Tower of London: tickets from £37, opening hours and how to skip the queue
The Tower, one of the most recognizable fortresses in the world. Planning your first visit to London and don't want to lose your morning in line? Let's break down how much tickets cost, when to arrive, and what to see first. An adult ticket starts at £37, and the line for the Crown Jewels grows to nearly an hour by midday.
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© Bob Collowan · CC BY-SAPhoto: Bob Collowan, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe Tower in short: tickets, hours, and getting there
💡 In short:
- Adult ticket from £37 online, plus an optional 10% donation (as of 09/2026, Historic Royal Palaces).
- Summer hours: Tue-Sat 9:00-17:30, Sun-Mon 10:00-17:30. In winter, closing is at 16:30 (as of 09/2026, Historic Royal Palaces).
- Arrive 30 minutes before opening and head straight to the Crown Jewels. That way you'll skip the main line of the day.
- The easiest way to get there is by Tube to Tower Hill station.
- Prices and hours: 09/2026, verified on the HRP prices and tickets page.
History of the Tower
The fortress was founded in the 11th century. It wasn't built for beauty, but as a fort against the city's own residents, whom the new rulers didn't trust. Nearly all the kings of England stayed here at least occasionally. That's how the Tower became the monarchy's anchor point in the historic center of London.
The outer walls and towers were built mostly in the Middle Ages. After that came additions and rebuilds inside the perimeter, century after century. In the 19th century, the fortress was significantly reworked: the walls and towers were rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style, and some of the inner buildings were demolished.
The Tower wasn't just a palace and a fort. Prisoners were held and executed here. Guy Fawkes, a participant in the Gunpowder Plot, was tortured within its walls. He was later executed in Westminster. A separate exhibition on torture covers this dark page of history. Today the fortress belongs to the British Crown and is managed by Historic Royal Palaces. The Tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
© Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SAPhoto: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia CommonsWhat to see inside
The heart of the fortress is the Crown Jewels. This is the very collection of crowns and scepters that most visitors come for. Nearby stands the White Tower, the main keep in the center of the courtyard, which is also worth climbing. Inside are part of the Royal Armouries collection with historic armor and weapons, and the museum of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
Ravens live on the grounds, and that's no accident. According to legend, if the ravens leave the Tower, the Crown will fall, so the birds are looked after with special care. The grounds also include the living quarters of the guards, the Yeoman Warders, as well as service and administrative buildings.
© Ilya Grigorik · CC BY-SAPhoto: Ilya Grigorik, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia CommonsInside, it's easy to get lost among the exhibits and information boards. If you're interested in the details, the fortress can genuinely take a whole day. If you only want the highlights, plan for a few hours and keep your focus on the Crown Jewels and the White Tower.
Is it worth going: an honest take
It's worth going, but with a plan. To avoid standing in lines, be at the entrance half an hour before opening. Then you'll still have time for the fortress and for other London sights afterward.
Start with a walk along the outer walls, going around the perimeter. That gives you a general overview of the grounds and helps you understand where everything is. Then move inside the buildings. The Crown Jewels and the White Tower with its old armor and uniforms are definitely worth your time.
The Tower's special value is its medieval atmosphere. You literally find yourself inside English history. The fortress is compact, pentagonal, and you can walk around its walls fairly quickly.
There's also a contrast you notice right away. Modern City skyscrapers have grown up around the ancient walls, and old and new sit side by side in a single frame. That makes the views around the Tower very photogenic.
A practical tip: take a guided tour or an audio guide. With them, you get a structured overview rather than a collection of scattered facts. Tours of the fortress are led by the very same Yeoman Warders. They used to be the kings' personal guards and watched over prisoners. Today the Yeoman Warders keep order and lead visitors. They're easy to recognize by their black and red uniforms.
Tour with the Yeoman Warders
The Yeoman Warders offer a paid tour with early entry. The meeting is usually set for 8:30 at the entrance, the guide gives an introduction to the fortress's history, and around 9:00 the group is taken in through a side entrance. The walk itself lasts about half an hour. There's not much to see on it, but it comes with a couple of lively stories: how ravens end up at the Tower, how someone becomes a Yeoman Warder, and who was executed here. The tour costs a fair amount of money, so check the exact price before booking.
Honestly, the early entry gives you almost nothing. The Tower opens at 9:00 anyway, and the same facts are in the audio guide. One plus: the paid group is small. There are also free tours with the Yeoman Warders, but they're far more crowded, and the crowd eats up half the experience. If you decide to go for it, you can book the Beefeater Tour on GetYourGuide.
© Michel wal · CC BY-SAPhoto: Michel wal, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia CommonsVirtual tours of the Tower
If your trip is still in the planning stages, you can explore the fortress in advance. There are 360-degree tours and videos about the Tower online, including a walk through the inner courtyards with a historian. It's a convenient way to understand the route and decide what you want to see in person.
Tips for your visit
Be there in the morning, ideally 30 minutes before opening.
Grab an audio guide right at the entrance. It's inexpensive and will guide you around the whole site.
Head to the Crown Jewels first so you don't get stuck in the midday line.
Getting there, tickets, and hours
Getting there: by Tube to Tower Hill station, or the scenic way, by boat along the Thames to Tower Pier. Address: Tower of London, London, EC3N 4AB.
Tickets: adult from £37 online, with an optional 10% donation offered at checkout (as of 09/2026, Historic Royal Palaces). City passes and cards can help you save: London Pass, 2for1, the HRP card, or Turbopass. Hours depend on the season; current data is in the table.
Season | Tue-Sat | Sun-Mon |
|---|---|---|
Summer (March-October) | 9:00-17:30 | 10:00-17:30 |
Winter (November-February) | 9:00-16:30 | 10:00-16:30 |
Hours source: Historic Royal Palaces, verified 09/2026.
Tours and tickets in Tower of London
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⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions
How much does a Tower of London ticket cost?
An adult ticket costs from £37 when purchased online (as of 09/2026, Historic Royal Palaces). At checkout, you're offered an optional 10% donation. It's cheaper with city passes and cards like the London Pass or Turbopass if you're visiting several attractions at once.
Do I need to buy tickets in advance?
Yes, it's better to buy your ticket online in advance. That locks in the £37 price and keeps you out of the ticket office line. Arrive 30 minutes before opening and head straight to the Crown Jewels: by midday, the line for them is noticeably longer.
Is the paid Yeoman Warders tour worth it?
The tour is short, about half an hour, and relies on stories rather than showing new rooms. Early entry gives you almost no head start, since the Tower opens at 9:00. One plus: the paid group is small. Free tours are more crowded, so decide based on your budget and mood.
How do I get to the Tower of London?
The easiest way is by Tube to Tower Hill station; from there it's a couple of minutes on foot to the entrance. The second option is more scenic: a boat along the Thames to Tower Pier. The exact address for your navigation app: Tower of London, London, EC3N 4AB.
How much time should I allow for the visit?
If you're interested in details and exhibits, the fortress can easily take a whole day. For the highlights, the Crown Jewels and the White Tower, a few hours is enough. Start with a loop along the outer walls, then move inside the buildings.
In short: what's worth booking
The Tower is worth a visit, but the early bird with a ticket in hand wins. Buy your ticket online, be at the entrance half an hour before opening, and start with the Crown Jewels. An audio guide will save you more stress than a paid tour.
If it's your first visit and you want the highlights: get an online ticket and an audio guide; you can skip the paid tour.
If you love details and history: allow a full day and start with a walk along the walls.
If you're counting every pound: compare city passes; with several attractions they pay for themselves.
A timed ticket is easy to book in advance: see Tower of London tickets on Tiqets.
A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.