Visiting the Tower of London
Everyone that visits London should visit the Tower of London. Built initially by William the Conquerer nearly a thousand years ago, it has served as a home for kings, a zoo, an armory, a prison (with torture devices), an execution site, and now as the home of the Crown Jewels. You can check out a lot more history of the Tower of London on its Wikipedia page.
The Tower is one of the best tourist attractions in London. There’s history, the highly entertaining Beefeaters (Yeoman Warders), the Crown Jewels, and more. I highly recommend planning to spend at least a couple of hours there.
When you arrive at the Tower, the first thing you MUST do is find out when the next tour starts. These are led by the Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters), and are extremely informative and entertaining. They explain a lot of the most interesting history of the Tower, and if you want more details, they know far more than they could ever fit into a tour! They are all highly successful military veterans, and live on the grounds of the Tower. Serving as a Yeoman Warder is a lifetime appointment, so it is the final job any of them will ever have. The tour generally takes about an hour, and is an absolutely must-do.
The other thing you must see is the Crown Jewels. They’re in a very highly guarded building on the grounds of the Tower. It’s a bit of an odd arrangement; when you view them you stand on a moving walkway that slowly moves you past all of the Jewels. (This is to keep people from crowding around one area, I believe.) But the whole display is absolutely astounding, and include some of the worlds’ biggest diamonds and jewels.
There are quite a few other things to do on the Tower Grounds. Tour the White Tower, the first one built by William the Conquerer, with the museum of the Tower inside. Not to mention that the whole Tower of London is incredibly picturesque, and a dream for photographers.
Touring the Tower of London is a London absolute must-see. I hope you enjoy it!
Days/Times: Open virtually every day, 9am - 4:30pm. (10am opening Sunday and Monday).
Cost: £16 for adults, £9.50 children 5-15. Special rates for families and seniors.
Getting there: Take the Tube to Tower Hill station, on the Circle and District lines.
More information and book tickets online: Tower of London website
Map:
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Photos from Flickr. 1 2 3 4 5 6
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POSTED IN: Attractions, Family Fun, History & Information, Must-See Sights, People - Interesting Local People, People Watching, Photos, Resources, Top Ten, Tours - Guided or Self-Guided
4 opinions for Visiting the Tower of London
The Toronto Traveler
Dec 9, 2007 at 11:29 pm
That is one suspicious looking guard in the close up shot!
b5media - These are a Few of My Favorite Travel & Culture Things
Dec 13, 2007 at 7:18 am
[…] From Jed at The London Traveler, a post about visiting the Tower of London; […]
justin
Dec 15, 2007 at 10:26 am
yes, the guard is scary (and ridiculous) looking.
Jon - The DC Traveler
Dec 15, 2007 at 5:41 pm
On my couple of trips to London, one of my favorite places was the Tower. the tours are informative, the history is wonderful adn the experience is one not to be missed. Great photos too.
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