“Mighty Fortress. Royal Palace. Infamous Prison.” The Tower of London is a UNESCO heritage site and is one of the most popular sites in London for good reason. The Tower was the setting for some of the most captivating stories in British history. Even those allergic to history will be drawn to the treason and rebellion, to the love and betrayal (or at the very least the Crown Jewels!) These essential tips for visiting the Tower of London will help you see the best sites, know what you’re seeing, and avoid the most lines.
Buy Your Tickets Ahead of Time
You do not want to show up at the Tower without tickets. Waiting in the long lines to buy tickets while looking at the next loooooonnng line to get in can be very disheartening. Buy direct from Historic Royal Palaces to get the best price and skip the first set of lines. Do NOT trust other unofficial ticket packages, like London Pass, to let you skip the lines. Some do, some don’t, and it can depend on the day in my experience. No risk, buy direct at least one day before.
Get to the Tower Early
We showed up 30 minutes before it opened on a Saturday and the line stretched half-way around one wall. Fifteen minutes later the line was out of sight. The line moves fairly fast once it opens, but you don’t want to be at the end of it.
Other tips for visiting the Tower of London: avoid the weekends if you can. Mid-week days have the least traffic. Go early or show up near the end of the day (warning though, the Tower has a lot to see.) There’s also a rumor that sometimes they will start letting the early birds in before official hours. If you’re visiting on Fri-Sun, you’ll probably need to arrive 40 min early to be at the front of the line.
Go DIRECTLY to the Crown Jewels
I cannot stress this enough. The Tower is actually a large complex, with palaces and prisons behind layers of fortress. There will be many interesting things on the way to the entrance to the Crown Jewels. Do not be deterred. Keep going straight there; the Crown Jewels will be the longest line inside.
We arrived 30 minutes before opening and were inside about 15 minutes after opening. Straight to the Crown Jewels and no outside line; we walked in and went through two decorative waiting rooms before we first had a to wait. From there the line flowed fairly quickly, and we saw the sumptuous treasures of the Crown(on a moving walkway to prevent gawkers blocking things.) By the time we left the exhibit, about an hour after opening, the line to the jewels was out the door and snaking upon itself several times. Within 15 more minutes we looked down on the line from the historic White Tower and the line folded upon itself 7 times. In summary, arrive early and go straight to the Crown Jewels. Everything else was easy to see, even when we doubled all the way back to the start to join the Yeoman tour.
Take a (FREE) Yeoman Tour
One of the best things about visiting the Tower of London is those sharp looking guards in the Yeoman, or the Beefeaters, have been guarding the Tower since the Tudors. They need at least 22 years of distinguished military service to be in the elite guard and, if our Yeoman guide was to be believed, they also need to have fantastic beards (his certainly was.)
Amongst their guard duties, many also provide daily tours and greetings. Tours are held every 30 minutes and anyone who wants to join gathers in the moat area on the other side of the entrance. This is an entertaining and dramatic tour around the outside areas, ending near the execution Tower Green. Watch out for a tall Yeoman with a fab beard and curling mustache; he is hilarious.
Know Some of its Harsh History Before You Go
If you visit the Tower without knowing anything about it, without a Yeoman or an audio guide, it will be a moderately interesting group of stone buildings and scattered armor displays. Grab an audio guide or a tour and the drama starts to set in. Know more about the cast of characters behind the drama, and etchings on the walls and that space under the stairs start to take on a new life.
Three Queens of England were beheaded here. Several royal cousins also perished in the Tower, either in their prison rooms or on the block. One King likely suffocated the King he usurped. A future King and his brother disappeared after their uncle took the crown. One royal York brother supposedly chose to be drowned in wine for his treasonous sentence. Treasured royal friends and aides (including a future saint) left their prison cell and for the public block. One future Queen, imprisoned several times for treason scandals, survived the Traitors’ Gate to become one of the most famous British Queens. Read up on the must see stories and spots and the Tower becomes as interesting as Game of Thrones (which of course borrowed heavily from this phase of English history.)
Wander the Walls
Many miss this when visiting the Tower of London. There are several layers of walls around the Tower: what used to be the moat wall, the outer fortress wall, and the inner wall. This was after all not just a palace, but a fortress. Many monarchs took refuge during revolts in the impenetrable Tower and many prisoners that went in didn’t come out. These days the walls afford picturesque views and a bit of peace and quiet from the crowds. Wander around and soak it in.
Take an After-Hours Tour
For a more intimate look, take the Twilight Tour. The crowds are gone and you have a smaller group tour with a Yeoman, hearing more of the stories and scandals behind the Tower. These are 7pm tours offered on select Sundays November- April. Keep in mind, this tour does not include the Crown Jewels or anything inside the towers. Visit at the end of the day, see these pieces, and then join your restricted tour.
Getting to the Tower
The Tower of London is in the original City of London, right next to the famous Tower Bridge (which many of us Americans think is the London Bridge.) There is a handy Tube stop right next to the Tower (the aptly named Tower Hill stop). The Thames Clipper ferry also has a stop at the foot of the tower. Either of these is the smartest way to get there. That famous bridge, and it’s two story viewing platform, is just a short walk away.
Visiting the Tower is a rite of passage to London. Go early, see the jewels, grab a Yeoman, and find the dark corners of royal Britain.
May the road rise to meet you, travelers, and may your Yeoman be feisty.
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