The Tower Bridge is located on the Thames River between the City of London and Southwark nearby the Tower of London, London Bridge, Monument, and City Hall.
You can reach Tower Bridge via the London Underground stations of Tower Hill, Monument, and London Bridge.
The closest Tube station is Tower Hill, which is serviced by both the Circle and District lines and just a few minutes walk around the Tower of London to Tower Bridge.
London Bridge Tube station, which is serviced by both the Jubilee and Northern lines is approximately a 12-minute walk to the foot of the bridge.
If you mistake it for London Bridge, don't beat yourself up, because you are not alone.
London Bridge is actually a comparatively underwhelming structure slightly up the River Thames.
Constructed in 1894, Tower Bridge is a suspension bridge and a world heritage site.
It measures 244m (801 feet) long and 65m (264 feet) high and provides a roadway across the Thames for over 40,000 people both on foot and on wheels.
It's free to walk across the bridge and to witness its opening and closing, but you will need to buy a ticket for the Tower Bridge Exhibition.
THE TOWER BRIDGE EXPERIENCE
Pedestrian access to the Tower Bridge is available just about any time, but admission to the Tower Bridge Experience will cost extra.
This service allows you to enter the actual bridge itself, see the engines that are used to operate the attraction, and even watch the pedestrians below from glass floors above.
Although you can visit this popular landmark year-round, it can get pretty crowded during popular seasons.
In particular, several travelers report that the Tower Bridge is especially popular during warm summer days.
In order to avoid long waits and lines, you might want to consider a trip during far less popular times.
Crowds also get pretty large during the middle of the day and during weekends, so either an early morning outing on a weekend or a weekday visit might be your best bet.
Several tourists try their best to visit Tower Bridge when the bridge is lifted for a boat to pass.
As a result, it can get pretty crowded while visiting during this event.
Thankfully, the Tower Bridge Experience has provided an app that will allow you to see what this event looks like even if you visit at the wrong time.
With their Raise Tower Bridge app, you can point your phone at the glass floor and simulate the experience of seeing the bridge lift up underneath.
HOW OFTEN DOES THE BRIDGE OPEN
A good way to enhance your visit to the Tower Bridge is to schedule a visit when the bridge opens to allow a vessel to pass by.
The bridge opens and closes approximately 1000 times per year or 3 times per day.
It takes approximately 1 min to open and 1 min to close plus the time it takes a vessel to pass through.
They say it is good luck to see the bridge open because it's not a regular occurrence.
Let Sinead show you the bridge opening in this video below.
Ships have up to 24 hours before passing to notify bridge authorities that they will be passing through, so the schedule can change often.
The best place to view the lifting of the bridge is from the riverbanks.
But, it's also possible to view it up close on the bridge itself or inside the Tower Bridge Experience.
Tip 1: If you plan to take photos, consider the time of day that the bridge opens and closes so that you can be sure to be on the best side for light.
Tip 2: The bridge doesn't always open at the posted time, as the vessel passes through maybe early. Be sure to arrive 10-15 minutes before the scheduled raising.
Consider taking our free City of London Tour or our All-in-One Tour, which both end at the Tower of London, near the entrance to the bridge.
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Excellent4.9★★★★★ Based on 721 reviews from review us onJill K. ★★★★★ It was perfect in every way! Sinead is a treasure and such a welcoming ambassador for London. We will be talking about the tour for years to come. We are already thinking about our next trip and booking another walking tour!PM J. ★★★★★ Jack-the-Ripper-Tour mit Sinead war großartig. Sie hat ein großes, dramatisches Talent und schafft es, die Athmospäre des alten Eastend heraufzubeschwören… gleichzeitig ist sie unheimlich freundlich und hat sich um alle Teilnehmer sehr gut gekümmert 🙂 Wir waren begeistert!Damien C. ★★★★★ Tanja H. ★★★★★ Eine hervorragende Stadtführung mit erfahrenen Guides die einen auch an verborgene Ecken führen, die man selber nie gefunden hätte. Ich habe zwei Führungen in London mitgemacht, eine Geisterführung und eine Führung in der City of London, also dem alten Teil der Stadt. Es werden aber noch andere Führungen angeboten. Das schöne ist, dass man zwar einen Platz reservieren muss (geht manchmal noch sm selben Morgen) aber bezahlt wird erst nach der Führung und nur das, was es einem Wert war. Es gibt auch etliche Videos auf Youtube, die man sich als Vorgeschmack anschauen kann. Die meisten Führungen werden zwar ausschließlich in Englisch angeboten aber es gibt wohl auch manchmal Führungen auf Deutsch. Ich kann diese Firma wärmstens empfehlen.Christie Sears T. ★★★★★ I took two different tours with this company and both were fantastic! Both Sinead and Alan are great guides!Alba B. ★★★★★ We booked two different tours in London and had a great experience. The Ghost tour and the Street art tour were very interesting and the guides were great. I will definitely book tours with them next time I am around.Christopher O. ★★★★★ Brilliant tour. Really interesting and informative. Our guide Nelly was so knowledgeable, clear and friendly. Highly recommended.Amélie ★★★★★ The tour was amazing! Our guide was Margaret, a really nice woman who knew the answer to every possible question we had - even regarding sights we didn't tour but were curious about. We booked the "London in one day" tour and visited the popular sights as well as little streets we would have never seen if it wasn't for the tour. We learned a lot of stuff, mostly really fun facts, anecdotes and the history behind the places. Margaret made the tour so much fun with her way of explaining things so it really didn't feel like six hours. She gave us many recommendations for other places to visit or to get some food. I'd recommend this tour to everyone!janet A. ★★★★★ Margaret Stockton-Davies was very personable, knowledgeable, good at keeping tour group together, answered all questions, easy to hear, nice sense of humor. Fun tour.S K ★★★★★ Margaret led our tour and did a great job. Please be aware of pick pockets targeting these tours.Wanda B. ★★★★★ Most enjoyable walking tour with Margaret, she was very knowledgeable about the history of London, royalty and landmarks. Margaret told stories in a delightful manner, including silly trivia.I would recommend her tour without any hesitation.Lindsay ★★★★★ I did the World War II walking tour with Canice. I really enjoyed it and I was happy that a lot of details and images were shown throughout the tour in addition to physical sites. All of the information was comprehensible even if you, like me, know about WWII but are not an expert. I really enjoyed seeing the sites of the London Blitz and learning a lot about its history. I highly recommend!tali B. ★★★★★ המדריך ששמו canice היה מצוין! נתן הרבה מידע מתובל בהומור, בעל ידע רב. נהננו ולמדו רבות!SRIDHAR R. ★★★★★ Execellent and cheapest way to explore if you are first time visitingJennifer I. ★★★★★ The Grand Central Terminal tour with John on 05/28/32 was brilliant. Highly recommended.Lauren U. ★★★★★ We did Shakespeare’s London with Canice, and had a blast. He made southwark history extremely accessible and had an abundance of fabulous quips and anecdotes. The time flew by, I’d highly recommend!!Sandra R. ★★★★★ Gregory did a fantastic job guiding us in Birmingham. We had no idea of what we could expect from this city, and we were strongly surprised. Thank you Greg!R S. ★★★★★ We have been to many walking tours, but Margaret's tour was a cut above the rest. She was funny, knowledgeable and kept the momentum going. There was not one boring or tiring moment in the trip.Reader of M. ★★★★★ Elizabeth H. ★★★★★ Thanks for the lovely tour - really appreciated the stories and details you layered into our conversation!Jandy H. ★★★★★ My walking tour with Margaret was amazing. She’s not only knowledgeable but her energy made the tour so much fun and enjoyable.perry W. ★★★★★ Like watching 👀Daria P. ★★★★★ The tour London all in one with Margaret was really well prepared, organised and full of information. I enjoyed it even though weather wasn;t the best! It seems quite long, but thank to to Margaret's charisma and coffee break surely doable! Margarte was also caring about your safety, needs and more than happy to chat between stops and give useful recommendations!Jude M. ★★★★★ While researching an upcoming trip to the UK from Australia I stumbled across the Free Tours by Foot YouTube channel and have been captivated ever since. Sinead is a brilliant guide who, with just a camera and herself, has given me an amazing insight into London even before I’ve actually arrived! Thank you Sinead. I will thank you in person in September 😊Anke van den B. ★★★★★ Greg was the best tourguide you could wish! Thank you for aswering all our questions!Ines K ★★★★★ I really enjoyed their tours.James D. ★★★★★ Great tour of Westminster, Sinead was most definitely entertaining your guide and most importantly knowledgeable about Westminster!mark O. ★★★★★ Gregory opened our eyes to the fascinating history of Birmingham. It was a total pleasure throughout the tour. We would strongly recommend to everyone who comes to this city, to take advantage of the opportunity to learn about BirminghamKalina A. ★★★★★ ExcellentGreat tour with Margaret in London. She is very knowledgeable. The tour was so interesting. I highly recommend to everyone.Sankalp K. ★★★★★ Margaret makes the mood all jolly while she gives us tour of London. Loved the experience.Gaveriela T. ★★★★★ Outstanding tour by Maciek (Polish origin) of Soho and Piccadilly on Thursday Feb 23, 2023.Outstanding tour by (do not remember) of Notting Hill on Saturday Feb 25, 2023.Both were professional, gentle, eloquent – real joy. Highly recommendedיואב בן א. ★★★★★ shruti M. ★★★★★ Eric B. ★★★★★ Alexandra W ★★★★★ Great tour with Margrit! Highly recommend it!!!!Alice A. ★★★★★ Really great walking tour from Amanda! Lots of knowledge and kept it very enticing with lots of history as well as life in Prague. Would definitely recommend!Ani ★★★★★ לקחנו שלושה סיורים, היה מעניין מאוד, הרגשנו כמו סיור פרטי, תודה רבה, בעיקר למדריך מאט, שהדריך אותנו בשניים מהסיורים, היה מרתק, הוסיף תכנים נוספים שהעשירו את המידע ובכלל, היה נחמד ביותר!Layne P. ★★★★★ We did the Westminster tour with in September Margaret and would highly recommend it! Margaret was funny and personable often chatting with the others in the group as we walked from place to place. All the history she shared was fascinating and interesting. Always willing to answer questions from the group and individually. She wore a headset and was easy to hear and had a flag for us to see when we followed her. Our group was larger than usual as one of the tour guides was sick that day and we had to combine tours, but it was still a comfortable size and didn't feel cramped. I also love that this is a pay-what-you-like tour. The tour guides keep all of what they receive and of course that's an incentive for them to engage with the group. I saw several other tour groups walking around London and all I could think was how miserable the guides looked. At the end, I was MORE than happy to give Margaret a large tip which was still much less than two of use would have spent on a traditional tour. Next time I'm there I will definitely be doing another tour with this company and will go out of my way to ask for Margaret.ally D. ★★★★★ Shuly A. ★★★★★ Christmas lights tour with Canis was great.Will absolutely look for his other toursJuan R. ★★★★★ Muy buen tourGerman G. ★★★★★ Nice tour!Lorna E. ★★★★★ I did the Westminster tour with Margaret. She was awesome. You could tell she loved her city. Very informative, good pace, and entertaining. I would highly recommend doing a tour.Valeria Z. ★★★★★ Excellent experience, very nice guide.Hien H. ★★★★★ Margaret was absolutely great with her tours (Westminter and City of London). I really enjoyed the tours, especially the changing of the guard.Greg P. ★★★★★ Borough Market tour with Wesley with outstanding. One of the best tours I’ve done and the perfect blend of great food and history, topped with a visit to a Gin distillery. It was so good that three of us joined him for his afternoon tour of Southwark which was also great.Staci A. ★★★★★ We got to take the street art tour and it was beyond expectations. I saw and learned about work that I may have never found out about on my own and I would take it again because I bet that tour changes every timeSigalit Z. ★★★★★ Upama R. ★★★★★ Highly, highly recommend Free Tours by Foot (London). We did the London All-in-One tour with Sinead in September 2022. Sinead is brilliant - very knowledgeable, witty, funny and sharp as a tack. The tour in itself is a great one but Sinead made it one of the highlights of our week long stay in London. Thank you!
The route from the Tower Bridge will take you through Southwark to Covent Garden, where you can transfer and continue your voyage into Westminster.
Why not stop at the Mayflower Pub, especially interesting for Americans, as it stands near the landing point where the Pilgrims embarked for the New World?
If you are visiting during a weekday, you could also stop in and visit City Hall.
About The Author
Margaret
An American simply by accident of birth, Margaret moved to London over 16 years ago and hasn’t looked back since! With a keen interest in History – and a BA degree to match – Margaret prides herself on her knowledge of the amazing city she calls home and she's been guiding here now for nearly a decade. Social history is her real expertise, with sound understanding of the day-to-day lives of Londoners over the past centuries.
