Tower of London question

Do the Crown Jewels first and then come back for the Beefeater tour. The Crown Jewels queue gets very long fairly quickly but it will be fine first thing.

Thanks you for your reply.

I recommend the Beefeater tour first because the guides provide an excellent overview of the Tower of London with its complex history and great stories. The Beefeaters will underline the highlights and things you want to look for and ask about. There were a lot of people who wanted to see the Crown Jewels, but I noticed the line moved quickly, and there was a lot of space.

I’m not aware that the Beefeaters include the Crown Jewels - at least not “guided”.

I think the long standing advice is as John above suggests, head to the Crown Jewels, then return to the entrance and pick up Beefeaters. That’s what I’ve done on multiple visits, but not since Covid. Very recent experience might trump my approach if there have been changes in procedure and Beefeater routine.

According to their website, the Beefeater tour promises "intimate encounters with renowned landmarks like the Crown Jewels".

https://www.london-tickets.co.uk/tower-of-london/beefeater-tour/

^^ Got it. Perhaps things have changed - or my definition of "intimate encounters" is not what I experienced.

This brochure (2018 - not sure if most current) with a description of the travelator or moving walkway past the "best" of the displays is what I have encountered. Keeps the crowds moving with individual viewing time controlled by speed of walkway. https://www.hrp.org.uk/media/1571/tower-access-guide-2018.pdf

In any case - the Beefeater Tours are free - join in as you wish, leave as you wish. Good for an overview of the Tower, history, stories (including some too vivid for me). Then, free to wander wherever you wish. In the end, if your time at the Tower is unlimited, it probably doesn't matter the order - jewels first or tour.

Hopefully a visitor from recent weeks/months will have an idea on strategy.

Another data point from a year ago (this popped up for me, there may be more recent posts as well):

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/tower-of-london-with-access-to-crown-jewels

I'll add one more tidbit: I noticed my Beefeater guide became animated by a question I asked about Thomas More -- judge, philosopher, author and all around Renaissance Man -- who was executed for treason at the Tower of London. If you come up with a good question about the Tower's history, you'll have a great tour.

I was at the Tower of London about three weeks ago. We did the Beefeater tour first and that gave us a nice overview of the history of the Tower of London. The tour did not take us to the Crown Jewels.

The first time that I went to the Tower of London, in 2001, we did the Beefeater tour after we saw the crown jewels. I think it is a matter of timing....if there is a Beefeater tour starting shortly after you arrive, then perhaps do that first.

Yikes - Raymond, did you book your ticket with "London Tickets" (your link above) rather than direct on the Tower website?

https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit/tickets-and-prices/#gs.m2hmpv

If so, I suspect you may well have overpaid. The Beefeater's Tour is included in the ticket purchased at the official website, or on site at the Tower ticket gate. "Skip the Line" terminology is a marketing gimmick often used by third party sellers and generally meaningless. An official ticket has an entry time for access. I am certain that a premium price paid to "London Tickets" (if that's what happened) will get you nothing extra for your money.

Can you get a refund???

Definitely check out those prices Raymond.... The London Tickets Tower of London ticket is coming in at from £76 if you look at their website. The fast-track entry is a gimic as you still have to have belongings checked.

To buy direct from Historic Royal Palaces, the cost is £35.80. That includes entry to the Crown jewels and also The Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) tour. (You can also purchase an audio guide tour with your ticket.)

Thanks again everyone for all of the replies! I did buy my tickets on the official website. I just referenced the other because of what it said about the beefeater tour, but I probably should not have since its not an official site. Thanks for pointing that out!

I am glad to hear that!

Enjoy your visit - no matter what order you choose!!

We did the recommended order of: 1) Crown Jewels immediately upon opening at 9:00, and 2) first available Yeoman Warder tour at 10:00. The tour was excellent, but the group was so large that we needed to make a concerted effort to stay close enough to the Warder to hear everything clearly. Given that tours start every 30 minutes, I suspect that the 10:30 and later tours may be less crowded (because the first tour is satisfying an hour of pent-up demand).

Follow up question:
What I bought online from the official website says I have a "ticket". In one of Rick Steve's old books it says you are really buying a voucher online that has to be exchanged at the ticket office for a voucher. So, do I have a ticket or a voucher?

If printed on the ticket is the word "ticket" then it is a ticket. Does it say on to be exchanged?

Ticketing methods change over the years

It says it is a ticket and doesn't say anything about being a voucher or having to be exchanged. Thanks for your input.

An advantage of being at the doors when they open and then doing the crown jewels first is if there is sufficient time and the queue has not grown very much yet, you can wander up to the front again and go through for another go. That's what I do.

I didn't mean to be snide, but it's just that the words have specific meanings.

I never have a ticket myself because I have been a member of Historic Royal Palaces for many years. So I know how they work but don't actually see real tickets anymore.