church and Duchess of Gordon’s School at the entrance to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The buildings were constructed in the 1840s with funds from the Duchess of Gordon, but fell into disuse in the late 19th century. Benjamin Tindall Architects were appointed project architects for the new Queen’s Gallery in October 1999. Their central visual theme was a celebration of The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, expressed through a series of arches and screens that lead visitors from the Gallery entrance to the exhibition spaces beyond. Their design complements the original 19th-century architecture, elements of which were incorporated into the new spaces. Unsympathetic later internal alterations were removed, and a new exposed steel and concrete floor inserted to reflect the original ‘gallery’ of the Church.   A new stone arched entrance was created at the centre of the Horse Wynd frontage, opposite the new Scottish Parliament building. The use of a stone archway, with a courtyard beyond, is a traditional entrance device in Scottish architecture. The main walling is of Catcastle stone, the dressed work and lettering is of Stainton stone and the base is of Kenmay granite. ‘THE QUEEN’S GALLERY’ lettering above the entrance is the work of John Neilson, a calligrapher and carver. The letters were cut from single pieces of stone. Above sits Scotland’s heraldic lion, designed by Jill Watson. The lion sedant is based on a small red lion that sits at the feet of Mary, Queen of Scots on her tomb in Westminster Abbey. (The Palace of Holyroodhouse was once home to Mary, Queen of Scots.)   The monumental entrance doors of oak have gilded bronze hinges by Jill Watson. Continuing the heraldic theme, the main hinges are decorated with the Scottish lion and unicorn. The beasts are set against the adjacent urban scene of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and the rural scene of Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags. The upper hinges are made as golden boughs of flowering native trees – chestnut and laburnum, oak, rowan and hawthorn. The stone archway is decorated with a carved and gilded garland of Scottish flowers, including daisies and thistles, created by Graciela Ainsworth, an Edinburgh-based sculptor, carver and conservator. Over the old entrance to the former church is a stained-glass window by Christian Shaw.  The design shows a perspective drawing of the interior of a gallery. At night, the shape of the archway is reflected by the glass lights by Keiko Mukaide set into the paving. The artist has given the tiles a water flow pattern, mirroring the stream of visitors walking in and out of the Gallery. Inside, the reception desk by Hamid van Koten is made from curved pieces of Scottish elm with kilned glass and patinated copper. The pendant lights were designed and made in Edinburgh by Ingrid Phillips. Dividing the reception from the main Gallery area is a patterned glass screen by Jacqueline Poncelet. The screen’s bronze handles by Jill Watson incorporate figures looking at art in a gallery.   The dramatic central stair of native timber leads to the Gallery spaces above. The complex shape was designed by the architects with Charles Taylor Woodwork, who were responsible for the construction. Lights set into the first floor illuminate the curved balustrading.  

The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace is a permanent space dedicated to changing exhibitions* of items from the Royal Collection, the wide-ranging collection of art and treasures held in trust by The Queen for the Nation. Ticket Includes: Entry tickets to The Queen’s Gallery, London Complimentary multimedia tour Entry to current special exhibition* (see below for details) *Special Exhibition Dates:  9 Nov 2018 - 28 April 2019: Russia, Royalty & the Romanovs and 'Roger Fenton’s Photographs of the Crimean War, 1855' 24 May - 13 Oct 2019: Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing. To commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death da Vinci, this exhibition will include 200 of his drawings.   15 Nov 2019 - 4 May 2020: George IV: Art & Spectacle  Please Note: The Queen's Gallery will be closed between these special exhibitions

Your next stop will be at the village of Prades and here you will have 1 hour 15 minutes to stroll around the village and take a break for lunch. You can bring your own packed lunch and have a picnic or you can buy a menu of 3 courses and a drink for just 12 euros, 2 euros less than the normal price. You will notice you are surrounded by the red colour of the sharp stones used to build the walls, the church and many of the houses. In the Plaza Mayor, you will see the Spherical renaissance fountain, where once a year it is filled with cava and the locals spend the day and night drinking from it. You can also see the Gothic Church of Santa Maria. Then onto another picturesque village, Siurana, where you will be taken back in time as you walk on the cobbled streets and pass the old stone houses. Here there is a small shop where you can but local produce, ice creams and postcards. There are spectacular views of the mountains and surrounding landscapes and you can look down to the lake of Siurana which will be your next stop. This really is one of the most beautiful villages you could hope to visit. Your last stop will be to the water for another dip or swim and a good chance to cool off. Then, after a great day out you will be taken back to your hotel and you will be given a present of a bottle of wine to take back with the rest of the lovely memories you will have. 

NOTES Please note: a minimum of 6 people is required to operate the wine tour Wine tasting fees are included for 1 winery; 2 nd winery is at own cost (approx. $15 per person) Children are permitted on wine tasting tours, but you must be 21 or older to sample and drink wine Hotel pickup available for the Half Day Wine Tour in the Downtown (Union Square, Financial District, Nob Hill, Lombard Street, Embarcadero and SOMA) but need to be booked with reservation or at least 48hrs in advance via [email protected] Customers must reconfirm the tour with City Sightseeing by calling +1.415.440.8687 no later than 24 hours prior to departure of the reserved tour in order to receive exact pickup time and further details.

For Tours:
Please plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour time. Please bring your receipt or confirmation number.
Participants arriving after the tour departure time risk forfeiture of their tour seats.
Bike and Roll reserves the right to cancel any tour for weather or other reasons. 
If the weather is questionable, please call one hour prior to the start time to confirm the tour status.

Discover the city as you pedal along on one of our comfortable bikes with our friendly guide who will tell you about the historic details, the fascinating experiences of everyday life in the city and its iconic landmarks and sights on this easy-going route. Go on a relaxing cycle tour of Barcelona and visit unique cultural sights such as the Museu d’Art Contemporani, in the Raval neighbourhood, which has its own Rambla with its own unique inhabitant, Botero’s ‘Cat’. The guide will tell you some curious anecdotes about the neighbourhood and will then take you to the plaça Reial, the plaça Sant Jaume, the charming plaça de San Felipe Neri, the majestic Cathedral, the Roman walls and the plaça del Rei, among many other landmark sights. Next, you’ll head down to the seafront and beaches where you’ll be able to stop, time permitting. You’ll visit the old harbour, the Port Vell, the Barceloneta district, the Olympic Marina and, on the way back, you’ll cycle through the Parc de la Ciutadella and stop at the Sagrada Família. And during the hot summer nights you’ll also be able to go on one of our night-time tours! Exploring the city by bike is a wonderful way to experience Barcelona day or night.