Tower of London

London, United Kingdom

William the Conqueror's Thames fortress, home of the Crown Jewels and the Beefeaters.

Checked 6 October 2026

The White Tower and the outer walls of the Tower of London, seen from the Thames

A 950-year-old royal fortress, palace and prison that still guards the Crown Jewels, with Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) giving free tours that are included in your ticket. The one thing to plan around is the Crown Jewels queue: go to the Jewel House straight after opening or late in the afternoon, and buy your ticket from Historic Royal Palaces (hrp.org.uk), the charity that runs the Tower.

The Tower of London is a walled castle on the north bank of the Thames, begun by William the Conqueror after 1066. Its centre is the White Tower, a Norman keep of pale stone. Around it run two rings of walls and towers, a moat, now grassed over and a cobbled village where the Yeoman Warders still live with their families.

It has been a royal palace, an armoury, the Royal Mint, a zoo and, most famously, a state prison. Two of Henry VIII's wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, were beheaded on Tower Green. The two young princes vanished in the Bloody Tower in 1483, and Sir Walter Raleigh was held there for years. Traitors' Gate, the river entrance, is where many prisoners arrived by boat.

Today it is above all the home of the Crown Jewels: 23,578 gemstones in a working collection that the monarch still uses. The crowns used at the 2023 coronation of King Charles III are on show in the Jewel House, along with the Koh-i-Noor and the Sovereign's Sceptre holding the first Cullinan diamond.

The place has kept its rituals. Ravens are kept on site because of the legend that the kingdom will fall if they leave. Every night at 21:30 the gates are locked in the Ceremony of the Keys, as they have been for about 700 years. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, run by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, which gets no government funding for its running costs.

What to see

  1. The Crown Jewels (Jewel House)

    The Imperial State Crown, St Edward's Crown, the Koh-i-Noor and the Sovereign's Sceptre, shown behind glass in the Treasury. A slow moving walkway carries you past the main cases, so the queue keeps moving, but it builds up through the day. No photos inside. Allow about an hour, including the displays before the Treasury.

  2. Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) tour

    A free, roughly hour-long tour led by a Yeoman Warder, all of them armed-forces veterans with at least 22 years' service. Tours leave from near the main entrance every 45 minutes: from 10:00 Tuesday to Saturday and from 10:45 Sunday and Monday; the last one starts at 15:15. You can't book a place, the tours are in English only, and they may be cut short in bad weather or very large crowds.

  3. White Tower

    The Norman keep at the heart of the fortress, with the Line of Kings (royal armour displayed since the 1600s), weapons collections and St John's Chapel, one of the oldest church interiors in London. Lots of stairs, some of them narrow spiral staircases.

  4. Tower Green and the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula

    The memorial to the people executed inside the walls, and the chapel where Anne Boleyn and others are buried. The chapel is still a working church and closes now and then; it is usually seen as part of a Yeoman Warder tour.

  5. Bloody Tower and Medieval Palace

    Where the Princes in the Tower disappeared and Raleigh wrote his History of the World, next to the rooms of the medieval kings. The Medieval Palace was refurbished in May 2025. Both are dark inside and have steps with no lift.

  6. Wall walk (the Battlements)

    A walk along the inner walls with views over Tower Bridge and the City towers. This is the place to get your photos of Tower Bridge from inside the Tower. No lift or ramp.

  7. The ravens

    At least six ravens are kept at the Tower and roam the Inner Ward. Look for them around Tower Green and the White Tower. If you want to see them up close, book the paid Ravens experience on Wednesdays and Fridays.

The Tower of London lit up at night across the river
The Tower of London lit up at night across the river

Tower of London tickets: which to buy and where

Most visitors should buy the standard ticket (£38 adult) from Historic Royal Palaces on hrp.org.uk. It already covers the Crown Jewels and the Yeoman Warder tours. Booking online fixes your entry time and saves you the ticket-office queue, but nobody skips the security bag check: Historic Royal Palaces says there is no fast-track entry. You get one entry per ticket, so you can't leave and come back.

The official ticket site

Historic Royal Palaces

The charity that runs the Tower. Its ticket pages are on hrp.org.uk and checkout runs on booking.hrp.org.uk. Prices show with and without an optional 10% donation; untick the donation if you only want to pay the ticket price.

Go to the official site

  • Tower of London standard admission

    £38 adult (£41.80 with the optional donation); 5–15 and 16–17 £19; students, 65+ and disabled visitors £30.30; under 5s free; carers free

    (€45 · €49 · €22 · €36)

    Official ticketsSkips some lines

    Includes
    Timed entry, Crown Jewels, White Tower, Medieval Palace, Bloody Tower, Battlements, Torture at the Tower and the free Yeoman Warder tours. Audio guide extra (from £5).
    Best for
    Almost everyone. Skips the ticket-office queue, not the bag check at the entrance.
    Historic Royal Palaces (official) · as of October 2026See this ticket →

  • Opening Ceremony experience

    £62 adult; £33.50 child 5–15; £49.50 students, 65+ and disabled visitors

    (€73 · €40 · €59)

    Official ticketsSkips the ticket line

    Includes
    Entry before general opening (08:45 Tue–Sat, 09:45 Sun–Mon), watching the Yeoman Warders' Opening Ceremony, first into the Jewel House, then normal admission for the rest of the day. Advance booking only; runs daily until 1 November 2026.
    Best for
    Seeing the Crown Jewels with no queue, without paying for a guided tour
    Historic Royal Palaces (official) · as of October 2026See this ticket →

  • Ravens experience (Wednesdays and Fridays)

    £90 adult; £50 child 5–15; £70 students, 65+ and disabled visitors

    (€105 · €59 · €83)

    Official ticketsSkips the ticket line

    Includes
    Early entry with a member of the Ravenmaster's team, then general admission for the day
    Best for
    Raven fans and families who want an early start
    Historic Royal Palaces (official) · as of October 2026See this ticket →

  • Ceremony of the Keys

    Pay what you choose, £10–£50 (suggested £30)

    (€12–59 · €36)

    Official ticketsDoes not skip lines

    Includes
    Escorted entry at 21:30 to watch the nightly locking of the Tower, ending 22:05. It does not include daytime admission.
    Best for
    A memorable evening if you can be online when tickets are released
    Historic Royal Palaces (official) · as of October 2026See this ticket →

  • Tower of London and Crown Jewels ticket (resold)

    from €45 on GetYourGuide

    ResellerSkips some lines

    Includes
    The same Historic Royal Palaces timed ticket, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before
    Best for
    People who want free cancellation, which the official site doesn't offer (it has a strict no-refunds policy)
    GetYourGuide · as of October 2026See this ticket →

  • Go City London Pass

    Pass price varies by number of days or attractions; Go City values Tower entry at up to £37

    (€44)

    ResellerDoes not skip lines

    Includes
    Tower admission, Crown Jewels and Yeoman Warder tours. You can't book a slot: show the pass on arrival and you get the next available time.
    Best for
    Only if you'll use the pass for several other paid sights the same days
    Go City · as of October 2026See this ticket →

How to buy

  1. Go to hrp.org.uk, open Tower of London, then Tickets and prices, and click Buy tickets. Checkout is on booking.hrp.org.uk.
  2. Pick your date and entry time. Choose the earliest slot if you want a short Crown Jewels queue.
  3. Decide on the 10% donation. Leave it out to pay the plain ticket price (£38 adult). If you add it and are a UK taxpayer, tick Gift Aid so the charity can claim more.
  4. Add the audio guide (from £5) now if you want it, or use the free highlights tour in the Tower's web-based Visitor Guide.
  5. Save the PDF e-ticket on your phone. If the email doesn't arrive, show your booking reference at the ticket office.
  6. Check the date before paying: Historic Royal Palaces does not refund tickets. Date changes cost an amendment fee and must be made by phone at least 3 working days ahead.

Look-alike sites

The only official seller is Historic Royal Palaces: information pages on hrp.org.uk, checkout on booking.hrp.org.uk. Ticket sites and booking platforms that use Tower of London in their name and logo often show up above it in search results, and some charge more for the same timed ticket, or sell a 'skip-the-line' entry that doesn't exist (everyone goes through the same bag check). Before paying, check the address bar ends in hrp.org.uk. Ceremony of the Keys tickets are only sold by Historic Royal Palaces, in the booker's name: any tour company or reseller offering them is selling something the Tower says it will cancel.

We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.

Guided tours of Tower of London

For most visitors the free Yeoman Warder tour is the best guided tour there is, and it's already in the ticket. A paid tour is worth it for one thing: getting into the Jewel House before the crowds. Until 1 November 2026 the Tower's own Opening Ceremony ticket (£62) does that without a guide. Pay for a guided early-access tour only if you also want a guide's commentary all morning. Blue Badge guides can also guide privately inside the Tower; Historic Royal Palaces points to Guide London for bookings.

  • Free guided tour, included in admission

    Yeoman Warder tour

    Historic Royal Palaces

    Every 45 minutes, from 10:00 Tue–Sat and 10:45 Sun–Mon; last tour 15:15. Starts near the main entrance by the Bell Tower. English only, no booking, big groups, includes 21 steps and cobbles. The 13:00 tour is cancelled on gun-salute days.

    Included in the ticket

    Duration: About 1 hour

    as of October 2026

    See this tour →

  • Small-group early-access guided tour

    Complete Tower of London Tour: Opening Ceremony, Early Access Crown Jewels and River Cruise

    Walks (Take Walks)

    Up to 20 people, Blue Badge guide with headsets, Opening Ceremony, first entry to the Jewel House and a one-way City Cruises river pass. Meets at the West Gate entrance opposite the Tower gift shop. Costs well over twice the Tower's own Opening Ceremony ticket; the extra buys the guide and the boat.

    from US$133 (priced in US dollars; October 2026 dates shown at $134–$218)

    Duration: 3 hours

    as of October 2026

    See this tour →

  • Guided early-access tour

    Tower of London Tour with Beefeater Meet and Greet

    LetzGo City Tours Britain (sold on GetYourGuide)

    Early timed entry with an English-speaking guide and a 15–20-minute private session with a Yeoman Warder, then free time. Meets at the Starbucks, 3 Tower Place. Not suitable for wheelchair users. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

    from €117 (shown in euros)

    Duration: 3–4 hours

    as of October 2026

    See this tour →

  • Official early entry (not guided)

    Opening Ceremony experience

    Historic Royal Palaces

    In before the public at 08:45 (09:45 Sun–Mon) to watch the Opening Ceremony, then first into the Jewel House. Gets you the main thing the paid tours sell, for less. Daily until 1 November 2026.

    £62 adult

    (€73)

    Duration: Early entry, then the rest of the day at your own pace

    as of October 2026

    See this tour →

We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.

Tower of London deals and discounts

The bottom line

For a single visit, the official £38 ticket is the best buy, and it already includes the Beefeater tour. The real savings are the National Rail 2-for-1 if you arrive by train, and an annual Historic Royal Palaces membership if you'll also visit Hampton Court or Kensington Palace.

  • 2-for-1 with a National Rail ticket

    Two adults get in for the price of one if they travelled to London by National Rail; check the Days Out Guide terms for which train tickets count. Download the voucher from Days Out Guide (daysoutguide.co.uk), then show it with your train tickets at the Tower ticket office. It only works for tickets bought on the day at the ticket office, so you can't pre-book a slot with it.

    hrp.org.uk · as of October 2026

  • Historic Royal Palaces membership

    An individual membership costs £65 a year by Direct Debit or £75 by card. It gives unlimited entry to the Tower, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and Hillsborough Castle, plus 50% off the Tower River Tour and 10% off in the shops and cafés. With the Tower at £38, it pays for itself on a second palace visit. Joint membership is £105/£115, family from £80/£90 (prices valid to 28 February 2027). Already bought a ticket? You can put its price towards membership within two weeks of your visit.

    hrp.org.uk · as of October 2026

  • Free and reduced entry

    Under 5s are free and need no ticket. Ages 5–17 pay £19. Full-time students (16+, including international students with a valid student card), over-65s and disabled visitors pay £30.30, and a disabled visitor's carer goes free. Bring ID: it may be checked.

    hrp.org.uk · as of October 2026

  • £1 tickets

    Anyone receiving Universal Credit or another named UK benefit can buy £1 tickets for up to four people per household, online in advance. Tower Hamlets residents pay £1 at the ticket office on the day with proof of address. Popular dates sell out.

    hrp.org.uk · as of October 2026

  • London Pass (Go City)

    The Tower is included in Go City's London passes. You can't reserve a slot: show the pass on arrival and you're admitted on the next available time, which can mean waiting on busy days. It only saves money if you'll fit several other paid sights into the same days.

    gocity.com · as of October 2026

Best time to visit Tower of London

Time of day: outside school holidays the Tower is quietest before 11:00. Arrive for opening (09:00 Tue–Sat; on Sunday and Monday the first Yeoman Warder tour is at 10:45, which points to a 10:00 opening, but check the calendar) and go straight to the Jewel House. In school-holiday weeks the mornings are the busiest, and Historic Royal Palaces suggests coming after 13:30. Its general advice is that afternoons after midday are quieter. A late visit with the Crown Jewels in the last hour is the other good way to avoid the queue.

Season and week: Easter to October is peak season, and British school holidays (half-terms, Easter, July–August, Christmas) and weekends are the most crowded. A weekday from November to March is the calmest time, but hours are shorter in winter (older official leaflets give a 16:30 closing from November), so check the day on the opening-times calendar.

What to avoid: on gun-salute days (13:00, on Tower Wharf), the wharf by the entrance closes about 45 minutes before and gets packed, and the 13:00 Yeoman Warder tour is cancelled. Parts of the site, such as the chapel, close at short notice for conservation or services, so check the closures page before you book.

Tips and tricks

Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.

  1. Do the Crown Jewels first or last

    The Jewel House queue is the only one that really grows. Walk straight there after you enter, or leave it for the final hour. The queue moves faster than it looks because a moving walkway carries everyone past the main cases.

    From Mumsnet UK travel forum, 2025; Historic Royal Palaces FAQ, 2026

  2. Slip out of the Beefeater tour early

    The Yeoman Warder tour ends close to the Jewel House, and the whole group then joins the queue at once. If you've had your fill of stories, leave a few minutes early to get ahead of them. You don't have to choose between the tour and the audio guide: you can do both.

    From Mumsnet UK travel forum, 2025

  3. Book the Opening Ceremony instead of a pricey tour

    If what you want is an empty Jewel House, the Tower's own Opening Ceremony ticket gets you in before the public and first to the jewels for £62. That's less than half the price of the guided early-access tours. It runs daily until 1 November 2026; check the booking site for dates after that.

    From Historic Royal Palaces booking site, October 2026

  4. Leave the suitcase at the hotel

    Suitcases, large bags and anything on wheels are refused at the gate, and the Tower has no left luggage. Everyone's bag is checked before entry, so a small bag gets you through faster.

    From Historic Royal Palaces FAQ, 2026

  5. Use the free audio

    The paid audio guide starts at £5. The Tower's web-based Visitor Guide has a free highlights audio tour on your phone; bring headphones and a charged battery.

    From Historic Royal Palaces visit page, 2026; Mumsnet UK travel forum, 2025

  6. Don't plan on popping out for lunch

    Tickets are valid for one entry only, so plan to eat inside. The New Armouries Café, by the White Tower, has indoor seating, and there are benches on Tower Green.

    From Historic Royal Palaces FAQ and accessibility page, 2026

  7. Ceremony of the Keys: be online at 13:00 UK time

    Tickets for the whole next month go on sale at 13:00 UK time on the first working day of the month (the Monday instead if that day is a Friday). In July 2026, people logging on minutes after release found mostly single tickets left. Have a few dates in mind, book up to six in your own name, and check back for cancellations: there is no waiting list.

    From Rick Steves travel forum, July 2026; Historic Royal Palaces, 2026

  8. Leave tripods and selfie sticks behind

    Tripods and selfie sticks are banned, and you can't take photos in the Jewel House, in the Martin Tower or during the Ceremony of the Keys. Elsewhere, non-flash photos are fine.

    From Historic Royal Palaces FAQ, 2026

A raven perched in front of a stone wall
A raven perched in front of a stone wall

How to get to Tower of London

  • Underground: Tower Hill station (District and Circle lines) is a 5-minute walk and has step-free access to street level. Monument, Bank, Aldgate and Aldgate East are 10–15 minutes away on foot.
  • DLR and rail: Tower Gateway (DLR) is beside Tower Hill. Fenchurch Street and London Bridge stations are 10–15 minutes' walk, Liverpool Street about 20 minutes and Charing Cross about 25 minutes.
  • By river: Tower Pier, next to the entrance, has Uber Boat by Thames Clippers and City Cruises boats from Westminster and the London Eye.
  • Bus: routes 15, 42, 78, 100, 343 and RV1 stop nearby.
  • Car: there's no parking at the Tower, and it's inside the Congestion Charge zone. The nearest car park is Tower Hill Coach and Car Park (50 Lower Thames Street, 2 minutes), which has Blue Badge bays; Minories car park is 10 minutes away. Bike racks are behind the Tower shop.

Scams and problems to watch for

  • Look-alike ticket sites

    Sites with Tower of London in their name, and paid search ads, can rank above the official site and charge more for the same ticket. The real one is hrp.org.uk, with checkout on booking.hrp.org.uk. If the address is anything else, you are on a reseller.

  • Paying extra for 'skip-the-line'

    Historic Royal Palaces says there is no fast-track entry: every visitor, with any ticket, goes through the same bag check. A pre-booked ticket only saves you the ticket-office queue. Real early-access products get you in before opening time; a 'skip-the-line' label on a normal ticket gets you nothing extra.

  • Paying for the Beefeater tour

    The Yeoman Warder tour is free with every ticket and can't be booked in advance. A product that charges mainly for a Beefeater tour is charging for something included. Paid tours that add a private session with a Yeoman Warder are a different, real product, but read what you get.

  • Ceremony of the Keys sold by third parties

    Tickets are only sold online by Historic Royal Palaces, in the booker's name, at most six per person. The Tower says it cancels bookings made by tour operators or other third parties, and the named booker must attend. Resold tickets or packages 'including' the ceremony risk being turned away at the gate.

Accessibility

The Tower is a medieval fortress with cobbles, steep spiral staircases and low doorways, so wheelchair access is limited. The Jewel House (Crown Jewels) has level access, and staff will stop the moving walkway if you need. There is a platform lift into the Chapel Royal, worked by the Yeoman Warder on duty, and a lift in the White Tower, but only down to the basement shop. There is no lift or ramp to the Battlements, the Bloody Tower or the Imprisonment at the Tower exhibition, and the Yeoman Warder tour includes 21 steps. Wheelchairs are lent free on a first-come basis at the entrance and can't be booked. Disabled visitors pay the £30.30 concession rate and a carer goes free (one carer per booking online, more by email or on the day). Accessible toilets are at the Brick Tower and Cradle Tower, and there is a Changing Places toilet in the New Armouries (radar key from the café). Other services: hidden-disability wristbands, induction loops, a BSL digital guide, BSL-interpreted tours on the last Saturday of each month, and descriptive tours for blind visitors on request. Tower Hill and Tower Gateway stations have lifts, and there are Blue Badge bays in Tower Hill car park.

Combine it with

  • Tower Bridge

    Right next to the Tower. Crossing the bridge is free; the high walkways and Victorian engine rooms need a separate ticket from towerbridge.org.uk (open daily 09:30–18:00). It also has a National Rail 2-for-1 offer.

  • St Katharine Docks

    A marina a few minutes' walk east of the Tower, on the far side of Tower Bridge's north end. Moored boats and waterside cafés make it a calmer lunch stop.

  • Sky Garden

    A free indoor garden and viewing deck at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, about 10 minutes' walk away. Free tickets are released up to three weeks ahead and give you an hour; open weekdays 10:00–18:00 and weekends 11:00–21:00. Bring photo ID if you look under 25.

  • Borough Market

    London's best-known food market, by London Bridge station, about 20 minutes' walk across Tower Bridge or London Bridge. Closed Mondays; open 10:00–17:00 Tuesday to Friday, 09:00–17:00 Saturday and 10:00–16:00 Sunday. Good for lunch after a morning at the Tower.

Questions people ask about visiting Tower of London

How much are Tower of London tickets?

A standard adult ticket is £38 from Historic Royal Palaces, or £41.80 if you add the optional 10% donation (October 2026). Ages 5–17 pay £19, students, over-65s and disabled visitors pay £30.30, and under 5s are free. The ticket includes the Crown Jewels and the Yeoman Warder tours.

Is it cheaper to buy Tower of London tickets online?

Historic Royal Palaces does not say that online tickets are cheaper, and the prices on this page are what its online shop showed in October 2026. What booking online does is fix your entry time (busy days do sell out) and save the ticket-office queue. The main way to pay less is the National Rail 2-for-1 voucher, which you can only use at the ticket office on the day.

How can I avoid the Crown Jewels queue?

Go to the Jewel House as soon as you enter at opening time, or in the last hour before last entry. For a near-empty room, the Opening Ceremony ticket (£62 adult, running daily until 1 November 2026) gets you in before the public and first into the Jewel House.

Can you skip the line at the Tower of London?

Only partly. A pre-booked ticket saves you the ticket-office queue, but every visitor goes through the same bag check, and Historic Royal Palaces says there is no fast-track entry. The only way to beat the crowds is an early-entry product: the Opening Ceremony (until 1 November 2026), the Ravens experience or an early-access tour.

Is the Beefeater tour free?

Yes. Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) tours are included in every Tower ticket. They leave from near the main entrance every 45 minutes, from 10:00 Tuesday to Saturday and 10:45 Sunday and Monday, with the last at 15:15. You can't book a place, and they're in English only.

How do I get tickets for the Ceremony of the Keys?

Book online on hrp.org.uk at 13:00 UK time on the first working day of the month before your visit (the following Monday if that day is a Friday). The price is pay-what-you-choose, £10–£50, with £30 suggested. It sells out within minutes, there's no waiting list, and the named booker must attend. Arrive at the West Gate by 21:25.

How long do you need at the Tower of London?

Historic Royal Palaces suggests allowing two to three hours; three is more realistic with the Crown Jewels. Add time for the Crown Jewels queue on busy days, and allow half a day if you join a Yeoman Warder tour and walk the battlements. You can stay until closing, but you can't leave and come back on the same ticket.

More sights in United Kingdom

Before you go

The things that apply at every big sight: booking ahead, what skip-the-line really means, and the scams that follow tourists everywhere.

Read the guides