Plan Your Visit to the Tower of London: What to Know Before You Go

Allow two or three hours inside the fortress. There are no lockers. Your ticket is one entry, with no re-entry. Photography is not allowed in the Jewel House. Middle Tower, the visitor entrance, has reduced access for conservation.

What a visit to the Tower of London is like once you are in

Arrive in the 30-minute window on your ticket. Historic Royal Palaces will not guarantee entry before or after that slot. The ticket is valid for one entry only, with no re-entry.

Everyone goes through a bag check. There is no fast-track lane. Middle Tower, the visitor entrance, currently has reduced access or is closed for conservation. Check Historic Royal Palaces on the day for the route in.

How long to allow at the Tower of London

Two or three hours
Until closing

Two or three hours

Historic Royal Palaces recommends two or three hours once you are through the gate, and on the tickets page they say at least three if you want the queues. You can stay until closing on the date of your booking.

That time has to cover the Jewel House travelator, the White Tower stairs, and the Yeoman Warder tour if it is running. A last-entry ticket is a short visit.

Bags, lockers and photography at the Tower of London

Bags
Photography

Bags and lockers

There is no locker, cloakroom, or left luggage at the Tower. Keep your bag with you. Suitcases, large bags, and any rolling luggage are not allowed in.

Do not plan to dump a case at Fenchurch Street and walk back in. Once you have exited the gates, that ticket is spent. Travel light enough to get through the bag check without a suitcase argument.

No lockers or left luggage on site
No suitcases, large bags, or rolling luggage
Bag check at the entrance; no fast-track lane

Tower of London opening times and how to get there

When the gate is open

March through October last entry is 4:30 p.m. November through February it is 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday opens at 9:00 a.m., Sunday and Monday at 10:00 a.m. It is closed on 24, 25 and 26 December, and on 1 January. Tower of London opening times.

The door

Tower of London, London EC3N 4AB. Tower Hill Underground is five minutes, District and Circle, step-free to the street. Tower Pier sits next to the entrance. Address and Directions.

Tower of London cafe and toilets

Where to eat and where the toilets are

Historic Royal Palaces names the New Armouries Café inside the walls, with step-free access, plus Ravens Café, the Jewel Kiosk near the Jewel House, and the Tower of London Café on the Wharf. The Wharf cafe can close in bad weather. Food and drink stay out of the historic rooms and the Jewel House.

Toilets: Brick Tower behind the Jewel House (male, female, accessible, baby changing), Salt Tower (male), Cradle Tower (female and accessible). A Changing Places toilet is in the ground-floor lobby of the New Armouries, next to the cafe, on a radar key from cafe staff.

Shops sit near the entrance and by the Jewel House. They are not a locker.

Tower of London accessibility

Jewel House, White Tower, cobbles

This is a fortress. Historic Royal Palaces is blunt: spiral stairs, low doorways, cobbles, and limited wheelchair access.

The Jewel House has level access and a travelator beside the Crown Jewels; staff can stop it. The White Tower lift goes to the basement shop only, on the north side, opposite the Crown Jewels. One wheelchair user at a time in that basement. It does not take you up the Armouries floors.

A platform lift at the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula is operated by the Yeoman Warder on duty, two wheelchair users at a time. Manual wheelchairs can be hired. There is a digital British Sign Language guide. Trained assistance dogs are welcome.

Yeoman Warder tour at the Tower of London

Included, not bookable

The Yeoman Warder tour is included with admission when it is running. You cannot book a place. It starts near the Bell Tower, in English, every 45 minutes.

The route has cobbles and a flight of 21 steps. Weather and crowds can shorten or cancel it. A 1:00 p.m. gun salute cancels that slot. First and last tour times sit with the opening times.

Tower of London visitor guidelines

No re-entry once you have left the gates. See everything you came for before you walk out.

Wear shoes that can take cobbles. A lot of the visit is outdoors or in cold stone rooms.

No smoking or vaping anywhere in the fortress, including the courtyards.

Children under 16 go in with an adult and stay with that adult.

Other dogs stay out. Trained assistance dogs are welcome.

Tower of London tickets for this visit

Tower of London admission

From £37. Admission includes the Crown Jewels and the Yeoman Warder tour when it is running. Arrive in your 30-minute slot. This is the fortress on Tower Hill, not a cruise from Westminster.

Tower of London: An Iconic and Intriguing Location!

Highlights

Explore an iconic landmark steeped in political intrigue and royal history.

Discover the newly restored Medieval Palace showcasing stories of monarchs and their households.

See the Crown Jewels, a highlight of the exhibition.

Admire the White Tower with Henry VIII’s oversized armor and London’s oldest church, St John’s Chapel.

Experience thrilling narratives about the Tower’s past, including imprisonment and executions.

Questions about planning a Tower of London visit

How long do you need at the Tower of London?

Historic Royal Palaces recommends two or three hours, and at least three if you want the queues. You can stay until closing. Last entry is a short visit. Your ticket is one entry only.

Are there lockers at the Tower of London?

No. There is no locker, cloakroom, or left luggage. Suitcases, large bags, and rolling luggage are not allowed in. Keep your bag with you.

Can I take photos of the Crown Jewels?

No. Photography is not allowed in the Jewel House, the Martin Tower, or St John's Chapel in the White Tower. Personal photos without flash are fine in most other areas.

Can I leave the Tower and come back on the same ticket?

No. Historic Royal Palaces says the ticket is valid for one entry only. No re-entry is permitted.

Is the Jewel House wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The Jewel House has level access and a travelator that staff can stop. The White Tower lift only reaches the basement shop, not the upper floors. Cobbles and spiral stairs remain throughout the site.

Is the Yeoman Warder tour included?

Yes, when it is running. You cannot book a place. The route has cobbles and 21 steps. First and last tour times are on the opening times.

Where can I eat at the Tower of London?

New Armouries Café inside the walls (step-free), Ravens Café, the Jewel Kiosk, and the Tower of London Café on the Wharf. The Wharf cafe can close in bad weather. Food and drink stay out of the historic rooms and the Jewel House.