A Tower of London tour is the way I would see the Tower if I had one visit, because the fortress is a pile of stories and the stones do not tell them. I compared the six guided Tower of London tours on GetYourGuide, from $66 to $199, and every one comes with entry except the after-hours tour, which stays outside the buildings. If you only want to get in, my guide to tickets for the Tower of London covers every option, and this page is for the tours with a person leading you.
Tour
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Rating
Length
Free cancellation
Book
VIP Beefeater Meet & Greet with Tower of London Guided Tour
What a Tower of London Tour Adds Over a Plain Ticket
The plain ticket is the $51 Historic Royal Palaces entry, which is also the most-reviewed Tower of London product at 4.6 from 33,523 reviews. The Tower is run by Historic Royal Palaces, whose site is hrp.org.uk, and Google results show an adult price from 37 pounds there, which I could not confirm on the page itself. A plain ticket gets you the grounds, the White Tower, the Jewel House and the ravens, at your own pace.
A Tower of London tour adds a guide who orders the visit: Traitors’ Gate, the Bloody Tower, Tower Green, the White Tower and the Crown Jewels, with the stories attached. Some tours add a Beefeater, an early start or the opening ceremony, which are things the plain ticket does not give you. A tour does not change the Crown Jewels queue by magic, and one reviewer noted that the Thames cruise tour is not a skip-the-queue product.
Tower of London Tours With a Beefeater
Two tours are built around meeting a Yeoman Warder, the Beefeaters who live inside the Tower.
The cheapest guided Tower of London tour is the VIP Beefeater meet and greet from The Tour Guy, at $66. It takes 1.5 hours, is English only and has 4.7 stars from 961 reviews. The listing includes timed entry, a guided visit to Traitors’ Gate and Tower Green, and the Crown Jewels in the Jewel House, plus a 15-minute meet and greet and a photo with a Yeoman Warder at King’s House. The Express option leaves out the meet and greet, so the title does not guarantee it. A reviewer said they spent two hours exploring after the tour finished.
the tour guy
VIP Beefeater Meet & Greet with Tower of London Guided Tour
★4.7 (961 reviews)
1.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: My pick for most visitors: $66, 1.5 hours, 4.7 from 961 reviews, with a Yeoman Warder meet and greet on the standard option.
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 LetzGo Beefeater tour is $132 for 3 to 4 hours and is rated 4.5 from 685 reviews. It lists skip-the-line timed entry, the Crown Jewels, the White Tower and Armory, the Raven House and a private audience with a Beefeater, plus an optional private 30-minute White Tower tour led by a White Tower Warden. The group meets outside Starbucks in Tower Place West. The listing is firm about timing: late arrivals cannot be accommodated and missed tours are not refunded. Reviewers call the Beefeater a highlight and enjoy the early start before the crowds.
LetzGo City Tours Britain
Tower of London Tour with Beefeater Meet and Greet
★4.5 (685 reviews)
3 - 4 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The long Beefeater tour: $132, 3 to 4 hours, a private audience with a Yeoman Warder, 4.5 from 685 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert English-speaking local guide
✓ Exclusive private audience with a Tower of London Beefeater
✓ Skip-the-line with timed access entry tickets
✓ Entry to the Tower of London
✓ Entry to Crown Jewels Exhibition
✓ Entry to White Tower & Armory
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation
✕ Food or Drink
✕ The White Tower Experience does not include audience with the Beefeaters
Meeting point: Meeting Time: 15 minutes before the scheduled start time
Meeting Place: Starbucks, 3 Tower Place West Building, London EC3R 5BT
Meeting Point: Meet your guide directly outside the main entrance to Starbucks. The guide will have a LetzGO City Tours check-in sign.
Late arrivals cannot be accommodated and missed tours or tickets cannot be refunded or rescheduled. You must first check in with the guide, as you can only access the venues as part of your organised group tour. 3 Tower Place, London EC3R 5BT, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 3 - 4 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“A great tour of the London Tower. Our guide was informative and gave us lots of time to look at everything. The Beefeater experience was very worthwhile. Would recommend the early start before the crowds and heat.” – GetYourGuide review
The biggest of the Tower of London tours is the opening ceremony and Tower Bridge tour from LetzGo, at $199 for 3.5 hours, in English. It has 4.8 stars from 948 reviews. It starts at Tower Hill Station, where the guide waits outside between Citizen M Hotel and Trinity Square Gardens near the Tower Hill Tram refreshment stand, 15 minutes before the start. Skip-the-line access to the Tower, the Royal Beefeaters Opening Ceremony, skip-the-line tickets to Tower Bridge and the Victorian Engine Rooms are all included.
LetzGo City Tours Britain
Tower of London Opening Ceremony & Tower Bridge Tour
★4.8 (948 reviews)
3.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The most complete day: $199, 3.5 hours, the opening ceremony and Tower Bridge together, rated 4.8 from 948 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-line access to the Tower of London
✓ Royal Beefeaters Opening Ceremony
✓ Skip-the-line tickets to the Tower Bridge Experience
✓ Entry to the Victorian Engine Rooms
✓ English-speaking guide
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Transportation
✕ Tips
Meeting point: Meeting time: 15 minutes before departure. Meeting place: Tower Hill Tube Station, Citizen M Hotel, 40 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4DJ
Meeting point: Take main exit and meet your guide outside between Citizen M Hotel and Trinity Square Gardens, adjacent to the “Tower Hill Tram” refreshment stand. Meet your guide outside the main exit of Tower Hill Underground Station (underground lines: Circle or District), between Citizen M Hotel and Trinity Square Gardens, adjacent to the red Tower Hill Tram refreshment stand.
Late arrivals cannot be accommodated and missed tours or tickets cannot be refunded or rescheduled. You must first check-in with the guide, as you can only access the venues as part of your organised group tour. London EC3N 4DJ, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 3.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Our guide, Leon, was very friendly, and considerate of all grou participants, with endless patience, information and sense of humour....higly recommend” – GetYourGuide review
Reviewers praise the guides’ patience and humour. One mentions a group of eight including a 92-year-old mother, and another liked seeing the opening ceremony without the crowds and being among the first to the Crown Jewels. For the money, it is the only tour on this page that includes a second attraction.
Multilingual and Thames Cruise Tower of London Tours
The Easy Access tour from LetzGo is $119 for 3 hours, with a Blue Badge guide, and it is the only Tower of London tour that offers six languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. It includes entry to the Crown Jewels, the White Tower, the Tower Armory, the Raven House, Tower Green and the Scaffold Site, and the Lower Wakefield Tower. A Royal Thames cruise curated by Historic Royal Palaces is included if you select that option, and the meeting point varies with the option. It has 4.7 stars from 1,712 reviews, the most for any guided tour except the plain ticket’s own listing.
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 six-language option: $119, 3 hours, a Blue Badge guide, 4.7 from 1,712 reviews, an optional Thames cruise.
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.
The Thames cruise tour from The Tour Guy is $88 and is listed at 1.5 to 7 hours because the 30-minute cruise ticket is flexible. The guide hands out pre-reserved tickets at Tower Place West, 50 Lower Thames St, and takes you through Traitors’ Gate, the Bloody Tower and on. The Crown Jewels and White Tower are accessible, but the Crown Jewels guide and the cruise guide are listed as not included. Rated 4.6 from 753 reviews, English and Spanish. A reviewer said they would have loved another hour to explore.
the tour guy
Tower of London Guided Tour with Thames Cruise
★4.6 (753 reviews)
1.5 - 7 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: Tour plus a flexible 30-minute Thames cruise: $88, 4.6 from 753 reviews. Not a skip-the-queue product.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert, English-speaking guide
✓ Pre-reserved Tower of London tickets
✓ Access to the Crown Jewels and White Tower
✓ Flexible 30-minute Thames River cruise ticket
Not included / not suitable
✕ Guide tips
✕ Guided tour of Crown Jewels
✕ Guide for Thames cruise
Meeting point: This activity has 2 meeting points. Your meeting point depends on the option you select. Tower Place West, 50 Lower Thames St, London EC3R 6DT, UK
Languages: English, Spanish
Duration: 1.5 - 7 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“It was wonderful Ariana was the perfect guide. Willing to answer all questions and made sure we received some interesting history.” – GetYourGuide review
After-Hours Tower of London Tour With the Ceremony of the Keys
The last tour is the one that changes the Tower rather than explains it. The after-hours tour with the Ceremony of the Keys costs $177 for 105 minutes, rated 4.9 from only 55 reviews. A Beefeater leads the group around the grounds after the daytime crowds have gone, with a lantern-lit walk and the ceremony. The Crown Jewels and interior access are not included, so it is an addition to a daytime visit and not a replacement. My Tower of London tickets page covers it under night visits.
the tour guy
Tower of London: After-Hours Tour with Ceremony of the Keys
★4.9 (55 reviews)
105 minutes
Free cancellation
My pick: The evening one: $177, 105 minutes, led by a Beefeater, rated 4.9 from 55 reviews. No Crown Jewels or interior access.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert, English-speaking Beefeater guide
✓ Friendly tour host on arrival
✓ Exclusive after-hours access to the Tower of London
✓ Ceremony of the Keys experience
✓ Lantern-lit walking tour of the Tower's historic grounds
✓ Exterior views of Traitors' Gate, the White Tower, and the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula
Not included / not suitable
✕ Access to the Crown Jewels
✕ Gratuities (optional)
✕ Interior building access
Meeting point: Please arrive 10 minutes early. Meet one of our representatives in front of the Tower of London Shop. Look for our friendly staff in red, holding a sign with 'The Tour Guy' on it! 5BT, Tower Place West, 50 Lower Thames St, London EC3R 6DT, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 105 minutes
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Our Yeoman Andy was fantastic bringing to life the times of the Tower. He was funny and entertaining and brought the history to life. The ceremony of the keys was very interesting and historical” – GetYourGuide review
Largely, yes. Every tour gets praise for its guides, and the complaints are practical: tours that end too soon, cruise tours that are not skip-the-queue, and a rule that late arrivals are not refunded.
“His deep knowledge of history and engaging manner made the time fly by.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Guided Tower of London Tour or Ticket Only?
The plain ticket is $51, and the cheapest guided Tower of London tour is $66, so the guide costs $15 more. The Easy Access tour is $68 more than the ticket and the opening ceremony tour is $148 more, though that includes Tower Bridge. If you know the history, take the $51 ticket and read the signs. If you want the stories and the ravens explained, I think the $66 tour pays for itself, especially as it includes the Crown Jewels. For the official side, see hrp.org.uk, and for the full list of entry options see my Tower of London tickets page.
Small Group, Private or Standard Tower of London Tours
The listings state little about group size. The one detail I found is the 8-person group of one reviewer on the opening ceremony tour, which is an account and not a limit. I found no private tour among the six, so ask the operator if you need one. The LetzGo Easy Access name suggests step-free planning, but the listing does not say so, so contact the operator about access needs before you book.
How I’d Choose a Tower of London Tour
First visit on a budget: the VIP Beefeater meet and greet at $66.
Meet a Beefeater at length: LetzGo’s Beefeater tour at $132.
Tower plus Tower Bridge: the opening ceremony tour at $199.
Not English: the Easy Access tour at $119, in six languages.
Add the river: the Thames cruise tour at $88.
An evening addition: the after-hours tour at $177, with a daytime ticket for the Crown Jewels.
I think so for a first visit. The Tower is built on stories, and the most common praise in the reviews I read is that the guide made the history click. The cheapest guided tour with entry is $66 against a $51 plain ticket, and the best-rated big-sample tour, the $199 opening ceremony and Tower Bridge tour, has 4.8 stars from 948 reviews.
How long is a Tower of London tour?+
From 1.5 hours for the VIP Beefeater meet and greet to 3.5 hours for the opening ceremony and Tower Bridge tour. The Easy Access tour is 3 hours, the Beefeater meet and greet from LetzGo is 3 to 4 hours, and the Thames cruise tour is listed as 1.5 to 7 hours depending on how you use the cruise ticket.
Does a Tower of London tour include the Crown Jewels?+
Four of the six do. The Easy Access, VIP Beefeater, LetzGo Beefeater and opening ceremony tours name the Crown Jewels. The Thames cruise tour gives access to them but lists a guided tour of the Crown Jewels as not included. The after-hours Ceremony of the Keys tour lists the Crown Jewels as not included.
Can I meet a Beefeater on a Tower of London tour?+
Yes. The VIP tour from The Tour Guy includes a 15-minute meet and greet with a Yeoman Warder at King's House, except on its Express option. LetzGo's tour includes a private audience with a Beefeater. The after-hours tour is led by a Beefeater guide.
Do Tower of London tours skip the queue?+
Some do and some do not. The opening ceremony tour includes skip-the-line access and the LetzGo Beefeater tour includes skip-the-line timed entry. A reviewer of the Thames cruise tour noted it is not a skip-the-queue product, so read the listing for your option.
Where do the Tower of London tours meet?+
Outside the Tower. The LetzGo opening ceremony tour meets at Tower Hill Station near Trinity Square Gardens, the LetzGo Beefeater tour at Starbucks in Tower Place West, and The Tour Guy tours at Tower Place West, 50 Lower Thames St. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, because late arrivals are not refunded.
