Nearly a thousand years of royal fortress, prison and treasury on the Thames — the Crown Jewels, the Beefeaters and the ravens. Everything you need before you go, including how to skip the queue.
William the Conqueror began the White Tower around 1078 to dominate newly conquered London, and successive monarchs expanded it into the concentric fortress you see today. In its time it has been a royal palace, an armoury, a menagerie, a mint, a prison and a place of execution. The two-tonne ravens are still kept on site by legend — lose them, the story goes, and the kingdom falls.
The Crown Jewels — a working collection still used in coronations, including the 530-carat Cullinan I diamond — are the headline draw, displayed in the Jewel House with a moving walkway to keep the queue flowing. The White Tower holds the Royal Armouries. Around them, the Tower Green marks where queens were executed, and the medieval palace and battlement walk fill in the rest of the story.
Open from around 9am; the first hour is the calmest and the smartest time to head straight for the Crown Jewels before the coaches arrive. The free Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) tours leave every 30 minutes from just inside the entrance and are the best way to understand the place — don't skip them. Allow at least three hours, and note the Tower is busiest on weekends and school holidays.
Pair the Tower with Westminster, the museums and a walk along the Thames on our complete London guide — or let the AI build your day-by-day itinerary.
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