Some of the most beautiful buildings in the world are also someone’s home. The palaces on this list have served as royal residences for centuries and, in most cases, still do—lived in and worked in by the same family dynasties that built them generations ago. It might surprise some tourists that they can just walk right into these palaces, with advance tickets in many cases. From the State Apartments at Buckingham Palace to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, a surprising number of the world’s active royal residences open their doors to the public at least part of the year. Below, a brief guide to palaces you can visit now and a few tips you should know before going.