7 best ways to visit the Tower of London

Best Ways to Visit the Tower of London

From medieval fortress, to unbelievable grim executions, infamous royal prisoners and home to the most famous and priceless of British treasures, the Tower of London has been the centre of London’s compelling history. Built by William the Conqueror, the historic castle has been the keeper of long-standing traditions and royal secrets. A visit to this iconic landmark and you will experience the remarkable architecture, the towers, and the defensive walls that makes this structure a formidable castle and the most secure one in the land.

Learn more about the secrets of the castle and the traditions at the Tower that continues to be observed till today by selecting one of the best ways to visit the Tower of London suggested below.

Grey turrets and a flag pole dominates the skyline at the Tower of London.
Grey turrets and a flag pole dominates the skyline at the Tower of London | Image: georgina_daniel

The Tower of London is conveniently located along River Thames with easy access to public transportation, with Tower Hill being within minutes of walking distance. As always, Timeless Travel Steps brings you only the best in information and offers to add value to your experiences in London when you visit. This page is dedicated to best ways to visit the Tower of London, bringing you carefully selected value for money experiences designed to enhance your visit. Further suggestions on activities to experience wider London is included also.

How best to visit the Tower of London

Ways to experience the Tower of London

As you may know, there are a number of ways to visit the Tower of London. From a standard stand-alone entrance ticket to the Tower to combined tickets together with other attractions in the city of London. Some combinations offer great value for money and it’s worth knowing which is best. At the same time, you may have to consider the length of your stay as well. For longer stays, it might be worth buying one of the city passes with discounted entrance to some attractions. However long you select to visit London or how many of London-sights you wish to visit, below is a guide to help you make the best of your visit.

7 best ways to visit the Tower of London

Good to know about your admission ticket to the Tower:

Your admission ticket to the Tower of London gives you access to all of the below:

>> Yeoman Warders at various points inside the Tower who tell captivating stories of the history and traditions of the Tower;

>> Special exhibitions and live re-enactments of historic moments;

>> The Crown Jewels;

>> The White Tower;

>> Battlements, Medieval Palace, Bloody Tower, Torture at the Tower exhibition, Fusiliers Museum and Royal Mint exhibition.

Here are the 7 best ways to visit the Tower of London.

1 | Standard Tickets to the Tower of London

Standard tickets are intended for single use, one time entry to the Tower of London. These are available for children, adults and seniors. You can purchase these either at the ticket offices at the Tower or online prior to visiting.

Ticket typeWith donation (£)No donation (£)
Adult (18-64)32.9029.90
Child (5-15)16.4014.90
Concession (age 65+|16-17|full-time student |disabled visitor)26.40 24.00
Family saver 1 (1 adult + 3 children – 5 to15yrs)57.5052.20
Family Saver 2 (2 adults + up to 3 children – 5 to 15 yrs90.4082.10
Prices are correct at time of writing April 2021 | Info from https://www.hrp.org.uk/

Timeless Travel Steps Best Tips:

Purchase your tickets to the Tower of London (Crown Jewels Exhibition is included) Online prior to visit

1 | Entry to the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels Exhibition

2 | Early Access to the Tower of London – check details and avilability.


2 | Historic Royal Palaces Membership

One of the best ways to visit the Tower of London is with a Historic Royal Palaces annual membership. With an annual membership, you will enjoy free and unlimited visits to the historic palaces and gardens and this includes the Tower of London. An annual membership of a single adult is £59.00, Joint is £89.00, and family tickets includes up to six children are also available.

NB: Prices are correct as at time of writing April 2021

3 | The London Pass

best ways to visit Tower of London

The London Pass is an all encompassing digital ticket that gives you access to 80+ top attractions, museums and tours in the city of London. The purchase also includes a beautifully curated comprehensive 160 page digital guidebook, with information of attractions, money saving tips, and maps, making this option one of the best ways to visit the Tower of London because Admission to Tower of London is FREE with the London Pass.

Good to know about the London Pass

>> Touch-free digital London Pass available instantly;

>> The London Pass is a complete sightseer credits package giving you access to top 80+ attractions, tours and museums;

>> Includes an informative FREE digital guidebook with maps, tips and valuable offers on shopping, dining and West End theatre tickets;

>> Skip-the-line access to selected top attractions in London such as St Paul’s Cathedral and London Zoo in Regent’s Park.

>> One day hop-on hop-off bus tour, covering three routes with over sixty stops including stops at Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and St Paul’s Cathedral.

>> Extra flexibility in case your travel plans change at the last minute – Valid for two years from time of purchase and before activation of first attraction visit.

Read > What you need to know and the benefits of London Pass

Buy London Pass from your preferred tour provider.

4 | London Explorer Pass

best ways to visit the Tower of London

The London Explorer Pass offers yet another best ways to visit the Tower of London. The London Explorer Pass is a money saver on combined admission prices to top attractions in London. You select from two, three, four, five or seven attractions. You choose where you would like to redeem your attraction credits from a list of top London attractions which includes Tower of London.

Select Tower of London as one of your preferred money saver combined attraction for FREE admission.

Good to know about the London Explorer Pass

>> Save up to 39% on combined admission of regular door prices to over 50 attractions, monuments, river cruises and tours;

>> Create your own itinerary from a selection of attraction – 2,3,4,5,or 7 attractions and pay for what you select. In its simplest form, best to think of it as 1 attraction = 1 credit;

>> Skip the line access at selected attractions;

>> Select top attractions such as Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, The Shard, St Paul’s Cathedral, Thames River Cruises and one day hop-on hop-off bus tours;

>> Instant download digital London Explorer Pass;

>> Explore at ease – show your touch-free digital ticket at the gates and walk right-in;

>> Enjoy the flexibility – London Explorer Pass is valid for 60 days from the time of first activation giving you plenty of time to schedule your visits;

Read > What you need to know about the London Explorer Pass and the benefits of the Explorer Pass

Buy London Explorer Pass from your preferred tour supplier:

5 | Join a Small Group Guided Walking tour

Join a small group of visitors led by a London expert guide who will take you to the most popular sites in London depending on the type of tours you select. Get the real London experience from a local, and afterwards explore at your own pace.

Good to know about Small Group Guided Tours

>> Benefit from a knowledgeable guide who knows the city and its history well enough to give you an informative and fun tour. More often than not, they make history come alive with entertaining, gripping tales, and generally, about life in London.

>> Guided tours are generally good value for money as you get to see more within a few hours.

>> Meet new people and makes new friends!

There are several small group guided tours available as these are some of the best ways to visit the Tower of London but below are 3 that are curated to maximise your experience at the Tower of London.

1 | Meet the Beefeater! Skip-the- line to one of the oldest monuments in London and meet the Yeoman Warders. They are more popularly known as Beefeaters, a group of elite guardsmen who were historically responsible for the prisoners of the Tower and for protecting the Crown Jewels.

2 | Early Access Tour of the Tower

Skip-the-line and view the iconic landmark + Crown Jewels as soon as the Tower opens and afterwards, visit the Tower Bridge and the engine room. Tour lasts approx. 3 hours.

3 | Tower of London + Thames River Walk

In a group of no more than 30, visit the Tower + Crown Jewels + Armouries and, afterwards enjoy the walk along River Thames, with a stop at Borough Market, London’s oldest food market.

6 | Private Tours of the Tower of London

Get a personalised experience from a knowledgeable guide who will share all the gruesome details and the stories of the Tower which you will thoroughly enjoy as one of the best ways to visit the Tower of London. Walk the wall of the iconic formidable castle in the land and take-in the picturesque views of the marvellous city.

Peruse the following carefully selected three private tours as one of the best ways to visit the Tower of London.

7 | Tower of London + City highlights tour

Experience the best of London by combining spectacular sights of London and a visit to the Tower – explore the city by bus and on foot.


Other experiences alongside visiting Tower of London

When visiting the Tower of London and London, you may want to add one of the following destinations to your itinerary:

St Paul’s Cathedral, London

Visit one of London’s leading attraction, an architectural masterpiece and a historical monument in the very heart of London. Select one or more ways to explore this landmark and save money along the way.

St Paul's Cathedral
5 rewarding ways to experience st paul's

Greenwich, London

Visit the quintessentially English town of Greenwich, where Time began and spend the day exploring the 45 experiences that this town has to offer every visitor.

Greenwich in one day

Venture a little further and go on a day trip…

London has so much to offer visitors and there’s much more to be experienced by venturing out a little from the City – the following two destinations are highly recommended. Read more on Windsor, the royal palace and on Stonehenge, a sophisticated architecture by navigating via the images below. A complete guide on how to get to the respective destinations are also included:

Windsor + Windsor Castle in one day
Stonehenge - A sophisticated architecture

If you plan to visit any one, both or other destinations outside London city, you may want to consider taking the train to your destination. London has an extensive rail network and you are never too far away from a train station.

On a final note…

London is an amazing, a culturally rich City where history abounds and the Tower of London is pretty much the beginning of it all. While the Tower is one of the most visited landmark in London, the City offers much more to its visitors than the normal touristic destinations. From secret gardens to gardens in the sky, from royal palaces to walkie-talkie buildings, from street names to colourful tunnels, along with huge foodie experiences that will totally transform you, London is a city that must be explored.

Have a super awesome time exploring Tower of London and London.

Georgina xx

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