Inside the Tower of London you are in a castle of many buildings, courtyards and walls rather than a single building, which is why a Tower of London map matters more here than at most attractions. This page shows where the Tower sits among the stations and sights around it, links the official map, and then walks through the route I would take inside the Tower of London. If you have not chosen a ticket yet, my guide to tickets for the Tower of London compares all ten options, and the rest of this page assumes you have one.
Tower of London Map: Entrance, Stations and Sights Around It
A good Tower of London map starts with the surroundings. The map below shows the Tower of London with the stations and sights within walking distance, from Google Maps data.
The Tower is at London EC3N 4AB. The nearest station in my data is Tower Hill, about 0.23 km away or 4 minutes on foot, and Tower Bridge is about 0.3 km, a 5-minute walk. Aldgate is about 0.67 km and London Bridge about 0.75 km, around 11 and 12 minutes, and The Shard is about 0.83 km away. Those walking times are my estimates, from straight-line distance multiplied by 1.3 at 4.8 km/h, so allow longer on a busy day.
The Official Tower of London Map and How to Read It
Historic Royal Palaces publishes an official Tower of London map (PDF), which I link instead of copying. The copy I opened is marked TOL MAP 05/2021, so the layout may have changed since then and I would treat it as a guide, not a promise. It shows the Ticket Office where you enter, and groups the sights under three headings: Fortress, Palace and Prison. Under Fortress it numbers the Crown Jewels, the White Tower and the Battlements, under Palace the ravens, the Medieval Palace and Royal Beasts, and under Prison Torture at the Tower and Tower Executions. The official guidebook also has a fold-out map, and the staff at the gate can hand you the current plan.
The Route I Would Take Inside the Tower of London
This is my order for a standard ticket and my own Tower of London map in words, based on the numbering of the official map and the sights Historic Royal Palaces names. It is also what to see in the Tower of London if you only have a morning. The official site gives times for only a few stops, so I leave the times blank.
My route inside the Tower of London
1Ticket Office and entranceBag and ticket check
2Crown JewelsAt least 20 minutes, per the official site
3White TowerArmour and the Chapel of St John
4BattlementsWalk along the walls
5Bloody Tower and Tower GreenRaleigh's study and the Scaffold Site
6Medieval Palace and ravensRoyal apartments by Traitors' Gate
7ExitBack to Tower Hill
Ticket Office and Entrance on the Tower of London Map
You start at the Ticket Office, marked as the entry point on the official map. The Yeoman Warder tours run every 45 minutes from 10:00, with the last at 15:15, and they are included with admission, subject to availability, per Historic Royal Palaces. Your first decision is whether to join the first tour or go straight to the Jewel House. If you plan the day around the hours, my Tower of London opening hours guide has the table and last entry.
Historic Royal Palaces
Tower of London and Crown Jewels Exhibition Ticket
★4.6 (33,523 reviews)
24-hour ticket
Free cancellation
My pick: The standard ticket that covers the sights on the map: $51, rated 4.6 from 33,523 reviews, the most reviewed option I found.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Standard access to the Tower of London
✓ Public Beefeater tours
✓ Admission to the exhibitions, including the Crown Jewels
✓ Children's activity trails
✓ Printed maps (available at the Tower ticket desk and entrance points)
✓ Unlimited free Wi-Fi access whilst you are visiting
Not included / not suitable
✕ Audio guide tour
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Skip-the-line access
Meeting point: Show this ticket at the main entrance gate to enter the attraction London EC3N 4AB, UK
Duration: 1 day
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Enjoyed our visit to the Tower of London. We had a very interesting and informative tour with Tam who was very entertaining. Visited the crown jewels which was fascinating” – GetYourGuide review
The Crown Jewels are kept under armed guard in the Jewel House, per the official site, and are still used by the monarch for ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament. The official page suggests setting aside at least 20 minutes. I put them first, as the official map does, because the Jewel House is the part of the Tower that every visitor wants and the part I would least like to miss.
The White Tower
The White Tower is the Norman fortress at the heart of the site, with thick walls, turrets and winding staircases, per the official page. Highlights it names are the 11th-century Chapel of St John the Evangelist and the armour collections, including royal armours of Henry VIII, Charles I and James II. Look for the armour first, then the chapel, and keep the map in your pocket for the way out to the next building. Allow time for the stairs, because I found no official step count and the building is old.
The Battlements
Of everything on the Tower of London map, the Battlements are the part that explains the rest. The Battlements are the walk along the walls, and they are covered by a standard admission, per the official page. This is the part of the Tower that gives you the best view of the layout on the map above, so it is where I would compare the paper plan with what you see. Wear sensible shoes, because a medieval wall is not a modern walkway.
Bloody Tower and Tower Green
The Bloody Tower holds Sir Walter Raleigh’s study on the ground floor and the Imprisonment at the Tower exhibition, per the official site. Tower Green and the Scaffold Site is where three queens of England, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey, were executed. This corner shows why the Tower was a prison as much as a palace, and my Tower of London history page explains the story in order.
the tour guy
VIP Beefeater Meet & Greet with Tower of London Guided Tour
★4.7 (961 reviews)
1.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: A Beefeater-led tour that also covers the Inner Ward and Jewel House: $66, 1.5 hours, rated 4.7 from 961 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert, English-speaking guide
✓ Timed entry to the Tower of London
✓ Guided visit to Traitors' Gate and Tower Green
✓ Access to the Crown Jewels in the Jewel House
✓ 15-minute meet and greet with a Yeoman Warder at the exclusive King's House (not included with Express option)
✓ Photo opportunity with a Yeoman Warder (not included with Express option)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Guide tips
✕ Beefeater meet & greet (Express option only)
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Highly recommend, very enjoyable and our guide was very acknowledgeable.” – GetYourGuide review
The Medieval Palace is reached from the South Battlements, and its royal apartments sit above the archway now known as Traitors’ Gate, per the official site. The ravens can be spotted around the grounds, and the official site also offers a booked Ravens experience, a 45-minute talk with the Ravenmaster or a member of the team, on Wednesdays and Fridays, with advance booking needed. I did not check whether that is running now, so confirm it before you plan around it.
How Long to Allow Inside the Tower of London
Historic Royal Palaces suggests 90 minutes for the key highlights, up to two hours with a Yeoman Warder tour, and up to three hours for more on prisoners, torture and the battlements. I would plan three hours for a first visit, since the site has many buildings and I cannot predict the queue for the Jewel House. Guided versions are covered on my Tower of London tours page.
Access Inside the Tower of London
I could not open the accessibility pages on the official site, so I will not state lift or step-free facts. What I can say is that the Tower is a castle: the official page describes the White Tower’s winding staircases, and the Battlements are a walk along old walls, so expect steps. A Tower of London map shows the buildings but not the gradients, so ask at the Ticket Office for the step-free route. If access is a concern, the tour I would check first is the listing built for it.
LetzGo City Tours Britain
Easy Access Tower of London and Crown Jewels Tour
★4.7 (1,712 reviews)
3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The tour listed as easy access, with the Crown Jewels and White Tower: $119, 3 hours, rated 4.7 from 1,712 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entry to Tower of London
✓ Entry to Crown Jewels Exhibition
✓ Entry to White Tower
✓ Entry to Tower Armory
✓ Visit to the Raven House
✓ Visit to Tower Green and Scaffold Site
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Tips
✕ Transportation
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
You now have the Tower of London map, the official PDF and a route. Pick your sights with the Tower of London map in hand, keep the route above as a reading order, and compare every Tower of London ticket in one place before you pay. The home page lists the other London attractions I compare.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official Tower of London map?+
Yes. Historic Royal Palaces publishes a Tower visitor map as a PDF on hrp.org.uk. The copy I opened is marked TOL MAP 05/2021, so it may be out of date, and the official guidebook also has a fold-out map. Check the current version at the Ticket Office before you rely on it.
What is inside the Tower of London?+
Inside the Tower of London you can see the Crown Jewels in the Jewel House, the White Tower with its armour collections, the Battlements, the Bloody Tower, Tower Green and the Scaffold Site, the Medieval Palace and the ravens. Historic Royal Palaces says standard admission covers the Crown Jewels, White Tower, Battlements and Bloody Tower, among others.
How long do you need inside the Tower of London?+
Historic Royal Palaces suggests 90 minutes for the key highlights, up to two hours with a Yeoman Warder tour, and up to three hours if you want more on prisoners, torture and the battlements. It also suggests at least 20 minutes for the Crown Jewels.
What should I see first at the Tower of London?+
I'd go to the Crown Jewels first, which is also the first stop on the official map, then the White Tower and the Battlements. The Jewel House can fill up as the day goes on, so doing it early is my own advice and not an official rule.
Is the Tower of London accessible?+
The official site has an accessibility section, but I could not open it, so I cannot give you the details. Among the tours I compared, Easy Access Tower of London and Crown Jewels Tour is listed for $119 and is designed for easier access, so it is worth reading its listing.
