If you’re visiting London, we think that a visit to the Tower of London should definitely be high on your list of things to do in the city. This is home to one of the oldest intact buildings in London, and has seen a huge amount of history. We’ve visited multiple times, and always have a great day out here.

There’s a lot to see and do at the Tower of London, from seeing the Crown Jewels to learning the legend of the ravens. In this guide to visiting the Tower of London (officially known as Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London), I’m going to tell you everything you need to know to plan your visit.

This will include everything from saving money on your Tower of London tickets, through to what to see and do, and more tips for your visit. I’ll also share some tips for where to stay near the Tower of London. Let’s get started.

An Overview of the Tower of London

Before we get into the details, you might be wondering what the Tower of London is, and why it warrants a visit. Let me answer that question with some quick history.

In 1066 William the Conqueror invaded Britain, bringing an end to centuries of Anglo-Saxon rule. The monarchy that William started shaped much of the England you see today, right up to and including the current monarch.

Of course, invading and conquering a country is one thing. Keeping it under your rule once you’ve done that is another. With this in mind, William the Conqueror, now William the First, set about building castles to keep control of his new lands. In fact, from 1066 through to 1087, he built nearly 700 castles across England and Wales.

With London as his capital city, naturally an impressive castle had to be built here to demonstrate his absolute power. And so it was in 1066 that construction on the Tower of London commenced. Initially the building was a simple timber structure, but a more impressive stone structure was built in the early 1080s. This was built over pre-existing Roman fortifications that were part of Roman city wall.

This was the White Tower, an imposing stone fortress which still survives today as the centrepiece of the Tower of London.

Over the centuries various changes and additions were made to the Tower of London. These included extra fortifications and structures, including thick walls, defensive towers, and buildings for accommodation, holding prisoners and munition storage.

Today, the Tower of London consists of a series of defensive structures, walls and buildings which span an area of 12 acres. First there is the moat, then there is a defensive wall, the outer ward, another defensive wall, the inner ward and finally the innermost ward where you find the White Tower.

The Tower of London has been the location of many key events in British history. Multiple important figures throughout history were executed here, with 112 people executed at the Tower over 400 years. These included some of Henry VIII’s wives, political and religious prisoners, and even German spies during World War II.

Today the Tower of London is primarily a visitor attraction, a role it has played for around 400 years. It also serves some notable functions, including being the home of the Crown Jewels and the regimental headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site, and also a home for around 40 retired service personnel and their families.

As you can imagine with a building that spans so much history, we’ve only briefly covered the Tower of London in this overview, but hopefully this gives you enough to get an idea as to why to visit!

Where is the Tower of London?

The Tower of London is found on the north bank of the River Thames, right next to Tower Bridge. The address is London, EC3N 4AB. It sits right on the edge of the London borough of Tower Hamlets, next to the City of London.

The Tower of London entrance is on the west side of the building, with the ticket and security check lines forming outside the west gate. This area is also where you’ll find the ticket shop, welcome centre and shop.

How to get to the Tower of London

There are multiple options for getting to the Tower of London, including by rail, underground, bus and even boat! Here are the main options you have.

• Tube. The nearest tube station to the Tower of London is Tower Hill, which is served by the District and Circle lines. This is around a five minute walk from the Tower of London. Other nearby stations (within 15 minutes walk) include Aldgate, Aldgate East, Tower Gateway, Monument, Bank, London Bridge and Fenchurch Street.
• Public bus. Bus services 15, 42, 78, 100 and RV1 all stop near the Tower of London.
• Boat. The Thames River Boat service stops at Tower Pier, and offers connections up and down the river. A day pass for the Thames River Boat is included on the London Pass, which also includes Tower of London admission.
• Train. The nearest train station for the Tower of London is London Bridge Station, around 15 minutes walk away. Liverpool Street Station is around 20 minutes walk away.
• Taxi. You can of course get a taxi to the Tower of London, which prices varying depending on the distance travelled.
• Hop on Hop off Bus. All the London sightseeing buses make a stop at the Tower of London. A sightseeing bus tour ticket is also included on the London Pass.
• Walking. Depending on where you are traveling from, you might find it easiest to walk to the Tower of London. For example, it’s 20 minutes walk from St. Pauls Cathedral and the Shard, 45 minutes from Covent Garden or an hour from Westminster Abbey.

For more tips on travel in London, see our guide to getting around London.

Tower of London Opening Times

The Tower of London normally opens between 9am and 10am, and closes between 4.30pm and 5.30pm. These times vary depending on the time of year. They can also change for school holidays. Normal opening times are as follows:

Summer (1st March – 31st October)

• Sunday – Monday: 10am – 5.30pm
• Tuesday – Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm

Winter (1st November – 28th February)

• Sunday – Monday: 10am – 4.30pm
• Tuesday – Saturday: 9am – 4.30pm.

Last admission is usually between 1 hour and ninety minutes before closing, however we would recommend giving yourself at least 2 or three hours for a visit.

Note that opening times can vary, so you will always want to check current opening times here in advance of your visit.

Do You Need a Ticket for the Tower of London?

You definitely need a ticket for the Tower of London. You can either book your tickets online in advance of your visit (recommended), or you can buy tickets from the ticket office which is near the main entrance.

We highly recommend booking tickets in advance. At busier times, there can be queues for the ticket office, so you will lose valuable sightseeing time standing in line.

How Much does it Cost to Visit the Tower of London?

In 2022, ticket prices for the Tower of London are as follows:

• Adult – £29.90 peak, £28.90 off-peak
• Child (age 5-15) – £14.90 peak, £14.40 off-peak
• Concession (age 65+, 16-17, full time student, disabled visitors) – £24.00 peak, £23.20 off-peak
• Child under 5 years – Free

There are also family tickets available for the Tower of London as follows:

• Family saver 1 (1 adult and up to 3 children aged 5-15) – £52.20 peak, £50.50 off-peak
• Family saver 2 (2 adults and up to 3 children aged 5-15) – £82.10 peak, £79.40 off-peak

As you can see, there are two ticket prices, peak and off-peak. Peak times normally apply at busier times of day, on weekends and during school and public holidays. Off peak times normally apply at quieter times of the year and can save you a bit of money on the entry price.

Peak and off-peak times vary throughout the year, you can see the latest information here.

What Does the Tower of London Ticket Include?

The Tower of London ticket includes:

• Entry to the Crown Jewels, the White Tower and the Chapel of St Peter
• Entry to the Battlements, the Medieval Palace, the Bloody Tower, the Torture at the Tower Exhibition, the Fusiliers Museum, the Beauchamp Tower, and the Royal Mint Exhibition
• A tour of the Tower of London with a Yeoman Warder, or “Beefeater”. These run every hour starting near the main entrance, pre-booking is not required. The first tour is usually at 10am and the final tour is at 2.30pm.

The ticket does not include an audio guide, but an audio guide can be purchased separately for £5 for adults and £4 for children. You can either purchase these with your ticket or on-site. Audio guides can be collected just after you pass through the security check, to the right of the entrance.

Premium Tower of London Experiences

As well as the standard visit to the Tower of London, you can also book special experiences. These usually cost more, but will give you a unique experience. These might include witnessing special ceremonies, or simply getting in before the majority of the crowds. Some examples include:

• This early access tour of the Tower of London with a Beefeater which has you visiting prior to general admission
• This Tour of the Tower of London include early access to the Tower and Crown Jewels. You’ll also get to see the opening ceremony, and have a fully guided experience inside the Tower of London
• One of the most unique experiences at the Tower of London is the Ceremony of the Keys. This is held every night from 9.30pm until 10.05pm, and tickets must be purchased separately. These are very popular, and can only be booked on the official website here. Note that photography is not permitted, and this ticket does not include admission to the Tower of London beyond the Key Ceremony itself.

Where to Buy Tower of London Tickets

There are a number of options for buying Tower of London tickets. The main options you have are:

• On-site in person at the Tower of London ticket office
• Online on the official website here
• On the GetYourGuide website here
• On the Tiqets website here (includes our exclusive discount)

We definitely recommend checking prices between the official site and third party sites as sometimes there are discounts. Usually, our link to the Tiqets website will get you the best prices on adult admission, but offers do vary so do shop around and compare!

The Tower of London is also included on a number of London city passes, see that section of the post for more details on that.

Discount Tower of London Tickets

There are a few ways to get discounted Tower of London tickets, or at least, to save on your admission.

Normally, using our Tiqets link will save you a little on full admission price for an adult. The discount varies depending on if you book during a peak or off-peak time, and is between around 5% and 10% compared to the full price ticket from the official site.

If you are travelling as a family, the Family Saver ticket can save you money. This is available on either the official site here or the Tiqets website here. If visiting during peak times with two adults and three children, you can save over £20 compared to buying the normal full price tickets.

Tower Hamlets residents can visit the Tower of London for just £1. These tickets can only be purchased in person on the day, and residents must provide proof of residence in the form of either an Idea Store card or a Tower Hamlets library card, as well as proof of address.

Finally, don’t forget to check out city passes which include the Tower of London. If you are planning on visiting a few attractions in London, these can quickly save you money.

City Passes that Include the Tower of London

One of the best ways to save money on sightseeing in a city in our experience is to use a city pass. These passes usually include entry to a range of attractions for one price. If you are already planning to visit a number of high value attractions in a city like London, then a city pass can usually save you quite a bit of money.

We normally use the London Pass when we’re in London sightseeing, and have used it to visit the Tower of London a number of times. You can read our full review of the London Pass here, and buy one for yourself here. Of course, there are other city passes which include the Tower of London. Here are the main options to consider. Which one is best for you will depend on your sightseeing itinerary.

• The London Pass – access to over 80 attractions across London for a specific set of days
• The GoCity London Explorer Pass – choose from between 2 and 7 attractions to visit
• The London Sightseeing Pass – access to over 55 attractions across London for a specific set of days
• The London City Card – access to the Tower of London and the Shard, as well as a city tour of London and a hop on hop off boat cruise

We normally use the London Pass as we think it offers the best value, but of course it will depend on what you plan to see.

Tower of London Tickets Sold Out? You still have options to visit the Tower of London!

If you are visiting the Tower of London when they are operating timed entry slots, these do have a maximum number of visitors they can accommodate. As such, tickets can sell out.

If you are looking on one of the online ticket portals, including the official site, then you should also check alternatives just in case. Whilst most of them draw from the same allocation, you might get lucky. We recommend checking the official website here, on the GetYourGuide website here and on the Tiqets website here.

If you have no luck, the next option is to book a tour which includes Tower of London entry. Group tour tickets normally have a pre-allocated amount of tickets which are separate from the standard ticket pool. We list tours in our suggested tour options, but some options to consider include:

Hopefully between these options you’ll be able to visit the Tower of London during your time in the city.

Can you skip the lines at the Tower of London?

There are two main lines at the Tower of London.

The first of these is the ticket line for buying tickets in person on the day. This one is easy to skip by buying your tickets online in advance, which we highly recommend you do. Most tickets or tours which advertise skip the line privileges are referring to this ticket line.

If you are visiting with a London Pass or other city sightseeing pass, you can normally also skip the ticket line and head straight for the entry line. Just read the instructions provided with the pass.

The second line is the entry line which features a security check. All guests have to go through the security check, so this line can’t be skipped. Our advice is to visit the Tower of London as close to opening time as possible so the line isn’t so long.

The only way to ensure faster access is to book one of the early entry tours, which get you in before the main ticket line opens. While you will still have to go through security, it will only be you and the other members of your group doing this, so it will move quickly. Check out this tour and this tour for examples of early access tours.

What to see and do at the Tower of London

There is a lot to see and do at the Tower of London! We recommend visiting the Crown Jewels (located in a section of the Waterloo Barracks) first and then visiting the White Tower as these are generally the two busiest and most popular attractions here. After that, we just recommend visiting the rest of the attractions in the order that makes the most sense for you.

I should also note that due to the historic nature of the Tower of London some exhibit or area is almost always closed at any one time due to renovations, construction, or safety issues. However, it is rarely the most popular areas.

For example on one of our recent visits the Tower’s Mint and the chapel were closed to visitors, and on another the Beauchamp Tower and a section of the battlements was closed. So if there is any specific exhibit or areas you really want to visit, you may want to call ahead to ensure it is open.

Here’s an overview of the main sights and attractions within the walls.

The Tower’s Mint

When you enter the Tower of London you’ll pass through the Middle Gate, go across the moat, and then pass through the outer wall via the Byward Tower. You’ll now be in the outer ward, which sits between the two main sets of walls.

If you head to your left, up Mint Street, you will come to The Tower Mint. This street is also home to the “casemates”, a series of homes built into the walls where many of the Yeoman warders live.

The Tower Mint is open for visiting. It was established here in 1279, and for 500 years, most of the coins in circulation in the country were produced here. A visit to the mint will teach you all about this process, as well as about the people who lived and worked here. There are also some fun interactive games you can play.

The Battlements

The inner curtain wall of the Tower of London separates the outer ward from the inner ward. This was built during the reign of Henry the III in the 13th century, and much of what you see today is original from this period.

It consists of 13 towers (Bell, Beauchamp, Devereux, Flint, Bowyer, Brick, Martin, Constable, Broad Arrow, Salt, Lanthorn, Wakefield, and the Bloody Tower) which are linked by walls, and the whole construction is generally referred to today as the Battlements.

When built, this primarily served a defensive function. Today, you can walk along the majority of the battlements by taking the wall walk. This takes you through a number of the towers, with many of them setup to show mini exhibitions. In these, you’ll learn all sorts of things about the Tower’s history, from the time the walls were breached during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, the Tower’s time as a zoo (the Royal Menagerie), and what happened at the Tower during the World Wars.

One of the more intriguing exhibits for us was about the great fire here that took place in 1841 when Duke of Wellington was the Tower Constable. Another was a room devoted to the history of the animals that were kept at the Tower of London here which included lions, baboons, bears, alligators, zebras, and elephants. You’ll also see sculptures representing some of the animals that were kept here throughout the site.

The wall walk also take you through the next entry in our guide, the Medieval Palace.

The Medieval Palace

The wall walk along the Battlements starts with you entering St. Thomas’s Tower. This is part of the outer defences of the castle, added by Edward I in the late 13th century. As well as an additional defensive wall wrapping around the outside of the original curtain wall, this features a number of defensive emplacements as well as a large tower.

This tower, St. Thomas’s Tower, was built to serve two purposes. First, it had a river-level water gate entrance, offering direct access to the Thames. This came to be known as Traitors’ Gate, as this was where many Tudor-era prisoners would arrive prior to incarceration, often followed by torture and/or execution.

The upper floor of St. Thomas’s Tower was designed to provide luxurious lodging for the Royal family when they stayed at the Tower. Today, St. Thomas’s Tower along with the next two towers you pass through on the wall walk, The Wakefield Tower and the Lanthorn Tower, are collectively known as the Medieval Palace.

These towers are today set up to demonstrate what the interior would have been like for the visiting Royalty, with objects and furniture dating from the period.

The Crown Jewels in the Waterloo Barracks

A highlight for many visitors to the Tower of London is a visit to see the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. This is a collection of royal ceremonial objects, which include the crown worn by the British monarch. It’s the most complete collection of Royal regalia in the world, and the only set still in active use today.

The Tower of London has traditionally been home to the Crown Jewels since the early 13th century. The Jewels on display and in use today primarily date from 1660 when Charles II ascended the throne and restablished the monarchy following the English Civil War.

A highlight of the collection is the Cullinan I diamond, which is the largest clear cut diamond in the world at 530 carats. There are however over 23,000 precious stones in the display, which consists of 142 objects, including plates, swords, sceptres, robes, rings and even a spoon.

My favourite object is the nautical themed silver-gilt Grand Punch Bowl, which can hold 144 bottles of wine, and which is still in regular use!

A visit to the Crown Jewels is a must when visiting the Tower of London. It’s one of the most popular attractions, and one of the only places where photography isn’t allowed. At busier times, there can be quite a queue to visit, so do plan accordingly.

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The White Tower

Right at the heart of the Tower of London is the White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower of London and one of the oldest buildings in London.

The building is a keep, which in medieval times was a central fortified tower that normally had the most protection of any building in a castle. It was built in stone in the late 11th century, and fulfilled the role of fortress, royal accommodation, prison and symbol of power. Over the years it’s use evolved, including during the 17th century when the whole tower was used, rather riskily, to store a vast quantity of gunpowder.

Since the 19th century, the White Tower has primarily been a visitor attraction, and a visit to this incredible 11th century medieval palace is a must when inside the Tower of London. Here you will see a number of exhibits including the Line of Kings, which has been on display at the Tower of London since around 1692! Today this historic exhibition is found on the entrance floor of the White Tower.

You’ll also find other interesting armor and weaponry on display, as well as a beautiful 11th century Romanesque chapel, the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist. Note that whilst photography is allowed almost everywhere in the White Tower, it is not permitted in the chapel.

There are also exhibits about the lesser known uses of the Tower of London here including as a jewel, house, records office, Board of Ordnance headquarters, royal mint, menagerie, and royal observatory.