As a tour guide in London, I get asked a lot for my recommendations of things to do in our city and the top of my list is always The Tower of London!
It's my favourite because it's so many things in one: A palace, a fortress, a museum, an armoury, an elaborate jewellery vault, and even an aviary. I could honestly spend an entire day there.
So for those of you who are interested in visiting the Tower of London, I've written this post to cover all the information you'll need.
- Overview
- Tickets
- Plan Your Visit
- How to Get Here
- Exhibits
- Deals
- What to Do Afterwards
- Visit Virtually
OVERVIEW
The Tower of London offers two different price points: those with a donation and those without. I'll detail the exact cost below but the one thing I want to mention is that, unlike a lot of attractions, there is no discount when booking these tickets in advance!
Personally, I'm a planner so I like to have my tickets early but I now a lot people on my tours, or who I see planning their trips on our London Travel Tips Facebook Page like to keep their schedule free so paying on the day might work better if you are of that mind.
(Although I have seen the Tower of London fully sell out in busy periods like Easter or the summer holiday weekends so I always ask people to keep that in mind.)
There are a number of ways to save money on admission, and you can check my post covering Tower of London Deals for more information about these opportunities. In particular, I recommend trying to get the National Rail 2FOR1 deal - it literally does what it says and I think it's one of the best deals going in the entire city.
In addition to covering the price of tickets and how to get them, I will also provide details about how to get here, hours of operation, best times to visit, and exhibits you might want to see at this historic landmark.
I'll also include information to help you plan out your visit, including when to visit if you want to see the Ceremony of the Keys. Those tickets are hard to get - I've only been lucky a handful of times but I encourage you to give it a shot!
TICKETS
This section, I will give you an overview of ticket types and ticket prices.
MYTIP: To get a concession of up to 50% on your tickets, check out my post covering the 2-for-1 deal that I mentioned above!
General Admission
This is the inly ticket I've ever purchased as it's the only one they sell these days. This ticket includes access to all public spaces in the Tower of London, Yeoman Warder tours, children’s activities, and the Crown Jewels (my favourite part!).
You will notice that there are two different prices to the tickets, one that includes a donation and one that does not.
The Tower of London is run by a charity known as Historic Royal Palaces so the additional money goes to them to help with the running of not just the Tower but also Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, and Banqueting House (which is now only open for private events, to my immense disappointment).
They also run Hillsborough House in Northern Ireland, although I've not been there yet.
If I'm being honest, I probably pay the donation about half the time. Some years I have a Historic Royal Palaces membership and then the point is moot. In fact, if I know I am going to visit two of these locations in the same year (which happens frequently, given me job as a London tour guide), it works out cheaper for me to get the membership.
The same could be true for you, too, so I recommend you consider that as another way to save a few pounds!
Prices With Donation
- Adult (18-64): £38.30
- Child (5-15): £19.20
- Child (under 5): FREE
- Senior (65+): £30.50
- Young Person (16-17): £19.20 (Note that ID is required for this and I have seen more than one person being asked to show theirs.)
- Disabled Concession: £30.50
- Click here to purchase tickets.
Prices Without Donation
- Adult (18-64): £34.80
- Child (5-15): £17.40
- Child (under 5): FREE
- Senior (65+): £27.70
- Young Person (16-17): £17.40 (Note that ID is required for this, as I mention above.)
- Disabled Concession: £27.70
- Click here to purchase tickets.
The Audio Guides are not included in your ticket price. I think the audio guide is worth the money and I almost always pick one up.
In my opinion, they're very well done, entertaining and convey a LOT of information.
On the other hand, the Yeomen Warder tours are free (and I think they're very fun) and there are plenty of information panels in every section so on visits where I don't get the audio guide, I don't feel like I'm missing too much.
If I were to advise somebody trying to decide what to do I would suggest that if the price fits in your budget, I think you'll find you get your moneys worth - I always do!
Individual Audio Guide:
- Adult: £5.00
- Concession: £4.00
- Children: £4.00
Groups of 15+:
- Adult: £3.50
- Concession: £3.00
- Children: £3.00
Are there discount passes for the Tower of London?
One of the topics I get asked the most about by my guests, and the users of our Travel Tips Facebook group is, "Are London tourist passes worth it?"
My answer is always the same: it depends what you want to see! The Tower of London is included in a few tourist passes, so this might be an option for you to consider. I wrote a post about the different passes to help you choose which is the right one for you.
Are there last minute tickets for the Tower of London?
Technically there are not any last minute ticket options for this attraction, but since the price is the same whether you book in advance or not, there's no benefit or disadvantage to booking last minute.
But remember what I said: in busy times I have seen many disappointed people being turned away from the ticket kiosks because the Tower is fully booked.
I mostly see that happening on the week of Easter and weekends in the summers but I always keep an eye on the UK school calendar because there are half term breaks here that also bring in the crowds. I can usually tell when it's half term as my tours get busier!
PLAN YOUR VISIT
In this section, I will help you plan your visit by giving you information on hours of operation, when to go, and how long you should expect to stay.
I also have a post that details what you will see inside the Tower of London. Remember when I said I could spend a whole day there? That's true and I have done it more than once! I recommend people give themselves 3 hours minimum so that's a good rough figure to use when you're planning your day.
Hours of Operation
It might surprise you when I tell you that the opening hours of the Tower of London are not necessarily straight forward! I have encountered many guests who didn't check opening hours ahead of time and walked away disappointed.
My main point is: always want to check their website before you go. I have seen them close early for private events (and have even been lucky enough to attend a few! Having a drink in the Beefeater's private pub is one of my favourite memories.), or because of visiting members of the Royal Family (I was also lucky enough to see our current King and Queen there), or the military.
Also, they have differing Summer and Winter opening hours but the exact dates of those switches can change. So, again, I encourage you to check their website first.
Summer Hours (1st March - 31st October)
- Tuesday - Saturday: 9:00 - 16:30 (4:30pm)
- Last Entry: 15:00 (3:00pm)
- Sunday and Monday: 10:00 - 16:30 (4:30pm)
- Last Entry: 15:00 (3:00pm)
Winter Hours (November 1st - February 28th)
- Tuesday - Saturday: 9:00 - 17:30 (5:30pm)
- Last Entry: 15:30 (3:30pm)
- Sunday and Monday: 10:00 - 17:30 (9:30pm)
- Last Entry: 15:30 (3:30pm)
Best Times to Visit
My favourite time to visit is definitely during a weekday morning. I find the biggest queues are around noon so if I can't get there first thing, I'll usually try to come around 14:00 (2:00pm).
I've noticed that the largest crowds will generally start to thin out after 15:00 (3:00 pm) in the afternoon on weekdays.
Weekends, however, are busy almost all the time! And particularly during the summer season (June to September). In my experience, June and July are the busiest times of year so be prepared if that's when you're visiting and definitely go first thing in the morning if you're able.
MY TIP:
Alright, these are my two recommendations for visiting the Crown Jewels, depending on which time of day you go. Trust me when I say this is Bourne out of years of personal experience..!
Morning Visit: If I go to the Tower first thing in the morning, I head straight to the Crown Jewels. I've noticed most people leave them for last so going at the start means I never have to queue. (Once I was there around Easter and it was a TWO HOUR wait just to get into the Jewel House).
I also like it because I can really take my time in the Jewel House and see everything up close. When it's crowded, I feel like I'm sort of in a rush and it's hard to wait for people to move to see some of the things in the glass cases.
Afternoon Visit: If I've arrived in the afternoon, I leave the Crown Jewels for last! I've noticed that most people exit the Tower around 30 minutes or so before it closes so that's when I tend to jump into the queue to get the quieter experience.
How long should you plan for a visit?
Again, this can be an entire day for me...but if you're not quite that nerdy, or you've got a packed itinerary, I suggest you give yourself 3 hours minimum! Ideally, I think 4 or even 5 hours is worthwhile, particularly if the Tower is particularly busy as then you might have to factor in queue times to get into some of the smaller rooms.
Prohibited Items
As with most historic landmarks, there are certain items that you will not be allowed to bring with you to the Tower of London.
All visitors will be required to undergo a bag check before entering this site. And, yes, I have absolutely seen people be turned away because of items they have in their bags.
There is no storage at the Tower of London so unless you want to throw your goods away, make sure you don't bring the following with you:
- Weapons, including lock knives or knives with a blade in excess of 3 inches (7.62 cm)
- Fireworks and smoke bombs
- Pepper spray or any other articles intended to cause injury
- Pepper spray is illegal in the UK, anyway. When I worked at the Houses of Parliament I saw three arrests of visitors who had it on them.
- Large Bags
- If I am visiting the Tower but I have a big suitcase, I tend to book with Stasher and leave them at a Premier Inn just a 5 minute walk from the Tower.
- There are other options, of course and I wrote a blog post about all the different places you can store your bags.
In addition to things like weapons, the following items are also prohibited, (although I have seen people be allowed into the Tower with these items in their bags, but they were told they'd be asked to leave if they attempted to use them.):
- Tripods
- Selfie Sticks
Is photography permitted?
My easy answer to this is: Sometimes!
Although you are allowed to bring cameras and take photographs, there are a few locations at the Tower of London where no photography of any kind is allowed:
- The Jewel House
- The Chapel of St. John (in the White Tower)
- Inside the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula
I mentioned above that I have seen people refused entry to the Tower of London because of something they had with them and that has happened a handful of times.
However, I have witnessed DOZENS of people being told off for trying to take photographs in the Jewel House. The staff are serious about this.
It always amazes me how many people think they are being very sneaky (I saw this a lot when I worked at the Houses of Parliament) when it's very obvious what they are doing.
If you aren’t sure whether or not pictures are allowed in a specific area, please ask a staff member for more information.
Accessibility
Accessibility at the Tower of London is tricky simply because of its' age. Parts of the building are nearly 1,000 years old and are protected by heritage laws. This means that the curators are not able to adapt the buildings inside to suit every need - although I know they do their best.
The only fully wheelchair accessible building in the Tower is the Jewel House.
I have a friend who uses a wheelchair, although she can take a few steps. She was able to get into the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula and the Mint as they had just a few steps each - but that was all.
I also want to mention that certain areas of this landmark are paved with cobblestone which means it isn't ideal for wheelchairs - and it's tricky with prams or buggies.
One thing that I do like about the Tower is they also have specific practises in place for anybody who is neurodivergent. I took my cousin, who is autistic, to the Tower last year and we checked in with staff on arrival.
He was given a wrist band which was recognised by all the staff which meant we didn't have to wait in all the queues. The people working there also helped us around by showing us to places that weren't crowded so he didn't get overwhelmed.
The Tower have a great Access Guide that you can use before you go to let you know what to expect.
How to Get There
The Tower of London is located on the edge of the River Thames at EC3N 4AB, UK.
I suggest using this Google link to get directions from your location.
Underground Stations:
- Tower Hill (This is almost always my choice when I arrive.)
- Monument
- London Bridge (And this is almost always my choice when I leave! I sometimes like to walk across Tower Bridge after my visit.)
Nearest Railway:
- London Bridge Station
- DLR Tower Gateway Station
Bus Routes:
- There are multiple nearby bus stops for routes 15, 42, 78, 100, and 343.
Hop-On Hop-Off:
- Multiple hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus routes stop right at the Tower of London and the surrounding areas.
Walking Tours:
- We see the outside of the Tower of London on our City of London tour and our All in One Tour.
- Avoid the lines with an early access Crown Jewels ticket complete with Tower of London guided tour. (I think this is only worth it if you are travelling in the busy season - otherwise going early on your own is just as good.)
- Tower of London is also included on this London in a Day tour.
Be sure to check out my posts on navigating the London Underground and choosing which tube pass to buy to make your journey to and from the Tower as easy as possible.
EXHIBITS AT THE TOWER OF LONDON
I find that a lot of people on my tours are surprised when we finally get to the Tower of London and they see that it...is not a tower!
In fact, it's a huge complex of towers, buildings and various walls. (That's why it takes me so long to enjoy them all.)
So in this section, I am going to list some of the exhibits, rooms, and points of interest within the Tower of London.
The Crown Jewels
This is my favourite part of the Tower of London - which I'm sure is not very original but I honestly never get tired of seeing the Crown Jewels!
Nestled onto crushed blue velvet and kept securely behind spotlessly clean glass, the Crown Jewels are proudly on display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.
The Jewel House has a few cases holding various items but I love how they set up the crowns themselves. They're all lined up next to one another adjacent to two moving pathways that guests just step onto and slowly roll past.
One of the reasons I mentioned that I like to head to the Jewel House first thing in the morning is because I can take the moving pathway more than once. There's one on either side of the crowns so I always want to get a good view of the front and the back!
For more information on visiting this part in particular, please read my blog post on visiting the Crown Jewels.
The White Tower
This is the oldest building in the Tower of London, and my second favourite to visit.
I've had people tell me that this part of the Tower is what they are imaging when they think about "The Tower of London."
The White Tower, the oldest part of the complex, is a huge stone Tower in right in the centre of everything which is used for exhibition displays and has a built in, beautifully preserved 11th-century chapel.
The White Tower also displays the Line of Kings, an awe-inspiring exhibition of suits of armour and arms that have been on display for over 300 years.
If you’ve ever wondered what Henry VIII wore when he was jousting, you will get an up-close view here in the White Tower!
I love the see Henry's suits of armour but there are some little-known gems there, too. I always enjoy seeing the incredible detail on a tiny suit of armour made for a child or the collection of strange masks said to depict former Kings which totally creeps me out but I still find it fascinating!
A Medieval Palace
I get a lot of people on my tours who really want to see how Kings and Queens actually lived in centuries gone past and I always direct them to the Tower of London.
They have a true-to-life recreation of medieval palace rooms. In my opinion, the highlight is the medieval bed! It's said to be based on that of King Edward I and I love how unexpectedly colourful it is. It also looks super cozy although mattresses filled with straw don't sound entirely appealing...
Mint Street
I think a lot of people think of the Tower of London as kind of defunct so I love to surprise people by telling them that the Tower was actually in use as the Royal Mint right up until the start of the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century.
The medieval mint has been faithfully recreated here in an exhibition that highlights and details the history of the Royal Mint at the Tower. It's got some cool technology at work which I really think brings it all to life.
The Coins and Kings experience gives visitors a hands-on experience, showcasing not just the history of Mint Street, but displaying many of the actual artifacts that have been produced here.
Tower Green
Another part of the Towers' history that I find surprises my guests the most is that fewer than 12 people were executed inside the Tower between its' construction and the start of the First World War. That's 12 executions in 800 years!
But, those who were executed inside the walls of the Tower tended to be quite well known and the two most famous are both wives of King Henry VIII: Katherine Howard and Anne Boleyn.
Truthfully, I will confide in you that we believe the site where these women were executed was actually somewhere between the Jewel House and the White Tower. But, for centuries, it was common for the little green square on the western side of the complex to be known as the execution site.
So, a few years ago, a beautiful memorial was constructed and placed in this location. Honestly, I love it! I think it's not only lovely to look at, but it's very thoughtful and it really makes me think about what actually happened in this space.
There's a glass cushion surrounded by the names of the people who all met their ends (nearly) at this exact site.
The Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula
A Chapel Royal, in existence since the 12th century, St. Peter ad Vincula is the final resting place of those executed within the walls of the Tower.
It is the designated place of worship for all of those who work (and live!) inside the Tower.
With memorials and statues designated to famous faces of the church's history, buried inside are two of Henry VIIIs wives, as well as two saints: Sir Thomas Moore and Bishop John Fisher.
And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but just like the misplaced memorial I mention above, they are being a little loose with the actualities here.
Near the Altar of the church there are plaques commemorating the final resting places of Katherine Howard and Anne Boleyn...but in truth, we have no idea where the exact resting place is for the two women. The plaques were added centuries later when the church became a popular tourist site.
I've noticed quite a few people in the church lay flowers at the Altar (usually on the anniversary of Anne Boleyn's death) and I think it's a touching tribute, even if the exact location may be slightly off. It's the thought that counts, right?
Ceremony of the Keys
After everyone leaves the Tower of London at night, the Chief Yeoman Warder will select a few ticket holders to come back in and see the Ceremony of the Keys.
This is the ceremony held for locking up the Tower of London...and it's an event that has taken place every night since the 14th century!
Tickets for this event will cost an additional £5, and they must be booked online ahead of time. Space is limited, so tickets sell out for months in advance, which means it'll be important to book them as soon as you can.
I've been lucky enough to witness the Ceremony a few times and I detail it in my full post covering the Ceremony of the Keys.
Honestly, I just think it's so cool to witness such a historic ceremony. There's so much pomp and pageantry attached to it and there's always this air of importance that surrounds the group while it's happening.
I also love that the ceremony is done in the name of the Sovereign so the first two times I went it was done on the behest of Queen Elizabeth II but the last time was King Charles III. I know I'll have to go again when it's the turn of King William V!
So this is a firm recommendation from me - get those tickets if you can. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience (or thrice if you're lucky enough!).
What should I do after visiting the Tower of London?
I also like to combine my trip to the Tower of London with something else that's nearby. Because I know the Tower is going to take a long time, there won't be much time for travelling through the city so I usually combine it with a visit to Tower Bridge, the Monument or Borough Market.
And, if the weather is good, I'll take the boat back to Westminster afterwards!
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