Tower of London: 950 Years of Royal Palace, Prison, Mint, Menagerie, and Execution Ground

The White Tower, the central Norman keep started by William the Conqueror in 1078, has been every institutional function imaginable over the past millennium. Anne Boleyn was executed here in May 1536, roughly 28 years after she was born. Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s deputy, was the Tower’s last prisoner in 1941. Henry VI was murdered in the Wakefield Tower in 1471, allegedly by Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who would become Richard III three years later. The Crown Jewels – the actual working regalia worn at coronations – have been stored here since the 13th century.

Most visitors come for the Crown Jewels and leave within two hours, which is not enough time.

Tickets and Timing

Adult admission in 2026 is GBP 37 online (less with advance booking through hrp.org.uk). No photos are allowed inside the Jewel House, though photography is permitted elsewhere on the grounds. Last admission is 3:30pm.

The Crown Jewels queue is the bottleneck. Arrive before 10am or after 4pm for the shortest waits. Midweek visits see about 40 percent fewer visitors than weekends. Book a timed entry slot online; on-day sales are available but the flexibility is not worth the longer queues.

November through February is the best period: the grey stone looks right in grey light, the crowds are a fraction of summer, and the ravens are easier to spot. The site is busiest July and August.

Yeoman Warder Tours

The free guided tours led by Yeoman Warders (the ceremonial guardians, all retired senior non-commissioned officers with at least 22 years military service) are essential rather than optional. They leave from the main gate approximately every 30 minutes from 10am and run about an hour. The stories about specific prisoners, executions, and the architectural changes over centuries are considerably more interesting than the written interpretation. The delivery is professional and frequently funny.

The Crown Jewels

The Imperial State Crown contains the 317-carat Cullinan II diamond, a 170-carat sapphire from the ring of Edward the Confessor, and four drop pearls said to have belonged to Elizabeth I. It weighs 1.06 kilograms. The monarch must wear it without any rehearsal or warmup time; Elizabeth II famously said she had to practise reading while wearing it because the weight required learning to hold her head still.

The Koh-i-Noor diamond is set in the crown made for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Its ownership is disputed by India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. The display has labels but no resolution.

The moving walkway through the Jewel House is designed to keep people moving past the displays. Stand to the side on the static viewing platform to look for longer without the conveyor belt pressure.

The White Tower and Medieval Palace

The White Tower holds the Royal Armouries collection: armour for men and horses across five centuries. The line of mounted suits in the main hall includes the later Henry VIII’s armour, which reveals, more viscerally than any portrait, how his build changed from athletic young man to the late-life figure. The evolution of plate armour design from 12th to 17th century is well-presented.

The Medieval Palace in the Wakefield and Lanthorn towers reproduces 13th-century royal apartments with period furnishings and is consistently the quietest section of the complex. Most visitors skip it; they should not.

The Ravens

The six resident ravens (plus one spare, officially) are named on the official website. The mythology that if the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall, dates in its current form to the Victorian era rather than ancient tradition – the birds were installed in the 19th century – but it has been good enough for everyone since. They wander freely around the inner ward and are notably unimpressed by visitors.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge (separate ticket, GBP 12) is 500 metres east. The high-level walkways give a view down through glass floors to the traffic below and access to the original 1894 steam hydraulic engine rooms. Worth an hour.