Timed Entry Ticket
What almost everyone should buy. Take the 9am slot and walk to the Crown Jewels first, not the White Tower.
£37/ person
Check availability Civitatis Tower of London Tickets
Is Tower of London worth booking?
82 SCORE
Yes, book it. Book Ahead
Timed entry, and summer weekend slots do run out roughly a week ahead. Book online, take the first slot of the day, and go straight to the Crown Jewels before anyone else does.
Top options to book
- Timed Entry TicketCheck availability
- Total London Full Day Guided TourCheck availability
- Tower of London Tour with Private Beefeater GuideCheck availability
Quick facts
- BOOK AHEAD?
- Yes — recommended
- Sells out in season
- SELL-OUT RISK
- Medium
- Peak dates go first
- BOOKING WINDOW
- 1–2 weeks
- 3–4 weeks in peak season
- TYPICAL PRICE
- £35–£89
- Monument
- TIME NEEDED
- 2,5–4 hours
- Early morning
- AT THE DOOR?
- Sometimes
- Off-peak only
Best for
- First-time visitors — this is the one paid historic site that earns the money
- Anyone who wants a thousand years of grim stories in one place
- Families: the Yeoman Warder tours are genuinely funny and included
- Early risers willing to be at the gate for opening
Skip if
- You need step-free routes. The White Tower has spiral stairs and no lift
- You arrive after 11am in August, when the Jewels queue is 40 minutes
- You have half a day in London and have not seen anything else
- You only want the Tower Bridge photo, which is free from the north bank
THE BIG QUESTION
Guided tour or solo visit?
We compared both, factor by factor.
FACTOR Solo visit · £37 Our pick Guided tour · £37
Price Solo visit € — ticket only Guided tour €€€ — full package
Flexibility Solo visit High — your own pace Guided tour Low — fixed schedule
Historical context Solo visit High — expert storytelling Guided tour High — expert storytelling
Ease of entry Solo visit Medium — you manage the slot Guided tour High — entry handled for you
Best for Solo visit Independent travellers Guided tour Travellers short on time
Our pick
Go solo, and this is not a close call. A Yeoman Warder tour runs every 30 minutes, lasts an hour, is led by someone who served 22 years in the armed forces, and is included in your ticket. Paying a third-party guide for the same ground is money set on fire. The only paid tour worth considering is the before-opening one, and that is for the empty Jewel House, not the commentary.
See the tour →Frequently asked
Do I need to book the Tower of London in advance?
Yes, in practice. Entry is timed and popular morning slots go about a week out in summer. It is also several pounds cheaper online than at the gate, so there is no reason not to.
How long do you need at the Tower of London?
Three hours is right. Two is possible if you skip the Royal Armouries. Under two and you are paying £35 to look at jewels for six minutes on a travelator.
Is the Tower of London worth it?
Yes. It is the most expensive standard ticket in this list and still the one we would defend hardest. Go at opening and it is a completely different experience from the midday crush.
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