Can anyone give me advice on visiting the Tower of London, so I can avoid the worst crowds and have the best experience? I've heard that the "London Walks" operation offers an 11:00 AM tour of the Tower and they claim that if you join their group (for a fee) you can circumvent the other public lines. Any words of wisdom on the Tower of London? Thanks.
Posted by
Land of La
9221 posts
Be there when it opens. Go straight to see the Crown Jewels, then explore the rest of the property. Did this in May. 5 people there when we arrived around 30 minutes before the ticket window opened. Maybe 15 when the window opened. Got our tickets. Maybe 30 people when the Beefeater opened the gate. Have not taken this tour with London Walks. Very reputable company though. I've enjoyed other walks and trips that they've coordinated. No complaints.
Posted by
San Diego, CA, USA
237 posts
We took like London walks tour and had a really good time. The walk is long and very informative so it depends on how much context and history you want with your London Tower tour. The tour certainly lasted longer than I would have spent if I had just gone through the site on my own. It start outside the tower, circles around and then finally goes inside and continues. Going on your own you can choose your time and go early to avoid the crowds - go straight to the jewels first and then wander the rest of the site. But I think the tour added a bunch of historical context for me and really improved the site itself. If a several hour, walking, humor-tinged history lesson doesn't sound like a good time for you your mileage may vary. Have a good time!
=Tod
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
Rain seems to deter a lot of people. I went to the Tower in the late morning / early afternoon on a Sunday in September and it rained all day. My friend and I walked right up, bought tickets, and went in - no lines. The worst thing about the rain is trying to keep your camera dry as you take pictures outside.
Posted by
Dallas, TX, USA
187 posts
I also recommend going on your own, being there when it opens at 9:00 and seeing the Crown Jewels first. Then you can go around and see everything else that particularly interests you. We especially enjoyed our visit to the chapel. I also recommend the restaurant onsite; lots of options and all was delicious.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
30 posts
Agree with all the other comments. Note that the Tower doesn't open at 9am all days, it opens at 10am on Sunday and Monday. We took the advice from the RS London book and bought our tickets at the Traders Gate souvenier shop located near the Tower Hill tube station. No line to buy the tickets there, plus they sold it at a small discount. We arrived at maybe 8:45 on the day we toured it this past July, and there were already fairly long lines at the ticket booths, which we were able to walk right past.
Posted by
sarasota, fl, usa
48 posts
We were on a Hop on Off bus tour and they sold us tickets right off the bus. Went right in and looked at the Jewels, with maybe a 15 minute wait. Then went back and caught a Beefeater tour by the gate(free). They give you lots of cool info! Also with a Hop On tour you get a free boat tour on the Thames which is by the Tower.I love FREE!
Posted by
Austin, Texas, USA
572 posts
I agree with others and with the RS guidebook recommendation. We were there just this past June. We were there when it opened (no line at ticket booth), went straight for the crown jewels (no lines), then took the "Beefeater" guided tours, explored a little and then left. On the way out, we saw huge lines for the crown jewels and ticket booths.