The Best Tower of London Tours for Skipping the Crowds

I have a thing for crowns and shiny things, so visiting the Tower of London was a non-negotiable for my London itinerary. I’d technically been before. I was 11 years old and remember almost nothing about it. I told myself that if I was going to visit the Tower of London, I was going to do it right. That’s how I ended up doing two Tower of London tours: one of them is the tour you book to see everything. The other is the one I’d book again.

Jump to:
Which Tower of London Tour is the Best?
Tower of London Tours: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Early Access Tower of London Tour
VIP Tower of London Closing Ceremony Tour
Tower of London Tickets
Tower of London Tours FAQs

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Which Tower of London Tour Is Best?

The answer to this question depends on what you’re actually there for, and they’re different enough that picking the wrong one would be a bummer. I say this as someone who suffers from extreme FOMO.

If this is your first time at the Tower of London, or it’s been years since you’ve been, and seeing the Crown Jewels is on your list, book the Early Access tour. You’ll get in before the crowds, watch the opening ceremony and walk through the Jewel House while everyone else is still queuing up outside. It’s the best way to actually see the Tower of London without spending half your morning in the queue.

If you’ve already been to the Tower of London, or you’re the kind of traveler who cares more about how an experience feels than how many things you check off, book the VIP Closing Ceremony tour. Small group, after-hours access, a Beefeater who actually lives there as your guide, and a 700-year-old military ceremony at the end of it. It’s a harder thing to explain to people at home, but it’s the one I’d do again.

Comparing the Tower of London Tours

My Experience on Both Tower of London Tours

I did the VIP Closing Ceremony tour first, which in hindsight made the Early Access tour feel like a completely different place. I almost skipped the VIP tour because of the price, and it ended up being the best money I spent in London.

Showing up at night, entering through the gate where kings and queens once came through, the Tower was oddly quiet in a way that actually got to me. Standing there in the dark, it looked exactly the way you’d imagine a place where executions and torture happened behind those fortified stone walls.

The morning tour is when all of that went away. Busier, brighter, and a completely different energy from the night before. Both were worth doing, but they gave me two very different versions of the same landmark.

Early Access Tower of London Tour

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The Early Access Tower of London Tour starts early, but not Rainbow Mountain in Peru early. You do have to be there on time because of the opening ceremony. This is when the Yeoman Warder officially opens the Tower of London with an escort from the Scots Guards. You know, the ones with the furry hats that never smile? Watching them march in sync while their steps echo off the Tower walls is enough to make you want to stand at attention.

Besides watching the opening ceremony, the biggest advantage for this Tower of London tour is early access to the Crown Jewels. The Tower of London opens at 10:00 a.m.; we were inside the Jewel House by 10:06 a.m. (If you’re like me and hate having to elbow through crowds to see things, this alone makes the tour feel worth it.)

For this part of the tour, we were on our own. (Guides can’t take large groups into any of the buildings.) You get plenty of time to admire the Crown Jewels. In fact, I was able to walk both sides of the moving walkway.

I saw the Crown Jewels back in the 90s, and the only thing I really remembered was the moving walkway. Seeing them as an adult was like seeing them with fresh, albeit older, eyes. Viewing the 365 year old St. Edward’s Crown, the 2,868 diamond-encrusted Imperial State Crown and the legendary Koh-i-Noor diamond set in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother will make even the richest person feel like a peasant.

After leaving the Jewel House, you continue walking around the grounds with your tour guide who tells you the history of the White Tower, the Bloody Tower and where the infamous executions of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard took place. Once the tour ends, you get free time to explore the different exhibits in each building. Don’t skip the armory display in the White Tower. When you walk in, it feels like a scene straight out of “Bed Knobs and Broomsticks.” If you want to make the most of the royal side of London, I have a full guide on the best royal things to do in the city.

By midday, more people start showing up. It wasn’t overwhelming, but there were more groups, including a lot of school kids on field trips. Even so, visiting during the week is the way to go. Worth knowing: my original tour date got rescheduled by Walks to the following day. It ended up being fine, but it’s something to keep in mind when you’re planning.

VIP Tower of London Closing Ceremony Tour

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The VIP Tower of London Tour with the Closing Ceremony felt completely different from the moment it started. Walking into the Tower of London at night, when it’s closed to the public, immediately changes the experience. It’s quieter, darker and just feels more intimate.

My guide was a Beefeater named Foxy, and you could tell right away he loved his job. It didn’t feel scripted or rushed. It felt like someone who actually wanted to be there, showing you around. (And that’s a good thing since he actually lives at the Tower of London.)

Compared to the Early Access tour, which had around 20 people, there were only three other people on the VIP Tower of London tour. We basically had the Tower of London to ourselves.

One of the best moments wasn’t even on the itinerary. At the end of the tour, we got to see where they keep the actual keys to the Tower of London. That wasn’t something I expected going in, and it’s the kind of detail that makes the whole experience feel more special.

Then there’s the Ceremony of the Keys. This is something that has happened every night for the last 700 years, but very few people actually get to see it in person. (I actually had no idea this was a thing before finding this Tower of London tour.) Watching this ceremony gave me goosebumps. And because you’re watching a ceremony that can’t be videotaped or photographed, you really do feel like royalty. The Ceremony of the Keys alone makes it worth adding to your London itinerary.

Is the VIP Tower of London Tour Worth It?

The short answer is yes, with one caveat: if missing the Crown Jewels would genuinely bother you, this isn’t the right tour. But if you care more about how an experience feels than how much you check off, it delivers.

The price is higher, but the small group size, the after-hours access, and the ceremony make it feel like a completely different kind of experience.

If you’re leaning toward booking it, I’d check availability sooner rather than later since group sizes are so small.

Tower of London Tickets: Do You Even Need a Tour?

You can absolutely buy standard Tower of London tickets and explore on your own, but you won’t get early access to the Crown Jewels, a Beefeater as your guide or any chance of seeing the Ceremony of the Keys. The free Yeoman Warder tours that run during the day are included with admission, but they’re open to whoever shows up and move at the pace of a large group. Both of these Tower of London tours are worth the upgrade if you want to actually feel like you got something out of the visit.

Tower of London Tours and Tickets FAQs

Here are the questions I get asked most about Tower of London tours, including a few I wish someone had answered for me before I booked.

What is the best Tower of London tour?

The best Tower of London tour is the VIP Closing Ceremony tour. This tour is exclusive to Walks, which means no other tour company in London offers it. From the private Yeoman Warder guide to having the Tower of London all to yourself, you feel every bit of a VIP.

Are Tower of London tours worth it?

Tower of London tours are worth it if you want early access, smaller crowds, or something like the Ceremony of the Keys that you genuinely can’t get any other way. A standard ticket gets you in, but a tour gives you something to actually talk about when you get home. I haven’t shut up about it since my London trip.

Can you see the Crown Jewels on all Tower of London tours?

No. The VIP Closing Ceremony tour does not include access to the Crown Jewels.

What is the Ceremony of the Keys?

It’s a nightly military ritual where the Chief Yeoman Warder formally locks the Tower’s main gates, escorted by an armed guard. It has happened every single night for over 700 years and very few visitors ever get to see it in person. It’s never been recorded or photographed, which adds to the mystery.

Can you take photos at the Tower of London?

You can take photos almost everywhere on the grounds, but not inside the Jewel House. I didn’t know this going in and was genuinely disappointed. The Crown Jewels are exactly the kind of thing you want to photograph. The Ceremony of the Keys is also off-limits for photos and video. Both are worth seeing anyway, but go in knowing you’ll be experiencing them without your phone in front of your face, which honestly might be the point.

How far in advance should you book a Tower of London tour?

As early as possible, especially for smaller group tours like the VIP experience. I booked my tickets about 4 weeks before my trip. That’s the latest I would book them, especially if you’re going during summer.

Final Thoughts

Out of everything I did on my most recent London trip, visiting the Tower of London at night lives rent-free in my head. If your schedule allows for both, and you’re the type of person who researches tours this thoroughly, do both. The experiences barely overlap, and you’ll leave feeling like you actually know the Tower instead of just having walked through it.

Which Tower of London Tour Will You Book?

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